The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-11-28

Grace Lutheran Church at Prescott
Avenue and Mulberry Streets.
Sermon Was Preached by Rev. DR..
C. M. Giffin, Of Elm Park Church.
Services Held by other Congrega-
tions That Did Not Participate in
the Union Exercises.
In all the churches throughout the
city yesterday there were special serv-
ices Of praise and thanksgiving and the
attendance was exceptionally large in
nearly every instance, because of the
delightful balminess of the air.
The union service for the central city
was conducted in the new Grace Luth-
eran church, at Prescott avenue and
Mulberry street. The bright and cheer
full auditorium was filled with Worship
pers representing the congregations of
the Elm Park Methodist Episcopal,
Grace Reformed Episcopal, Penn ave-
nue. Baptist and Grace Lutheran
churches. Special music Of an elabor-
ate character was rendered by the
| choir.
Rev. DIR. Robert F. Y. Pierce, of the
Penn avenue church. led in prayer and
| the benediction was pronounced by
Rev. Luther Hess Waring, Of the Grace
Lutheran church.
The sermon was delivered by Rev.
DR.. c. NJ Giffin, pastor of the Elm
| Park church, whose theme was 1.-THE
Absentees from the Thanksgiving" the
| oh ,ai I-c
| Are the Nine?'
He described the healed who ran off
forgetfu Or neglectful of their bene-
factor, while one lone stranger fingered
about Jesus to glorify Him with his
gloritied voice, doubtless very musical,
as it was filled with the emotion Of a
| glad heart.
1.-The healer" he said, "liked the ap-
| probation Of the one, yet eX-
| pressed surprise that his praise was
sung as a solo rather than as q chorus.
He healed ten; He heard one. We OBJ
serve that the leprosy went from their
hands to their hearts. Once 81 stencil
| in the nostrils of men, they became an
offence to God"
Call of the Executive
| He referred to the call Of the eXecu-
| tive for all the people to gather to
voice their united thanks to heaven
and then to the small attendance at
the church services. The dearth of
| gratitude, he said, would argue de-
feet in giving. In referring to what he
termed the substitution of gourmandiz-
ing for gratitude, he said:
What was once the holy day of New
| "a hppOmn of
| republic. The bill of fare is fixed and
| certain articles must be found on the
menu or the celebration is not orthodox.
| The chef is now the clergyman; the sac
| rilices offered are turkey and other Vi
| ands; the worshippers are suffers and
the end of their devotion is a sickness
| through surfeit. The poultry trust could
almost prevent the proper celebration of
| Thanksgiving.
The doctor gave large liberty for a
generous table and suggested that
sometimes the cold victuals offered
children in some families on Sundays
gave them a lifelong dislike for that
day. He discussed at some length the
excuses made for silence when the ma
tional anthem Of praise is called for by
the executives of state and nation. He
affirmed that the loudest notes are not
|
up glad music from broken harps, and
the face with the most heart in it on
Thanksgiving may be the one on which
the shadows have been heavy. Con-
| tinuing, he said:
Some stay away because they feel they
have won the prizes they possess. Those
| nine had no such excuse. They got theil
Improvement from a power beyond their
| own. Some are not present among the
| music makers of this occasion because
! they have only Il share in common bless.
| ings, and that is no reason for rapture
| Others refuse to attend as they have not
had as much of the usual gifts as some
| of theic neighbors They measure exist
| ence in the rim and not at the heart
| If they have not had great chances ia
| gain stuff they have had much privilege
| to grow soul.
| Gladncss is not to take the place OF
gratitude. Possibly the nine were happy
| in health. Dancing Is n clear way to
show you have recovered from rheumat-
| ism but it is not fair way to pay the
doctor, The crowds who needed no cure
stared instead of singing. They needed
| no healing and health Is better than
| healing. The myriads today are not ml.
steal because not recovered To be kept
from falling In the river is as great a
good as to be rescued from drowning.
Growing at God.
DR.. Giffin showed how some are led
to growing at God by keeping list
| of what they want and do not get. He
| turned to look at what we feared and
did not come to us.
The sin of silence Is not to be excused
| by the plea that we do not know how
much we owe since the bureau of stats.
tics Informs us of the increase in our i'm.
mense wealth. All exhibits of riches are
showings of our debt to God. Our great.
est peril Is In the excess of our advance
We forget God in our fullness. One OF
the worst results of great prosperity Is
that 1t often puts us out of sympathy
with men, The woe will be upon us when
| we are selfshly saying "See, what
have" rather than "See what we have.'
Gratitude goes up and goes out. We are
beginning to appreciate being rather thar
belonging.
The mine commission Is studying ths
extra hazard of the workers below the
ground. 1t means much when the state
of each Is of interest to all, The Rus.
sian general said to the Englshman as
he touched sentry near him, I'VE viii
beat you always for we can lose 100 0U
of these without feeling 1t in any way
| We allow no such Indifference to human
life i'm our land.
We know of the battle between broth
ers. We are too close to the conflict Il
shut our eyes to it. If there Is no smel
of powder just now there is some baC
blood circulating. But We have coal ant
we have bread and the day must come
when America that has had the law o.