The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-11
THE SEMI CENTENNIAL.
Celebration of the Founding of the
Central Christian Church.
A History of the Observation-Disclosures
Memorial sermon by President Pendle-
ton, of Bethany College

The services In commemoration of the semi
centennial of the Central Christian Church be-
gan yesterday morning and will be concluded to-
morrow evening. The church was organized
June I2 1888, with charter membership of
twenty, which. in the fifty years of it's existence
has increased to 752. The names of the charter
members were John H. Sanders. Polly Sanders.
Samuel Fleming, Serena Fleming, James Folsee
Zerelda G. Sanders, G. G. Mediation, B. K.
Smith. Sarah Smith, Elizabeth Mcdowell, Hester
J. Council Nancy Boston. Edmund G. Boston,
Catherine MCGEE, Peter III. Roberts, Sally H.
Roberts, Benjamin Roberts, Rebeoea Smith,
Ehenezer Barnes and Eliza Roberts, all OF whom
are dead, with the exception of zerelda G. San
aers and Sarah Smith. From the date of the or
ganization in 1888 until March, 1889, the church
had no regular pastor, and Rev. Chaunoey But
Ter was then called to the charge. From 1910
to 1912 the services were again conducted irreg-
ulary, and the pastors since have been, from
Sept. rs, 1912, until 1858, Love Fl. Jamesnni
1s53-54, James NJ. Mathes; 185455, Love H.
Jameson: 1869, Elijah Goodwin; 1850 81.
Perry Hall; 1s62-69, o. A. Burgess; 1s69-77, w.
r.. Buck; ls7s-79, ]. Bradford Cleaver;
1s79-81, Urban c. Brewer. Since April l, 1881,
Elder David Walk has been the pastor.
The church was crowded to its full seating ca
pacty yesterday morning, and many were COM
PEELED to stand. The singing of Mrs. 6eguin-
Wallace was an interesting feature of the ooca-
sion. After the customary opening services by
the pastor, the following sermon on the ''Origin
of the Current Reformation and It's Influence
Upon Religious Thought" was delivered by Rev.
W. K. Peudleton, president Of Bethany College,
the text being the Forty eighth Psalm. from the
ninth to the fourteenth verses:
DR.. PENDLEToN's SERMON.
NJ
ana profitable to man. They are as old as or
ganized society, or the still earlier government
of patriarchs They are the spontaneous ex-
pressiOns of gratitude in memory of signal bless
1ngs that we would not forget or the appointed
memorials ordained of God TO hold the hearts
of his people in conscious dependence upon his
providence. They are form OF worship, an
outburst of rejoicing, common to all religions,
and a recognition of the relations of the past to
the present and the future, that fills a people
with gratitude and hope. They so inter-
woven with the development of all people that
have been lifted above the lowest coudl-
lions of the savage, that to trace their origin
and growth and peouliarites, would be to write
the history, both of civilization and religion
They are symbols of the deathless past, cherish
ed in the gratitude and displayed in the wOr-
ship OF the living present. The moral aud relig-
lous spiritual influence of festivals upon society
and the church cannot be estimated too highly
In6y nOurlsn ana enlarge the PATRIOTISM or tine
citizen, and exalt and unity the devotion of the
wOrshiper. They were divinely instituted az
vital part of the polity and worship OF the
Jews, and held a high rank among the many
mystic influences that shaped and preserved the
national and religious life of that wondrous peo-
pie from Moses to Christ Besides the many
lesser app0intmen three times In the year all
the people were summoned to Jeruslem to keep
the great national festivals of the Passover, the
Pentecost, and of Tahernacles. Their deliverance
from the captivity of Egypt; the goodly inherit
anee OF land and law and liberty
into which they had been led;
tents in the wilderness endured by their fathers,
TO the sweet homes and teeming harvests OF
their present possession. These were great
provideDces that stamped them peculiaripeo-
pie Of God, and the perpetual memory of which
kept them one In origin and worship and des-
tiny. In this unitarian and avariciOus age it
seems hard and useless exaction of time and
service to require all this of a people. But what
is nober than patriotism, worthler than grat
tude, hotter than worship2 To develop and ell
large and quicken these is highest culture, and
what conduces more to this high end than me-
mortal celebrations in which the heart brings Its
tribute of grateful memory: faith, Its substance
of hope and hope, its inspiration of effort To
the Jew, therefore. these festivals were ever
recurring Impulse of joy. They were glad when
the signal said, LET US go into the
house of the Lord" PsY 1929 We can
herald appointed to summon the people
to these great national gatherings ran upon
his mission; how he lighted his torch, and
mounting TO the top of Olivet, waved 1t a!oft
TIL iG flashed upon the peaks of Sartaba; ana
from Sartaha TO Gryphena from Gryphena to
Havaron, of Antilibanns on the,nOrth aud from
Havaron to Bith Baltn near the Euphrates, on
the west; nor ceased till he saw that all the
land was abaze with the light, and the peOpie
were rejoicing that their "feet should stand
once more In thy gates o JernSalemP' It was
OF exultant joy. The people of the
several districts gathered in the principal cities
lodged in the streets and rose with gladness in
the morning at the summons of the president
eaying: "Arise and let us go up to Zion, to the
Lord, our God" And so company after oompa-
ny poured along the highways that had been
specially put in order for the journey, each one
preceded by bullock with gilded horns and head
decorated with a garland of olive branches
prepared for sacrifice, marching to the music
of pipes and outbursts of song that filled the
the mountains ana valleys with echoes of
praise. Nor was the city less alive to the Joy
full occasion. They caught the sound of the ap
preaching multttudes and prepared to greet
them.
Nothing could be m ore picturesque than their
entrance into tho holy city. each one carried
his basket OF wheat. grapes, figs, aprcots olives,
or dates. The baskets of the rich were of gold
or silver, and those of the poor of wicker-work
fanoifuly Ornaniented with howers." As they
passed in under the Majestic gates and beheld
the magnltcenee OF her streets, they exclaimed:
''Jerusalem is builded city that is compact to-
gether, whittier the tribes 90 up, the tribes OF the
Lord. unto the testimony of Israel, to give
thanks unto the name of the Lord, for there are
the thrones OF Judgment, the thrones of the
house of David" And the artihcers from their
shop-windows and the people from the house
tops would shout in welcome, pray for the
peace of Jerusalem" and the muitltudes would
answer back, '"rhey shall prosper that love
thee. Peace be within thy walls and prosperity
within thy palaces"
Brethren, it were good to catch this enthust-
asm, to be fired with this glow of patriotism and
praise For Christianity. no less than Judaism
Is Kingdom and life. We are people high
nptifted with divine blessings, and In our hearts
are enthroned tine words OF eternal life Do
need preeept TO prompt our gratitude, or
precedent to guide our praisef Here, to-day, in
THE great city-where fifty years ago John
0'Kane preached sin an old log house on Mar
ket street, which few prosecuted saints
had rented as "a place of prayer"-In this pleas
ant temple of worship and in the presence of
this great gathering OF representative hearts
men and wOmen-the champions of "a victorious
cause ia it not beautiful call to mind the days
when our fathers dwelt in tents in the wilder
ness, and to break forth in thai. ksgving that at
the end of half a century the ingathering of the
harvest bountifu and rlohf We are en-
eOuraged by success, and 1t is pleasant to review
anr afens md maAsnre The nrnrrpes Wa hnva