Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-05-06
FLOCK CREETS FIRST PASTOR
CASTELAR, Presbyterian Church Hears Rev.
James n Wilson Preach.
FORMER OSAHAs CORDIALLY RECEIVED
From Paciac Coast He Brings
Lesson of Faith in God
a. the Essential
Thing.

Rev. James NJ. Wilson Of Westminster
Presbyterian church, Seattle, occupied his
old pulpit in CASTELAR, Presbyterian church
Sunday morning and was greeted with
very large congregation.
DR.. Wilson originally came TO Omaha as
a graduate Of Mccormick Theological SEM
mary in 1886 and CASTELAR, church was his
first charge and he it's first pastor Here he
found a struggling little church and by his
energy succeeded in building It up into one
Of the most thrifty organizations of the
city He continued as pastor for thirteen
years and then went from Omaha to Boul-
der. Colo, which place he left four years
ago TO accept the call OF the Westminster
church OF Seattle. Dr. Wilson was married
while in Omaha and Mrs. Wilson will be
remembered as a woman OF exalted Chris
tian character.
In his sermon Sunday morning DR.. Will
son paid pathetic tribute 10 his wife, who
died Christmas eve after an illness of
about year and half. He expressed his
deep and loving appreciation Of their old
Omaha friends for their sympathy on that
occasion and the tribute Of flowers sent
from Omaha
Have Faith in God.
Ut WlbOu SpOhS lIOLl AllS NtAN MAIN Alss
Have Faith in God" After expressing
the pleasure he enjoyed to meet so many
of his old friends and referring incidentally
to the growth Of the Christian spirit on
the Pacific coast, Dr. Wilson said:
Jesus stood in the wreck OF the great
est religion the world had ever known, the
wreck of Judaism and Journalism. He
knew that their failure was from the lack
~,
Is of the same potent force today and is
directed to the church, the minister and
the home. Remember the parable of the
fig tree. He came to the fig tree expect
ing fruit and found nothing but leaves.
The semblance was there, but there was
no truth in 1t. 1t was 80 when He went to
the temple where He expected to find the
scribes and Pharisees performing faithful
religious duty. but instead found only pre-
tense He comes to the church and home
today and expects the fruit Of truth and
faith. But does He find them? He should
find these things in the church whose roots
are drenched in His blood.
you come to church to hear the truth
and learn the meaning of the true faith.
That is what the church is for and that
is what you have the right TO expect.
Wnen CnrlHl came lnefe WdB a ueCduenCS
in the vital powers of Israel Centuries
afterward came the age Of rationalism in
Germany and the age OF moderation in Eng
land. So spiritual decadence comes in
epochs and they will come when the spirit
OF faith and truth is lacking.
walk Too Much by Light.
Tn this modern day we are too prone
to walk by light rather than by faith. The
reason that men take their lives is be-
cause of their lack of faith In God. Faith
can move mountains. What we need is q
Renaissance of faith, a re-birth Of faith.
Christ has said men shall not live by bread
alone, but by faith
1.-THE prosecutions of the apostles ceased
in Rome and Constantine Rome's greatest
emperor acknowledged Jesus the King
of Kings. The prayers and faith Of John
Huss. of savonarola, OF Luther have been
answered. The prayer at Valley Forge was
answered at Yorktown. The prayer Of hu-
mainly for the abolition of slavery was
answered at Appomattox.
There are more good people in the
world than ever before; true there is also
more iniquity, but there also exists greater
Christian forces 10 combat this iniquity.''