South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-20
YULETIDE SPIRIT
SHOWN IN SERVICE
FIRST M. E. CHURCH
Sermon and Cantata Feature
Observance-Cifts Ex-
coed $500 Mark.

The service at the First Methodist
church Sunday we're characterized
by the manifestation Of the Christ
mas spirit The entire Sunday
School assembled in the church audi
forum where a brief program was
given. The various departments and
classes OF the school brought their
gifts for various causes and placed
them on the altar of the church.
The total value Of these gifts was
over S40O. They were the express
ions OF Christmas cheer and good
will.
The music and decorations Of the
church We're in keeping with the
Christmas season. a large audience
enjoyed the cantata The Morn Of
Glory at the vesper service n the
afternoon. The Christmas sermon
was preached by the pastor at the
morning service. The subject was
The Day Star In the Hearts"
Christmas is here again with its
ever recurring challenge. It makes
Us conscious Of the contract between
the sections OF the world where the
Christ story is not known and those
where II ia told; between those in
dividuals who have living fellowship
with Christ and those who give Him
no place in their lives We must
recognize that while the Christ love
shines in the hearts and lives Of in
dividuals and influences in limited
way the life OF various nations and
races. there are vast actions Of this
human world in which the Day Star
has not risen.
Long Trail of Proverty.
There is an absence Of the abid-
ing spirit OF Christ. This night time
Of the world or any part of II is due
70 the absence Of divine truth and
love. Every where there falls across
our pathway the shadows of the
darkness. We are conscious that
there is a kingdom of darkness as
we'll Of light. The shadows never
looked so dark and ominous as they
do to-day This Christ spirit in
human hear . 1t is the very bright
ness Of his love and truth that makes
the shadows produced by human
selfishness. greed and hatred look
so black and threatening. IN the
darkness Of night every thing looks
, black. There are no contrasts. The
brighter the day the more obvious
dle the lnllkS lIldl are mack. 81
| the very manifestation OF the large
measure Of the Christ lows and truth
| in the world today makes the shad-
Ows Of the kingdom OF evil look
black and hideous.
The long trail of disease, poverty
and starvation is terribly conspicu-
/ Gus throughout the whole world.
( The wantOn waste Of human life is
made obvious by the statistics OF war
and preventable d diseases. The tramp
/ Of power still echoes in our ears
after the years Of war. \ large part
1 Of the world still asserts that bless
/ edness consists I'm getting and rushes
| after wealth, pleasure and power,
I little realizing that our great bust
ness with wealth, pleasure and
power is to enable us to serve more
perfectly and adequately a needy
world. But the CLEAN of hope and
: love is shot through every member
/ of the human race. Darkness al
/ ways comes just before the awaken
1 ing and the girding for the new day.
/ We failed in our yesterday not for
/ the want OF wealth nor intellect nor
power, but for want Of the mind and
the spirit of esus Christ to use our
wealth and intellect and power i'm
] human relationships. The sun of
. yesterdays world set and we plunged
I into the night time of hatred and
! selfishness. killing and robbing and
| bruising humanity needlessly.
Danger of Mistake.
THAT night time is passing. Our
world is again being decorated with
/ the radiant, quiyering and vibrant
hopes and joys because the Day Star
has risen more clearly in our modern
life. That star shines as never be-
I fore. The world is looking TO Jesus
I Christ as the only light for mankind
/ We are convinced that only as we
have the mind and the spirit of the
! Nazarene shall we have true and
abiding peace and happiness in all
phases of our life. He Is the star Of
first magnitude. ever growing more
brilliant as all other systems fail.
I'VE are in danger of making the
mistake today that those on the
low plain of worldliness in Christ s
day made be rejecting His authority
over human relationships by not
having a large enough faith 70 see
the divine in his humble personality
going about doing good and by not
discerning the nature of God whom
he revealed. The worlds bankruI L
cy is the result Of the rule Of human
selfishneSS. The smallness of our
faith has kept us from seeing much
of the divine IN unselfish service
| We have too often substituted alb
stractiOns. a principle or satisfac-
ton in temporal things for the God
of love God is a thinker but He
is not thought God is Omnipotent
but He is not power God knows
All things but He is not wisdom.
Cod is not only loving, but He is
love. His thought is the though Of
love. His power is the might Of
love He has created In US this
quality capable Of growth into like
ness unto His own nature. We can
cultivate IL or we can crush Il out
IL grows by expression. 1t seeks TO
clothe itself with our humanity. II
is in this unselfish expression at
this Christmas time that we come
the nearest 10 the Christ life. Let
us in a constructive way seek 20
make IL the permanent and abiding
spirit in the heart Of all mankind.
Drops Lighted Match
Into Gasoline Tank.
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