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ort RN LEA tit oi cao ot sll le 22 sd td tess, Po darter a Fo. 4 Wu Pe "Holo 17. Rupolpy | "SEE= ~ChatterBox Cal -- ear BEING (INISTER OF JRANSPORT DOESN'T ENTITLE you JO FLY YOUR a Tra -r ~ by John Gast Another Christmas has rolled around with all those -expectant good times, smiling faces, good cheer and stuff, so why am I sitting silently in the living room watching my two children put the finishing touches on the tree? What is it about age and prosperity that had just made fiddling with the tree lights more of a chore than the simple delight it used to be? Why do I think about Christmas '56 with nostalgia rather than Christmas '76 with excitement? Can it be true that Christmas is for the young, and that maturity terminates the feeling of serenity and peace that we all seem to remember, but never experience? What was different about those Christ- mases?...or what was different about me? Seems the difference betweeri bad and good, the desirable and undesirable, and the way to be and the way not to be, is becoming more and more obscure. Realistic or not, Scrooge was the heavy when I was a kid, and Tiny Tim was the good guy. Christmas was as much a message as it was an experience in those days. Not necessarily all a religious message, either. Christmas rounded off the year of our family. It was a time to feel together, warm and protected. There were things about those Christmases that I'll never forget. Not the new snowmobile, electric train, skates or skis, mind you, but other things like a Christmas record played in a candle-lit living room or standing hand-in-hand with my sister, singing the traditional Christmas Eve Christmas carols to my parents, whose eyes seemed always to turn glassy just about that time. I remember treking the backwoods around our place on Christmas Eve in search for a suitable Christmas tree for Margot, a lady who boarded with us. It was fun and exciting, jumping over fences and tramping through the snow in anticipation of a shotgun-wielding farmer, but I'll never forget her tears as she hugged a shivering, runny-nosed kid and propped the tree up in a corner. I remember because my eyes were burning too. There was no family for Margot...therefore, how could she have Christmas? One avoids hopping over farmers' fences these days, not only with respect for law and order, but because it's just too much trouble. These days we just reach for the back pockét and slap down a fiver...or we assemble a tree stored in a box in the basement. One couple we know leaves their tree, ornaments and all, set up in a corner of the basement until Christmas when it is carried upstairs to the livingroom. But perhaps to blame our Yuletide losses as simply a reflection of rampant materialism would be a cop-out, a way of shoving the blame onto society rather than facing ourselves directly. Materialism is almost an acceptable philosophy by many people today...by some, even a desirable one. Yet no one seems to realize that it's just a euphamistic way of saying we are becoming a society of greedy people. Somehow, greed becomes a more personal, individual label. We can quietly openly admit that, yes, perhaps we are all a bit too materialistic, but watch the indignation when we are called greedy. As for me, I plan to make a few changes at Christmas. Swayed by charges that Christmas cards are a monumental rip-off promoted by Christmas card manufacturers, I quit sending them a couple of years ago. I bought a couple of boxes the other day, and got high on addressing them to people I hadn't heard of for years. It was fun and I smiled to myself as I thought about the $5.00 or so that Hallmark had ripped me off for...and how little I cared. Not that exorcizing the humbug is an easy feat to accomplish. One shudders even to think about the crowded stores, tired feet and frustration of last- minute Christmas shopping; or the piles of dishes following that family Christmas day feast; or the excited kids underfoot. Somehow, I'd forgotten to tie the buying in with the giving. This year, however, I concentrated on just how the kids' eyes would light up with strprise as they found a thoughtful gift under the tree. Surprisingly, Christmas shopping turned bear- able again. In fact, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Casting out the humbugs isn't always a unilateral thing. As age, common sense and maturity crept into our Christmas, some families, systematically, purged all the value out of it. Case in point is the idea that gifts are for the kids and that adults should come to an understanding amongst themselves, like: No gifts between adults; or Keep it under $3.00; or Give only money to adults so good money isn't wasted on a "bad" gift. The latter is perhaps the worst example of Humbug Christmas. 1 refuse to give money at Christmas, and consider it a callous insult to get same. Even worse is the relative who sends money to the children so they can buy their own. Remember curling up in bed with a few of your favourite Christmas presents when you were a kid? A $5 mill isn't cuddly like a stuffed toy, neat-o like a model plane, or as exciting as a new micro- scope. No, you can't curl up at night with money. Only adults do that. Another Christmas humbug to be avoided is the gift "arrangement", where each picks out his own "gift", wraps it up and puts it under the tree, then pretends (for the kids) that it's a surprise. Not for me. I want to be surprised, and I want to surprise. Call it childish, immature, unreasonable, or anything you want. I'll call it Christmas. manny 70 Jorgoyoxik 1 SE SR Three words for Christmas By Rev. R. G. Brawn The most important word for Christmas is the word "grace". Grace, as the word is used in the different books of the New Testament, is predomin- antly a Pauline word. He speaks frequently of 'the grace of God' in the sense that God is the source from which grace comes to man. And for the believer, the grace of God is actualized and made effective for human need in Jesus Christ. Our 'thoughts at this season should begin with - "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich'. (2 Corinthians 8:9) The grace of God is first and foremost evidenced in the incredibly generous action He took in sending Christ to this world of sinful men. The grace of Christ is seen in His obedient fulfilment of His Father's gracious purpose. First, by His becoming man at all, by the humble courtesy of His lowly birth. Secondly, by the steadfast faithfulness which led Him to the Cross. And finally, by the mighty power of His resurrection. All this was accomplish- - ed 'for our sake", though there was nothing in man that was even faintly worthy of it. Grace is offered by God to man with the special purpose of accomp- lishing for man the salvation which he cannot achieve for himself. It is quite the reverse of a reward for good conduct as suggested in the gifts brought to the children by Santa Claus. The God-inspired response in we humans to the Glory of His Grace is by faith. And our faith is expressed in worship and work. * The second word for Christmas is worship. The focal point of Christian worship is God's Word, written in scrip- ture, proclaimed in sacrament and in sermon. The word made manifest in the person of the living Lord Jesus Christ. In Him who is both God and man, humanity is lifted up to God and God is with us, Immanuel! Our Worship is in Christ, this crucified, rises and reigning Christ, the only mediator between God and man. He alone makes true worship possible. The gift of worship comes to us from God in Christ. To celebrate Christmas is to worship. But Christian worship will lead to obedience, for the worship of God is also the service of God. The grace of God in Christ not only brings salvation to sinful man, but also assigns to those who are saved special tasks in the service of God. The third word for Christmas is work. It was by the grace of God that St. Paul was appointed an apostle, and sommissioned to carry the gospel to the Gentiles. There was nothing in him, he knew, which made him suitable for it or deserving of it. The spiritual and moral equipment which he needed for the fulfilment of this work was supplied to him as the gift of God's grace. Our response at Christmas is opposite to what St. Paul says of his work. We say -- "It's Christmas, | must do some kind deeds to please God". We scurry around busy people doing good. This is far better than lazy people doing evil. But to celebrate Christmas is to do the work God gives us to do, all our days, even as Christ did His work. py "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work'. (St. John 9:4) Three words for Christmas are grace, worship and work. They must be understood in Christ. Thanks, kids! Perhaps one of the most enjoyable tasks of the year is putting together the special Christmas edition of the Pert Perry STAR, and if you read the many items contributed by the youngsters of the township, you will understand why. Featuring the work of young people in our Christmas edition is getting to be a STAR tradition, one we hope to continue as long as youngsters keep showing the enthusiastic support that they have in past years. We would like to thank the many youngsters who contributed, and the many teachers and parents who helped in the effort. Regretably, every year there are many items submitted by these children that we are unable to use because of lack of space. We hope that those youngsters whose work is not shown will not be too disappointed. The work we have featured in these pages is only an example of the work submitted to us. To all those young people...thanks. ® 2 3 8 + | ' ». a » 4 hg A < " J BHETRI LE