Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-12-01
UNION SERVICES.
First Eve, Held. IN St. Marks
Episcopal Church.
:. UNIQUE AND IMPRESSIVE
THANKSGIVING DAY SERVICE.

held at ST. Marks church this wear.
and the occasion was in some .respccts
unique. Though il has never before
been held in an Episcopal church in
Augusta, there has been many instan-
ces elsewhere of the various denomina-
lions abandoning their ordinary SER
vice and repairing to the Episcopal!
church to enjoy theirs. But this, we
believe, the first instance on record
where ministers of other dcnomina tons
have been invited to take an active
part in such service, conforming in all
respects to the Episcopal ritual and
wearing the vcstinents peculiar to that
church. AZ there was no sacrifice of
any essential principle on either side.
there was no reason why they should
not 10 so. As Mr.. Degen remarked to
the reporter, IF ] joined in a union
service at any one of their places of
worship. | should expect; to conform
TO their usage, and appear without my
vestments. although l should feel as
awkward without them as they posi-
bly, could in wearing them II they
come and take part in my service,
, therefore, il is not asking too much
inat they should be expected to con-
fern to the usage of the place"
(. The ministers who accepted the invi-
tation certainly seemed to think So and
did their part as ii To the manner
born. AS the rector of st. Marks is
pronounced high churchman after
the most advanced school. it was a
pleasing illustration of the fraternal
, and kindly feeling that may exist
among Christian men along with wide
| diversity of opinion. The service was
an expressive object lesson in Christian
charity.
| There was 4 large congregation pres
| ent who entered heartily into the SER
vice and seemed to enjoy it greatly.
The Rev. Mr.. Hayden of the Univer-
salist church. the Rev. Mr.. Mckinnon
of the congregational church, and the
Rev. Mr.. Lesher of the Free BAPTIST
church. occupied seats in the choir
stalls, vested in cassock and surplice
| The first scripture lesson was read by
| Mr.. Mci<innon. the second by Mr..
| I.esher. The Methodist and Unitarian
! pastors We're also present but sat in
, the congregatio lion. The service used
was the regular form set forth in the
Prayer Book for Thanksgiving day.
| The collection, which amounted to
about Sl5. WAS given To the City Hos
pital. The chancei and altar We're beau
| tifIlly decorated with the fruits of
/ the harvest" consisting of a beautiful
array of fruit. vegetables ana food pro-
ducts. all of which WAS distributed
among poor families during the after
| noon. -T's.
! There was n general expression OF
| pleasure among those who attended the
service, and the wish was spoken by
some that it might DE a regular feature
| of the Augusta observance of this old
| time national holiday. The Rev. FIR.
Doherty had been invited TO preach the
| sermon, but felt obliged to decline for
various reasons, though expressing in
| very kind terms his appreciation of the
| invitation. This office was accordingly
| filed by the rector of st. Marks. who
| preached from lisa. L. 9: The OK know
eth his owner. and the ass his masters
| crib; but Israel doth not know, my
people doth not consider" Mr.. Dceen
| said in part:
| I'm all the directions which God issued
for the guidance of the chosen people.
| the student of the Old Testament his
! tain periods days We're set apart for
| the special remembrance of what He
had done for them. The most minute
| directions were given for the ob:erv-
| ance of these festivals, and the acts of
| worship to be performed, as if the AL
| mighty, knowing we'll the tendency of
| man to enjoy and forget to whom he
was indebted for the enjoyment. took
| infinite pains to prevent His people
| from losing sight of His guiding hand
| in all the affairs Of life and of the di-
vine purpose which ran like a continu-
GUS thread through all their history.
| 1t is most pathetic to read how. when
He is telling them what course they are
| to take for their. own delive:ance from
| bondage, or from conquest over the
enemy. or for rescue from imminent
| peril. He is compelled. as it were. to
| enjoin upon them in advance the duty
of gratitude for the signal favors they
| We're about to receive. And the fur
, ther we read in the history of Israel.
the more clearly we see the good rea-
| son there was for the constant rcnin-
der. No sooner had they passed through
any great trial than they seemed forth
with to lose all consciousness that any
but their own hand had delivered them.
They strike us as being the most an
grateful people on the face Of the
earth. Eut they do not differ greatly
| in this respect from the inhabitants of
Christian lands in the nineteenth CEN
| fury. 1t seems to me one of the most
surprising of moral phenomena that all
that warm-heartedness and intense
|