Herald of Holiness Volume 64 Number 26 (1975)
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—General Superintendent Eugene L. Stowe Whose Child Is This? OES IT REALLY MATTER? of the Holy Ghost" (1:18). Millions of people caught up in Joseph was a good man, but not good the frenzy of Christmas shopping, Christ enough to father the Saviour. The angel mas parties, and Christmas cards could made this explanation to him: “Fear not really care less. The Christmas child is to take unto thee Mary . for that which buried beneath a mountain of tinsel or is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. lost in a forest of Christmas trees. And she shall bring forth a son, and . But it really does matter whose child He he shall save his people from their sins” is. It makes all the difference in this world (1:20-21). and in the world to come. Only a sinless Redeemer could take God thought it was important. He got away the sins of the world. Any child born the message not just to one of His Son’s naturally of two human parents would biographers but to two of them. have been tainted by inherited depravity. Luke tells us that the news of Jesus’ C. S. Lewis concludes, “To avoid that miraculous conception reached Mary by taint . [God] once short-circuited the the very special delivery of an angelic process” (God in the Dock, page 31). messenger who announced, “Thou shalt The angelic chorus accurately identi conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a fied the Father of Bethlehem's Babe when son” (Luke 1:31). Her bewildered re it sang, “Glory to God in the highest.” sponse was “How shall this be, seeing No ordinary Child this. Like Father, like I know not a man?" (1:34). The angel’s Son. Paul affirms, “In him dwelleth all the answer made it clear that Jesus would be fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colos- sired by the Spirit: “ The Holy Ghost shall sians 2:9). Here at last is the spotless come upon thee, and . that holy thing Lamb who can atone for the sin of all which shall be bom of thee shall be called mankind. the Son of God" (1:35). At this blessed Christmas season, let Matthew leaves no doubt about whose us tell our world who He really is: child this is: “When as his mother Mary ... the only begotten Son of God was espoused to Joseph, before they ... the sinless Saviour came together, she was found with child . our wonderful Lord. □ HERALD OF HOLINESS LD CORN BREAD”—that’s what kindness to the poor, frightened little girl and her they called the newest girl in school. brothers. Then we talked to the other children, She was very poor. Not that the one by one. Gradually we enlarged the conversa other pupils in the two-room, rural tions to groups. We talked about the meaning of school were rich. But by comparison she Christmas—aand her time to show goodwill. Otwo little brothers looked different from theThe rest. mood began to change. It was the children Her clothes were hand-me-downs, and much themselves who suggested that we give presents too large, even though she was a head taller than to the newest girl and her little brothers. Slowly all the others in the room. And she always wore a acceptance replaced rejection. The whole school hat. The total effect was ludicrous, and the chil became electric with Christmas plans. dren would laugh. Then one day someone came Soon the Old Corn Bread nickname disap up with the nickname “Old Corn Bread.” It peared. Feelings of love and goodwill drew every caught on. After that, the derision reached epi one into the circle—regardless of what he wore or demic proportions throughout the whole school. brought for lunch. All were discovering the true It was about that time that I saw what was meaning of Christmas. It was a real celebration! going on. It was one of those interim experiences Many times I have thought that the same —being the principal of a two-room school for a thing can happen in a family, on the job—or even year—building up the budget so I could return to in a church. But someone has to work at it. You college and finish. There were only four grades have to help it to happen. and two teachers. The Christmas season is here again. What a I asked one of the children why the name Old wonderful opportunity to create an atmosphere of Corn Bread. The explanation was not clear, but love and acceptance. Let’s broaden our circle to evidently the new children always brought stale pull in that one who feels rejected—left out— corn bread for lunch. Their poverty was painful someone who is hungry for a taste of the real enough, but to be ridiculed and rejected by the meaning of Christmas—“. peace, good will other children was torture. Of course we must toward men.” □ change all that—but how? One way would be to take a firm hand—legis late. But unless attitudes could be changed, there would be no permanent solution. You know people can be cruel, and rejection can hurt. Many psychologists agree that the By MARY E. desire to be accepted by the group, to be appre LATHAM ciated, is the strongest of all human drives. Yet how often children—and older people too— Kansas City suffer feelings of rejection. It happens in families. It happens sometimes at work. It can happen even in a church. Someone—just a bit differ ent”—rejected by the group, is made to feel left out. Just a mood, nothing very tangible—but back to “Old Corn Bread.” It was nearing the Christmas season. If we could create attitudes of goodwill among the children, we could turn the whole situation around. The other teacher and I talked it over and care fully laid plans. First we made a point of showing 44 OLD CORN BREAD DECEMBER 17, 1975 HERALD Of HOLINESS JOHN A. KNIGHT, Editor in Chief IVAN A. B E A LS, Office Editor Contributing Editors: V. H. LEWIS EU G EN E L. STOWE EDWARD LAWLOR ORVILLE W. JENKINS GEORGE COULTER CHARLES H. STRICKLAND General Superintendents, Church of the Nazarene IN THIS ISSUE ARTICLES WHOSE CHILD IS T H IS ? ..................................................... 2 General Superintendent Eugene L. Stuwe CHRISTMAS AND ‘OLD CORN BREAD"...................... 3 A celebration of goodwill Mary E. Latham HIS NAME IS J E S U S ...........................................................4 That wonderful name Anne M Beegle PEACE ......................................................................................5 Poem Linda Mowers' WHERE CAN I FIND C H R IS T M A S ? .................................6 In Christlikeness Larry Finger WE HAVE COME TO W O R S H IP .........................................7 Poem C Neil Strait A PHONY KING IS D E A D .....................................................8 Helps to holy living Millard Reed WHERE FREEDOM R E IG N S ...............................................9 Christ is Lord Malcolm Cunningham WHAT SHALL i GIVE H IM ? ...............................................10 A life-offering Earl C. Wolf THE FORGOTTEN HERO OF CHRISTMAS .................. 11 An approved father Morris Chalfant W HAT DOES CHRISTMAS M E A N ? ...............................12 The expositor’s corner Albert J. Lown GOD’S PHONE N U M B E R ...................................................13 Pen points Paul Martin NOT P A W N S ......................................................................... 14 Purposeful redemption C. Dale German THE NAME ABOVE A L L ..................................................... 15 Proclaiming salvation Ovella Satre Shafer SHADES OF LIFE ............................................................... 16 8 A R E G IS T E R E D N U RSE for many Colorful boundaries Leora Windoffer years, I have done a great deal of ma- STOCKING STUFFERS FOR CHRISTMAS ................ 17 A—%A8' y' / % ternity work. Even in my service as a From a nurse’s notebook Laura Mae Douglass j L . - iL .. navy nurse, I was privileged to take EDITORIALS 18 care of hundreds of mothers and their new babies. John A. Knight What is one of the most important things that takes place after a baby is born? Why—the nam STANDING FEATURES ing of that baby. W ithin a few hours, or at most NEWS OF RELIGION ......................................................... 30 by the next day, the birth statistician, or the ANSWER C O R N E R ............................................................. 31 “Birth Certificate Lady,” as we call her, comes to BY ALL M E A N S ................................................................... 34 interview the mother regarding the name of her Witnessing to Our Neighbors E. E. Wordsworth babv and other vital statistics. This information has to be accurate, as it is used all during a per Bible quotations in this issue: son’s life. The birth certificate is necessary to Unidentified quotations are from KJV. obtain Social Security benefits, to secure a pass From the New American Standard Bible, copyright c The Lockman Foundation. 1960. 1962. 1963. 1968. 1971 (NASB) port. and for many other things. Sometimes the mother knows right awav what the baby’s name will be, but many mothers have a difficult time deciding on a name. They are Volume 64, Number 26 DECEMBER 17, 1975 Whole Number 3196 HERALD OF HOLINESS, 6401 The Paseo. Kansas City, Mo. 64131. Published biweekly (every afraid it might not please another member of the other Wednesday! by the Nazarene Publishing House. M A lunn. Manager 2923 Troost Ave . Kansas City, Mo 64109. Editorial Office at 6401 The Paseo. Kansas City. Mo 64131 Subscrip family or might not be suitable for the little one. tion price. $3.50 per year in advance Second-class postage paid at Kansas City. Mo Address Sometimes the name has not been determined correspondence concerning subscriptions to Nazarene Publishing House.