The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-04-12

over 100 Baraca classes IN the State
and in Spartanburg county alone
about fifty.
Miss Daisy Eckert, national Phila-
thea field secretary, was unable to
address the convention on account OF
sickness: and Mrs. ". B. Abbott, OF
Spartanburg, spoke in her place on
the subject: 1.-THE Worldwide Phlla-
thea Movement. -
Mrs. Abbott spoke about her ex-
periences in the State Of Louisiana
where she helped to organize the
first Baraca and Philathea classes
that were organized in that State.
Mrs. Abbott is a deep thinker, and
a woman of wide experience. Speak
ing Of the differences between rellg-
ious services as carried on now and
in earlier days Mrs. Abbott said in
part:
"Our modern days are full Of SER
vices. We have Sunday school in
the morning at ten; at eleyen we
have preaching; possibly some relig-
ious service in the afternoon, and
preaching at night. In ancient times
people did not have so many rellg-
ious meetings during the Sunday.
Then it was the custom to preach
long sermons. Today we are taking
our religion IN broken doses, and no
preacher ought to more than thirty
minutes. Where they feel the need of
preaching longer it Ca usually be
remedied by little study On the part
of the preacher twoard condensation.
This will not hurt the thought or gist
of the sermon; but really help it in
mnay Instances.
i"This is an age of newspapers,
magazines, railroads, telegraph and
cable; autos, and many other mod
ern conveniences. With all these
improvements we can begin to see
what Christ meant when he said,
And greater things than these shall
ye do because go to my mather.' BY
how much better are we prepared to
do better and greater things than
could be done in the early days. In
one minute an event Of far reaching
significance can be flashed around
the globe. By means of the telegraph
or cable a cry of distress can be
heard instantly all over the earth.
Improvement in medical science has
almost made it possible to raise from
the dead. We at least are saving
thousands Of lives that could not
have been saved by physicians of
earlier days. We are living in an
age when we ought to do greater
things than in the days Of Christ.
"Vast improvements have been
made in the methods Of conducting
the Sunday school work. In the
schools of our fathers the su-
perintendents used to close the Sun
day school with a long review to find
out what the lesson was about. This
review was conducted for the benefit
of the small children. while what few
men and boys had strayed into the
school room slipped out, and stood
around the door to see the girls come
out.
"We have now found out that
men, boys and girls want to do
something. The organized class has
solved the secret of how to interest
adults in Bible study. They are put
to work. Every member Of we'll
organized Sunday school class has
something to do. Under the agency
of organized class work Sunday
schools have taken on new life.
"It is necessary to have a name
for class organized in, business
way. The word Baraca means bless
ed. It took the women seven years
to find out what a good thing the men
had in a Baraca class. At the end OF
that time they organized along the
same Lines as the Baracas had done.
They sought a name for their class.
The word Phil athea means lovers OF
truth. A beautiful motto. Only q
true lover Of truth can afford to wear
the Philathea badge.
"We must not only love truth,
but we must live the truth. God
would have US do things. He does not
hold us responsible for success. He
does hold US responsible for maxi
ing an effort. God is satisfied
nothing short of our best efforts. he
only fails who fails to try. An hon
est effort is essential if we are to
please God.
"Christ was not only the meek aad
lowly Christ. He was an athlete OF