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Show (CHRISTMAS SEASD1 ID TRE MESSAGE In anticipation of the message of the shopping season which will commence com-mence this weeK, a series of pre-Christmas pre-Christmas sermons was commenced last ovening in the First Presbyterian church. An old-time yule tide enrol was rendered by Uio choir and Mrs. Agnes Warner sang the classic song "Angels Ever Bright and Fair." The theme of the series Is "The Message Which the Christmas Season Sea-son Brings to the Darker Problems of Life." "The Christmas season and Its observance ob-servance is one of the suro marks of progress," said the Rev. Carvei. "If you would take the map of the world and mark the places where tho advance ad-vance of knowledge and science and morals has been most developed, you will be marking the places where the Christmas season has been givan the highest meaning. As man grows up to the great God who made him and as man becomes in thought and character char-acter more and more a child of God, man partakes tho moro of God's nature. na-ture. He develops the spirit life here and now. Ho really commences to enter en-ter into the immortal like as the Christ said He that believeth upon mq hath immortal life. Ono of the ways in which wo partake of the nature of God is in tho participation of his creative cre-ative factulty. Tho creation goes on with the enllghtment of man. Bur-bank Bur-bank as he develops the fruits, flowers flow-ers and grasses is still creating. The Inventor and scientist is creating and tho social worker and reformer and advance thinker of any line Is still continuing the creating work of God. This Is the hope and inspiration of man. There is a darker picture how ever. "If there should be a species of dumb brutes that would gather by tho " multitude ana fight their kind or If there should bo even a kind of animals ani-mals so fierce that they would gather in droves and attempt to drive another an-other species from a wide area such an order of brute kingdom would be called the farthest from the race of men. It is true that tho ants alone even attempt this. History Is filled with pages relating the plottings and inventions of mankind against his kin. Oftimes the ones to whom Is accorded accord-ed the highest praise are none other than the ones who have through the blood of their fellows crimsoned a path to power. Not only In his plot-tings plot-tings for war but in his devilish tortures tor-tures which he inflicts on his brother man does the highest typo of life reveal re-veal the dark background to his character. char-acter. Persecutions and Inquisitions have made martyrs at cost of all the suffering a Nero can devise. Homes and cities, temples and hospitals, infirmaries in-firmaries and asylums are not immune im-mune from the brutality of massed armies. What then could women expect ex-pect for themselves or their children. "More time, thought and money is expendedon tho Christmas festivities than has ever been lavished upon any other gala day or returning feast. Tho more enlightened the people and the more advanced the age the more this is true. It is true that the joy of Yuletlde is partly because it is such a children's period of expectation. The real reason for the staying power of the celebration is that as war appeals to the basest of our nature, Christmas brings it's message to the highest. In it we see the link that unites our nature na-ture with that of God. A good man, a Saviour, a teacher sent from God speaks of worth of the life to which He came. Just as war tells how low the race can fall the birth of the Christ tells to what heights the race can ascend. Christmas in the trenches trench-es presents the two extremes of humanity. hu-manity. Man plotting to kill and God planning to save. When all has 'been said against the expense of "holiday giving the fact remains that the shopper shop-per this week will speak of love while the cannons belch only the greetings of hate. The light of Christmas cheer is needed to lessen the guile. of self." |