The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, December 25, 1969, Image 19
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1
i
The Meaning
of Christmas
By The Rev. SMITH L. LAIN
Editor, FINDINGS
Author, “Prayer,” in the
NEW BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE
The Episcopal Church Center
New York, N. Y.
c
hristmas is the time when . . .
We make approximately 75 per cent of our yearly profit*.
The time roughly between Thanksgiving and ChrUtma* i* our
busiest season in the store. Easter is busy, too, but nothing like
Christmas.
— a retail merchant
* $ $
My wife and I think mostly about the kids. We had lots of fun
when we were growing up, and we want our kids to have fun, too.
Sure, we may go a little overboard on toys and all that sort of
thing, but what the heck? Christmas is for kids, isn’t it?
— a young father
* « *
We really go all out on music. Last year we hired a brass quar
tet to accompany the boys’ choir. The congregation really loved
it. The only trouble is that this year we’ll have to come up tvith
something even better or they’ll think we are slipping.
— a church organist
* * *
People think they are celebrating an historical event. But they
really aren’t, you know. No one knows the exact date of Jesus’
birth. The primitive church didn’t even celebrate Christmas.
Eventually the church settled on Decemlter 25th as a way to
baptise an already pitpular, pagan holiday to celebrate the fact
that the depth of winter was over and the days were getting
longer again.
— a historian
• * *
Some of us get leave. Next Christmas I’ll be home, I hope.
It's a time when everyhttdy should be home.
— a serviceman overseas
* • *
/ get tired. The kids are on vacation. I have a thousantl and
one things to do — 500 cards to address, a half-dosen parties to
go lit, gifts for the children and Boh, a dinner party for Bob’s
Intss and his snooty wife, get the tree and decorate it.
— a suburban housewife
People at Christmas time are kind of funny, kind of sad,
kind of lonesome. Some are really happy no matter what
reasons. Are these people really facing up to what Christmas
is really all about? 1 wonder.
1 have a copy of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible
on my desk, and so I opened it and began to look through it,
remembering what these people had said about Christmas.
Here are some of the passages I found.
I found an expression of the wonder and humility of a
mother expecting her first child, but a child unlike others:
And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in Cod my Savior.
for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all
generations will call me blessed;
For he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name . . .’’ (Luke 1:46-49)
1 found the simple, moving story of Christ’s birth:
"And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nasa-
reth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled
with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they
were there, the time came for her to Ire delivered. And she gave
birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes
and laid him in a manger, because there teas no room for them
in the inn." (Luke 2:4-7)
And further on I found the joyous message of the angels
to the shepherds on the hillside outside Bethlehem:
". . . I bring you gmtd news of great joy which will come to all
people; for to you is born this day ... A Savior, who is Christ
the Lord." (Luke 2:11-12)
But perhaps, mo^t important of all, I found the story of
Christ's life, a life which changed the history of the world and
of the relationships between men. He said:
"Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of Cod."
"Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied."
“Blessed are yi>u that weep now, for you shall laugh."
"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude
y»>u and revile you, and cast out ystur name as evil on account of
the Son of man! Ilrjoice in that day, and leap for joy, for be
hold, your reward is great in heaven ...” (Luke 6:20-2.'i)
And further on:
"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those
who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes
you on the cheek, offer the other also ./. .’’ (Luke 6:27-29)
For the message of Christmas is not just the familiar and
beautiful story of the birth of Christ and of its meaning for
mankind. Christmas is the time when we remember the prom
ise fulfilled by the Man who was born on Christmas. The
people I have quoted — people not unlike many of us —
have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas because they
have forgotten the promise of Christmas.
The truth of Christmas and the renewal of our belief in
the real message of Christmas lies both in our understanding
of the simple and at the same time awesome fact of Christ’s
birth and in our realization of the intimate and immediate way
the fulfilled life of Christ touched and touches our lives.
*+***************#¥*****'
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PETER FINDS THE GOING A BIT ROUGH about half way
down, Hince he i* new at chimney-gliding compared to Santa. But
our hero doet* manage it and gnuggle* down into bed juat before
Santa arrives with his presents. And so Peter has a very Merry
Christmas after all.
Once upon a time in Bloomington, Ind., there lived a small
mouse who was a very woeful character, barred from his
mouse house by a rock that rolled down a hill and blocked
the front door on Christmas Eve.
Peter was the mouse’s name, given him by a 16-year-old
film-maker named Gerald D. Reynolds, who wrote and pro
duced “Peter’s Christmas.”
The Plot Thickens
Since it was the day before Christmas (in the film) and
Peter had to be in bed if he was to receive any presents from
Santa, Peter tried everything to move the rock.
Finally, his thoughts of Santa inspired him. He slid down
the chimney just in time to have a merry Christmas after all.
And just in time to win a prize for his creator in the Kodak
Teen-Age Movie Awards com-
petition.
For “Peter’s Christmas,”
Gerald Reynolds won a spe
cial award for cartoon ani
mation. The film included
more than 800 drawings —
half on paper and half on
celluloid — and 25 back
grounds.
From th judges he got
high praist — “remarkably
well-done,” “good job of ani
mation,” “displays consider
able technical and creative
ability.”
Gerald was one of hun
dreds of young film-makers
in the competition that Ko-.
dak sponsors annually in co
operation with the University
Film Foundation on behalf
of the University Film Asso
ciation, whose members serve
as judges, and the Council for
International Nontheatrical
Events, which chooses films
from among the winners for
showing at foreign film fes
tivals.
Coninmniruling Idea*
Most of all he is a member
of today’s young film gener
ation, a group to which the
camera is almost as familiar
as the pencil for communi
cating ideas.
Young people all over the
country are making films to
day. Students at Drake High
School in San Anselmo, Calif.
produced "The Idaho Test,”
a satire on standardized test
ing.
A group of Long Island
students produced "For
Whom The Torch Burns,” a
Poinsettia Shows
Season’s Colors
Showing the colors of
Christmas, red and green, the
tropical poinsettia adorns
many homes at the holiday
season Though it is now a
favorite holiday houseplant,
the poinsettia is a relative
newcomer to the customs of
Christmas.
It was discovered by, and
later named for, Joel R Poin
sett. When he was serving as
U.S. minister to Mexico in
1828, Dr. Poinsett sent a cut
ting of the plant to a friend
Growers became interested,
but it was not until 1906 that
the poinsettia was marketed
“PETER’S CHRISTMAS” lell*
the *tory of a mou*e barred
from hi* mouse hou.*e on
ChrLtmus Eve. The film, by
Gerald I). Reynold*, won a *pe-
eial award in the Kodak Teen-
Age Movie Award* eompetilioi^
90-minute thriller spoofing a
plot to kidnap the Statue of
Liberty.
And teen-agers in Rich
mond, Calif., made "The
Dream Blowers — A Story of
Sand, Sound and Soul,” a
16mm dream fantasy, for
$100
In addition to the high
school crowd, movie-making
appeals to innercity groups
Its especially booming on
the college campus where an
estimated 2,500 courses in
film production and appre
ciation are currently offered
in the United States.
For Fun or Currer
Most of these young people
make movies for the sheer
joy of it, but for some, movie
making is pointing the way
to career opportunities.
“I would like to have a
small animation studio or
work for one,” says Gerald
Reynolds, who also is inter
ested in television writing.
For Gerald, "Peter’s Christ
mas” gave a chance to tell
the story as he envisioned it.
And for all the movie gen
eration, encouraged by new
easy-to-use cameras and
dedicated to seriousness of
purpose, the movie route ap
pears the most natural, crea
tive way in the world to make
a statement.
TRIMMING TREE
Tradition of decorating a
community Christmas tree
began in the early 1900’s and
is a favorite custom today
rMKMrMvaor^
I
THE CHRONICLE. Clinton, S. C., Dec. 26, IdW-JtC
ABOUT GREENS
Many Christmas greens
used today were once pagan
symbols. Flowers and leafy
boughs were used in Roman
rites. The Saxons used holly,
ivy and bay in their religious
observances.
"GOD
"God Rest Ye Merry,
men”, actually means
Keep You Merry,
This stems from the hMoiy
of boisterous celebrating of :
Christinas in England during
the 1600's.
A MOUSE AND HIS CHRISTMAS PROBLEM is il.c subject of
an animated cartoon, called “Peter’s Christmas.” The story be
gins happily on December 23rd, when Peter’s mother send* him
to the store for some groceries. The delectable teen-age mouse is
his sister, Ellen.
PETER TRIES Al l. OI DECEMBER 23rd and 24111, but *nll the
rock bars the doorway, knowing that Santa won’t leave him am
presents unless he i* in bed, he fall* to the ground erving. Rut
then he get* a brilliant idea. If Santa can *lide down the ehinmey,
M* ran Peter!
L
It is one hundred and fifty years since the
> be
most sung of all
Christmas carols came into being in the little known town of
Oberndorf, 12 miles north of Salzburg, Austria.
Josef Mohr was a young parish priest in Oberndorf a
century and a half ago. Franz Gruber was the part time
organist at the church The two were close friends.
Oberndorf had no working
rgan in the winter of
had been
church or(
1818. It had been damaged
by flood waters of the river
Salzach. It has been said that
the thought of a ’'silent" Christ
mas Eve Mass troubled Josef
Mohr.
On the afternoon of Dec.
24th, at any rate, he hastily
wrote some verses and gave
them to his friend Gruber to
set to music. The result, played
and sung by Mohr and Gruber
to the accompaniment of the
latters’ guitar, after the mid
night Mass, and in the Church
of St. Nikelaus in Oberndorf,
brought instant approval from
the townspeople.
At Christmas in 1839, a
group of Tyrolean folk singers
sang the carol for the first time
at a public performance in the
United States — in a concert
in front of Trinity Church in
New York
THE NEWS REACHES NAZARETH
By Harriet Frye
In Bethlehem nnse men have come bringing
myrrh,
7 he bitter cold days have begun,
And Mary the unje of the carpenter
Has brought forth her firstborn, a son.
He will run in the village and shout from the
hills,
He will walk by the sea in the sands.
And, if he inherits his father’s skills,
He will build many things with his hands.
(We are told his Kinswoman, Elizabeth,
Is convinced he will someday be king.)
Our newest addition to Nazareth
Must be making his mother's heart sing.
We will turn out, rejoicing, to welcome her
When her journey is over and done.
For Mary the wife of the carpenter
Will bring home her firstborn, a son.
May your
Christmas season be filled with rejoicing.
JL Ray F«m*U
and your friends at Southern Belt.
(£) Southern Bell
* + 1
•*.
I
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦.
As joy and laughter fill the air during the «
Christmas season, we wish to take a *
moment to add our best wishes and thanks. *
NEUBERGER & CO. X
'***»**»#»»#»****+*+********#
FIRST
NOEL
The radiant Star of Bethlehem
shines brightly as ever, symbol of
the true meaning of Christmas . . .
Our greetings and thanks to all of you.
Johnson Bros. Supermarket
800 South Brood St. 83S-2422
lere’s no happier time than Christmas, because it s
a time for sharing all the happiness we feel with those we
care about most. That s why we d like to share our joy
you, wishing you a Merry Christmas and saying Thank You.
AUTHORITY
III SOUTH BROAD STREET