The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-08

ASSISTS IN DEDICATING GRACE ME-
MORTAL REFORMED CHURCH.
Delivers an Address and Sermonfzes
on the Duty Of the People of
His Faith.

WASHINGTON, June 1.-The handsome
new home of the Grace Memorial Reformed
Church, which President Roosevelt at
tends, was dedicated to-day with appro-
pirate exercises. President Roosevelt,
with his family, attended and made brief
address. The Rev. j. M. Schick, the pas
tor read the article of conservation. and
the Rev. E. r. Eichbach, d. D., of Fred
erick, Md, preached the dedication SER
mon. President Roosevelt occupied one
of the two bishops chairs, which he pre-
scented to the church. He was introduced
by the Rev. Mr.. Schick. and spoke as fol-
lows:
of the dedication canticle: Serve the Lord
with gladness; enter into His gates with
Thanksgiving, and into His courts with
praise. Who shall ascend into the hill of
the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy
place? He that hath clean hands and a
pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul
unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.'
Three better lines could surely not be
brought into any dedication service Of a
church; and 1T is a happy thing that we
should have repeated them this morning.
This church is consecrated to the service
of the Lord; and we can serve Him by the
way in which we serve our fellow-men.
This church is consecrated TO service and
duty. 1t was written OF old that by their
fruits We shall know them, and we can
show the faith that is in us, we can show
the sincerity of our devotion, by the fruits
we bring forth. The man who is not a ten
der and considerable husband a loving and
wise father, is not serving the Lord when
he goes to church.; so with the women; so
with all who come here. Our being in this
church, our communion here with one an
other, our sitting under the pastor and
hearing from him the word of God, must,
If we are sincere, show the effects in our
lives outside.
A PECULIAR DUTY.
I'VE, of the Reformed churches. have a
peculiar duty to perform in this great
country of ours, a country still In the
making. for We have the duty peculiarly
incumbent upon us to take care of our
brethren who come each year from over the
seas to our shores. The man going to a
new country is torn by the roots from all
his old associations and there is a period
of great danger to him in the time before
he gets his roots down in the new coun-
try, before he brings himself into touch
with his fellows in the new land. For
that reason 1 always take a peculiar in
terest in the attitude of our churches to-
ward the immigrants who come to these
shores. / feel that We should be peculiar
ly watchful over them, because of our own
history, because we our fathers came
here under like conditions. Now that we
it that We stretch out the hand of help.
the hand of brotherhood toward
the newcomers and help them as
speedily as possible to shape themselves and
to get into such relations that 1t will be
easy for them to walk well in the new life.
That is one form of duty peculiarly incum-
bent upon us of these Reformed churches.
But we are not TO be excused if we selfshly
sit down and enjoy gifts that have been
given to us, and do not try to share them
with our poorer fellows coming from every
part of the world. who, many of them,
stand IN such need of the helping hand
who often not only meet too many people
anxious TO associate with them for their
detriment. but too often too few anxious TO
associate with them for their good.
81 trust that with the conservation OF
each new church OF the Reformed creed of
the church in the country there will be es-
tablished fresh center to get at and help
for the good the people that yearly come
from over seas to us. No more important
work can be done by our people: important
to the cause of Christianity, important to
the cause of true national life and great
ness here in our own land.
Another thing: let us so far as strength
is given US, make IL evident to those who
look on and who are not OF us that our faith
is not one of works merely: that ii finds
expression in deeds. One said. lamentable
phase of human history is that the very
loftiest words, implying the loftiest ideas
have been used as cloaks for the commits
sion of dreadful deeds of iniquity. We must
in our lives, in our efforts. endeavor to fur
Their the cause Of brotherhood in the hui
man family: and we must do II in such a
way that the men anxious to find subject
for complaint or derision in the churches
of the United States. in our church. may
not be able to find 1t by pointing out any
contrast between our professions and our
lives.
This church is consecrated here to-day
10 duty and TO service, TO the worship OF
the creator and TO an earnest effort on our
part TO shape our lives among ourselves
and in relation TO the outside world that
we may feel that we have done our part
in bringing a little nearer the day when
there shall be on this earth a genuine
brotherhood OF man."