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PAGE 10
BtßLt SPEAKS
Through Your
SUNDAY SCHOOL
""MB LESSON
Rev. J. A. Middleton
Born To Make Men Free
MEMORY VERSE: When the time had fully come, God sent forth
his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who
were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Galatians 4:4-5
All eyes, ears, and hearts are now turned toward Christmas. It
Is the time we celebrate the birth of Christ. But no man’s birth is
significant by itself. Countee Cullen said "birth is a crime all
men commit.” Since everyone is born in like manner, it follows
that no one should be honored because of being born. Babies have
no choice about their birth. No one ever asks their consent or
consult their wishes about birth. This great historical event takes
place without the subject’s consent. No one therefore can hold the
babe responsible for his own birth.
Perhaps its better that way.
We can be sure that if some
could have looked ahead and
seen some of these things that
were yet to happen they may
have chosen not to have been
born. But they had no choice.
When they awoke out of their
childhood dream they were al
ready here. They are there
fore not to be honored or dis
honored because of their birth.
This is the common lot they
share with all humanity and all
life. We do not therefore cele
brate a birth because a person
is born. We celebrate men’s
birthdays because of what they
are doing or have done with their
lives. It takes a dedicated and
a consecrated life to make birth
significant. Without a conse
crated life birthdays would
hardly be recorded in the calen
dar. Jesus’ life was so dedi
cated and totally unique that it
not only punctuates the Calendar
but it is the turning point in the
year. Christ’s birth was so
^significant that it split hisotry
forever into two segments - B.
C. and A.D. The life he lived
the death he died and his glor
ious resurrection all combined
to sanctify his birth. We there
fore cannot celebrate the birth
of Jesus without paying glow
ing tribute to his great life and
his courageous death and glor
ious ressurection.
The birth of Christ then is
significant because it marks the
early beginning of something
which has no ending. In Christ
God came into the world as
never before and spoke as never
before. He spoke once and for
all ages to come. The same God
who spoke in the past at sundry
times and divers manners spoke
in Jesus Christ his only Son.
“Never a man spoke like this
man" was & pretty typical
reaction.
“What manner of Man is he
whom the winds and the sea
obey?" “He was the only be
gotten son of the Father full of
Grace and truth" We beheld
his glory. He claims our at
tention, our hearts and our loy
alty supreme. He was the man
whose shoestring we are un
worthy to stoop and untie. He
broke out of all molds and will
fit no pattern. No tradition or
custom bounded him however
sacred. He is more than cus
toms and traditions. He is all
in all.
He was the one that men did
not want to stay alive and God
would not permit to stay dead.
Men murdered him but God
raised him back to life. God
over-ruled death. In him was
life and his life was the light
of Men. He is the Way, The
Truth and The Life.
Jesus was born to bring Love,
Life Truth and Freedom to
men. But Christ did not come
to bring these in some sort
of a container, so that he could
hand them to people and move
on. He brought these because
he was and is all of these roll
ed into one. He is life, love,
truth and grace.
Paul said that Christ came in
the fullness of time. What did
Paul mean by such an express
slon. It is not easy to go back
into Paul’s mind to see what he
mean by the “fullness of time.’'
We do know somethings however
that may possibly have been in
the Apostle’s mind. One thing
Paul may have had in mind and
the Pax Romana. This means
the Peace that Rome brought
to the civilized world.
The Roman Navy had made
sea travel safer because it
swept the Pirates from the high
seas. Good roads spread the
length and breadth of die Ro
man Empire and along these
roads were Army posts which
made it pretty difficult for rob
bers to apply their trade. Land
travel was therefore safer.
Three hundred years earlier
Alexander the Great had set the
stage for the continuous spread
of Greek Culture. Greek Lan
guage was therefore spoken
everywhere, • This was another
basis for unity upon which Ro
man Peace was built.
The Jewish People too had
helped. The Various “Dias
para" - scattering abroad car
ried the Jews everywhere.
Wherever the Jews went they
carried their Bible - The Law
and the Prophets. We call it
The Old Testament. This means
that people everywhere had
some knowledge of the Old Test
ament. This is the background
doubtless that Pau 1 calls the
"fullness of time.” The world
seems to have been in a state
of waiting for something that
was about to happen.
It is possible that Christ
might have come too early. In
such a case his message and
most profound Insights would
have been wasted. It would
possibly have been like pour
ing water on a ducks back or
casting pearls before swine.
But the “fullness time” is when
the World is waiting and at least
has time to listen to the audible
whisper from Eternity. Because
THE ATLANTA INQUIRER
A.U.’s Father
Scott At St.
Paul’s Sunday
On the fourth Sunday in
Advent, December 22,1963, The
Reverend Warren Scott, Epis
copal Chaplain for the Atlanta
University System, will be cele
brant at a celebration of the
Holy Communion at 7:00 A.M.
At 11:00 A.M., Father Scott
will officiate at a service of
Morning Prayer and preach the
sermon.
At 7:00 P.M. the Junior Choir.
Acolytes, and the entire Church
School will present “The Little
Shepherd.” All communicants
are urged to attend, so as to
give encouragement to these
Young People.
On Christmas llve,December
24, 1963 at 11:00 P.M. the tradi
tional Holy Communion will be
celebrated. Father Warren
Scott will be celebrant.
Anyone wishing to present
Christmas Flowers as a
memorial for loved ones, please
call the Church Office.
All communicants and friends
are urged to attend all services
at St. Paul’s which is located
at 135 Ashby Street N.W.
Catholic Xmas
Masses Announced
The Saint Paul Catholic
Church located at 551 Harwell
Road N.W. invites all of its
parishioners and friends to at
tend die services to be held at
the church during the Christmas
season.
Confessions will be heard
Friday, December 20th from 9;
30 - 10:30 A.M. Tuesday after
noon, December 24th - 4;00 -
6:00 P.M. and Tuesday evening
December 24th from 10:30 -
11:30 P.M.
From 11:30 P.M. to midnight
Christmas eve. Christmas Ca
rols will be sung and at mid
night Solemn High Mass will
begin.
Other Masses - 9 a.m., 11
a.m., 12:15 p.m.
NEW YEAR'S DAY Masses
7:30 a.m„ 9:00 a.m., 11:00
a.m. and 12;15 p.m.
STATION WAOK TO
AIR BIZ LEAGUE
TRIBUTE TO COKE
& MOSS KENDRIX
Radio Station WAOK, 1380
on the dial, will air tributes
to The Coca-Cola Company and
The Moss H. Kendrix Organi
zation, on Sunday afternoon at
5:15.
The broadcast, a playback
from the weekly breakfast of
of the relative ease and safety
in travel, people from every
where were in Bethlehem when
Christ was born. For the same
reasons when he was crucified
people from everywhere were
in Jerusalem.
In the fullness of time Christ
came to make men free from
crippling fears: paralyzing hat
red and bitterness; needless
superstitions and ignorance. He
came to redeem a lost and
benighted World. He came to
tell mankind to "fear not” be
cause we are in the loving em
brace of God who is our Father
and who so loves us that he
shares out lot.
the Atlanta Business League,
will feature an address byßer
kely G. Burrell, head of a
Washington, D.C., wholesale
dry cleaning establishment and
president of the Booker T.
Washington - founded National
Business League, and a respon
se by Moss H. Kendrix, MHKO
director-owner, whose Atlanta
Washington, D.C., based public
relations firm represents The
Coca-Cola Company.
The Atlanta Coca-Cola Bottl
ing Company was host for the
Atlanta Business League’s
weekly breakfast, held at Fra
zier’s Case Society.
ft 'A NAME TO REMEMBER’
K 66 DECATUR STREET
■ PHONE: MU 8-8859
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/greetings
fl It is possible to become so absorbed with
■ Christmas tensel, Christmas trees, gaiety,
I buying and selling, Christmas cards and
■ parties that one is apt to forget the real
meaning of Christmas . .It is hoped* that
all who read this may stop and remember
the Saviour of men who came to free man from the habits
of sin as well as the consequences of sin: Take time to honor
the Saviour in meditation and in deed, Go to church through
December and refrain from conduct'that would dishonor
Christ and His Cause . . .
★
MOST
WORSHIPFUL
SMOOTH ASHLAR
GRAC'D LODGE
FREE AND ACCEPTED
ANCIENT YORK RITE
MASONS
Prince Hall Origin
(Compact)
Jurisdiction of Georgia
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21,1963
’’Birth Of Christ”
At Hinsley Temple
The Junior Church of the Hin
sley Temple Church of God in
Christ at 440 Gordon St. S.W.
will present a Christmas Page
ant Sunday Dec. 22nd. at 7:30
P.M., “THE BIRTH OF
CHRIST" Sister Dorothy Ap
pling Director. Sister Gwen
dolyn Shuman, Choir Director,
Sister Carol Davis Chairlady
committee featuring Dr. V.M.
Elliot at the organ and Minis
ter James Whitehead, Youth
Department Pastor. Minister
L.R. Hinsley Assistant.
1
''.if* wSW .
’""Um®
CUM DAVENPORT
Grand Master
