# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1913_S89
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

Puslisnep BY THE EvANGELIcAL Lutmeran SyNopicaL CoNFERENCE oF Nort AMERICA.
REV. F. J. LANKENAU, EDITOR.

Entered at the Post Office at St. Lo

T. LOUIS,

MO., DECEM

nis, Mo., as second-class matter.

BER, 1913. No. 12.

Christmas.

Dear day of days! the best of all in carth’s
Long roll of years. In thee we celebrate

The birth and advent here, to us, of Him,

The Lord and universal King, who came

From heaven, His blessed abode, to rescue man —
Poor fallen man! — from sin and shame and loss
Which his own deeds had wrought for him.

Our ardent souls recall those opening scenes.
Again with joy we hear the angels cry,
“Glory to God! and on earth be peace,
“Good will to men”; or with the shepherds sent
Once more we haste to Bethlehem, and see

The open stall, the lowly manger where

The new-born Prince of peace and love is laid.
Sweet day of days! Blessed harbinger to us

Of joys eternal and those lovely scenes

Where we expect companionship with those
We've loved and lost within this weary life.
Dearly we hail thee, and rejoice in these,

Thy happy hours, with all who love and hope!

Samuel Finley.

Christmas Tidings.

Those were glorious tidings which the angel
herald brought to the shepherds on Bethlehem’s
plains. “Behold,” he said, “I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day, in the city of David,
a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” And this
blessed news of the heavenly messenger is attested
to by the multitude of the celestial host, which
descends in holy joy to this earth, and sings its
incomparable Christmas carol: “Glory to God in
the highest, and on earth peace, good will to-
ward men.”

O what joy must have filled the hearts of these

simple shepherds at the thought that all Isracl’s
hopes were now fulfilled, that the promised Savior
at last had come.

What the fathers most desired,

What the prophets’ heart inspired,

What they longed for many a year,

Stood fulfilled in glory here.

And who will describe the ecstasy of the shep-
herds when, following the angel’s directions, they
found the Christ-child and looked upon His holy
form! As they stood there around the manger of
their Infant Redeemer, a ray of heavenly bliss must
have penetrated their inmost hearts, and exultant
praise arose from their lips to God on high. Yes,
their hearts for very joy did leap, their lips no more
could silence keep. With joyful tongue they tell
Mary all they had seen and heard that night’ in
the fields; they describe to her the angelic vision,
and repeat to her ravished ear the wonderful mes-
sage and the glorious song.

But they did more, these shepherds. “They made
known abroad the saying which was told them con-
cerning this Child.” “The shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all the things that
they had heard and seen.” They feel that they must
publish the glad tidings, and they long to make
their fellow-men partakers of their happiness. The
holy gladness which fills their hearts wells up and
overflows their lips.- Their happiness and gratitude
overcome their natural timidity, and wherever they
go, they sing a song of thanksgiving, the theme of
which is God’s great love to sinners as proved by
the gift of His Son. The finger of faith touches
the strings of their harps, and they cannot with-
hold themselves from singing their praises to God.

Can we, dear reader, do less than these simple-
hearted shepherds did? Can we refrain from glori-