Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-01
EVERYBODY GIVES THANKS
Council Bluffs Joins in Celebrating the
Annual Holiday.
UNION RELIGIOUS SERVICES ARE HELD
Good sized Congregation Assemblies
in spite of the IncIcment Weather
Sermon by Pastor of salem
EvangeIIcnI Church.
UNION RELIGIOUS SERVICES ARE HELD

The congregations OF the Methodist, Bap
tist, Lutheran. Congregational and Evangel-
ica churches of this city observed Thanks
giving day with union services at the First
Congregational church yesterday morning
Despite the inclemency Of the weather the
services were attended by a good sized con-
gregation and many of the pastors of the
different churches assisted. program OF
special music was rendered, a pleasing
feature OF which was a solo rendered by
Howard f. Stryker. The presidents proc
lamation was read by Rev. w. s. Barnes of
the First Presbyterian church. The Thanks
giving sermon was preached by Rev. j. Fl.
Bauernfeind of Salem Evangelical church,
who took as his text, First Thesselonians,
V, 1S: "1n everything give thanks; for this
is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning
you He said in part
"In the proclamation issued by the preei-
dent Of the United States, the people under
his Jurisdiction have been asked to set aside
this day to give special thanks unto God
Almighty
"As a few Of the inhabitants Of the union
we have congregated here to praise God, not
only because the head of this glorious and
prosperous country of ours has issued a de-
cree to do so. but foremost Of all because
of the attitude of our hearts toward our Gre
ator. | admire the custom of our country to
annually call upon the people to give special
thanks unto God on what we know as
Thanksgiving day and pray the Supreme
Ruler over all things in heaven and upon
earth that it may be adhered to as long as
our country has an existence but am sat
isfied that we who have met here this morn
ing have not come together solely because of
the call of the president of our expanded
land, but also because of the promptings of
our hearts which direct our thoughts and
desires heavenward and because 1t Is the
will of God in Christ Jesus that we should
give thanks This fact assures us OF the
presence of the triune God in our midst
this hour-without this this service would be
a total failure.
Let us then prayerfully consider the fol-
lowing subject drawn from the text, Give
thanks unto the Lord This theme implies
duty The duty of rendering Thanksgiving,
praise and alteration to Him who is the giver
OF every good and perfect gift is seldom dis
puted, though its performance is often neg
lected. The reason why some do not give
thanks to God may be because they are still
sleeping in sin and unrighteousness. Seem
ingly they are satisfied with their lot. They
may be in the same condition in which that
converted poet had been, who thought that
perfectly satisfy anyone; but in after years
he turned and found that Christ is the light
and hope of this sinful world, yea, the only
hope of the immortal soul, and in relating
his personal experience he exclaimed: /
slept and dreamed that life was beauty;
woke and found that life is duty Everyone
who earnestly seeks the kingdom of God
feels and realizes that praising God is
duty.
Gratitude n Nation.
GAS nation we have numerous reasons
to be grateful. We ought not to forget
10 perform this duty, because everything
belongs to the Lord and everything that
we have belongs to Him. He stands at the
head of the universe and governs all things
visible and invisible We ought to be
thankful because the Father on High has
so signally blessed us during the last year.
Let us remember that no great pestilenCe
has invaded our country; that our soil pro-
duced most excellent crops, so that we
have a great plenty for the necessaries Of
life, and as the president has said: An
honorable peace has been ratified with a
foreign nation with which we were at war
and we are now on a friendly relation with
every power OF earth Advancement along
different lines has been made While we
not forget the spiritual gifts The king
dom of the Lord and His Christ has made
advancement in this fair land of ours during
the year. This is the greatest blessing Of
which we ought to boast and be thankful
for. The church enjoys a year of success
and prosperity. Speaking in general way
peace predominated within her walls. New
edifces were erected and dedicated to the
services OF the Tri-une God; a laudable
sum of missionary money was raised and
used to promote Christianity; a goodly num-
ber of young men were received into the
active ministry; missions were converted
into f-supporting fields; new missions
were established a gratifying number Of
people were received into the militant
church; host was added to the triumphant
church, and we are now praising God in a
better world; perhaps some of our dear ones
have been transferred to a home beyond the
skies; the church gained more favor on the
part of the worldly minded. Thus | could
continue to enumerate blessings pertaining
to the church for which We as a nation,
ought to feel in duty bound to meet our
benefactor with praises
THE only substantial good that this world
has is the church, or the vineyard of God.
There certainly is a marvel in what God
for us in the future. This is the general
effect of the general recognition of Gods
love to us, whether seen in the unspeak-
able gift OF Christ, in the greatness OF His
long suffering, in the tenderness of His
pity, in the provision for our temporal
welfare and eternal good, in the use He
makes of us in His service, or in the
blessed inheritance promised in the future
City's Cause for ThnnISfuIness.
I'VE as a city have during the last year
had tears OF sorrow for the grief stricken
who through the hand OF death, were be
left of a dear son or brother who fought
SO Yalantly for our honor as a nation; but
We have also shed tears of joy at the
safe return of our dear Fifty first voun-
teers. and especially Company L. Let us
search our hearts. Have we In these times
looked with grateful feelings to Him who
helds the universe in the hollow of His
hand?' Our prayers went up to God when
great anxiety was felt for the safety Of the
ship Senator, and we have today just cause
to give hearty praise to the Lord God OF
war and peace, who has graciously granted
our urgent request and reunited loving
hearts once more With those who grleve
let us thank God that such as have left the
ranks below were called away while on
duty under Old Glory Their race is run
Nl.-Ew 1. H..