Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-01
LARGE CONGREGATIONS FILL
CHURCHES
Jew and GENTLE, Catholic and Protest.
ant, observe the Day With
Sermon and
Song

Large congregations. impressive
music. beautiful floral decorations and
eloquent sermons marked the Thanks
giving services in the various churches
cathedras and synagogues yesterday
in Los Angeles. 1t was a day observed
alike by Jew and Gentle, Catholic and
Protestant. the adherents of all faiths
attending services i'm the various
churches. The different Protestant
evangelical churches united in the SER
vices in the several localities. the pas
tors of the churches assisting.
The day was marked by many SER
vices. commencing early in the morn
ing i'm the Catholic churches when sol
emn mass was celebrated In the diff
ferent churches amid twinkling cam
dies. solemn music and professions of
sober-faced acolytes. The services
were held at later hour in the Pro-
testant churches.
Many gifts were received at the diff
ferent churches for the poor and
needy, the prosperous not forgetting
their unfortunate brethren on the day
of special thanksgiving for blessings
received during the year. These gifts,
consisting of food and useful articles,
will be given the charitable organiza-
Many eloquent and timely sermons
were delivered, the general theme be-
Ing the bounteous gifts and successes
attained during the year for which
thanks were offered to the "giver Of all
good gifts"
The Protestant evangelical churches
of the central portion of the city united
in union Thanksgiving service at the
Emmanuel Presbyterian church, at
,anI. N..V- Dorr
tor emeritus of the First Congrega-
tional church, preached the sermon.
Uniting in the services were the First
Methodist, First Christian, First En-
glish Lutheran, First Baptist, Temple
Baptist, Trinity Methodist, south, and
Olivet Congregational.
DR.. Day preached an eloquent SER
mon. in which he pointed out the sa-
1ient characteristics of the day. He
said in part:
''Once more we come to one of our
landmark days; set apart by delight
full anticipations and fragrant memo
ries; a festal-worship day. To the
New Englander at an early period, it
had become enshrined. For @ long
time, east of the Hudson, 1t was the
principal social and home festival.
"But such a day could not remain
q sectional heritage; it must enter into
LIle Ire anu Oh I1e west, the
foreign born and the children of the
cavalier as well as the east, the home
born and the stock of the Pilgrims
1t is an interesting fact that the
presidential proclamation which her
aided this continent-wide custom, was
issued not by a representative of Bos-
ton or Hartford, but by son of the
south, who had been schooed in a
western state-Abraham Lincoln.
eve do well to remember that
Thanksgiving day is distinctly an
American institution. Pray God that
this custom may not cease to quicken
our joys and to express our gratitude
when old Glory our flag, greets the
morning light and bears a galaxy of
stars which the midday sun cannot
obscure.
Hope and sweetness wait at the
portals of this day. But there is dan
ger lest they be thrust aside by the
use made of it. and especially by for
getfulness of it's intent. There is a
nobleness in those assemblies whose
dominant note vibrates in the two
monosyllabc words Thank you There
are many things for which thanks are
not payment, and never can be put in
the place of current coin, where coin
IS the proper price, without dishonOr
Yet there is a royalty in the disposi
tion to thank and in the habit on
proper occasion, of saying 'Thank
you
"And so, after the harvests and in
gathering of our orchards, and after
the great prosperity which has signal
ized the year, we assemble here in re-
sponse to the call of one centuries ago
for himself and his fellows, who cried
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and bless the Lord
when l lay down the morning pa
per 1 am gratified that we are not sub
3ects of Russia; repressed, suppressed
distressed under that iron despotisn
whose ruling passion, that of the Turk
seems to be to make the greatest num-
ber of people miserable. We ought tc
thank God every day that we live in q
land without a Siberia. With all hel
faults we have royal reason for thanks
giving for this republic and for oul
place in it.
"God is not dead. nor is He dying
'Thanks be unto God who giveth us tbs
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and bless the Lord.