The Cairo bulletin., 1907-05-06

ton yesterday morning
AT the urgent request of The BHlle
Tin The Ven. Anderson has consented
10 have this sermon published which
The Bulletin is pleased TO presen
herewith
Ny Christian Friends;
II now becomes my privilege anc
pleasure to speak to you this morn
inc as your Pastor and Priest. | have
begun what pray unto God may be
long and happy rectorship among
you Few persons realize how diff
cult It Is TO put into words the many
thoughts that such relationship
gives rise 10.
First Of all. the fact that there have
been other priests. who have labored
among you brings up the thought Of
how dear 10 your memories must
have been their ministrations. For
| there is no relationship 50 close, so
dear to the people as that Of pastoral
relationship. because the office OF the
priest brings him in touch with those
Of his flock at all times. Therefore,
in the course of each of my predeces-
| sors pastorships among you. there
have been times when they have been
more TO some one than 10 any other
person.
And II is right that il should be So,
Each has become the idea priest 70
some soul in this congregation. !
realize this, my friends; no one
realizes this so much as a priest He
has the bes oppo tunities TO know
this and personally | would be the
last TO resent the laudation Of any
or those who have made place In the
affections Of he peopl in this parish.
For loyalty to the past leader does
not necessitate disloyaliy to the pres
ent 1t simply means appreciation OF
all those good efforts made by a faith
full pastor to his people.
But there is one thing. my dear
I. lends. | must ask Of you, and that
lis, patience with me in my duties as
priest of this parish. have come
here with the sole ambition OF being
an ambassador of Christ. ! want to
make as few changes as possible, for
there is nothing that is so distractinS
to a congregation as violent changes
in the policy of the parish. But re
member that each person has his
own personality, and there is nothing
so anomalous as a priest trying for
the sake of policy, or pocketbook TO
be what he is not. He becomes a
play actor. nothing else.
Now. there may be places where
simulat on and mrlation can be
practiced but God forbid it be in His
church. There ought always to be an
open and friendly relationship be
tween priest and pc pie, The priest
should be the pastor of his flock, he
should lead nor drive The people
should remember, however, that other
hings being equal the priest is n
orally supposed TO know little more
about Theology than those who have
been called 10 preside over the tenn
poralities: that when a pastor sug.
eests a course of action for his con
gregation, he is doing II not that he
may have some unique whim OF his
own satisfied, but that the cong ega-
ion NAV grow in grace In other
words. that the spiritual life Of the
parish may be deepened. Personally,
shall make as few changes in the or
dering OF the services as possible, and
cnly such as shall in my judgment.
and that after consultation as shall
advance the well being Of this church
in this community For. after ar
what is The church for, is it not TO
minister to the spiritual needs Of
mankind And by that we do not
mean a certain number of persons
who have been trained to think as we
DO for that is making the church sec
.arian. but being as comprehensive IN
luf services and sympathies as pos
sible
This brings us 20 the subject of the
church. Some people think that the
success of the parish depends on the
priest They expect 10 have in their
pastor an orator and theologian like
St Paula wonder worker in finance /
and pa ish upbulding like St An
.hony OF Padua, a musician like st.
Cecilia: and a paragon Of patience 4
ike $ Simon States He may be /
but in all probability will not be. any |
# these things. and yet the parish I'M
lei lis guidance might become a /
great su-c cess. For the success OF a |
parish Is dependent upon oth0r eie /
ments than it's rector The parish Is
ar organism. not an organization II 1
r living body. no a body corporate /
Therefore il has life. and the tendency I
u all normal life is 10 energize. Now
he individual communicates are
parts of that body; and the whole /
form or make up the organism. Any 4
on the part Of a few /
cons ciously. or otherwise /
effects the whole system.
The Vi al well beng Of the parish |
Is dependent upon the energy Of the
10 a far greater degree /
than one links FoT taat reason ii I
Il necessary that there should be har-
NOM and unity Of action on the part /
81 all We must seek the 2 "a est 1
good Of the greatest number. The ia
T.. - urr