‘Thursday, December 31, 1970
New Year's Eve ,
11:30 p.m. The Centennial Year
Watchnight Service.
As we enter 1971,
let us spend a few
short minutes in
prayer for the world
and our own Commun-

ity.

Sunday, January 3, 1971
11:00 a.m. Family Service
7:00 p.m. Evening Prayer

Other Services as announced, or please
contact: The Rev. David E. Reuss
778-7239

One of the advantages of living
in Cassiar at Christmas is the freedom
from the high pressure sentimentality
that you get in cities. There is no
continuous background of carols unless
you turn them on, for example. If you
are a do-it~yourselfer then you like
it this way. The following is a basic
outline of the real Christmas for do-
it-yourselfers.

Materials required: One Bible.
Optional: Encyclopedias, ancient
history texts, etc. Plan: To go
through the significant Scriptures
along with whatever outside reading is
possible to discover what evidence
made the “Three Wise Men" go looking
for a King.

We could begin with the meaning
of a new star to Chinese astrologers,
or note the hopes of Babylonians for
a victorious King, but the really
striking sign to the ancients must have
been the continuous insistence of a
small country at the cross-roads of
three continents that one day a great
King would come to them that would
cause the persecution of the Israelites
-- certainly their Scriptures do pro-
vide an amazing glimpse into the future,
and the following references should
help to recreate their expectant feel-
ings all these thousands of years later.

(Use the contents page of the
Bible to find the 'book' which is
followed by two numbers which refer
to 'chapter' and 'verse'.)

The great light, the child, the Prince
of Peace: Isaiah 9 verses 2, 6 & 7..
The virgin mother to be a sign from
God: Isaiah 7 verse 14.
The child is to grow up to suffer:
Isaiah all of chapter 53.
His birthplace to be Bethlehem:
Micah 5:2
Messiah to come at a set time from the
rebuilding of Jerusalem:
Daniel 9:25
His dominion from sea to sea:
Psalm 72:8
King David's future son:
All of Psalm 72

There are many more examples
pointing ahead to the life of Jesus
in amazing exactness. However, the
Bible account of Jesus’ birth in the
New Testament is found in three main
parts:

The Virgin birth and the visit of the

‘wise men': St. Matthew 1:18 to 2:12

The Virgin birth and visit of shepherds:
St. Luke 1:26-35 and

2:1-20
The Word, the true Light coming to the
world: St. John 1:1-5 and
1:9-14.

Christmas is here and in all the
rush of renewing old friendships and
buying presents there must be a Reason.
In our own sphere we try to parallel
God's Gift to all men by giving and
receiving gifts and hospitality. Even
though the attempt is but a shadow in
comparison, it is valuable if we stop
to think out the "why" of 1t all.

However, there remains a problem:
What can one do directly in return to
God?

Through all the centuries men
have tried to answer this one with