Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-01
REFORMATION RECALLED
Anniversary Exercises Under Auspices of
Lutheran Young Peoples Union.
Addresses on Various Topics, Pre-
coded by Praise Service-Present
Duty, Past Achievements.

reformation anniversary service was
held last evening at Luther Place Memo
rial Church. under the auspices of the
| Lutheran Young Peoples Union Prelmi-
nary to the regular exercises of the occa-
| sion. Rev. c. H. Butler, pastor of Keller
| Memorial Church, who presided throughout
| the evening. conducted a praise service.
| After the Offering of an invocation by Rev.
| Mr.. Eybach Of Philadelphia, Pa, Rev. DIR,
| Butler, pastor of Luther Memorial Church,
| made a brief address of welcome.
| An address on Past Achievement was
delivered by Miss Louie Dale Leeds, second
| vice president. In part Miss Leeds said.
/ "One of the first things to which Luther
| turTed his attention was education. In those
| times institutions of learning were intend
| ed only for the clergy. consequently but
| few laymen could read or write. AS a nat
| ural result the common people were buried
| in ignorance and superstition.
| 1T was through Luthers untjring efforts
| that schools were introduced. Some of the
| books prepared by Luther are studied today
| by Lutherans the world over. As a result
| Of his efforts in the Educational line; it is
| said that today in Germany there is scarce
| ly boy or girl who cannot read and write
| and We all know that Germany is the fore
! most country of the world as an educational
| center Hundreds from all nations of the
| world go yearly to Germany to complete
| their education. And for all of this pre-
| eminence in learning Germany is more
| greatly indebted to Luther than any other
| source.
| Sermon Made Prominent.
| Luther gave much emphasis to the SER
mon az part of the church service, where
as before it constituted but an Indifferent
act. His own rules for preaching are ex-
celient ones. both in their brevity and rich
suggestion. They are three namely: Start
| fresh speak OUT stop short. 1T is wor-
! thy of our notice that Luther is the only
| enc among the reformers whose followers
| bear his name. and it was contrary to his
wish that such is the case.
| The reformation has had a great in
| fuence on the civil liberty of the world.
| Goethe, the poet. has said: We scarcely
| know what we owe to Luther and the refor-
! nation in general
Il echo the words of one of our writer's
| when 1 say, Luther has eXerted, and still
| exerts, a spiritual power inferior only to
| that of the sacred WRITER'S "
Present Duty.
Sister NJ. Keturah Smith of the Memorial
Society spoke on Present Duty" and in
| part said:
Christ and Christian are far, far above
Luther and Lutheran. Yet it is sheer nom
| sense and criminal short-sightedness to de-
cry decentralization or to insist that an
ardent love for our own church cannot CO.
exist with supreme loyalty to Christ and a
sincere love for His followers of every
name.
1T is universally acknowledged that the
best religious work Is being done along de-
nOminational lines. Every unsaved soul,
whether English, German or Scandinavian,
must lie upon the heart of our church as
much as upon that of any other. God has
set before us an open door for usefulness.
We must admit that devotion to the sane
tuary inherited from our ancestors Is fast
disappearing. Prof Henry T. Fairbanks
of Vermont, after careful inquiries affirms
that in his state more than half the popu-
lation do not attend church at all, and that
less than one-qUarter may be found in the
house of God On any pleasant Sunday
Our greatest duty as church Is to
place ourselves in the way of the Holy
Spirit and TO change whatever conflicts in
our doctrines and forms with the getting
and holding of the Holy Spirits power.
Our church has a mission to the cities at
this hour as perhaps no other has
1--WE lose immensely by narrowing our
field and responsibility, The Lutheran
Church will be held to just as strict account
for failure to give the gospel to the masses
as any other church. -
Rev. Valentines Address.
After solo by Miss Irma Callahan, Rev.
NJ. H. Valentine Of Messiah Lutheran
Church, Philadelphia, spoke on THE Luz
theran Church and the Twentieth Cent
ury." portion of Mr.. Valentines remarks
was as follows:
"A single incident, related by a we'll
Known writer on economic questions tells
the WIOl1 story OF the CHdilBt wrought III
commerce by steam and electricity during
the century just closing" The incident re-
ferred to was rehearsed, and the speaker
continued:
Along with the splendid material
achievements, operating partly as cause and
partly as effect. there has been an i'm
mense ard amazing intellectual vitality.
| How shall the Lutheran Church address
herself 10 the test awaiting her in the Won
Gerful century soon to open? 1t seems to
me that as the first and fundamental thing
she must continue to preach the simple
gospel Of Jesus Christ. For whatever the
progress of the twentieth century may be-
feel that l hazard nothing In saying that
the zeal Will run Level with 1t. Aye, and
be in advance of it. Absolutely no sign of
decay is on 1t this hour.
The twentieth century, with it's prob
| lens, is just before US, and what it Is SUI
premely important for US as a church to
be persuaded OF IS that, as Lowell says,
New occasions teach new duties"
The address of Mr.. Valentine was fol-
| lowed by the singing of Luthers famous
battle HYMN, "A Mighty Fortress is Our
Cod Prayer and benediction closed the
meeting.
The Johnson exhibition of Furniture opens
at Sloan's. 140I NV, tomorrow at am.
1t IS worth your attention.-Advt.
Dau,npes