The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1957-01-03
One Man Looks
At God
(By Charles w. Carlson, Pastor,
St Marks Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Oakland Maryland)

And so we come to the post
Christmas hangover II has been
complicated already by the hang
overs Of New Years morning. The
story of Christs birth has been
thrown out the window in much the
same fashion as the worn out
Christmas tree has reached ahe
garbage heap. for a large segment
of society. Last Sunday, in my con-
gregation. and | imagine the story
was repeated across the land, just
about half as many people made
il to two services. morning and eve
ming, as attended al the morning
service on the Sunday before
Christmas. You may say that at
tendance in church is no proof that
a person is a Christian. and l would
agree. but il is a pretty good indi-
cation OF how important they think
the life of the spirit is. OF course
there was the Weather-but did you
ever notice how few people will al
low the weather TO stop them from
going to work, going to the movies,
visiting their friends. and all of
the other things that they want to
do?
At any rate, whether we like it
or not the New Year is here, and
with it all of the problems of in
ventory. bills from Christmas. in
come tax reports. wars and rumors
of wars, murder, rape. segregation,
politics ana other OF the manifold
problems of man living with man.
They say death and taxes are two
things you Just have to put up with,
but it seems that the list of un-
pleasant things with which q man
has to live grows bigger with each
year. Again and again nave said
things 10 this effect. but they need
to be said and understood by more
people more OF the time Life does
not have to be bottomless pit OF
mans inevitable solf-destruction.
In Gods plan for the world, there
is better way. But i, cannot be
a matter OF religion Of convent
ence. i. e. we cannot be satisfied
with an occasional Christmas serv-
ice. ten OF twelve church attend
ances a year, or an occasional
prayer. Your relationship with GOD
must be a permanent regular feed
ing experience with His word,
prayed, sung. spoken. lived
Perhaps the biggest problem is
time. Every place / hear about how
busy people are-and / am as guilty
of this weakness as anybody. Per
haps we are tco busy with the
wrong things. In my reading / have
come across a piece of advice which
| would like to share with YOU i is
the writing of Nels f. S. Ferre.
Professor of Philosophical Theolo-
gy. Vanderbilt University School OF
Religion. Nashville, Tenn. He says:
Each morning as we awake, we
can offer our time TO God. We can
say in effect, Father, halloWed be
Thy name this day Before me is
this blank sheet. l have this oaY
to write in the deepest intentions
of my life | shall never have any
thing but q today like today My
time is in Thy hands Help me to
use today as no day up to now.
Help me to prove how rich Thy
grace is. May my feeble under
standing of Thee and my weak at
tempt to do Thy will be enlignt-
ened by Thy presence and strength
ened by Thy support Father
thank Thee for the time of this
day. Help me to begin it and end it
with Thee and may all the time be
tween prove to Thy glory and TO
some usefulness to my fellow man.
Each day of this new year can
be purer, stronger, brighter, with
q ,oravpr like This