Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-03-18
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The church I'm the Home.

1he -nurcn tnc Home.
A little city of 1000 inhabitants
suffered an epidemic of scarlet fever,
which resulted in the closing Of the
schools, the clubs. the Sunday schools
and the churches. 1t was a church
going community. and Sunday brought
a strange quiet in the absence of church
bells and companies of people going TO
church. Many households wondered
how the day would be spent, and rose
with little purpose for its observance,
save to keep 1t quietly at home.
But the pastors of the dozen churches
had taken counsel with one another
seeking plan whereby they might save
the day TO the calendar of the spiritual
life of their people by some message
adapted to their situation. So they pre-
pared little service adapted for use
In the home, and a short sermon. and
hymns with music, and these they
caused TO be printed on Saturday in
the local papers of the village and scat
tered Saturday night In all the homes.
The editors were interested In help
Ing the enterprise, and gave largely of
their space to setting forth the plan,
and even secured from each minister
a little sermonette in addition to the
general homily, so that each family
could have message from its own pas
tor as well as the general sermon pre-
pared by them all.
AT the regular hour of the morning
service let every man be priest in his
own house." read the little letter which
accompanied the service, "and let no
sense of novelty deter the members of
the family from gathering for brief
service within the home"
In very many homes the plan was
carried out. The parents assembled
the children about the piano, where
they sang safely through another
week" and then united in the Lords
Prayer. Then followed the psalm and
New Testament lesson, and then the
family prayer and the sermon. There
were other hymns, There's a Wilderness
In Gods mercy" and Father, what
e'er of earthly bliss" the words and
music of which were in the papers. But
most homes contained hymn-books, and
these helped.
The service was varied In different
homes. but most families followed 1t es-
sentially as prepared Then come the
little sermon on the influence of the
home. That also was printed in the
paper. 1t told of the kinds of love that
bind the home together. 1t told of the
Joys of the home life. 1t asked that
on this day each home realize how
much 1t had within its own four walls
TO thank God for; and not to be too
sorry that for this day its members had
only God and each other and the home
And 1t pleaded that the spirit of Christ
might come more largely into the home.
In order that the home spirit might be
carried out into the world to make
a brotherhood in the spirit of Him
VINO came into home of earth to fit
men for heavenly home
Perhaps thousand homes used tho
service. Many of them testified TO the
good 1t did. In some homes where
There was sickness and quarantine. the
service was an especial blessing. In
others II was reminder of blessings
100 little appreciated. In not & few
II mad its influence in changing what
might have been day of restlessness
ana chatting under restriction into one
of glad service
When it was over, and the testimo
MES came in of the good that had been
1one. those who had devised the plan
ielt that He Who makes even the
wrath of man to praise Him had
wrought through that sickness bless.
ing TO many lives and that the silent
sunday had been among the "ai
.hings' that work together for good to
,hem that love Youths Compan-
Ion.