The Newtown bee., 1892-02-19
REV G. T. LINSLEY'S SECOND AN
 NIVERSARY SERMON.
DELIVERED AT TRINITY, VIEWPOINT, FEB-
 RUARY 7, 1892.

DELIVERED AT TRINITY, NEwTOwN, FEB
 RUARY 7, 1892.
 Every wise business man has certail
 appointed times when he looks careful,
 over his stock in trade or examines nor
 than usually closely his financial condi
 tion in order that he may know accura te
 ly the true state of his business. Tn
 taking of inventory so becomes a neces
 sary part of sound business.
 There is something similar to this need
 ed in our ordinary parochial life. But
 owing to it's far higher character, per
 haps, we might better find an illustra
 tion of it in the artist who stands off some
 distance from his partially finished pic
 ture, the better to see it's defects and it:
 merits.
 We come as a parish to such stages il the development of our common life and naturally, one of these occasions is the anniversary of d rectorship. Remember ing that it is two years now, February since l commenced my labOrS among you it may be well once more to take a gen eral survey of past work, of present needs and of future prospects. And. ir this present subject, 1 think not of my self alone, but of us all as one parish unit. It is the work that we have accomplish ed, our present needs and our future prospects to which we may turn our thoughts.
 For l do not think it just for me to claim all the credit for the gratifying things that have been accomplished, or to lay all the blame upon you for any failure ill accomplishing others. It is in the idea of cooperation that I find great est comfort and in that you may find greatest satisfaction. 1 summoned you to that position when preached my first sermon as rector and to it we may most wisely attribute most of what has been done and so hope for more to follow.
 1 knew well when 1 first came here that l was coming to conservative commu- nity, upon which no pet hobby of mine could be forced permanently. Such at tempts I have not made. Better ac- quaintance with the local conditions opened my eyes to certain needs existing and certain improvements desirable. We have fallen into these new ways almost unconsciously and at the expense of lit tie effort.
 There are two things for which we may congratulate ourselves, ,-the WOman's Auxiliary and the Trinity Guild.
 Through the organized Auxiliary, we have done work which would have other wise been impossible. It has been more general than ever before. But it has not yet reached it's limit and now 1 call upon you to keep up your interest in it's work and to continue it's systematic offerings where they are. l have in mind a limit which I strongly desire the Woman's to reach in amount of money sent away and in work to be done.
 Trinity Guild has done remarkably well in financial way and the result of that success hope to be put in visible form before long. And not less import ant has been its valuable influence in social way among the younger people, besides it's opportunity for giving them work to do for Christ and His Church. These are the only organizations in the parish that have sprung into being and these may we'll be source of gratifica- tion to us all.
 We can hardly expect to see from year to year any great increase in Sunday school attendance or in the Sunday con- in the church. But it may be worth while to take notice that the aver age attendance on Sunday mornings has suffered very little variation; the first year it was l4S and this last year it has been 137. The slight difference may be easily accounted for.
 In Lent, 1S90,, the average attendance at week day services was 36 and in Lent, 1891, it was 26. l hope for better things, this year. The week day services out side of Lent have been attended by an average of less than II both years-10 3-4 and 10. The more important church days not falling on Sunday usually find D or 80 people present. Of these, As tension day has suffered most, there be- ing only about 30 out both years.
 1 shall not say much at this time on the subject of giving, except that it has not grown any worse than it was before. Surely I have much ground for thankful ness and you and both much cause for rejoicing that we have been able by our united efforts to respond to extraordinary demands that have been made upon us since two years ago. And one thing for which l am especially elated is the ease with which we discharged our duty, last Fall, toward diocesan missions. The plan was my suggestion, but it was car ried out by you.
 But, besides these grounds of congrat- alation, there is much that is left undone in the way of our duty, not only in pew rents, but in the ordinary offerings from Sunday to Sunday. These Sunday offer ings are altogether too small; some Sum- days, with l30 people present, the offer- ing does not average three cents apiece. [ shall have more to say about that at another time. Meanwhile, l just want to say that these ordinary Sunday offerings are altogether too small for this congre- gation.
 It is pleasant to turn from this point to those few additions to the furnishing of the church which have been generously made since year ago. And this leads me to say again that we may do well to keep before us other desirable improve ments which are yet possible-a new or gan in this end of the church. memorial either to departed friends or former rectors of the parish not yet re- a dorsal for the back of the