Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-01
COMFY coseEaEnce.
congregational Churches Mold Annual nsei.
ing at Augusta.

GARDINER, Halloweli, Richmond, Monmouth
Litchheld, Pitsston, Winthrop, winslow,
Va'salboro and Readfeld. The attendance
AZ the opening was small owing to the rain.
AT the forenoon proceedings. Rev. T. p.
Wiiliams of Winslow was Ghost moderator
for the ensuing year and Rev. James Rich
mond of Litch1eld, was chosen scribe for
the coming year.
The afternoon session was called to or
der at o'clock and opened by devotional
service. At 2.30 the Woman's Auxiliary
held meeting, considering chiefly the
topic of missionary work. This meeting
was addressed by Mrs. Woodbury. of Wood
fords, who is deeply interested in the State
missionary work of the Congre gational So
ciety. At the same time the men held a
meeting in another room and discussed the
various plans of church work.
The next on the programme was the re-
port of churches, bu. as only few had re-
ported, the results will be given tomorrow.
The first topic was 1.-The Prayer Meeting
As 1t Is and as 1t Ought to Be-" This
wa, treated by Rev. Mr.. Farnham of St..
Adams. The programme announced that
G. A. Mathews of Waterville would give
the opening address on this topic, but
he is in London, England, attend
ing the worlds convention of the
Y. M. c. A. Mr.. Farnham treated the
topic very ably, and sail the prayer meet
ings need enlivenment and waking up. He
had often found that an occasional Bible
reading was helpful. He made very fine
comparison of the prayer meeting to a
feast, as being place of refres, ment, ard
the spiritual refreshment at a prayer meet.
ing was largely due to conducting the ser
vice ia an enthusiastic manner.
A discussion followed on this paper,
bringing out many live pointers, one being
that those who read their Bibles most are
the ones who take the deepest interest.
Another good point was the selection of
some practical subject, as light, fire,
storm, AMI so on, and then have little talks
on these subjects, about what had been
read in the Bible regarding them.
The next address was given by Rev. Mr..
Struthers of South Gardiner, on "What
Does Congregationalism Stand for?" He
spoke briefly and aroused considerable in
terest in the subject. He said it meant i'll
dependence of thinking and acting. hide
pendence in the study of Gods word and
the same in decisions as to the meaning.
The church sprung from the desire to have
Jesus Christ the leader. The idea of fellow
ship was the communion and guidance of
the Divine. His remarks were followed by
a dis ussion, and among the points offered
was, that the Congregational church was the
FIRST to send out Missionaries and that today
it stands for something in the line of educa-
tional and spiritual work.
The evening session was opened by
praise service led by G. F. Halves. Follow
ing this Mrs. Woodbury. gave very inter-
esting talk on American Missionary Society
work. She spoke of topic with which
she was familiar and held the closest atten-
ton of the audience and told an interesting
story of missionary work in general.
Rev. Mr.. Chase of IIallowell read the
23 psalm and offered prayer and then fol-
lowed the preaching of the sermon by Rev.
G. Y. Washburn of Waterviue.
He gave well prepared discourse, from
which few notes were taken.
The sermon was on the text 1.-The Word
of the,Lord Endureth Forever"
The subject was 1.-The Permanence of
the Evangelical Faith" This was developed
not along the usual rational and practical
lines, but along the line of the beauty of
the faith. The proposition was that the
evangelical faith would endure because
expressed in the forms of beauty.
The preacher, by way of introduction,
said this claim of permanenc, on the part
of Nazarene carpenter about to be cruel
fed, might seem preposterous. And so
amid the changes and inventions new the
ologies might seem today this claim for the
old faith.
But the preacher questioned if in case of
light and air AMI food, and mathematical
and ethical truth we had not some things
permanently fitted to the nature of man.
And precisely so he claimed the truths and
doctrines and miracles of the Gospel were
fitted 10 mans permanent reeds, and the
sermon spent its force on it's fitness to
meet the need for beauty.
"a He considered the old faith as in
herently beautiful in its great doctrines
and miracles and mysteries.
(2) In its symbols and sacraments and
litursies.
(3) In its Mythology in which the
evangelical faith is preserved.
az In higher art the faith is preserved
in the most beautiful forms. This is true
of the great composers, Handel, Mendel-
sohn and Mozart, whose themes and inspir-
atoms came from the Bible; true also of