The Minneapolis journal., 1902-02-10
PREPARING FOR LENT
YOUNG MEN MEET BEFORE DAWN
brotherhood of st. Andrew Holds n
''Quiet Hour'' Service mt
st. Marks.

Before the slightest touch of dawn
tinged the morning sky this morning men
of the Brotherhood of st. Andrew gathered
in st. Marks Episcopal church for
quiet hour" of worship and preparation
for the season OF Lent The rumble and
roar of the daily traffic had not begun
when the church was again darkened and
the men had gone out, with deep sense
Of the solemnity of the early morning
meeting.
The idea that the commercial spirit,
the rush and jostle Of daily business rou-
tine had crowded religion out of the lives
Of men Of business was set at naught.
The subtle charm which attends sunrise
meetings" of the Christian Endeavor, the
presence of women, was lacking. The
service was solely for men. 1t was an OPP
profanity for men to set themselves apart
from the world for a time. feeling OF
single purpose and deep earnestness per-
Vaded the sanctuary.
Weary of earth and laden with my sin,
l look to Heaven and long to enter In,
was the burden Of the opezAg hymn,
and as the brotherhood filed out they
sang:
Jesus calls us; e'er the tumult
Or our life's wild, restless sea,
Day by day His sweet voice soundeth
Saying, christians, follow me. .
Rev. Irving P. Johnson Of Gethsemane
the three meditations on the uses Of Lent
He read that passage of scripture where
the Lord invited the apostles to come
apart into desert place and rest awhile.
The annual retreat of Lent was never
more needed than now, the priest said
THE conditions which led up to the oc-
casion in Christ's life when they had no
leisure to eat is also one of the prlncl-
pies of modern life,' he continued. "Lent
is desert place. attractive because He
has promised to be there. The world
hates Lent because it is a desert place;
the Christian loves it because Christ is
there" .-.5...'. s+sE .s -
In the second meditation Mr.. Johnson
spoke of the season of Lent as time to
leave the cares Of life and come to
Christ and learn of him. Lent is the great
teacher of the church. 1t is a season of
frequent instruction, frequent attendance
upon divine service, frequent reading of
the holy scriptures.
In the third meditation the rector
dwealt on what the disciples did to avail
themselves of their spiritual privileges.
First, they gathered themselves unto
Jesus, which gave the idea of corporate
prayer, the first principle of the brother
hood. 1t is the object Of numerous servi-
ces during Lent to gather frequently into
His presence. Secondly, the disciples got
that which they had and laid it trustingly
at His feet. A principle and rule Of
Christian life is the rule Of se1f-denial
that manifests itself in giving of our sub
stance for the health and wealth Of others.
Lent is season by self denial in which
we are able to bring to our Lord at Easter
a gift, that, whatever it represents COM
mercially, is the result of self denial and
self sacrifice. Thirdly, the rule of SER
vice is, that which takes not account of
the feebleness of self, the vastness Of the
task, but takes into account only that
Christ asks it.
When the multitude came to the des-
ert place Christ fed them, 1t is priv
ilege of the members of the brother
hood in their service when they go out in
to the city to go to men not as a priest
and say Come to u.s. but that which Is
most effective, Come with u.s.,