Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-22
TELLS STUDENTS OF
THEIR FUTURE WORK
PASTOR breaches GRADUA.
TON SERMON
Normal School Class Attends Firs;
Congregational CHURCH In Body
and Hears Interesting
Address

"A NOukTtkdLlOudi
yesterday morning Rev. William Hor-
ace Day, the pastor, preached the grad
uation sermon for the Los Angeles nor
NAL school class of 1908. The faculty
and the. graduating class occupied seats
of honor and DR.. Jesse +. Millspaugh,
the president of the school, assisted In
the service. In addition to the regular
musical service by organist and choir,
Harry Clifford Lott sang by special
request.
Mr.. Days text was Matthew 20;2s:
mon ministrari sed ministrare."
Latin Vulgate) 1T came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister"
Here Jesus contrasts the selfish and
the sacrificial life. Had we been in
Babylon $50 years B. c. we might have
seen the same contrast. Standing be-
side the great avenue which led from
palace to temple, lined with the great
bas reliefs with which the greatest
sculptors had adorned the way, we
could have seen the king, evil Nero
dach, driving his chariot to worship
Marduk. His name meant Servant of
Marduk, and he tried to prove himself
great by flashing to his chariot pole two
men clad In robes of purple with gold
circlets of royalty on their brows.
1.-The Arabian kings he compelled to
do his will that he might prove his
great ness. Had we left the cheering
multitude and gone to "a suburb we
might have found a poet prophet OF
the exiles from Hebrew city depicting
One whom he called Eved Jehovah
Servant of Jehovah. In contrast to the
ideals of Babylon and its idol, the
Servant Of Marduk, he placed the Ser
want of Jehovah, who was exalted and
lifted up because he was despised and
rejected of men and poured out his
soul unto death, great, not because ne
could lord 1t over men, but by serving
many. Centuries later Christ came and
fulfilled the ancient ideal. saying Non
ministunri sed ministrare.'
Idea at Heart of Religion
"AlI higher religions demand some
form of service. For us In America Dut
two religions are OF practical signifi-
cance-the religion of Israel and that
OF Christ.
Abraham left home and kin to found
a new nation and faith that all the ma
lions of the earth might be blessed.
That purpose to serve humanity which
was given the Father of the Faithful
eliminated In the highest hour OF Is
rael's vision--in the hearts Of those
great prophets who spoke as God's mes
sengers. Even more clearly we see SER
vice at the heart of Jesus preaching.
This Jewish carpenter, who more than
any other figure In history has made
the moral and religious life we live,
defined religion In the terms of service
to man. He began by preaching in the
synagogue OF his home village that the
Lord had anointed him to preach the
gospel to the poor.
"Many of us call ourselves by the
name Of Christ. There are many de-
nominations, but one life, and that the
life described in this text: Non min
istrari sed ministrare.' We must de-
eide between being servants OF Mar
duk, self-centered, or servants or Je-
hoyah. Christ centered.
.The message of religion Is not only
n command to service, but a promise
that through service we reach the most
superb success. The year l began my
ministry In Chicago a professor in the
theological seminary was debating TINS
question: shall I give up my home
In this pleasant neighborhood ana take
LEGGED? Would 1t be right to take my
children to that environments
Was Gods Call
'The crowded mass, the social blind
ness and misery spoke to the conscience
and Professor and Mrs. Taylor peiie C,ss
1t was Christ's call to them, and chi
cago Commons was founded. The re-
suits illustrate the point before US.
Graham, IT., fitted for Harvard. Wnlie
there one of his friends, the son OF
Russian Jewish immigrant, wrote TO
him, referring to the boys VINO stayed
at home that he might go, and con-.
ciuded by saying: Return In glorious
light the oil so freely poured into the
lamp of your iife.' Do you think you
would have used your educational OPP
Dortunities less earnestly because you
had made friends with boys like that?
You need not be told that. for era
ham, ir., has been an exceptionally able
man. for life In the Seventeenth WARD
heined him to appreciate his chance.
For him the way of sacrifice which his
narents chose was the way to unusuai
success. Still more true was II or Fro
lessor Taylor himself. He has become
q great social force.
Thousands of students In our Amer
lean colleges have felt the touch or the
character which grew In the garden or
self abnegation. The municipal life OF
Chicago is today different thing from
what It was when Professor Taylor ana
n little group of patriotic men went INTO
tha Municipal league. Through their
work in publishing the political his
torv of every candidate for office they
have driven the Gray Wolf from the
CITY council. When he accepted the
wav of the cross as the path OF the
true. Christian life he was unconscious
ly deciding to become one or Americas
dynamic men. =. sa,,.-
ions life is service and II the life OF
service be the way to successful char-
acter. then your highest work as teach
ers or lessons is to be measured by
YOUR ability to train young Americans
for the life of service.
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