Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-05-14
I'm HIS STEPS.
"What Would Jesus DO?"
By CHARLES M. SHELDON.

went up to the pulpit to open the Bible,
as his custom was, those who knew
him best did not detect anything I'M
usual in his manner or his expression.
NJ lie proceeded with the service as usual
lie was calm, and his voice was steady
N and firm His prayer was the first init
nation the people had of anything new
Or strange in the service. 1t is safe to
BAY that the Nazareth Avenue church
had not heard DR.. Bruce offer such a
prayer during the IL years he had been
pastor there. How would a minister be
likely to pray who had come out of
revolution in Christian feeling that had
NJ completely changed his definition of
NJ what was meant by following Jesus?
No one in Nazareth Avenue church had
NJ any idea that the Rev. Calvin Bruce,
ID. D., the dignifed, cultured, refined
\ Doctor of divinity, had within few
i days been crying like little child, on
I his knees, asking for strength and cour-
4 age and Christlikeness to speak his Sun
II day message, and yet the prayer was an
A UNCONSCIOUS, involuntary disclosure of
NJ the souls experience such as Nazareth
NJ Avenue people seldom heard and never
M before from that pulpit
VA LII GIo HUSH GudG SuCCG0u6u GL0 prayer
N b distinct wave of spiritual power
N moved over the congregation The most
n careless persons in the church felt it.
4 Felicia, whose sensitive religious nature
A Responded swiftly to every touch of
"A emotion, quivered under the passing of
N that supernatural power, and when she
M lifted her head and looked up at the
NJ minister there was look in her eyes
w that announced her intense, eager an
NJ ticipation of the scene that was to fol-
n low.
n And she was not alone in her atti-
n tude There was something in the
a prayer and the result of it that stirred
many and many disciple in Nazareth
Fl Avenue church. All over the house men
m and women leaned forward, and when
IN DIR. Bruce began to speak of his visit to
I'M Raymond in the opening sentences of
IA his address, which this morning pre-
M ceded his sermon, there was an answer
N ing response in the church that came
N back to him as he spoke and thrilled
him with the hope of a spiritual bap-
a tism such as he had never during all
his ministry experienced
M 81 am just back from a visit to Ray
M nond, DR. Bruce began, land I want
3 TO tell you something of my impressions
of the movement there
He paused, and his look went over
his people with yearning for them and
at the same time with great uncer-
"tainty at his heart. How many of his
rich, fashionable, refined, luxury loving
Imembers would understand the nature
|Iof the appeal he was soon to make to
<X%hoy,o 10 o1fnnofho1- in tho 6orl1
las to that. Nevertheless he had been
Through his desert and had come out of
Hit ready to suffer. He went on now aft
Ter that brief pause and told the story
|of his stay in Raymond The people al
READY knew something of that expert
|.nnent in the First church. The whole
|country had watched the progress of
the pledge as it had become history in
F. 10 many lives Henry Maxwell had at
asst decided that the time had come to
eek the fellowship of other churches
throughout the country. The new dis
fipleship in Raymond had proved to be
DO valuable in its results that Henry
Maxwell wished the church in general
10 share with the disciples in Ray
mond. Already there had begun vol
|hnteer movement in many of the
ehurches throughout the country, act
I. ing on their own desire to walk closer
IN the steps of Jesus. The Christian
Endeavor societies had with enthusiasm
In many churches taken the pledge to
#fo as Jesus would do, and the result
WAS already marked in a deeper spir-
ttua1 life and power in church infu-
" Bnce that was like new birth for the
II members.
All this DR.. Bruce told his people
&imply and with personal interest that
evidently led the way to his announce
nent, which now followed. Felicia had
listened to every word with strained
Intention. She sat there by the side of
Rose, in contrast like fire beside snow,
Though even Rose was as alert and
#xcited as she could be.
"Dear friends" he said, and for the
rst time since his prayer the emotion
If the occasion was revealed in his
Foice and gesture, 81 am going to ask
hat Nazareth Avenue church take the
anne pledge that Raymond church has
aiken. know what this will mean to
lou and me- 1t will mean the complete
nhange of very many habits. It will
mean possibly social loss. It will mean
ery probably in many cases loss of
honey. 1t will mean suffering. 1t will
bean what following Jesus meant in
he first century, and then it meant
offering, loss, hardship, separation
rom every thing un-Christian. But
hat does following Jesus mean? The
Fst of discipleship is the same now as
ben. Those of you who volunteer in
pc Nazareth Avenue church to do as
esus would do simply promise to walk