The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-01


 Brotherhood, which to the number or
 many thousand marched through the
 streets headed by brotherhood band Of
 music, bearing banners and mottoes ana singing the hymns of faith.
 During the convention the missionary
 steamer, the Oregon. built in the Pitts
 burg shipyards, was formally dedicated amid a throng of interested delegates. This steamer is to ply on the great water ways in the heart of the dark conti- nent
 "On Sunday morning and evening, Oc- tober r, the various pulpits in Greater Pittsburg were filled by visiting ministers, and the utmost harmony, fellowship and good will prevailed.
 Centennial Convention Service. "The most impressive feature, and the climax of our centennial celebration, was reached in the communion service in the amphitheatre of Forbes field on Sunday afternoon. It will go down into history as being the largest body of Christian people that ever assembled at one place to observe the Lords supper, in holy communion, since the ushering in of the Christian dispensation. The amphithe- atre is a great structure of cement and steel, built for observing athletic games It has roof but is open in front ana OH the sides. The programme of the alt ernoon required 100 elders and 5oo deacons' with 60 communion tables bearing the em- blems. placed conveniently throughout the vast throng seated in the amphitheatre cic ct hu stood in the field, at the front; and lead the great assembly In devotional songs. "In the hands of every attendant was placed a four-page leaf1et on which was printed the Scripture words of the in- stitution of the Supper, the prayers and VOW of conservation, together with the hymn numbers and an announcement of the offering for Ministerial relief that immediately followed the partaking of the emblems. Directed by signals given by Elder Wallace Tharp, who stood in the field in front, the programme was carried out with order and facility. With remarkable evenness and rhythm the multitude, separated from end to end of the great building by distance of nearly two city blocks, kept perfectly together in the reading. and in the pray CTS uttered in concert.
 ''The elders united in voicing the pray CT of thanksgiving for the loaf; and upon signal from Elder Tharp the dea- cons, having received the plates from the elders, dispensed the bread to the people. Afterward in like manner the cup was passed.
 af in a tional meeting-house could have sung with greater precision than did this vast assembly of people. No well ordered congregation could have observed the feast moro decently. It required only about 25 minutes for the dispensation of both emblems. The whole service lacked five minutes of an hour in length. The service was a communion service through out. It was characteristically simple and unafected It was a reverent body of worshippers, filled with the spirit of Christ whom they came together to honor discerning in this sacred service the
 Lords body and blood. Among us the simplicity of the communion service is | its beauty and its primitiveness, too. Compared With First Supper. .On this great Lords Day in 1909, the element of simplicity, both as an objec- | tive ceremony and as conception of
 the communicants, marked the points of resemblance to the original feast. In other respects the original and this were in striking contrast. The first Supper was eaten by few-those eleven faith | ful, wondering, trembling friends of the ! Master; this great centennial communion was partaken of by thousands. The first Supper was prepared in a. hidden upper room this latest supper was prepared and celebrated out in the open. facing the blue horizon and a landscape whose picturesque details of valley and bridge and beauteous building both Gods hand and mans had co-operated to produce. "The music of the first Supper was pitched in minor key. The cross was in sight. But the music of this later communion was in major key. The light l had broken. These thousands had come | to glory in the cross, not to dread 1t. | They gathered in Pittsburg 10 recount the marvellous victories that had been wrought | through and by suffering, bleeding, QyluS SdfloI. 1 uO p.A5Ci Ci O ii1o 6iN Ci PidCo to the Jubilate To and the Te Deum. Triumphant rang the song from the throats of the assembled thousands and echoed over the distant hills:
 Bring forth the royal diadem and crown him Lord of all!'
 "When the final benediction closed the last meeting of this great international centennial convention of the Church of | Christ, there passed an epoch-marking | event in religious history. "Never was the democracy of any peo- ! pie more fully manifested than in this ! convention All stood, or sat, upon a common basis. and there was no distinc- ton except the deference that was paid | to age. Neither social nor ecclesiastical l distinctions had any exclusive place in I this convention. s. "Surely no stranger could have hap 1 pened in to this convocation and failed
 to discern that the hearts of these dis
 ciples were aflame with passionate de- l sire for the union of all Gods people. "This was the theme of every address. | It recurred again and again amid mani fold variations like the motif in a sym ] phony."
 Then He Collapsed.
 | From Bits. l