The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-28
! DAY OF THANKS.
Union Services Held in the
Churches Today.
Rev. T. s. Young Delivers an
Eloquent Sermon.
YEAR is A GOOD ONE.
~. -
People Have Been Most Bounti.
et3t - fully Blest.
Church Is Artistically Decor
ated for the Meeting.

Il will pay my vows unto the Lord
| now in the presence of all his people"
Psalm 116, verse IA, was the keynote
of the Thanksgiving sermon delivered
by the Rev. T. S. Young. pastor of the
First Baptist church, delivered this
morning at the joint Thanksgiving SER
vices of the churches Of the down town
district, held at the First Presbyterian
church. Mr.. Young spoke from the text
embraced in the 18th and 18th verses of
the chapter mentioned.
Mr.. Young began his sermon by men,
tioning many of the benefits that God
mas showered on the people of this city,
this state and this nation. 1t behooves
all of US to show our gratitude to God
for his goodness to us the past year.
We have been most bOuntifully bleSt,
he continued, frcen an agricultural,
from commercial and from a Strate-
getic point of view. Our government is
blessed with one of the best populations
to be found on any other quarter of the
globe. 1t is of the utmost value to US
that we are distinctly heterogeneous
people.
Where else on the earth do we find
a people with the blood of nearly the
whole human race in it's veins? Where
else do we encounter people so free
as ours? with no class distinctions, no
class hatreds and no antagonizing in
huenceS between them. The democratic
spirit of this government has made 1t
the greatest nation in the world and we
should on this day thank God especially
that we are democratic, simple, yet
strenuous. We should and are proud of
the greatness and the grandeur of the
United States, but like true Christians
we are not puffed up over it.
Mr.. Young epitomized the blessings
of this nation as a whole by quoting
from Proverbs: Lord give me Meth
er riches nor poverty. He then
spoke of the actions of the people in
showing their appreciation of the
pie of a nation SO bountifully blessed
as this one should not fail to practice
right living" the speaker Numbered.
I'VE should strive to live up to the
upright life. If we live as we should
and God keeps on showering on us
the blessings that he has been shower
ing on US we should attain to the
highest standard that a nation has
ever attained on this earth and there
is no telling what we might not have"
Other Pastors Assist.
All the ministers of the churches in
the downtown district participated in
the joint services. The Rev. j. A.
Renwick. pastor of the United Pres
byterian church, opened the services
by reading selections from the Bible;
the Rev. F. L. Hayes, pastor of the
First CONGREGATIONAL church led in
i. >.
of the First Baptist church. delivered
the sermon and the Rev. Stephen S.
Estey, pastor of the First Presbyter-
ian church, pronounced the benedic-
ton.
Other pastors who were present
took the parts of laymen in the SER
vice but this appeared to be greatly
to their liking. The church was ar
tistieally decorated and was packed
with worshipers long before the hour
1890, when the services began. The
musical programme was arranged by
the choir of the First Presbyterian
church and Thanksgiving psalms
echoed alike from hundreds of threats
and formed one of the really interest
ing features of the service.
AT the Other Churches.
Other services held in city churches
were held Jointly by districts and fol-
low: The Rev. P. B. Lee, pastor of
the Seabrook Congregational church,
delivered the sermon at the Lowman
Hill Meth dist Episcopal church in
the southwest district. The church
was beautifully decorated and the
congregation large and attentive.
The Rev. G. w. Stafford, pastor of
the Kansas Avenue M. E. church de-
livered the sermon at the North To-
peka Congregational church. Not all
the worshipers could get in the build
ing and many sought other places of
worship. The sermon was listened to
with much attention, the singing was
excellent ana the service one oI the
most inspiring of any that took place
For the East side a joint service
was held at the Third Presbyterian
church, the Rev. Mr.. Johnston, Isls-
tor of the East Side Methodist Episco-
pal church, preached.
In Oakland the joint service was a.
the Christian church, the Rev. S. B. |
Lucas, pastor of the Oakland Presby-
terrain church, delivered the sermon. |
All of the other churches in the dis
trict of Greater Topeka not included |
in the groups above mentioned held |
services of their own.