The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-11-27
CENTRAL UNION.


Thanksgiving Day was observed in
unison by hundreds of people at Cen
trail Union church yesterday morning.
| Governor Carter read the Presidents
and his own Thanksgiving proclama-
| ton, also presiding at the church
meeting. There was special musical
service and Rev. G. l. Pearson preach
ed the Thanksgiving sermon
| The pulpit and choir loft we're pref
| tily decorated with plants, palms and
| flowers, while fruits of various kinds
| symbolized the harvest feature of the
| day. Bananas and papaia trees, with
| sugar cane, orange trees, flowers,
ferns and palms were also used In the
decorative scheme.
On the pulpit with Governor Carter
| were seated Rev. G. L. Pearson, Rev.
w. M. Kincaid, Rev. E. s. Muckley
| and Rev. ]. L. sHopwood.
| After the usual prelude the service
| was opened with the anthem 20 Lord,
| How Manifold" by the largely aug
1 mented choir.
| Governor Carter then read President
| Roosevelt's Thanksgiving proclama-
ton followed by his own, which he
| said had been issued in accordance
| with time honored custom in the
| states
| The doxology by choir and congre-
i CATION was followed by responsive
4 reading, Rev. ]. L. Hopwood. reading
Psalm $50. The ladies' chorus then
sang '"The Reapers'' and Rev. e. S.
Muekley of the Christian church offer
ed prayer
l. Mrs L. Tenney Peck sang the offer
tory, Fear not We o Israel in a
sweet contralto voice. the congrega-
ton then joining in singing hymn 566.
/ THANKSGIVING SERMON
Rev. G. L. Pearson of the Methodist
Church preached the sermon taking
} his text from the 9Th verse, 85th Psalm,
, his subject being Thanksgiving a
Means of Promoting National Prosper
ity.''
Mr.. Pearson said that Thanksgiving
was in measure test of character.
Thanklessness is indicative of bad
; morals. 1t remains a solemn great
, truth that there is no greater evil
among us than that of ingratitude.
, Thanksgiving is best developed indi-
rectly; no heart can give thanks to
order, nob even the president of our
great Republic, or the chief executive
of the Territory. If we are thankful
, today, it must be because we have ex-
, perienced something that showed us
the sense of gratitude within US. some
thing which has awakened the Thanks.
| giving in us.
All classes may offer thanks, chill
, dren because perhaps of presents from
II their parents or because they have
!, been taught to know God and his mer-
; cy and recognize him as the giver of
every perfect gift. The young man
and the young woman should be
, thankful, because they have outgrown
; the dangers of childhood, because they
, can enjoy the privileges they do-and
. which He gives thenl-the schools, the
large and free world. What a blessing
it is to the young man and the young
woman of today to live under the stars
, and stripes of this great Republic,
> ruled over by the living Deity.
The middle aged must also give
? thanks because of the mercies that
have been extended to them; the aged
| should be thankful, there is a tenden-
| cy on their part to complain, but this
| ought not to be, for the golden day is
q just dawning upon them, and God has
q encouraged and blessed them through
4 | all their long years. The rich ought
| to be thankful because their success
) has been manifold. Yet it seems they
s. | are not as grateful as the poor, it
Z would seem, but they ought to be as
grandly and truly grateful as anyone.
] The poor also must give thanks, for
3 in their distress and sorrow they need
God. The good things of life are for
d them, 1t is a great thing for even the
3 unfortunate. to be able to give thanks
to God for his goodness and mercy.
All men should give thanks, If only
they have had experience with Him
\ Should be ready to let down a shower
i of praise to God. So today out of our
4 experience of salvation and mercy let
q us join in an anthem of Thanksgiving.
OBSERVING THE SABBATH.
Mr.. Pearson also touched upon the
| need for a more rigid observance of
. the Sabbath day. The influence of the
Sabbath upon the world for good, can
not be calculated. We need such a
day to tone up our consciences. But
there seems to be a growing indiffer-
ence to the day, a feeling of disregard
and a desire to overflow the Sabbath.
| This comes from the many millions
| who have come to our shores and who
never knew the meaning of such a day
Then there is the growth of the COM
mercial spirit, and the unwise rush
after recreation which does not recre-
ate. There is a growing disregard OF
the day even here. Some one has
| prophesied that within two years, the
saloons, the race track and the ball
| park would be open on the Sabbath
to satisfy the desire for pleasure and
recreation.
1t is for US to maintain the glory OF
the Sabbath, the day Jesus told us
was made for man. The people love
liberty, not license. Other nations
may excel in laws, and in the admin
istration of them, but this is a young
. nation, although it's growth is one OF
the marvels of history.
We all feel that the Republic must
4 ha ,naiptaiOa5 the government thai