The Greeley tribune., 1907-11-21

Prof. E. S. Parsons at the new Con-
pregational church have been made,
that upon request the discourse is
here given In full:
heard a great voice out of the throne
saving, Behold the tabernacle of God If
with men and he shall dwell with them
and they shall be his peoples and God
himself shall be with them and be their
God.-Rev. 2l:3.
We are assembled this morning to
dedicate together this new home OF
the church that has been 30 dear to
large number of US through many
years, We remember today Its his
tory and rejoice in the record 1t has
made through more than thirty-fve
years OF growth. We remember the
faithful men and women who have
served it in years Of struggle and
years OF prosperity. some Of them
gone on to their reward, some of
them serving the kingdom and their
Master In other churches. some still
bearing the burdens ant, faithfully
meeting the responsibilities OF the
organization Of whose history they
are a great part. AS We dedicate
this new church building, We remem-
ber with especial affection and honor
him Of whose devoted service the old
church building was = monument,
the physical structure OF which was
simply the embodiment In brick and
mortar and wood Of his eager thought
and his untiring effort. To him the
church building was almost as dear
as his own children, and 1t is a glad
thought to all Of US who knew him
and loved hIm-to know him was to
love him-that this Is not new
building, that it does not take the
place OF the building which he plan
ned and built, but that It Is simply
the evolution of the new from the
old. the growth of what he gave to
the church into something more
suited to meet the needs of larger
and a more complex So
ciety.
The building we dedicate today in
its architecture reaches out over the
sea and connects itself with that rich
past which Is the background and
the source Of our intensely modern
1t takes one back to
Oxford, and suggests the peace and
dignity and inclusiveness OF the older
churches of England. And % the
other hand, by its inner sshnRe-
nents, its adaptation to the bsStis Of
a modern church in modem com.
munity, it suggests that the organi-
zation which 1t houses 10 sensitive to
the needs of those among whom 1t
gathers, that the church of Jesus
Christ, while 1t has its roots in the
past and is gathering from the soil of
its history and its traditions nutri-
ment bv which its life is sustained,
is growing in the open air and the
sunshine of the life Of the twentieth
century. that 1t belongs to today
just as truly as 1t belonged to
Christ's own day or to the day OF
Luther and Of Wesley, that in 1t Is
the abounding vitality of an eternal
youth, that today a. In all the ages
men are to find . refuge under its
branches and feed upon its lits-aiv-
ing fruit. Ancient yet modern, re-
joicing in its heritage, eager to meet
its present day privilege and oppor.
tunity-this l rejoice to feel l. the
spirit of the men and women who to.
day are dedicating this beautiful
building, this new instrument 81 the
kindgom Of God among men.
The grsat students of nature tell
US that II an organism is to live And
perform its mission 10 the wof,d q
must be able to adapt itself to it,
environment. Through the long
history Of the evolution of vegetable
and animal life 1t has been thoea
species which have been able "a "a
develop that have survived n the
bitter struggle for existence. II i
the plant on the d.y plains th.t
knows how to store up the water n
the wet season and to protect it.sif
from rapid evaporation which keens
Its life and bears Its flowers NJ
iruit when other organisms shrival
up and die In the witherlng heat Of
the summer. And what is trn. ~
the cactus Is true Of tile church II
a church Is to live and thrive q
must learn to adapt itself IN ,ts .n.
vironment. 1t must meet The condi.
tions OF its own time, 1t must min.
ister to that time; 1t must be.r tho
call OF the life about 1t and n,st
obey that call, never disoheylns ~
master but found like him no, ~ ~
solitary caves or deserts of ..,a..