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"THE STORY OF THE CHRISTMAS GUEST"

PREFACE My wife - as well as my own better judgment - always remind me that few words should be spoken at this service.

For this service of carols and candles is a service in which things are sung that cannot be said - a service in which the warm light of the candles speaks far more eloquently of the real meaning, the deep meaning, of Christmas than words ever can.

I do not intend to preach a sermon this night. The hour is late, and most of you have had to work today. What I would like to do is to use these next few miatttes to share with you "The Story of the Christmas Guest". It came to us on one of the Christmas cards we received, and it is adapted from an old German legend by Helen Steiner Rice.

It may be familiar to some of you. It's one of those stories that we love to hear at this time of year, and I wwld h0pe that your Christmas will be richer and fuller for hearing it this ni~t.

THE STORY

"It happened one day at the year's white end,

Two neigh~ors called on an old-time friend

And they found his shop so meager and mean,

Made gay with a th0usand boughs of green,

And Conrad was sitting with face a-shine

When he suddenly stopped as he stitched a twine

, And said, "Old friends, at dawn today,

'.-Jhen the cock was crowing the night awa7,

The Lord appeared in a dream to me

And said;, "I am coming your guest to be •• •"

So I've been bus.y with feet atir,

Strewing ~ shop with branches of fir,

The table is spread and the kettle is shined

And over the rafters the holly is twined,

- 2 ..

And over the rafters the holly is twined,

And now I will wait for my Lord to appear

And listen closely so I will hear

His step as He nears my humble place

And I open the door and look in His face ••• "

So his friends went home and left Conrad alone,

For this was the happiest day he had known,

For, long since, his family had passed away

And Conrad had spent a sad Christmas Day •••

But he knew with the Lord as his Chrtstmas~'1guest

This Christmas would be the dearest and best,

And he listened with only joy in his heart,

And with every sound he would rise with a start

And look for the Lord to be standing there

In answer to his earnest prayer ••••

So he ran to the window after hearing a sound,

Bat all that he saw on the snow-covered ground

Was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn

And all of his clothes were ragged and worn •••

So Conrad was touched and went to the door

And he said, "Your feet must be frozen and sore,

And I have some shoes in ~ shop for you,

And a coat that will keep you warmer, too"•••

- 3 -

So with gra te.ful heart the man went away 1

But as Conrad noticed the time of day

He wondered what made the::/~ar Lord so late

And how mneh longer he'd have to wait,

When he heard a knock and ran to the door,

But it was only a stranger once more,

A bent, old crone with a shawl of black, 511\AG-0

A bundle of f~ggot& piled on her back,

She asked for only a place to rest,

But that was reserved for Conrad's Great Guest •••

But her voice seemed to plead, "Don't send me away,

Let me rest for a while on Christmas Day";

So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup

And told her to sit at the table and sup •••

But after ahe left he was filled with dismay

For he saw that the hours were passing away

And the Lord had not come as He said He would,

And Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood •••

When out of the stillness he heard a cr,r,

"Please help me and tell me where am I"

So again he opened his friendly door

And stood disappointed as twice before,

It was onlJ" a child who had wandered away

And was lost from her family on Christmas Day •••

- 4 -

Again Conrad 1 s heart was heavy and sad,

But he knew he should make this little child glad,

So he called her in and wiped her tears

~ And quieted all her childish fears •••

Then he led her back to her home once more

But as he entered his own darkened door,

He !mew that the Lord was not coming today

For the hours of Christmad had passed away •••

So he went to his room and knelt down to pray

And he said, "Dear Lord, why did you delay,

What kept you from coming to call on me,

For I wanted so much Your face to see"••••

When soft in the silence a. voice he heard,

"Lift up your head for I kept m.y word -

Three times M;y shadow cross your floor -

Three times I came to your lonely door -

For I was the beggar with bruised, cold feet,

I was the woman you gave to eat,

And I was the child on the homeless street".

No. 4457

PARK AVENUE METHODIST 'CHURCH

106 East 86th Street

i\ew York, L • y · 100:!8

,\T 9-6997

.11INLSTERS

Ro·. Phi lip .\ . C. Clarke

Rev. l~oua ld . A. ' \Y.itmer ·

D r . Harold C. Metznet·

URGAN IST.CJ-LOm DlRECTOH

Mr·. Lyndo11 Woodside

CllURCll SECRETARY

M iss C:11'0l C utcnbC'I'f!:

0 ,11' SCllOOL DIRECTOR

:\Irs. George Leech ·

CUSTODIA .'

l\1r . G ustaf Tc n raka llio

Park Avenue Methodist Church

CHRISTMAS EVE December ?1, 1968

ORDER OF 100RSH:Ct 11 p.m. , .... ,, __ ·

ORGAN 11 In Dulci Jubilo 11 Bach CALL TO HORSHIP HYMN NO. 386 110 Come, All Ye .Faithful" INVOCATION (seated, praying in unison)

Our Heavenly Father, who hast declared thy love to all men by the birth of the Holy Child at Bethlehem; help us to welcome Him with glad­ness, and to make room for Him in our common days so that we may live at peace with one an­other, and in good will with all thy family. In thy name we pray. Amen

LORD t S PRf~YER

Isaiah 9:6-7, and Luke 1:26-33 SCRIPTURE SOLO "Come Unto Him11 Handel

(From the "Messiah"; Jane Woodside, soprano) SCRI PTURE Luke 2:8-20 ANNOUNCEMENTS OF CONGREGATIONAL CONCERN CHRISTMAS OFFERING SOLO 110 Holy Night"

(Jane Woodside, soprano) PRES~TATION OF THE OFFERING WITH THE DOXOLOGY HYMN NO. 390 "It Came upon the Hidnight Clear" MEDITATION "The Story of the Christmas Guest"

Adam

Rev. Hr. Clarke CHqiSTHAS PRAYER LIGHTING OF THE CA.NDLES HYMN NO. 393 "Silent Night, Holy Night" PRAYER fiDIN NO. 381 BENEDICTION ORGAN

"0 Little Town of Bethlehem" (seated)

"From Heaven On High"

?HH:- Interval for ushering

Pachelbel

:rJELCOME TO THE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE

A very loJarm welcome is extended to all who have come to worship with us this night, 11\fe are pleased you have made your way here and hope that you find the service to be full of the Christmas spirit and the warmth of Christian fellowship.

We want you t o know that the concern of your church goes with you this night as yQu make your way back to your homes and loved ones,. To all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Yeart

USHERS

The ushers tonight are Mr. Dick, Mr. Davis, Mr. Raeburn, and Mr. Rommel.

DISTRIBUTION AND LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES

The ushers will give each worshipper a candle as he enters the sanctuary. At the appropriate time during the service, the ministers will light their candles from the altar candles. ·The -ushers will then light their candles from the ministers1 candles and, in turn, will light the candle of the worshipper in each pew nearest the center aisle. Each worshipper ~vi ll then light the candle of the· person nearest him until all candles hav-e been lighted.

The candles are to be extinguished following the benediction.

FOLLOWING THE SERVICE

Following the service, we invite you to come to the Community Room (one floor down) for some delightful Christmas refreshments •... This informal time of fellow­ship provides us with the opportunity to personally wish ea.c h other a Merry Christmas. We are grateful to Hiss Brooks and several ladies of the church for making it possible for us to have this time of good fellowship.