The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-26
Rev. Quincy Ewing breaches at
Church of the Advent
STIRRING CARISTMASiM MUSIC
Large Congregations Attend the Ser.
vices-Reetor Announces That
$4,000 Debt is Paid of.
Happy Day at Advent.

been lifted The Rev quincy Ewing rec
tor of the church. made the announce
.ment. The work of lifting the debt has
been accomplished during the past few
weeks by members of the church. They
proceeded with the work modestly and
carefully, and. as the rector stated yes
terday, the treasurer Of the parish was
probably the only one who knew how
the money was subscribed.
This, of course. does not include the
money subscribed during the year for
the current expenses. 1t is to pay the
balance on the new recto>y adjoining the
church and for other improvements in
the church.
ct is a source of genuine pleasure
for me to be able to announce that the
debt has been lifted" said the Rev. Mr..
Ewing yesterday afternoon. Such an
effort has never been accomplished at
any place in so short a time.
"The current expenses of the parish
are not included In this amount. and
the ladies' of the church are now ready
to make the last payment on the new
$500 altar"
Quite large congregation attended
services yesterday at the Church of the
Advent.
The rector spoke as follows:
And she brought forth her first-born
son, and wrapped Him in swaddling
clothes, and laid Him in a manger, be-
cause there was no room for them in the
Inn"
Because there was no room for them
in the Inn"
These words as we read them in the
second chapter OF ST. Luke's gospel may
have for us a trivial or a very wide and
deep significance. They may suggest
simply what was local and incidental,
the mere fact that owing 10 the imperial
taxing edict there were many strangers
in Bethlehem, rendering It entirely ma
tural that the mother of Jesus should
not have been able to secure shelter In
the public hostelry-simply that and Moth
ing else; or they may waken Thoughts
which journey into a region far vaster
than that covered by the Roman emper-
or's decree. and roam through time far
longer than day or week in Bethlehem,
nineteen centuries ago.
Because there was no room for them
in the inup' The world greatest prophet
ready to be born-one through whom II
was Gods will to give the world at once
the highest and the final revelation of
Himself; TO accomplish its deliveranee
and salvation-to exalt manhood as 1t
had never been exalted hitherto; 10 fash
on the souls vision OF humanity a bless
edness and glory that no generation Lad
yet beheld--Gods supreme prophet and
mans ready to be born--and no room
for Him in the usual haunts of den; no
room but in mangerl
Birth Into Mans Soul.
Both strange and sad 1t seems when we
think of II; but the strangeness van
ishes as we go on thinking. For we ind
ourselves face to face with an old, IA
mliar, universal fact of all time; God
always and everywhere waiting to be
born into the human woodland no room
for Him in the usual hannts of men; no
room for the highest thoughts, because
lower crowd them out; no room for the
largest purposes, because petty have the
right of way; no room for ideal aspira-
tions, because interests are exhausting
the hospitality of the minds and hearts
Of men. Aye. so rarely does 1t happen
that human souls make room-wide, ca
pacious, hospitable for God to be born
within them. that as many as have nota-
bly, done so have come to be looked upon
by their fellows as pecular-miraculous
iy endowed. blessed with a wisdom
heavenly, an inspiration divine. withheld
from their breathren.
The prophet. the man inspired has
been ever of one type-the man thinking
the highest thoughts he can think, the
man serving the largest purposes with
IN his souls horizon, the man giving heart
and mind shelter to the noblest truths
that appeal to be his guests-reverently
aware, that such thoughts purposes,
truths. have all their vital source in the
spirit of the living Goo and that to make
room for them in his own life, and the
worlds life, is to make room for God.
is to witness Gods birth In humanity.
OF the majority, the men uninspired, on
the other hand, 1t is and has been every
where true that they either wilfully shut
the kind of guest they want to enter
tain; or else they shut Him out not
knowing what they do; shut Him out,
because their souls are 50 crowded to
suffocation with lltrie thoughts and
truths. and purposes. that Gods great
thoughts, purposes. truths, can not get
In to make themselves known and loved.
This is one far reaching thought sug-
| eested by the text. There are many
called. said Jesus, few CHOSEN; which
means that In every human heart, and
mind, and soul God is forever asking TO
be- born, and that in but few is
room made and welcome offered
Again The humble birth Of the Son of
God suggests a truth. which, though uni
versal and not without witness since
time began. humanity has been painfully
slow to recognize and acknowledge. For
long centuries men have been thinking
of Gods advent into the human world
as accompanied by startling descriptions
Of the usual order of things-social up
heavals, physical marvels, life and death
struggles of embattled hosts, devastation
of cities, fall of empires II has been
commonly thought that. without much
noise and theatrical display Of power.
God could not find room for himself to
be born upon earth. But the truth Is.
that Gods most real. redemptive al
vents into the human world have never
| been accompanied by noise or theatrical
| display by law-breaking miracle. or law
suspending marvel Descriptions Of the
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