The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-20
TWENTY SIXTH CONVENTION OF
MONTANA CONGREGATION
ALISTS BEGINS.
MODERATOR IS ELECTED
Rev. n. n. Thoren of Big Timber
Succeeds Rev. Dwight S. Bailey of
This cisy-Sermon on The Con-
seiousnsss of Power" Is Feature of
FIRST oay-Program Is Condensed.

Tn" 26th annual convention of the
Montana Association of congregational
churches Mas called To order yester-
day afternoon at the Congregational
church in this city by the moderator.
ReN. Dwight :. Bayley. pastor of the
local church. \ full attendance of del
egat"s faced the presiding officer and
gay" strict attention to his remarks
on calling the meeting tn order Rev.
III. II. Thoren OF Big Tin Der was
elected moderator for the ensuing year.
while Rev I'll. \. Blakeway was chosen
to act as scribe during thu convention
After hearing the reports Of several
standing committees, appointed last
year, the meeting adjourned until even
ms.
Evening Session.
At the second session program Of
great interest Was carried out. An
address oi welcome was made by Pro-
icssur l.. Z. Plant Of the university. in
winch he Very graciously set forth Ger
tain reasons Why the association was
welcome To the Garden city and TO the
entertaining church. To this address
! the moderator, Rev. II. Fl. Thoren, Ph.
ID, of Big Timber. made graceful re-
I ply ON behalf OF the association.
Following this. Mrs Dwight :. Bay
ley sang beautifully The Publican
The scripture was then read and prayer
offered by Rev. l.. H. Flint OF Great
Falls. after which the annual sermon
was preached by Rev. Dwight : Bay
ley, pastor Of the local church The
subject Of the sermon was The Com
scinusness OF Power" and the text
was taken from. Luke, 4:lS-lg-"The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me. because
Tie hath anointed me to preach good
ttdings to the poor. He hath sent me
to proclaim release to the captiyes. and
recovering Of sight IL the blind: to
set at liberty them that are bruised: to
proclaim the acceptable year OF the
Lord" Following is summary of MIR.
Bayley's sermon:
/. The words OF the text We're quoted
by Jesus frcm the prophet Isaiah. They
had been originally spoken at the close
OF the eNie. when the peopl. were
free To return TO their own land.
Thrilling within himself Isaiah felt the
power Of JehoVahs spirit impclling
him to announce To the people their
freedom. IL Is of deep interest to note
that our New Testament words gospel
and preaching are IL b. traced di-
rectly to their origin in the message
of the pnst-e exile prophet
Nov, these very words of the Did
prophecy are taken by Jesus in the
presence OF His OWN townspeople in
the synagogue and applied to Himself.
How dramatic is the situation! He
whom the people had known as
Joseph. the carpenters son, declares
these mighty words are finding in Him
their fultiilmvnt. He MAS conscious OF
His power: but the, could not and
would not believe it Yet this very
consciousness OF Divine power. ut
which the people Of Nazareth stum-
bled. II what both ministers and lay
workers in the churches most need.
This consciousness Of power in
wolves two necessary elements. First.
the realization of great task. and.
second. the conviction of q great pres
enc" The contrast between these and
the lack OF them may be forci-
bly, illustrated by TWO familiar
incidents from scripture. one OF these
is the story of the impotent staff.
The child of the Shumanite woman
had died. and. in her distress. she
sought the prophet In response. Ge-
4iA1t, Att ItIbltlifk servant, l8hh MS
masters staff and ran ahead To revive
the child But the passing of the
prophets staff over the face Of the
child MAS OF no avail Gehuzi neither
realized thr greatness d: the task nor
had the Divine pres nee, which alone
could give power.
David's Victory.
The other incident j. that Of the
victorious sling. the story nf puvids
fight against Goliath. David had his
sling. but his confidence was in God.
He knew the seriousness of the con-
htct but he had a mighty conviction
of Gods presence. Hear him CRY, AS
he advances t. meet the Philtstine
blasphemer: Thou CONTEST tn me with
a sword, ana with Il spear. and with
a jaVelin; hut | come t. thee in the
name Of Jehovah ot hosts He was
victorious.
often during the life OF Jesus
there came 10 Him an ovcrpowering
sense ~ thu greatness of His task. In
the third temptation. Mhrn the devil
showed him the kingdoms Of the
world and offered him possession of
them in return for his worship and
subsv"vience. clearly HE saw from that
easIrcnce that the way uf HIS Father