The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-28
TALKED TO NEW PEOPLE
REV. A. M'GREGOR AT PARK CON-
EDUCATIONAL CHURCH .
Enters Upon His Ministry to the Con-
gregatiOn of That Church-Chose
for His Subject for the Initial Ser
mon ''The Message OF the Minis
try of Jesus Christ''-A Minister'S
Duty to His Church.

Rev. Alex McGregcr, who succeeds
DIR. Ingersoll as pastor of the Park Con-
gregational church, entered upon his
ministry to that congregation yester-
day morning.
Mr.. McGregor was born in Scotland
and educated in the schools and uni
versities there, and is an intimate
Watson) author Of Beside the Bonnie
Brian Bush.''
His first work was as a missionary
in Labrador, where he labored for sew
en- years. AS Methodist he was the
pastor of several churches of that de-
nomination in the state of Massachu-
setts. Feeling that he could do his
lists, he allied himself with that body,
and became the pastor of the Lowry
Hill Congregational church, in Mime
apoliS. SO successful was his work there
that it was only after hard and per-
sistent struggle that the Park Congre-
gational church. of this city, was able
to secure him as it's pastor.
Mr.. McGregor is still young man.
He is an impressive and eloquent
preacher, and is possessed of a clear.
strong voice, with a pleasing Scottish
accent.
+ He delivered yesterday. a short adj
dress, appropriate to the occasion, on
1.-THE Message of the Ministry Of Jesus
Christ" taking as his text: But we
preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews
stumbling block, and unto the
which are called, both Jews and
Greeks, Christ the power of God, and
the wisdom of God."-I. Cor. l., 1924
He said in part:
What is this message to the church of
Christ which Paul declared. which is laid
upon every pastor of every church on
globe? Preach Christ and Him crucifed.
Anything less than that. anything short Of
that, and he fails in his divine commission.
When he has turned his eye away from the
Christ and has substituted in the place of
the Redeemer of the world anything, by so
much has he lost power with God by so
much has he lost power with the people.
l think history sustains the assertion that
when we have laid any other foundation
than Jesus Christ. when we have built upon
any other foundaton-gold silver. the great
thought of the intellect, the force of genius
ultimately we have had to come back to
this revelation and say mo other foundation
can any man lay
And so, called to be your pastor. l want
to say that as far as l understand this Cos
pei of Jesus Christ, so far as know Jesus,
it will be my purpose to preach that Christ.
But does this narrow US to the simple
message of the gospel, great as that is? Oh,
no. I believe that all art. all philosophy, all
science. all righteousness, all kingdoms,
all political economy, everything must I'LL
timately converge towards Jesus Christ.
1 take up flower. and | may talk about
its fragrance and beauty; l may never once
tell you that the sun has made it possible
to work out by it's strange chemical process
that beauty and bring out that fragrance
But every time I speak about that rose or
been a somewhere with its strange
light which brought about this effect
And so 1 turn to the apostle and say: Is
there any reason that in all the things of
life we should reach out through them up
towards Christ and find Him? Oh. yes. For
by Him were all things created In heaven
and in Garth whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or powers; all
things were created by Him and for Him:
and He is before all things; by Him all
things exist.
If the apostle was right, then every king
dom, and every throne and every world.
and every flower and petal were made by
Him and for Him. and by His power do
they stand together.
ooh, N.Y." you say. ct is the law of grav-
itation holds them together" What power
has the law of gravitation, apart from some
force behind it? Can a law execute itself?
Can it make Itself?
The Gospel of Christ to the Greeks
foolishness- They pointed to their great
philosophers and teachers and said, '"These
are our lights" And sometimes these men
came very near to God. very near to immor-
ta.ity. When the Apostle Paul told them
of Being who came from heaven and was
like unto man. and took upon Himself the
form of man. and died and rose again,
they laughed and Knocked. 1t was foolish
ness to the Greeks. But we look back
the ages we find it is not fooishness.
He is what Paul declared Him to be-the
power of God and the wisdom OF God. And
just as man has allied himself with that
power. so has he been uplifted, so has the
highest civilization come.
If the church has a mission at all. it is
to bring this light and life and truth and
power and wisdom of Jesus Christ to bear
upon society. to touch the things that con-
Germ us here that may be led to know
the things that are eternal.
If the minister is ambassador of Jesus
Christ he must, perforce of his commission,
have his eye single to the glory of God. He
must not be regardful of the men who sit
in the pews. whether they can pay much
or little: whether the men with whom he
should speak know more along some lines
than he he must never forget that his COM
mission is of God. and that to be helpful he
must commend himself not to mems
whims. but to their consciences, in the
sight of God. He must speak the truth as
he knows it. with the Difference always that
in the church of Jesus Christ every man
has perfect right to his own opinion and
IN taft nf Twin