Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-02-21
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
THOUGHTS WORTHY OF CALM
REFLECTION.
A Pleasant, Interesting, and Instruct-
i've Lesson, and Where 1t May Be
Found-A Learned and Concise Re-
view Of the Same.
Lesson for Feb. "a.

Lesson for Feb. "a.
Golden Text am the Light OF the
world. John o: 8.
Our lesson this week is taken from John
o: Ill, and tells of the meeting of Christ
and the man born blind. At the mouth of
the Tyropocon, southeast of the city or
Jerusalem, lay pool of water, clear and
beautiful, called Sloan. One day its
depths were strangely stirred. A group
came from the direction of the sacred
city, moving swiftly and leading one who
In his manifest blindness, even seemed
more eager and rapid in his movements
than those about him upon whom he was
so dependent. A moment only they pans
ed upon the brink and then, plunging In,
the blind man was washing his eyes with
the turbid water. Suddenly he pauses
and throws up his face toward the sky,
then with a swift hungry glance about
him he has leaped without taking the
helping hands held out to him, out from
the water and up the rocks toward the
city again. "He Sees" they cry, The
sees" 1t is the only word they speak, as
they fastened wondering after him. Some
such scene as this must have been en-
acted on that day when Jesus met and
healed the blind man of whom our les1
son speaks.
Hints and illustrations.
This chapter may be made the basis of
a profitable parlor recital of devotional
sort. We have our Browning recitals;
why not Bible recital? Before us on
, some slips of paper, recalling to us an in
teresting exercise, by which this Scrip
ture was once made vivid to the mind
AL - h., inv
night, and the members of the little
prayer meeting lin the delightful New
Smyrna" days. were gathered about the
shore. Anticipating small attendance,
and kind of Round table" interview,
the pastor had divided up the chapter
according to the dramatis personae. They
are five in number: Jesus, the blind man,
the Pharisees, the parents and the neigh
bors. The slips of paper were labeled re-
spectively with these names, and the
Scripture parts appropriate and passed
around. For example: The paper marking
the blind mans part had noted upon it
verses 8, IL, II, II (pt), %, q, 30-33,
SO and SO. The Pharisees, on the other
hand, verses, 16, II (pO, 10, "a, 26, %,
20, 81, no. The interspaces were filled
by the pastor. 1t proved a Bible reading
of most stimulating and fruitful sort.
1t is wonderfully thrilling this Gospel
story, If only it be allowed to speak itself
to us in graphic or realistic way. When
classes are in separate rooms, or at home
in the family it might be tried with profit.
For aid in such presentation we append
the other parts, as hastily outlined on the
slips of paper. Jesus: VS.. 3-5, Z, 30, 81,
80, Al. Neighbors: VS.. s, 8 (pt), 10, II.
Parents: 20, 81, %. Introduction and
connection of passages by the teacher.
Another practical suggestion. There is
lesson here on the use of means. The
church that puts itself in the line of the
divine blessing is the church that is best.
That is, get all the departments of the
church into operation and then expect
Gods visitation along those lines. 1t
may be very simple working, but it shows
n readiness to be helped. And God loves
to come in such cases. 1t is the dry place
set out for the dews of heaven. Just now
some of us are concerned about the boys,
who seem TO be getting away from us,
other wealthy establishments offering
superior inducements in the way of ac-
coutrements, ETC., one of the unfortuna~,
concomtants, sad to say, of recent effort
in behalf of the boys. In such competi-
ton some of us would not dare, nor would
u
thought is a good one and the lads ought
to be rallied and given something to do.
Here is the way one church has adjusted
itself to the situation. A competent COM
mittee being appointed, the announcement
was made that these brethren would meet
the boys Of the school and confer with ref
erence to a Boys Monday Night Club.
Appeal was made to the motive of loyalty
and twenty lads responded the first night
Chairs and tables were re-arranged and
q part Of the vestry of the church put
into the form of a parlor for the boys,
where they had music, conversation, pic
lures, puzzles etc. Three-quarters of an
hour of that, then the same length of time
given to Bible drill, setting up" (cals-
thenic exercises), organization their own,
and the whole closing with a brief address
in some practical moral theme, all out at
8 o'clock A Boys Evening at the church.
Try it. The lads like it, like to have a
part in the work. and it is bound to do
them good. Only keep the aim high and
noble one.
And then, right along with this, girls
Monday afternoon ut the church. Put it
directly after school, say from 4 to )
p. IN. Have singing, little marching,
perhaps, of decorous, wholesome sort,
story or two, reports of some special work
being done, suggestions regarding new err
rands for the church and the Sunday
school, an exchange of good books for
week day reading, some good advice as to
daily living, a prayer and n cordial good
bye Surely the hour will not be spent
vainly, and out of such simple meetings
come sometimes the best fruits and the
surest and safest accessions to our
churches
Who can tell the rapture of that first
moment of vision to the man born blind!
The bandage was taken off from the little
boys eyes after the operation had fully
done its work. For moment he gazed
about him, dazed and wonder-struck.
then, hearing his mothers voice saying,
"Willie, can you see?" he threw himself
into her arms, crying, 30, mamma, is this
heavenY
1t was another lad, long time blind,
who, when he first saw the sky and the
earth, exclaimed, 20, mother, why didn't
you tell me it was so beautiful Said
she, II tried to tell you, dear, but you
could not understand me-" Do we under
stand. and do we appreciate as we should?
And gratitude wrought rightly here it
brought the healed man to the Saviour's
feet A father whose eyes had long been
sightless resorted to great physician and
was at last made to see. His first act
was to call for his wife that he might