The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-09-06
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A SERMON EESA
pY THE REV Mn
1AMFENDEeS0NW
Subject: "The Opportunities and
Abilities of the Church."

Irving square presbyterian Church,
VERIFIED street and Hamburg ave-
nue., on the above theme, the Rev.
Ira Wemmell Henderson, pastor,
took as his texts Jno. i;35 and Mat.
2S:20. He said:
lt was Theodore Roosevelt who
said. The one thing supremely
worth having is the opportunity
coupled with the capacity TO do
thing worthily and we'll, the doing
OF which in its vital Importance
touches the welfare of all human
kind"
Opportunity and ability-that is
TO say, the chance and the capacity
10 do. All true success is a combina-
tion of these two elements in human
life. Failure is lack of either or of
both. Without opportunity the man
of capacity, of ability, of real worth
is handicapped in the race of life.
To be without the chance 10 do is to
be doomed to failure, whatever may
be our capacities or abilities for ac-
complishment Contrariwise lack of
| ability shears opportunity of value,
The mute, inglorious Milton of whom
the bard so sweetly sang, was. and
| is to-day man of power, of ca
pacity, of ability. lacking in oppor-
| tunity. Not otherwise many a man
has had opportunity standing at the
door of his life beckoning to success
who has shorn that opportunity of
| its value because he has had no abil-
ity, because he has been unable to
accept the chance that was presented
to his view. IL there is a sadder
thing than a man of genius lacking
in opportunity, IL is chance awaiting
the acceptance of incompetency.
Ability needs opportunity in order to
the exercise and the presentation of
the powers Of the human soul. Like
wise opportunity is valueless with
out corresponding and sufficient abil-
! ity.
AS with the world so with the
church of the living God. The church
has ability beyond any force that
works for righteousness and for God
in the world to-day But If the
church has no opportunity for the
exercise of her divinely granted ca
pabilities for the uplift and the re-
generation of the world her capacities
are valueless. On the other hand,
whatever the opportunities of the
church may be, save as she has the
ability TO do the work that God has
! given her to accomplish her oppor-
tunitfes are voided.
The opportunities and abilities of
the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us look for moment at her OPP
portunities. There are to be found
to-day conditions that are at the first
glance diametrically opposed that af-
ford an opportunity for the church
of the living God. The opportunity
| l<.f hA oh 10. n 81.
lack Of principle so largely presented
In the lives of the leaders in our
social life, as has been revealed in
the recent and horrifying disclosures
In our political and financial and in
dustrial affairs. Another opportunity
of the church Is to be found in the
imperfect acknowledgment upon the
part of men In all walks of life of
their accountability to God and to the
divine control. A further opportunity
of the church is to be realized in the
present distrust In the finality of ma
terialism as a method OF life and pro-
gress which is increasingly common
In all grades of society and among all
classes and conditions of men We
are growing to know that money In
Itself is OF little value. We are ma
turing into a comprehension of the
truth that wealth without character
- condemnation of its possessor
We are learning to grasp the fact
that the things that are temporary
are really transient; that the spirit
ual realm in the universe of God af-
fords the greatest satisfaction to the
soul, is most Of account, lays hold
upon eternity. Opportunity for the
Christian church Is to be found I'm
that comprehension of the value of
the eternities that is becoming in
creasingly the vogue. Men, multitudes
of men, find that the life that dis
counts the relations of the human
soul TO its divine Creator is dissat-
isfying. They are critical of their
own spiritual fitness, and OF the
church's. They are questioning the
credibility and reliability of the
church's spiritual concepts and dec
larations. The church has glorious
! opportunity in the return toward God
that is characteristic Of the lives Of
q host of Gods children throughout
this land. From sea to sea, from
lakes TO southern CULTS, materialism
is palling on thoughtful wanderers
from God, the truth Is appealing and
with such force as seldom in the
history of the world It has ap-
pealed. To be sure this appeal is
along new lines. II is suited 10 the
needs and the demands OF this day
and OF this generation. II is not
yesterdays appeal. IL is to-days. But
II Is real II is vital II is compell-
ing. IL is heard. IL will bear fruit.
il will be the leaven in the meal
that will perfect society and make II
palatable TO thoughtful men. II Is
the truth Of God. II is Gods voice
In the language Of the land and Of
the day. IL is the message OF the
Almighty 10 the people. II cannot
be denied II will not be denied
There is moving In the tree tops.
The footballs OF Jehovah are TO be
heard on earth. The signs OF the
times. he who runs may read. Any
man with an open ear and open eye
and an open mind may hear. and see.
and satisfy his soul in the contempla-
ton Of such revelations as are as
transcendent as they are immediate.
Having considered I'm some fash