The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-01
DUTY TO THE CREATOR
Special Union Services at the
First Presbyterian.
A MEMORABLE CENTURY
a Mutual Affinity Between Joy, Prayer
and Thanksgiving Prayer the
Voice OF Faith-A Day Of
Help.ulness.

Thanksgiving day was observed and
publicly celebrated in Butte with .erv-
ices in many of the churches and spe-
cial union services at the First Presby-
terrain church, in which the congre-
CATIONS and pastors of nearly all the
P"otesta churches participated. The
opening services we're conducted by DR..
E. j. Groeneveld, and other ministers
participated. An excellent programme
Of music was rendered and a splendid
Thar ksgiving sermon was delivered by
Rev. Edward Oliver Tillour1 If the
Shortridge Memorial church. His sub
jet was THE Duty Of the Creature to
the Creator. or Thanksgiving a Func-
tion OF Life an2 he spoke, in sub
stance, as follows:
This is a memorable occasion-the
last national celebrat ton of Thanksgiv-
ing of a most remarkable century, for,
be it understood, l accept it that the
new century begins on the LIST day of
January, 1900, rather than a year later,
and l base my action on the fact that
a year ends when 365 days have rolled
around, and we write the year 1900
when 1900 years have passed. We begin
the 1901st year January l, and this
means the beginning of the next CEN
fury. This, then, is the final day of
"a most memorable century and a day
in which we have much to be thankful
for.
IF I were to follow a tima-,lonored
custom, might find this an auspicicus
opportunity to review the many Won
derful things man has done and ask
you to thank God because we are so
great in consequence. 1t woul1 surely
be an excellent time to review the mar
velous progress of the century and to
earn for myself credit for diligent re-
search in possessing myself Of facts
that are self-evident and within the
reach of every school boy or girl But
because it is customary l shall not do
SO. Retrospection sometimes fiatters
conceit more than it thanks God. We
are here to thank God.
1--WE are aware of the good things to
the extent that we find them good: we
find some things not good. We are
blessed by the progress of the century,
when we are blessed; this is personal.
We find room for improvement. Be
lieving that Improvement will follow
better conception of Gods providence
and our duty to Him, and that greater
blessings will follow correct living, and
that then we will all find more to be
thankful for, l will talk at this time
on The Duty of the Creature to the
Creator and present Thanksgiving as
"A Function of Life
MY text will be found in the first
letter of the Apostle Paul to the Thessa-
lonans, chapter V, verses 1918: Re
joice evermore Pray without Ceasing.
In everything give thanks, for this is
the will of God in Christ Jesus concern
ing you
There is a mutual affinity between
joy, prayer and thanksgiving. Joy is a
blessed privilege; sunlight amid the
shadows, the silver lining to the cloud,
the expression of hope. Constant joy is
continued blessing. The joyful man
is always a thankful man.
1T is also a Christian duty. God has
commanded it. The performance of
duty is a function of life, hence to re-
joce is a function of life.