The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-02-27
PASTORAL LETTER
OF THE LOCAL CONGREGATIONS
 AL PREACHERS.

Urge Active Interest in the Moral and i Religious Awakening That is Mani-
 festing Itself--special Lenten Talk to
 the Congregations--Five Special Sug- !. gestions for the Season.
 A circular letter has been sent out in
 this city signed by all the Congrega-
 tional pastors suggesting special ser-
 vices and union meetings during Lent.
 flor the awakening of the personals so-
 cial, industrial and civic conscience ' \ The letter follows:
 The Pastors of the Congregational 1 Church in New Haven to Their
 Churches:
 l Grace and peace to you from God our
 father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
 l Our responsibility as your pastors and religious leaders impels us to urge at
 this time an active interest and fellow
 ship in the moral and religious awak-
 ening which is already manifest in
 different places in the ways. and in | which we pray that our churches may
 not fail to have part. The tide has
 been so long ebbing that we may look
 for the flood. Many are already work I ing and looking for another of the days of the Son of man. The present evan- l tNs5 J it tJ Jt t s i2
 gelism does not tecorie as an endeavor merely to repeat the methods of gracious revivals of former days. 1t proceeds, from an awakened sense of the greater work of faith given now to the church of Christ to do. Our whole land needs moral and religious move ment which shall appeal to the con science of the people; which shall lift up our standards of character and con- duct: which shall reach all classes of men; and as it sweeps on, take all Iu- man activities up into it's purifying power. We need a reformation in which we may regain something of the ennobling passion of our fathers faith while losing nothing of our large liber- ty of the spirit We should greet the promise of a day of moral and spiritual enthusiasm in which strong men shall give of their strength with an unlifting conviction of duty and a high joy of service. It is time, We believe, for the church to seek for the Christ's own baptism of fire and the spirit.
 For this end we need to see the sin | of our world as it is now, and also to 1 behold, over and against all the evil of | it, a new vision of God. It is for the church to make to-day a commanding appeal to conscience-the personal, so- cial, industrial, civic conscience-and l also to offer new obedience to God It | is time for disciples of the Christ to | make a more conspicuous choice be tween God and mamrnon.
 We must acknowledge and confess I, that we have not entered deeply enough | into the meaning of the Cross; we have | too lightly put from us the duty of pri- | vate devotion as well as public wor- ship; we need to hear again the word | of the Master, What do ye more than | others? But, while there is much which | we must deplore, we think that now as i churches we should lay aside all inef- fectual despondency. As followers of | Christ the question for us should never be whether he shall have his will done on earth. but whether, as His kingdom i is coming, we shall be in it, or leave | ourselves out of it.
 Cherishing such desires and hopes, in | fellowship with many other commun~ ions. as the Lenten season draws near, { we deem it time well fitted for this | call to the churches Of our order. We | would suggest that, with a .deepened | sense of individual responsibility, and | in 8 common sympathy and endeavor, I we seek to render this season fruitful: l CD By making it personal religious opportunity, duly considering the truths I and the duties which are vital to ,spirit- 1 ual character, and, so far as possible, holding other cares and distractions ill ! subordination to the religious opportu- l nifty of the season; CD by allowing no l slight inconvenience or avoidable cause l to prevent our regular and responsive l participation in the stated worship and i other services of our churches; (3) by i seeking through conversations and per- ! sonal invitations to interest others in l the supreme moral and spiritual issues | involved in a religious awakening, and 1 to bring them with ourselves to clear 1 Christian decision; (D by any possible l inquiry to find and to report to the ! pastors any persons or families whom l they or others might advantageously l! visit; (O by personal presence to help, l and to receive help from, such special l services or union meetings as it may be ! deemed advisable to appoint. :.
 In addressing this appeal to our churches all together as one body, we wish thereby to express and to signify our owr fellowship in faith and ser- vice as one ministry. We send this pas- toral letter. leach pastor to all the churches in one faith, one hope and one baptism Of the Spirit.