Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-24
TEMPLE CHURCH
CHIMES ARE RUNG
CHRISTMAS MUSIC FEATURE
OF SERVICES
Rev. Robert j. Burdette breaches an
Appropriate Sermon on Topic
of "GoId, Frankineense
and Myrrh"

Not figuratively, but literally, in one
church in Los Angeles the Christmes
chimes were rung by skillful hands at
the opening Of the Christmas service.
Musical Director Bruce Gordon Kings
ley had arranged appropriate and
beautiful music for both morning and
evening service. In the evening the
Apollo club assisted the Temple choir,
singing several selections and closing
with the splendid rendition of THE
Hallelujah Chorus from THE Mes
siah,' under the leadership of their own
director, Mr.. Schoenefeld, with DR..
Kingsley at the organ. The topic of
Pastor Burdette's morning was Gold,
Frankncense and Myrrh."
"'Where is he that is born King of
the Jews?' For they came, these wise
men, with homage, and worship, and
love. Curiously reads the context in
the first gospel. In the days of Herod
the king there came wise men from the
east, saying: Where is he that is
born King of the Jews?" When Her.
cd the king had heard these things
he was troubled King, and king, and
king. And Herod the king was on
the throne in Jerusalem, and Jesus
the king was in the manger- cradle out
at the little town of Bethlehem But
no star paused over the palace. The
face of eternal light shone softly over
the stable where slept a peasant child,
holding in his baby fingers the unseen
scepter of the world King of the
Jews the wise men called him. And
never again in all the story of his life
was he given this title, until at the last
Roman soldiers in brutal mockery,
echoed the words of the first worship
ers in unconscious homage, pressing the
crown of thorns upon the royal brow,
thrusting the reed -scepter into the
manacled hands and crying, as they
knelt in derision, Hail, King of the
Jews!' And PLATE, the governor, con-
firmed the title given the infant Jesus
by the lips of inspiration at his cradle
when he wrote above the thorn
crowned head on the cross--in the Ian
guage of the three great civilizations
that all the world might read, Jesus
of Nazareth, King of the Jews
"'Gold and Frankincense and Myrrh
Gold to Jesus the king, that is the
homage of your loyalty; frankincense
to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that
is your worship; myrrh for the body OF
Jesus Christ, the sacrifce-that is his
humanity-that is the gift of your love
Loyalty, worship and love-these make
you a Christian. The gold the wise
men offered was his own. The earth
is the Lords and the fullness thereof
| The frankincense was the due of the
| IOu III JN6hO Chllol-N OlSlllp
be held from him, for he maketh even
the wrath of man to praise him. And
the embalming myrrh, which confessed
his humanity and prefigured his death
was the one offering which he never
used. For when in the end of the
| Sabbath, as 1t began to dawn toward
the first day of the week., came the
Myrophores-the 'myrrh bearers
Mary and Mary, and Salome, bringing
the embalming spices for the dead, tc
Christ the Lord Of Life, who for a lit
| tie moment of mortality had gone dowr
into the shadows Of the grave for oui
sakes, had met and conquered the con-
queror in his own dread darkness Fol
| his divinity was greater than his hu.
manity; the God was mightier than the
man. Loyalty, worship, love-Chrlst
the king we serve; God the almighty
we worship, but OH, perfection of hui
| manity, Jesus OF Bethlehem we love!'