The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

A Christmas Message BY REV. R Cc. ROSE The Church Of Ascension "Behold, | bring you good tidings of great joy which shail be to all people, For unto you is"born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (St. Luke 2: 10,11) . Almost every race and nation has developed its own traditions of Christmas, and no matter how varied they may be they all seem to have one thing in common, Joy. Today we go to great lengths to capture the spirit of Joy at Christmas. Enormous sum#iof money are spent on all too often the Joy seems to elude us. On many sides we hear it said that Christmas i§ not as it used to be. We feel certain that something is missing. The Joy is not complete. How do we gain this Joy? The prophet Isaiah gives a hint. He speaks about re- joicing in God's presence as "Men rejoice at harvest." (tsaiah 9:3 - The New English Bible) Now the Joy of har- vest is twofold. First there is the realisation that a har- vest is successful only when the proper combination has been experienced from planting to reaping. This is not man's doing but a gift, a gift from God. Secondly there is the Joy of accomplishment which comes through com- mitment. He who brings in a successful harvest has accomplished much by committing himself to the labour of the harvest. Such is the Joy of Christmas. There is first the Joy of the acceptance of the gift, God's Gift of His Son. The Christian faith is not just a passive experience, cOmmit- ment is involved and thus the Joy of commitment to God through Christ. We busy ourselves in searching for the Joy of Christ- mas and miss the obvious. God gave the gift and awaits Our acceptance and commitment. May the Good News of Giad-tidings bring to you Joy, the Joy of acceptance and Remember When? The history of the English lanquage is that of a living, evolving organism and certainly every age has had its own slang, much of which over the years has come to be accepted as proper usage. But has there ever been a time when the language has been shaken up in the way that it has these past few years? it has its amusing side and we are indebted to Authorined sa second dass mail by the Post Office Department. Ottawa. and for payment of pastege in cash Second Cina Mail Registration Number 0286 Subseription Rates: In Canada $4.50 per yr. AND our On Ke STREET Wor A DRWER'D BEEN DRINKING , '7 StEmMs War THEY 'D ALL BEFVY DoiwG SOME THINKING . TO DRINK AND TO ORIVE Ow THIS DAY OR ANY, G0utQ ENDANGER THEIR: LIVES /WOEFED THAT OF Many .* SO THEY WALKED , WENT BY CAB, -OrR VaST STAYED AT Home AND CHRISTMAS MORNING ARRIVED WITH NO CHKDREN ALONE. ; ; BILL g™_MILEY UGAR ano CHRISTMAS A JOY ONCE WORK'S DONE Christmas seems to emphasize our basic natures. If we're slightly skeptical, we be- come deeply cynical the closer the day approaches. If we are inclined to be optim- Spice Naturally, children get most out of it. Perhaps it's because they don't look for ing in sentimentality are, they are fascinated by the thought of It seems to get me both ways. My goodies. They love the hide-and-seek aspect natural skepticism hardens into a surly of gifts. There's a great thrill in 'opening and greed, cards and carols, begins creep- = things under the tree ing toward me. Not to mention the holy But they are equally enchanted by old jumpin' putting up of the tree, my the aura that surrounds these material annual struggle to avoid insanity from _ jollies. The carols, the pageants, the never- frustration, and hell from blasphemy. stale story of the birth in the manger, the But my natural optimsim sneaks in, very smell of Christmas: all these increase and once the dirty work has been done, their inner excitement to the bursting was sentimental to the point of tears over point. the wassail bowl, the log in the fire, the It's also a day when they can get smell of singed spruce needles, and the | ®way with anything short of murder, and loved faces around me. they know it. Neither attitude is right, of course. This year, after the big family gatherings Both are base. Christmas is a celebration. of other years, we'll have a slim crew, but It should be neither cynical nor sentimen- _-- three generations. Granny won't be there, tal, but joyous, in the real sense of the but we'll be thinking at her. There'll * be Grandad and nd It could, and should be the one day fan chien et es bere po in the year when we can creep closest to the with eighteen.) writing. migh warmth of the basic teachings of the man- There ll be early church, Then the god: love and peace. It should be a day marked by solemnity and jollity, prayer '# of sfts, and of son Hugh pone ' ' 1,000 miles away, and the smell of turkey lp decent really have much to do with ' Susie, and perhaps friends dropping in and trimming: and tinsel, though da Nor docs it have anything to do with '"®o™t Grop-ine. the number of cards you receive, or the Well have a big fire and lie on the value of the presents you garner. Indeed, rug, groaning, after dinner. I hope it won't two or three cards mean more to some be as big a fire as last year, when my wife people than two or three hundred to set fire to the evergreens on the mantel and others. And a homeknit scarf from some- _-- nearly burned down the house. one else. (Hope my family doesn't read This is all qualified by the word "hope- this.) fully." It could be a complete schmozzie, Easy enough to say what Christmas like the year I dropped the turkey on the inf ff it | il i | id i F suit into a smart jacket and skirt for yourself. * . * ciation Day coupon draws. Twenty-six dolls were won by various residents of the area at the annual Women's Hospital Auxiliary Doll Draw. Gross proceeds amounted to $510.03. Last Friday the Orphans played their second game within the week and were successful in defeating the Lakefield team who have gained a reputation for rough- ness, Lorne Dolittle, Orillia assisted by Bill Harrison, Port #7 f H : i ii EE il if ul | i i i i Fd 5 i i Hp > ° 4ae eawreeespnm od peeeoc fees Ae 7 ».-» Oo 2 @ . ,