Chapter 5

When, after the fire, they came together, they inquired, "What shall we do? Shall we rebuild here or shall we take another location?" Finally it was decided to build a new church on Copley Square. That was many years ago. They built a beautiful temple of worship. It is still known everywhere as "Phillips Brooks' Church," so wonderfully did his personality enter into the project.

Now the second "hymn." When Phillips Brooks was a young man in Philadelphia he made a trip to the Holy Land. As Christmas drew near he wrote and sent back to the girls and boys of his Sunday School, a Christmas poem. The organist of his church composed music for the words, and this hymn was sung for the first time in Trinity church, Philadelphia. It is a beautiful Christmas hymn. Yes, it is my favorite.

"Oh, little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie."

MEMORY VERSE, _Matthew_ 2: 6

"Thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: For out of thee shall come a Governor that shall rule my people Israel."

MEMORY HYMN [121]

_"O little town of Bethlehem."_

THE CHRISTMAS TREE

For a few years I lived in a country where "December is as pleasant as May." The weather was warm all through the year. The ground was never frozen, for there was never any frost. I never saw a snowflake in all the years I lived in the tropics. The trees were trees of the hot climate, mostly palm, bamboo and acacia trees. When Christmas drew near I thought the day would be a very dreary day, and wholly unChristmaslike because there would be no snow, and we would be without our accustomed tree.

A few days before our first Christmas in the tropics a friend said to me, "I am sending a tree down from the mountains for your children." In due time the tree arrived. You can imagine the joy of our entire household when they looked upon a genuine, evergreen, Christmas tree. We set it up in our big "sala," that is our living room, and there it remained for many days, the delight of our eyes.

The tree of the Christmas season has some specifically Christmas messages. First, it is evergreen. That reminds us of the eternal Saviour, "the same yesterday, to-day and forever." At the very tiptop of the tree we place a star. There it shines, high above all else, reminding us of the higher, holier life to which we are summoned. The star beckons us to loftier aspirations. Christ came down from heaven. He became one of us, sharing our human life. But he is ever above us as well as with us, luring us on to the life of God. The Christmas tree is ablaze with lights. Jesus brought light into the world. How dark the world would be without him! About the base of the tree, and suspended from the branches are many gifts. They are tokens of the love and esteem we hold for each other, and remind us of God's great gift of love, Christ himself.

MEMORY VERSE, _John_ 3: 16

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

MEMORY HYMN [112]

_"There's a song in the air."_

THE BEST WORD

What is the best word! I think I can hear each of you as he answers. One says "Mother is the best word." Another says, "Father." Still another, "Daddy." A fourth one answers, "Home." Now I hear a voice that says, "America." Another voice shouts, "Friend." Yes, there are many, many words to which we might rightfully give the title "best word."

But for this season of the year, and for this particular Sunday, there is one word that stands out from among all the others. That one word is "Christmas." To-morrow will be Christmas day. I think this word "Christmas" is the best word because it includes all the other good words.

In your home you have a rug. There are many colors in that rug, yet it is all one fabric. The many colors are skillfully woven and beautifully blended to make the one fabric. Think of this word Christmas as a rug, made up of many words of many colors. We see in this rug the word "mother." What would Christmas be without mother! We see also the word father, and the words sister, brother, grandfather, grandmother, aunt, uncle, friend, home. Then clearest of all in this wonderful rug is the word Christ. Christ is Christmas. Yes, Christmas is the best word for it gathers within its meaning all other good words.

"This happy day, whose risen sun Shall set not through eternity; This holy day, when Christ, the Lord, Took on him our humanity; For little children everywhere A joyous season still we make; We bring our precious gifts to them, Even for the dear Child, Jesus' sake."

MEMORY VERSE, _John_ 1: 4

"In him was life; and the life was the light of men."

MEMORY HYMN [107]

_"Joy to the world!"_

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

How often have we heard this phrase! You girls and boys use it, "Here I am, last but not least."

When Jesus was on earth there was often a discussion among the disciples concerning rank among them. Some were fearful that they would be last. One day a mother, very proud of her two sons, as mothers are apt to be, asked Jesus to grant permission that her two sons might sit, the one on his left hand, the other on his right, in the kingdom. Then He made a very beautiful as well as perfectly true statement, "Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

There was another time, when Jesus sat at supper with his disciples, wishing to show them, by example, the utter worthlessness of station, for station's sake, rose from the table, took a towel and basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet. Peter objected, but when he understood, he said, "Not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." At the last Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him."

Girls and boys, if you desire a high place in life, begin low. If you want to occupy a leading place you must be willing to serve in the least. It always has been so, it will never change, this great law of life, that he who would be first must be willing to be last. It is the eternal law of service.

MEMORY VERSE, _Mark_ 10: 31

"... But many that are first shall be last; and the last first."

MEMORY HYMN [402]

_"Hark, the voice of Jesus calling."_

THE END

End of Project Gutenberg's The Children's Six Minutes, by Bruce S. Wright