"Fervent in spirit" - "Maintain the spiritual glow". ( loffatt) Romans 12:11

" INTAINING THE SPIRITUAL GLOW"

~ver been romance in lighting of a fire. As we think of lighting fires memories come troop­ing back. Memorable occasions. Lighting a camp fire some evening in early fall. Stars above and a sweet, pungent smoke. Burning leaves in Oct­ober. There's an incense for you.

Or ancient ceremony of lighting fire on all Hallows' Eve. Or still more ancient custom of bringing in Yule Log at Christmastime.

Kindling the Fire Thinking of other fires. Am

thinking of fire of faith -the spiritual glow that was

kindled in our hearts - for we do love God - we do love the church - we do profess to love our Lord. How did it all come about?

Someone kindled that glow. Memory buried in subconscious mind. Perhaps we can just re­member or think we can remember, a father and a mother, kneeling by the crib and talking to same­one they could not see. Glow was kindled.

Later came those long and happy childhood days. Just before you scurried into bed you were taught your prayers - "Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the lord my soul to keep". Then a hurried "God bless mammy and daddy - and grandpa etc. and make me a good boy for Jesus' sake. amen.

Later still you went to a large building. Soaring pillars and arches. Stained glass win­dows with figures of people in them. Many people there - all seemed friendly and happy. Seemed old - gentlemen as old as mountains - with long beards. Must be centuries old, I'll betcha. And there was singing - and words spoken to the same unseen and kind Someone - God. And you saw your own father in the choir - and would not exchange that memory for all wealth of Indies.

And you started to read. And in your home and in your Sunday School you listened to and read the story of Jesus. A babe born in a stable - ctnd you thought what fun to be born in stable.

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Vfuat fun to live in stable with cows, donkeys, pigeons. And slide down the hay.

That's how it started. Today we invoke the blessing of God upon those who kindled spiritual glow in that boyish heart. Did best to give us a sense of reverence for all things lovely and of good report. They kindled the spiritual glow. !/ lt\..1~ ~ ~r ~IV!~ .do~~.y ~'./1-a...l /;;-~o ~.._, .-:v (!~'"" ~

A Protecting Ardor Soon we discovered that spir-itual glow was a tender and delicate flame. ~Vhen flame

died down we became open to attack from ugly and unspiritual things. Later we learned there is always protection where there is spiritual flame and ardor.

Like the traveler in adventure story. Land infested with wild animals. Fire lighted night -not only for warmth but also to keep wild animals at bay. Said Appelbe, "As long as fire burned brightly the animals dared not attack. Nor would they draw near".

~·.[ere we to confess, we would have to say we have been kept steady in the midst of fierce temp­tation, by the grace of God, and by our love for certain folks - people we would not hurt or disap­point for dll the world. And even when we have fallen or failed, our relationship to them has brought restoration.

Parable of Prodigal Son - the boy could not get away from the love of his father. Could not forget. That love finally restored him. "What am I doing here? I will arise and go to father". The spiritual glow kindled by his father had nev­er completely died down. Could not forget.

Moral and sp iritual trouble comes, t empta­tion overpowers us, fierce beasts attack us when we allow the flame to die down.

Maintaining the Glow How to keep the fire burn­ing brightly; how to main­tain the spiritual glow -

that is the problem. Easy to sense God here; easy to sense spiritual glow here. But to-morrow is another matter. Teachers back to pupils; man of business back to competitive world; nurse back to demanding duties of sickroom and patients; house-

wife back to pots and pans; students back school; all of us back to routine - for life must go on. There can be no running away. To-morrow will be hard to keep poise, maintain serenity and spirit­ual glow. '.'l e are so vulnerable. Find ourselves at mercy of things which happen around us. Let me make suggestions:

Lay hold upon the goodness of God. Fai th in the justice and love of the Heavenly Father. dhat­ever we might be suffering, God will make things work together for good. To trust the goodness of God despite the badness of men . To believe in the ultimate triumph of decency despite evil. To see through dark shadows of sorrow and blinding flash­es of pain, the face of a Heavenly Father. Card­inal Mer cier of Belgium on 50th anniversary of his ordin~tion to priesthood, speak of his serenity.

Lay hold upon the greatness of God. There is a calm that comes as we lift eyes from little to the large. Job was delivered from problems when he sensed greatness of God - "rvhere wast thou Job when I laid the foundation of the world'?" When Job turned from picking at own wounds to pondering wonders of God's greatness, he was on road to vic­tory. So with the psalmist - 121 Psalm - "I will lift mine eyes unto the hills". Lift our gaze from molehills of our troubles to mountains of the Lord. Lay hold on His greatness. He is our God. as we contemplate His greatness there steals over our highstrung nerves a calming sense of patience. Sydney Lanier gives us the secret which sustained him through his sufferings;

Use some practical techni ques. Might I sug­gest public \vo rship as a means of helping maintain spiritual glow? When your attendance is spasmodic the fire dies ~ down. Sp iritual life becomes tone­less. The animals of temptation draw near. Then might I suggest the mid-week service as a helpful technique. David Reid reported average attendance of 200. The powerhouse of the church. Something happens in the fellowship. Renew our strength.

Finally, use of private prayer . Previewing the day with all its demands and duties in light of God's wisdom. At night reviewing. Vlhi t tier.

The ecret

I met God in the morninp -Jhen the day was dt its best . • nd His Presence ctllTI.e like sunrise

Like a e;lory in my breast.

~11 ddV long the Presence lingered. n.ll day long it stayed with me. ~nd we Sdiled with perfect calmness O'er r very troubled sea.

Other ships were torn and battered. Other ships were sore distressed. But the winds that seemed to drive them Brou["ht to me pe ce and rest.

So, I think I ' ve learned the secret Known from many a troubled w y. You must seek Him in the morning, If you want Him all the day.

Ralph S. Cushman

- '3-in the midst of fierce temp tat ion b a race of God - and b our love ~or certain folks who we \tluld not hurt r disa point for all the w:J rld. illd even men ie have f i led fallen, it has been that love and ardor that have brou ht us restoration.

Par ble of Prodigal on. You see, he could not et awav from 10ve of his father. T · t love final . brought him to hi self -lind to nlace of restorati n.

Loral and spiritual trouble coiPes 1a a lcm the flame to die do m. Animals

t- ck us at that moment.

'l'he Problem: Keep intz Th t 's our Problem. the .fire Ali.!Zht S iritual glow does

not keen lZlo Ting of itself. Yires have

to be tended, nurtured, watched; else turn to grey, cold ashes. Likewise s ~ iritual life.

Ptiul's v:nrds - "I' .... intc1in spiritual glow". Paraphrase- "Keep fire ia;ht 11 • I like that word ''naintain''. Suggests main ten ance crews with daily or nightly tasks. 1t suggests scrubwomen who clean gre t build­ings in rew York City; railway men trud ing tr cks to ensure safe travel; linemen who in bitter cold of winter and prostrating heat of summer ~aintain light and hone ser vice. Heminds one of housewives washing dishes day after day maintaining the home.

'1' kes some maintaining. reactiers herd today worshining have face not the mobs Jo .lesley fuced, but, thirty or forty little demons bent on their destruction. Or maybe have to face some ouest ing younp. n.inds vho

Wd it their leader ship and help • .tilld man of business has to return to nernlexin rob -lems. nd h us ewife to her dishes . ..:illd the nurse to sickroom. And some to uncon eni~l : bs; ~.:md students to sch ol. Life oes on.

e 1\'lUCh have I travell' d in the realms of gold, ~md manv ~oodly states and kingdoms s~en; rtound many ~estern islands have 1 been 1'fhich bards in fealty to d.pollo ho d. Oft of one wide expanse had I been to d 'l'ha.t deep-browed .!iomer ruled as his demesne; ret did 1 never breathe its pure serene 'l'ill 1 heard Ghapr1an sreak out loud and bold : Then felt I like ·some watcher of the skies 'Jhen a new planet swims into his ken; ur like stout Gortez '11/hen w1 th eaRle eyes He star d at the .Pacific - and all his men Look ' d at each other \"'i th a wild surmise -Silent, upon a peak in Darien.''

Keats

On ll' irst LookinR 1nto vhaprnan' s Homer

"Whether in the years of peace or the years of war, whether in poverty or prosperity, whether in failure or success, never have I failed to feel deep down in my heart a sense of tranquil­lity, confidence and peace . I must tell you the secret of Christian serenity. It lies in giving yourself confidently to the goodness of the Lord". Cardinal Mercier

"As the marsh-hen secretly builds on the watery sod,

Behold I will build me d nest on the greatness of God 11

Marshes of Glynn

"Drop thy still dews of quietness Till all our strivings cease. Take from our souls the strain and stress,

.And let our ordered lives confess The beauty of thy peace. Breathe through the heats of our desire Thy coolness and thy balm; Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire, 0 still small voice of calm"

Whittier

'Wonders of Faith Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evi­

dence of things not seen ...

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed

by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacri­fice than Cain . ..

By faith Noah, being warned of God . . . prepared an ark to the saving of his house ...

By faith Abraham, when called to go out .. . obeyed; and went out, not knowing whither he went.

By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the de­parting of the children of Israel.

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter ...

By faith they [Israelites] passed through the Red Sea . .. which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

And what shall I more say? ... prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, ... out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight.- From Hebrews.

To the woman who "touched" Him, Jesus said, " Thy faith hath made thee whole."

After healing blind Bartimeus, Jesus said, "Thy faith hath saved thee."

The jailer at Philippi was reassured by Paul's words, " Be­lieve [have faith] on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. "

To Nicodemus were spoken the most precious words, that whosoever believeth [has faith] in the Son of God, shall not perish but have everlasting life.

0 Lord, increase our faith , and teach us to walk by faith.

A.P.H. No. 8105 Litho in U.S .A.

.. . .... . .

rrhr clnot shalt livr b~ f.aitk

rrr io tl vital truth that shook thr wot~l~ : ~ ··.Thr just ohalt livr b~ faith .. :· an~ our ran orr

Luthrr. the rarncot srrkrr. as he hur1r~ _Tht' tv or~ s for aU to hrttt'. awl tightt'outd~

~ Prorlaimra his otaunrh bclirf though it might bt·ing \If J I )art~rbmn an~ ~rath: though thn·r might bt·rak

. ~ otornt ~bout hi\1 hra~- ~ thrratrniug thing

.1gttinot our otttnaing firnt fm· ronocirnrr oakr.

... T hr rxrrrior of living faith ! .. hio n·l!. .. r.liug thr boor wibr oprn.rrrach thr ·((l or~ ... ( lufttihngt~ hr otrovr tt8 tbr !fttro wt·nt b\1 .rl'o uprra~ tbr truth rutb make hio mrooagr hrat·b.

··_Thr juot ohal11ivr b! faith." 0 tnau of Oob. ( I ) itliono hktvr fotlowrb wbrrr 11our frrt futvr trob. . -

FREMONT STREET METHODIST CHURCH Gloversville, New York

October 17, 1948

ORDER OF MORNING -v;roRSHIP

ORGAN - "Prelude on 'Fairest Lord J e sus 1 ;;

CALL TO 'NORSHIP - by the minister ~IYl.'iN 36 - "We lift our hearts to Thee" RESPONSA LS :

Edmundson

Morning ton

Minister: Create in me a clean heart, 0 God; People:

Minister: People:

And r enew a right spirit within me. Restore unto me the joy 9f thy salvation; And uphold me with thy fre e spirit.

Minister: 0 Lord, op en thou my lips ; People: And my mouth shall show forth thy praise .

DOXOLOGY - To be sung by all

* RESPONSIVE READING - 42nd Sunday - page 609 GLORIA PATRI ::APOSTLES' CREED SCRIPTURE LESSON - Romans 12

* ANTHEM - 11 J e su, Joy of 111a.n' s Desiring" Bach

Hokanson PAS'fORAL PRAYER :: LORD'S PRAYER ORGAN OFFERTORY - "Morning Prayer" PRESENTJ.TION OF TITHES AND OFFER INGS H'.fMN 178 - "Spirit of Life" SER!I~ON - "MA INTAINING THE SPIRITTJL.L GL0111J' ' HYMN 219 - "Saviour Thy dying loven BENEDICTION :: CHOR11..L AMEN ORGAN - "POSTLUDE in B Flat"

Ma ryton J esus

Something for Danish

Vol ekma r * Interval for Ushering

Rev. Fred Clarke , Minister Miss Gloria Iacono, Minister of Music

J,frs. Harvey Connor, Minister's Assistant Mrs. Keith Gifford, Church Socretcry

Mr. Lewis Cunning, Sexton

10:30

10:30 11:45 6:00

7:30

C.ALEiiDAR FOR TODAY

Mo rning dorship and sermon - 11 Ma i ntaining the Spiritual Glow11

•

Children's Division of the Church School. Youth and Adult Divisions of the Church School. Methodist Youth Fellowship - grade s 9 to 12. David Doble, president will lead the discussion. Union Evening Service at 11 Fremont 11 with the Rev. Clarence Schaerte l as the pr ea cher .

Altar flowers are given in memory of ~.Trs . Caroline Ham­mond and }:'r. John Dutcher by their families.

MON.

'\NED . THURS.

11:00 6:30 7:30 8 :00 7:30 2:00

7:45 8:00

7:30 3:45 9 :30 8:00

THROUGH THE WEEK AT FREMONT

Weekday School; grades 10 to 12. VICTORY DnJNER f or canvass workers. Boy Scouts; troop 7. E.W.F. Cla ss meets with Mrs. Harold Olson. Mid-week Servic e with Mr. Clarke l eading. and 8:00 Regional meetings of Foreign Mis­sions Progr am of Advance, Trinity flie thod­ist Church, Albany. An inspiring program. Epworth ·workers meet at the church. Ln ure l Band meets with Mrs. Charles Rich­ardson, 8 Wood Str eet. Letter is "M". Fremont Choir r ehearsa l. Youth Choir r ehea rsal. Children's Choir r ehearsa l. Coupl es Club .Hallowe ' en Party a.t the church.

THE .h.FN TJAL EVERY-MEMBER CANVASS is now being conducted by one hundr ed workc;::s: Your church needs your contin­ued support and loya lty if it is to witness in the com­munity and around th e world. We lcome tho canvass as an opportunity to co-opera t e with God "who has no hands but our hands".

CORDD~L CU.SS ,~:,RNU11.L TURF'.EY DINNER - OCT. _9.Q.

No. 693

&]leanings IN Jhe !}leaners we have a striking illustration of the many

who, in a humble way, are taking part in the great work of

bringing souls into the Kingdom. Others may conduct the

harvest, bring in the sheaves. Most of us merely have a part

in gathering the gleanings.

This is lowly, inconspicuous work. It requires patience and

perseverance. It is without glamor and often seemingly with-

out reward. The results seem so meager. And yet, he who

seeks and brings into the Sunday school a child without other

spiritual care may be saving an immortal soul. He may be

giving direction to a life destined to become a blessing to

many.

He who brings into the fellowship of believers some lonely,

destitute or degraded person may be saving his own soul.

Does it not seem that when the gleanings are few they are

the more precious?

" Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. "

Cl A.PH.l•lho.inU.S.A..

The ~leane1rs

FRE1IQ~; T 8 Ti-: E~T !.lE'lP..vD IS T C~1URCH

Gloversville, New York Fred Clarke, Minister

Marjorie J. Gensemer Minister of Music

Grace L. Gifford Church Secretary

Lewis Cunning, Sexton

ORGAN PRELliDE - "Adagio" Alec Rowley INTROIT - "Grant me true courage, Lord,

To front each new endeavor." Bach INVOCATION - By the minister HYMN 4 - "O worship the King, all glorious above" Lyons HES PONSALS :

Minister: Create in me a clean heart, 0 God; People: And renew a right spirit within me.

Minister: Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; People: And uphold me with thy fr ee spirit.

Minister: 0 Lord, open thou my lips; People : And my mouth shall show forth thy praise .

DOXOLOGY - To be sung by all

* ANTHEM - "Worship" Geoffrey Shaw

The Fremont Choir RESPONSIVE READING - 37th Sunday - 2nd Reading GLORIA PATRI APOSTLES' CREED

* SCRIPTURE LESSON - Romans 12 CALL TO PRAYER - "Spirit of the Living God,

Fo.ll afresh on Me." Pl:..STORAL PRJ.YER :: LORD'S PRJSER ORGl:..N OFFERTORY - "Sonatina"

Anon.

Bach HYMN 182 - "O Spirit of the Living God" St. Loonnrd

SERMON - "KEEPING THE FIRE J,LIGHT"

HYMN 267 - "Rise up, 0 men of God" BENEDICTION :: CHORAL AMEN ORGL.N POSTLUDE - "Festal Song" * Interval for Ushering

Walter

Seth Bingham

We welcome all visitors to the service this morning.

S EPTEll.iEER 15, 194 6 - CALENDAR FOR 'I 0 DAY

10:30 Morning Worship and sermon; "Keeping the Fire Alight". Anthem by the Fremont Choir. Church-time Nursery Hour for small children.

11:00 Primary and Junior Church for children. 11:55 Church School; classes for all age groups. The

"Everyman's Class" led by the minister starts a series of discussions on "The Christian Heritage of America". All men cordially invited.

7:30 Union Evening Service at First Baptist Church with Rev. Fred Clarke preaching.

Altar flowers today are given in memory of Mr. and Mrs. William Oaksford by the family.

THROUGH THE WEEK AT FREMONT

TUESDJ.Y 2:30 The Council of Church Women will serve ~and present a program at First Congrega­tional Church. All l a dies invited. 7:45 E.F.W. Class meets at the home of Mrs. Edgar Whitman, 76 Prospect Avenue . 8:00 Anna Mosher Cla ss will meet at the church,

WEDNESDAY "'7:30 The Mid-week Service, Mr. Clarke leading. THURSDAY 8:00 The Laure l Band meets at the home of Mrs.

Moritz Gundersen 1 71 Park Street with Mrs. H. P. Quackenbush, Mrs. Harry Wilson and Mrs. Jas. Kuebaugh assisting. The letter is "Y".

FRIDJS 11:00 Weckdo.y School for grade 9. 1:00 We ekday School for grades 7 and 8.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Fremont Choir - Tuosday, 7:30 p.m. Chapel Choir -Friday, 3:30 p.m.

Carol Choir - Saturday, 9~30 a.m.

Upper Rooms for the new quarter are now available.

YOU .ARE INVITED TO STAY TO CHURCH SCHOOL

' 11MAINTAINING A SPIRITUAL GLOW"

INTROUJC.TION I came ac·ross some rather light and amusing 'lines ·r~oently about a man and some trouble he w~s having

with his automobile, lines which help to lead me into what I should like to say to you this morni'ng, on thi's the last Sunday of the old year.. Let me read these lines to you:

"There once was a man with a very fine car, Which no one had ever seen go very far. When asked to explain it he would sadly reDly: 'You can't -understand it, and neither can I; For ten years ago she was tuned and they greased ~fr• And I fill her with gas every Christmas and Easter

MAINTENANCE - HIS PROBLEM, OUR PROBLEM

Ac:tually when you stop to think about, you come right down to it, hi,s trouble to do with maintenanc-e. He thought he

when had could

. . 11 run his automobile without proper maintenance - ••.• ten years ago she was tuned and they greased her, and I f111:.-.her w1 th gas every Christmas and Easter". You and I have learned, much to our distress, that nothing - from cars to air-cond 1 tioners -to"' televisions .-can be kept in good working condl ti on without something in the way · of oc·casi orial maintenanc-e. And we know too from our own exuerienoes that a talent for playing the piano, or singing, or shooting a golf game in the eighties, can be preseved only by constant prac·t ice. And yet somehow we allow ourselves to think that one of our most precious possessions of all, namely our Christian faith and our sniritual life, can be kept in a vital condition without any partic'ular trouble. And this too - that our churches can be main­tained and kept alive without very lmuch in the way of personal involvement and maintenance. Yes - maintenance was part of that man'.s trouble with his car. and maintenance is part of our nroblem as Christians.

It was the Anostle Paul, writing to the neonle of Rome who said: "Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit". You and I today are.resting in the after-glow of Christmas, and judging from the size of our congregation it appears that some of our neoule chose to ·rest at home. We've been through one of the high noints of our year. Now we are coming down from the mountain peaks where we have beeri for several days, back down into the valley, so to speak, of every day living •

. · On Tuesday morning we'll really be ba~k. It will be all over.

Children will trudge back to school. Students will make their way back to the universities. Relatives will return to their homes. Office workers will go back to their hum-drum tasks. No more narties, at least, not for a while. The man of the business world will return to his perplexing nroblems on his desk. The nurse back to the sick-room. And the poor housewife is left with cleaning up the house following all of the excitement of Christmas and New Years. And so life comes back down to earth. And so life goes on. For

·some it is not easy to maintain this "suiritual glow" thq.t Paul was referring to.

I

I FACE THIS PROBLEM TOO

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I face this problem just as you do. Churches are always more exciting during the Any-ent Season or during the Season of Lent than they are at any

other time during the year. People are more religious then; con­gregations are apt to be larger. Churches have those hi~h seasons when even the slackest are aroused and the strong,winds of faith blowing across the world from Bethleheql or Calvary stir the smoking fires to new life. But I would remind you that the great work for God which clamors to be done in our time will not be served by a sporadic devotion or a seaspnal faith. Kingdom building is a year round job. Our spiritual lives, in order to be kent alive, must have regular spiritual nourishment. And our churches won't go very far or ac C'OmlJli sh much if our members stop by only at Christmas and· at Easter_to ffll up their sniritual gas tanks. You know this as well as I do.

A little boy asked another little boy, "Is your daddy a Chris­tian ? 11 "Yes 11 said his friend, "But he hasn't been doing very much about it recently." This is the case with too many Christians~ As a matter of fact I think it's the cast· with many of us. We dontt often think of our religion as a matter about which we should be 11doing something". And I use the word "we" purposely- not as a subtle way of getting at some·of you, prodding some of you who are apt to be c·areless regarding your relationship to this church. I use the word "we" bec·auee to a degree this holds true with "all of usn. I think all of us exnect our faith to carry us along throu~h every storm that comes along, to bring us safely through the storm to the other side •••• without doing much about it. It holds true with our view of the church, too. We expect the church to grow in terms of size and influence, even though personally we don't do much.about it.

Maintenance fs part of our problem as Christians - maintaintng our faith, our spiritual lives- as Paul put it 11 never flag in zeal, aglow with the spirit". Wouldn't it be grand if someone were to presc·ribe for us a set of spiritual exercises by which our religious vitality could be maintained, results guaranteed. For instanc'e, if doing X number of spiritual push-ups each day could keep our snirits in trime, most of us I ·think could be brought into line. But it doesn't work that way. Maintain! ng a spiritual plow. It's not easy, for we are creatures of emotion as well as reason. Our spirits soar, and our spirits sag. How? How does one maintain this S>Jiritual glow to which Paul referred.

PAUL HAS ADVI..CE ON THIS Well, we find_ that Paul had . some advi.ce to offer in response to this situation.

Elsewhere in his writing we find him saying this: "Let us not allow slackness to spoil our work and let us keep the fires of the spirit burning as we do our work for God" This is what Paul wrote to one of the churches of his oay. Along with the great affirmations of t~e Gospel there also come the sh~n imperatives to the Christian' flock. No hesitation here on Paul's parot. More than once he admonished sheep in his flock. More than once they heard his sharp imperatives, and perhaps we need to hear them too if we are to maintain our faith and carry out the work of the Lord. I

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II . "Let us not allow slackness to spoil our work said Paul to

those early Christians. Somehow I find it difficult to associate slackness with those early Christians in Rome. I nicture them meet­ing for worship-in secret'ul~ces at great .risk to their own lives, scratching their names and· texts on the walls of the catac·ombs, going into the arenas to face the lions stn~ing. And yet Paul warns them nat to allow s1ackness to snoil their work. I wonder what he would have to say to many of our modern-day Christians, many of whom are apt to be slack in fulfilling their obligations as Christians. The .chances are that he would scorn the softness of many of our ne ople who, for instance, permit a bit of moisture in the air or snow und'3r­foot to keep them from coming together in worship.

I remember a few weeks ago_ around Thanksgiving time trying to impress upon my Sunday School class of young boys the importanc·e of regular attendance ·at Sunday Sc·hool. I told them about the Pilgrim Fathers and showed them a picture of the Pilgrims on their way to churC'h. "This" r-:-said, 11 1s the tyne of spirit, a ruggedness that made our country _what sne is today" ''They went to church every Sun­day - rain or shine - sometimes for four or five hour, too" •. One o:r the boys in the class broke the seriousness of the mood, however; he looked at the picture and noting the guns carried by the men said, "Gee ••••• I •a go to church every day in the week if I could shoot some Indians along-the way".

I

Slackness - the church fathers were right when they included it as one of the seven deadly sins •. They called it by another name • elothfulness. We call it slac·kness. And for many ueople it is even more deadly than some of the other more excitDng sins, for it quietly undermines all of our good resolutions and intentions, but yet it never seems quite vicious enough to bring forth within us any strong feelings of penitence:. Slackness - it's one sin that we can do somethtng about. And we don't need vast supernatural aid to rid ourselves of this sin. We don't need to sit around waiting for some heavenly vision or upsurge of power to eliminate it. All we need is a bit of will power, a b1t of determination.

I remember a few years ago hearing Dr. James Stewart, the great Scottish preacher, preaching in Edinburgh, a great preacher - a great exponent of the liberating uower of Christ and the nromises of' victory that the Gospei offers. He told of a lday who· one time came to see him with something of a special problem on her heart. "Dr. Stew9.I't 11

she said "I want you to tell me how to ~ain yictory over m.y tendency to lie in bed too long on a morning·". Madam" he said "My advice · to you is to put one leg over the side of the bed and then draw the other leg out after it". Isn't it true that sometimes we go looking for spiritual exercises when God is talking dire·ftly to our wills and our common sense.

"Let us not allow slackness to spoil our work" - The chances are if we were to pause at this point and look into our -lives that each of us could find some a~ea in our Christian life where we have beoome a little slack. With most of you, it's not getting out of bed on a :-unday morning and getting yourself to churc'h. It may be nep:lecting to read your Bible. It may be in not contr.olling your temper or your tongue in a. more Christian fashion. It may be th~t you've been slack in your sensitivity to the feelings of others around you, perhaps too critical, too gossipy. It ,may be that you've been slack in

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getting to some of the meetings we have here in the chur~h. (13 out of 32 attended last month's official board meeting) You can't build a church on that type of discipleship! Let us not allow~· slackness to spoil o~r work.

'iAnd let us keep the fires of the spirit burning" - in our own lives and in the church as we move into 1962. How do we do this? We know what keeps a fire burning and what puts. 1 t out. Fuel and· air keep it going.. Water and suffocation will extinguish it. I think we know too what keeps the fires of the snirit alive- there are habits, practices, places, people, books, actions, thoughts. 'rhese are the fuel and air for the fires of the spirit.

Tqmorrow we begin another year. ·This is the time for resolutions, for decisions, for taking stock of one'e self, one's,situation. The chances are that you have already made some New Year s resolutions.

· · Let me suggest three more that I would like to have each one of you add to your list.

First: Let me suggest public worship as a means of helping vou to maintain the sniritual glow of your life. When you attendance at uublic worship is spasmodic, the :tires begin to die down. Really, I think your outlook on lif'e is apt to be much-better when you take this hour each week and set aside for the great things of the human soul. And not only are you helped, but 1 t helps to build this churc·h, for a ful],. church is the b~st advertisement that we can give to the occasional visitor. If you regard com ng to church as the third or fourth possibility for a Sunday morning, the chances are it isn't going to help you much, and your church won't go very far on this approach. Resolve to be in church every Sunday morning in 1962·-rain or shine - in so far as it is humanly possible.

Secr:ond: Let me suggest to each of you that you set up 1 n your own life some sort ·of daily devotional exercise. How peonle exne ct to cope effectively with ·life in this great city and not take time out daily to nu · 1 together the scattered forc·es of their souls, is beyond me. And yet there are people trying to do it. Read a chapter of your Bible daily. Follow it ury with several moments of quiet prayer. You'l1 be surprised at the difference this spiritual exercise will make in·your life. Martin Luther once said:· "I have so much to do today that I must. spend' several hours in prayern.

Third: Resolve to do something for your church, something in a tangible way to see it grow and expand. Share what you've found here with your' friend's. Bring them with you. Do something in the church -volunteer for some task. We need you. And if you volunteer to do, do it. Follow through on it. Unt~ld havoc rei~ris in a church when you're·counting on people to do something, and they call in at the last moment and say they can't do it. Don't bec·ome a spiritual. par~site, all the time coming here to receive' and never givlng o-r yourself, your time, your talent. If you go through life this way, you may end up receiving nothing-. There are so many things your ministers are doing that are useful, things that the laymen should be doing, which if they did would pe·rmit us to do the things that are nee·dful ••••• to become more involved in your lives and the nroblems that you fac·e, more in terms of calling, counselling, listening, preaching. However as long as you nlac'e these things upo '1 our shoulders, things you could do, we 9.re prevented from doing the th ;_ngs are needful. ·

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These three things I. hope each of you will resolve to do. They will help to maintain the spiritual glow in your life, and in the life of your church. Remember that maintenanc·e of the faith is a year round .job •••••• winter and summer, fo:Jll and spring. I think that these months of January and February will be a good test of our will and' our desire to resnond. The work that we do hera in this C'hurc:h will probably be the greatest work we shall ever do in a lifetime in Kingdom building. We ne·ad more men and woman who are willing to give of themselves, never stopnlng to count the cost, save that of knowing that they are doing of the Master. Let us not allow slackne-ss to spoil the work that we have struggle so hard to achieve. Keep the fires burning as we enter into another ·year, a year I hope and pray will be the greate&~t·.yea:C'iln:.:our::Jrives together 1~ this church of Christ that we love so muC'h.

PRAYER: Our Father and our God, Thou who canst make all things new, may these moments here this hour, be moments of high resolve- for each of us •. We need thy help in order to carry out the noble nurpose which we have envisioned can come to pass in this place. And may this year ahead be x different from the year that comes to an end, because we have experienced a more vital faith in Thee. Amen

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