Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1906-12-05
SERMONS.

Following is an extract of inc scr. mon delivered Thursday morning at the Marina Street Methodist church, at the union services indulgcd in by the four Protestant churches, at which Rev. R. W. Rogers occupied the pulpit:
 "I have been trying to figure out jus, the relation between the Thanks giving dinner and thankfuncss, the re,ation between eating and expressing gratitude. l have asked some of the clergy How we expressed thankfuTness in the mere net of eating and they could give no immediate answer. T have consulted business men, and they said that they saw no definite meaning in the feast itself. l have thought of the subject for some days. And l have finally come to the conclusion that the Thanksgiving religious and Thanksgiv- ing dinner are closely linked together; that it is necessary for those who would adequately observe this day b first attend service and then carry the spirit of gratitude, quickcned there, to tho meal; that you do not express grat. itude in the mere act of eating, but that you arouse it in mcn's hearts by the religious thought that they may then appreciate the fruits of the earth. "In other words, the Thanksgiving table is m exhibit of Gods bounties, like that magnificent mining exhibit of Yavapai county at the Territorial Fair, and we must be brought into closer relation with the Great Giver b. fore we can justly and properly apprc. | cintc His gifts. Hundreds of our American people arc not observing Thanksgiving Day as happily as they should, because they neglect the first part. lc rcpat that bc who would enter into the spirit and significance of this day. must first atunc his heart with songs of praise; must clarify his wis ion SO that hc can detect Gods move ments in providence; must deepen hm personal love for the Father, the Giver; and then as hc goes to the meal he will recognize the bountics ns tokens of His love; he will carry to the table s spirit that does justice to the real Creator of the fruits; n spirit thnt will fill the room with sweet gratitude and rightly directed praise. 'The thankfulncss of the hypocrite is full of boasting. The gratitude of the Christian is full of love-
 "we all recognize that we have been more or less blessed during the past year. But who are we to thani for these blessings inst fll the memory with fragranccl We have no righ, to thank men for our blessings and for. get to express gratitude to God! Don't thank the butcher and grocer for the food you paid them, or you ought to have done SO. Thank the God who saw our craving for nourishment and placed the fruits on the earth. Don't merely thank Washington for starting our country, and Lincoln for saving it; thank Him who put forethought into the mind of the VirRinian and justice into the heart of the cnancipator. Don't merely thank the crrand boys--for that is what we are distributing Gods gifts; we arc middlcmen. Don't be so discourteous as to thank tho crrand boy, and forget to express gratitude to the original Givcr, who sent the errand boy
 | AS Americans, we arc too much in. riined to give too much credit to our. selves; to say that WE are responsible Tor this prosperity. But who is WEY We IS the talents that God has plant ed in our lives through heredity or otherwise. WE is the school originally started by Gods men to train that talent with WE is individuality, com. ing from and dependent upon God, from whom the soul got life and from who's civilization it gets training and opportunity. Thanksgiving Day was originated for the purpose of making "s deep enough to sec and thoughtful enough to appreciate, the real author or our blessings For we can get along without everybody, even Washington and Lincoln, better than part with Hin who created the earth and made and directed all things for our good. Thank everybody today, the agents of God, but especially God, Himself, and then you will eat your meal with real grate. 'niness. This is the thought, I am sure, that our forefathcrs had"