Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-09-12
THE HOMECOMING.
Rally Day Sermon by the High
way and Byway" Preacher.
How Paul and Barnabas Successfully
Inaugurated Such Reunion in
the Early Church at
Antioch.

| Copyright. 1902. by A. N. Kellogg News
Paper Col
Chicago, Sept. Z, 1902.
Text.-"And when they were come, and
had gathered the church together, they
rehea rsed all that God had d. one with them. -
Acts 14:27.
The Homecoming good it
| seems after being away from home
to get back again amidst the old ia
| miliar scenes and faces; to fill our
accustomed niche in the household
activity, and to mingle again with the
circle of acquaintance and to share
with those given place therein the
experiences met with while sojourn-
ing elsewhere. What new attractions
the home has, and how we settle
back IN the coy corner or the ''den, "
the home-like sitting-room or the Sc
clusion of "our very own room," and
enjoy new sense of comfort and
satisfaction in them, after the hustle
and hustle of the journey; after the
new scenes and surroundings and the
strange faces, have passed in kalei-
doscopic variety before our vision.
Old Farmer John of my boyhood
school reader expresses the thought
exactly when he exclaims: 'The
best part of going away is get
ting home again. He has been off
to the city encased in the boiled
shirt and stiff collar, the Sunday suit
and the new shoes which have not
been broken to easy comfort as yet.
AS soon as he is in the house, he
quickly crawls out of the irksome ap-
parel and stretching his stiffened
muscles, he gets into his easy-ftting
work-a-day clothes. The bark of the
dog, the neigh of the horse, the busy
cluck ef the chickens all greet him
as he passes through the barn yard,
and he is recognized in his familiar
attire. The dog, which before had
sedately borne himself in the august
presence of the Sunday clothes, now
leaps and bounds upon his mast er,
who sensing the changed demeanor
of the animal, declares: with my
new clothes off and my old clothes
on, now 1 am myself" said Farmer
John.
1t is indeed good to go away, but
there is a Joy and satisfaction in get
ting home again which makes it the
best part of the experience. The
summer is nearly ended. The vaca-
ton season is about over. Many
have been away from the home circle,
from the church activities, from the
business and social life, and have re-
turned again to take up the real and
earnest side of life. Those who have
not been away and yet who have re-
Taxed into summertime ease, and
have taken rest in lightened duties
in the hor1e, the business, the social
and religious spheres, are beginning
to tighten their grip on things and
prepare for the larger activity of the
fall and winter days. So that the
thought and spirit met with on every
hand Sc one of quickening activities
and renewed zeal. The homecoming
to the family circle is marked by the
glad welcome back to the roof tree,
the resumptive of active associations
with the loved ones and the taking
up of ones share of the burdens of
the home.
The homecoming in the church
life is IN these days being more than
ever before accentuated by special
recognition of the return of the alb
sent ones, of the ending of the vaca-
ton season and the taking up again
of the work with renewed vigor along
all lines. Rally day, with it's special
exercises and roll call, is becoming
more general in the churches and
Sunday schools of the land, and not
only is it instrumental in bringing in
many absentees-those who have
drifted away-but it draws together
in closer bonds of Christian love and
fellowship the school and the church
Oh
school in better working condition,
and emphasizes and advertises the
school and church as an aggressive
working force.
Rally Day at Antioch.-Our text
introduces us to the great Rally Day
inaugurated by Paul and Barnabas
upon their return from the first mis-
sionary journey. You remember that
Paul and Barnabas, after laborine
for a year or more at Antioch, were
sent out by the church for a work to
which the Lord had called them.
After an absence of nearly a year,
during which time they have had
some wonderful and blessed expert
ences, they return, and having "gath-
cred the church together, they re-
hearsed all that God had done with
them" We do not know that the
work in the church at Antioch had
langu1shed while they were carrying
the Gospel message to other parts of
the world, but we do know from our
text that these two faithful servants
of the Lord busted themselves imme-
diately upon their return in gather
ing the church together in order that
they might rehearse unto them the
remarkable experiences through
which they had passed and thus slim
ulate the home church to greater ac-
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