Norwich bulletin., 1912-12-23
Christmas in the Norwich Churches The Special Musical Services and Sermons Drew Forth Large
 Congregations Sunday Morning and Evening.

The spirit of the Christmas season was manifested in the churches of Nor wich on Sunday. Both morning and evening large congregations enjoyed the beautiful Christmas music at the various churches and heard the mes sages that the day brings to mankind. In the Roman Catholic churches and in the Episcopal Christmas day itself will be observed Wednesday by special services.
 At Broadway cenorss ational.
 At the Broadway Congregational church an unusually large Christmas congregation was present on Sunday morning for the special musical ser vice and the appropriate sermon preached by Rev. Edward s. Worces- ter. The music programme was one of great excellence, and was exceed ingly we'll carried out, the offertory solo. A Song of Christmas, by Dick inson, being an especially beautiful number as sung by Mrs. Charles Ty- Ter Bard. In Christmas greens the pulpit, organ and choir loft were att .tractive.
 Rev. MT. Worcester took for the Scripture reading the first chapter in the gospel of John and from the first chapter of Hebrews. His text was Matthew i: 23: Behold the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which is being in terpreted, God With Us"
 Where Is God? What a simple ques- tion this sounds and yet how great 1t really is, what vast concepts 1t stirs up! It is searching question which is being asked in the minds of men m ha 11 dfa nf Aa questioners vary, just so may the an- leswers be different. And to those who believe in his existence how different are the views as to his nearness and approachableness.
 From the old testament the speaker found that three types of answers to this question can be obtained; God is to be found in the works of his own creation. The heavens declared the glory of God and the Armament showeth his handiwork. Then He Is present in the work of some special providence, in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. And last, God is ever in our inner consciousness, the still small voice in every breast that speaks of duty and of honor. Here then are three great answers.
 But God had d still more excellent way. A child was born in a manager l at Bethlehem. youth grew up in a carpenter shop at Nazareth and a l man with few friends went forth into the world and was crucified on the cross. The most significant thing Is the secret of this sacrifice and the resurrection. The incarnation was his great self disclosure. God was in Jesus Christ, revealing himself to the whole world. This Is the great sig | nihcant fact that Christmas stands for, God with us.
 At Park Church.
 Park church was handsomely dec- orated with evergreens. There was a large attendance at both the morning and afternoon services. The Christmas music was especially attractive, and besides the fine anthems and organ se- i lections three well rendered solos vert given by Mrs. Arthur Story. Miss E ! W. Park and Eben Learned. The ves- per music was taken from Dudley Bucks cantata, The Coming of tho
 King, four selections from which wer:
 given.
 Rev. pr. Howe's sermon was taker from St. Luke 2: 10-"And the ange said unto them. Fear not, for, behold
 l bring you good tidings of great joy
 which shall be to all peope." The grea'
 note struck at the incarnation was thi
 one of joy. The gospel a message O great joy. not a thunder peal of judg' ment. The remedy, not the bitter re-
 ality, was what the angel came to tel
 about The gospel writers pain
 brighter pen pictures than do othel authors. Contrast the darker pictures of Juvenal with thoe of St. Paul. Tol stoi, Fbsen, Carlyle, Ruskin, Arnold Shaw paint humanity blacker thaI
 Christ himself. anda in their picture:
 there is not one note of joy, no remedl for this darkness. None others havt initiated this. It is not found il
 Buddhism nor in Confucius. The con tent of the message? Wha! was thu condition of the world when thes' words rang out? Contrast the pictur,
 of the Greek gods of Olympus. withou one glimpse of purity, with the idea
 of righteousness, business, love ant
 purity found today. It meant God witt
 us, at the heart of the world-not
 God afar of. This was it's great mes sage. Civilization does nothing fo
 humanity: it often makes men worse
 It does not touch the hearts of evil
 Humanity does not need power iron
 without, but one at it's heart, to trans
 form 1t. This message was one o
 good tidings for the unforgiven. Tn
 world could find no answer to thi
 question of tbe ages. God alone gay
 the joy of forgiveness. More than this
 he gave needed power over the world He brought joy and peace to the sor rowful. Disappointed blighted life , may be made beautiful. He brings jo to the dying. There are glad tiding for all people, for he is their Saviour. At the Second Congregational churci Following a custom which he ha : carried out at Christmastide in man . past years at the Congregational churc ! Sunday morning the pastor, Rev. Her ! bert J. Wyckoff, delivered his Christ l mas sermon in metrical form, usin 2 pentameter verse. Loves Handica
 Surmounted was the title of the poen , and the theme, centered around th
 text, taken from Acts 8: 16-Silver ar U gold have I none. but what have, tht !, give I Thee. It recounted the inn'
 conflict of a man who, without none . wished to suitably remember h e friends at the season of giving, ar who finally, after much bitterness c soul, was led to see that the true wall f of gift depends not on its value q money or it's size or it's quantity, b ', on the deeper things of the spirit. La' b rel and red berries made attracti'
 decorations for the front of the pulp h and behind it greens were also us' ii with effect.
 e The Second Congregational churC e Sunday school will have its usu I, Christmas entertainment on F'rids n evening. In the afternoon on Frid; d in the church parlors there will be 1. Christmas party for the cradle roll al IT primary department. at o'clock, fo l. lowed at 6 o'clock by a supper for tl l. primary and junior departments.
 At the Central Baptist Church. '; The Unspeakable Gift was the su is ject for the Christmas sermon by R. is P. c. Wright Sunday morning at t k Central Baptist church, with the te !, n from II. Corinthians g, Is: Thanks A' to God for this unspeakable gift In I
 earnest and thoughtful discourse, N K Wright brought out the point that 1