Around About
By Justine Weatherford
"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not
overcome it." (John 1: 4,5)
The Jewish Sabbath observance begins with a ritual
lighting of candles by the woman of the house, a reminder
that light was one of the first acts of creation. The Sabbath
ends with the father saying a prayer, his hands spread
towards a lighted candle as if longing for its light.
No people, no nation large or small, has affected the
history of the world as have the Jews, who for many
generations waited for the Messiah, who was to give meaning
to their long history of wandering and striving.
When the light of the first Christmas came, however, Its
glory shone not, as the Jews had long expected, over all
Israel, but around a few simple workingmen in the watches
of the night, when most people are asleep. It led these
shepherds, curious as all simple people are, to see for
themselves if those extraordinary words that had been told to
them from the sky were true.
The shepherds took their lanterns and held them up to see
the "sign" a baby, a newborn, wrapped in swaddling
clothes, lying where longed-for babies are not expected to
lie in a manger. This was the Child of whom Zechariah,
priest of the Temple, had sung : "The dayspring from on high
hath visited us, to give light to them that sit In darkness and
to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Light has always been the symbol of good, of knowledge
and understanding, and darkness the symbol of ignorance
and evil. For generations the Jews heard prophets tell of the
Messiah's birth. The Christian Church has always seen in the
Jewish Messiah an image, dim at first, of a Christ who was
not to restore the kingdom of Israel but to make a new Israel,
a people of Cod with no limit of nation or race.
Every 14 years the Romans organized a census through
their whole empire so that, by a poll tax, they could levy the
money that paid for their armies, their luxuries and the
people's "bread and circuses" which kept their many
unemployed content. It is probable that the particular census
told of in Luke's Gospel was held between 10 B.C. and 7 B.C.,
under the emperor Augustus which brought Joseph and Mary
to Bethlehem.
Centuries later a Roman monk, Dionysius Exiguus, had the
idea of dividing history Into two eras separated by Christ's
birth, but we now know that the calendar year 1 A D. could
not have been the time of Jesus' birth, because He was born
in Herod's reign, and Herod died in 4 B.C. So probably the
Child was born about 7 B.C., which also coincides with one,
perhaps, two, of the astronomers' attempted explanations of
the great Christmas star.
The story of Jesus' birth In the stableave should be
well-known. The presence of the ox and the ass fulfilled
prophecy. In the East, a manger was made of clay, or was,
perhaps, a stone trough, and although Mary and Joseph
would have filled it with hay, it must have been cold. The
traditional story is that the ox and the ass kept the Infant
warm with their breaths.
No one knows where the Wise Men came from, but by the
richness of their gifts and the respect they were given at
Herod's court, they were certainly illustrious; in popular
tradition they were kings. It Is obvious they had traveled a
long way; if, as is probable, they had to cross deserts, they
would have traveled on camels. Following the miraculous
star, they would have done most of their traveling at night.
To Mary, the homage paid to her baby by these great
visitors from countries far beyond her ken must have been
most surprising. And they brought unusual gifts to the babe:
one brought gold for His royalty; one brought frankincense
for His divinity and the third brought myrrh, predicting His
bitter death and sorrow.
The very early Christian Church did not celebrate Christ's
birthday. However, most early peoples had winter festivals
and the early heads of the church were astute enough to
know, or perhaps had learned the hard way, that rather than
fight some beloved pagan customs, it was often better to
accept them and to subtly transform them, especially the
longstablished festivals. As early as 130-135 A D., it had
been ordained that "In the Holy Night of the Nativity the
people should solemnly sing the angels' hymn" meaning the
angels' words to the shepherds. However, as soon as
Christmas began to be well established as a feast, priests and
monks began writing their own Christmas hymns. Many of
these are still sung in cathedrals and monasteries, especially
during Advent. Some very beautiful, modern carols have
been introduced as the years pass by.
Was it when a date was permanently fixed for Christmas
that its spirit began to be lost? Jesus Himself seems
purposely to have been elusive his disciples were often
having to find Him and it seems ironic that He who left no
material traces at all, who seemingly owned nothing except
th coat "without a seam" and a simple pair of sandals
should have His birthday turned Into a great annual world
trade fair. Old Father Christmas, or Saint Nicholas, has
become like one of the great red balloon figures seen in
parades, filling our horizon and blotting out the Star, the
Light of the World.
Today many children actually think of Santa Claus as a
god. Some of them are never taught the facts of Christmas,
and they never learn of the great traditions surrounding this
great Festival of Love.
(The facts used in this column have been taken from
reading I have done in the Bible (Revised Standard Version)
and on the history of Christmas In various accounts by
several authors. Two contemporary sources I have mainly
used are my "World Book" and the "History of Christmas"
by Rumer Godden, which was loaned to me by Florence
Green.)
PW1T.IIT7IV IfW TP) "AI.K sA
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School district to go to court frwm p- 1
"It there aTen't any other , . , . . . ... county, the district will
The Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, December 23, 1982 THREE
problems."
In other business, the
board :
heard from career educa
tion teacher John Sporseen of
Heppner High School. Spor-
' seen gave a report on the
cooperative work experience
program, where students take
jobs in the community and
receive credit' and practical
education. He said there are
difficulties with the program
because of the recession, and
tax breaks which have been
eliminated by the Federal
Government.
voted to adopt a compre
hensive conflict of interest
policy governing hiring of
personnel in the district. Per
sons on advisory boards, and
the school board would be
nffved hv (he policv
' voted to add a second
baseball and football team,
and a third basketball and
volleyball team at Columbia
Jr. High in Irrigon. Principal
Vic Marrhek (Id the board
that 81 students turned out for
basketball this year, and 50
were out for football. The
board okayed the extra teams,
but stipulated the teams could
go no farther than 25 miles to
games, unless accompanying
the school's varsity team,
applied for a $1,372 fed
eral grant to purchase teach
ing aids for handicapped stu
dents. The money would be
spent to purchase computer
software and a computer
printer at lone.
learned that because new
census figures showing in
creased population in the
county, the district will re
ceive about $30,000 more in
federal grant money next
year. Some of the money will
be used to hire a new teacher's
aid at Riverside High School
for educationally deprived
students.
voted to hire Sharon
Dunlop as a temporary teach
er at Sam Boardman Elemen
tary School, to replace Vir
ginia Tollenaere who has re
signed. voted to hire Barbara
Gutierrez as a P.E. aide to
replace Marjcan Seel who
resigned at Columbia Junior
High. "
voted to hire Jim Ackley
and Debbie McCoy as assis
tant basketball coaches at
Columbia Junior High.
voted to hire Delores
Shelton as an aide at Heppner
High to replace Tera Adams.
gave district Superinten
dent Matt Doherty, and Assis
tant John Edmundson one
year extensions on their con
tracts. Both work on two-year
continuing contracts.
okayed the purchase of a
baseball backstop for $1,500 at
Columbia Jr. High. Labor to
erect the backstop will be
donated.
W niAo HonA Shod
Hair Styles for Men, Women & Children
Call Glenna Anytime
422-7545
2nd & B Street
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An old saying classifies Italian as the language of song, French as the language of love
and English at the language of business.
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WE DO FRONT END ALIGNMENTS
SPECIALIST DARRYL BIGELOW IS READY
TO SERVICE YOUR CAR OR PICKUP
PLEASE CALL AHEAD FOR SCHEDULING
Morrow Gounvfj$M
Grain rowers
Uxfetftfi ff 4221
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2 WESTERN FAMILY
1 WATER ADDED, UNSLICED
5-7 LB. AVERAGE
1.0. J
LB.
BEEF '"?m ROAST
USOA CHOICE
BONELESS LB.
BEEF RIB STEAK
USDA CHOICE
(INCH CUT LB
1.99
'2.89
USOA CHOICE
LEG OF LAMB , Z.lU
ARMOUR, i ll SEC BASTING
BONELESS TURKEY , s1.69
USOACHOICf LAROI tNO SINCH CUT mm.
BEEF RIB ROAST , $2.79
PUSBURY
COOKIE DOUGH '1.39
O ESC NT
DINNER ROLLS 89
MEAT OR am .
BARS FRANKS.. ...... I.. $1.S9
HltS SI CEO
SLAB BACON '1.79
WE DO CUSTOM CUTTING 16!.
GRADE A TURKEYS
DFEP BASTED &
I
FROZEN, 10-231BS. LB:'
SAFFOLA
tSAFFLOWER SALAD 0ILO2 $1.49
REAL MAYONNAISE 0z $2.25
60 OFF HEAVY DUTY DRY
PUREX DETERGENT W 02 $4.15
WESTERN FAMILY
PITTED LARGE RIPE OLIVES .02 . 99c
WESTERN FAMILY M
10 LB. BAG FLOUR $1.79
NESTLE S REAL
CHOCOLATE CHIP MORSELS noil. 89
PLANTER'S
MIXED NUTS WPEANUTS $2.99
CHESCENT
CHOPPED WALNUTS oz $1.19
SCHILLING
GROUND BLACK PEPPER .oz 99
ASSORTED .
JELL-0 GELATIN eo2 59c
KRAFT
MARSHM ALLOW CREME 1302 $1.09
PILLSBURY
CRESCENT DINNER ROLLS .02 89e
WE WILL BE CLOSED
CHRISTMAS EVE
AT 5p.m.
SO OUR EMPLOYEES CAN
BE HOME WITH THEIR FAMILIES
.GLHSELD
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WESTERN
FAMILY
12 02.
RHODES -
DINNER ROLLS 3.0, $1.15
SARA LEE mmm.
POUND CAKE $1.59
l1onadeip:-..... in
mm -
2 1
mm
ORANGES
CALIFORNIA
GROWN
CHOICE NAVEL
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AND SWEET POTATOES
AAECHUM
GREAT FOR
CHRISTMAS DINNER
FANCY YAMS
U LBS. L
CALIFORNIA GROWN mm
fivnnnnns hJl
mum w waaar w w -n
RADISHES
5 FOR ill
CELERY
39c
OR GREEN
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GARDEN FRESH
LARGE
STALK
CRISP
SILKIENCE
MOISTURE LOTION
3-OZ.
ppaDRY IDEA
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HtU. UK UINSU., 1.5-OZ.
J3.69
?4.59
P0RCELANA
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ICE CREAM
WESTERN FAMILY
ASSTD.. HALF GALLON
SOUR CREAM 79'
WHIPPING CREAM ,NTS 99c
WE RESERVE THE
RIGHT TO LIMIT
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