The Cairo bulletin., 1910-07-25
REV, THOMPSON OF FIRST CHRIS.
TiAN CHURCH, GIVES BEAU.
TiFUL STORY.
ONLY TOLD THE HALF.
Giving History of Oberammerorau
Great Drama, and Synopsis of
Acts--Finish UP
Next Sunday.

/ "a" obNiiliiiItdi al W LlGh MIS- " nave
been given July II was given last
tnignt by Rev. Frank Thompson of the
First Christian church He had not
time to finish it, SO will do so next
Sunday evening He gave a deserip-
ton and the history of the Passion
| Play, and then discussed it by acts.
Rev. Thompson gave seven of the
fifteen acts. The following is the
lecture in part:
The Passion Play was given as
| far back as the twelfth century, but
in the sixteenth century when wars
devastated Germany and Bavaria,
| these people had little time or oppor-
tunity to serve God after this fashion.
As a remote consequence of the war,
| a plague swept over the country ana
whole families and villages We're de-
stfoyed. Oberammargiau enforced
strict quarantine and escaped this
lealamity for long time, until one
honest man with an uncomfortable
desire to see his wife and children
broke through the quarantine, Fear
ful retribution followed and in a short
time half the village was stricken
dead or dying. In their extremity the
Oherammergans remembered their
neglect of presenting the Passion
Play and vowed to God, if he would
remove the plague they ana their
! oh fi1rap nj oh ,l,.t
would present it at the proper time,
forever
The Play.
Booming of cannon on the hillside |
announced the beginning of the play |
The orchestra entoneG harmonious |
melodies; the great audience hushed; |
right upon procen.rm and the worlis |
right upon premium and the worlds |
great drama, the Passion Play. has
begun.
"A tableau introduces the first act, |
The Fall of Man" There is the
Garden of Eden, with fruits and
flowers; there is Adam and his beau.
tiful wife. first a sin, first a sufferer;
there is the tree of life, with the for
hidden fruit there is Satan in the
form Of serpent; there is the Angel |
with flaming sword This act shows
the triumphant entry Of Christ iutc |
Jerusalem and the purifying of the
temple the confusion of the money |
changers and the fury of the priests.
The second tableaux is the Sons |
# Jacob planning to get rid of their
brother Joseph because they are
Jealous of him. The second act was
the Sanhedrin scheming to get rid of
their elder brother
THE third act shows the home of |
Simon at Bethlehem. where the WON
an annonted Christs feet with
precious perfumes and dried them |
with her dark tresses. and the dis
comfort Of the dark-browed Judas at |
the wasteful extravaganza Then |
came the touching scene of Jesus tell
ing His mother goodbye He plainly
told her that He was going to Jeru-
salem where He would be killed and
that this was the last time she would \
see Him on earth.
Some cried when Adam and EveH
were driven out of the garden; others
wept with Peter when he betrayed
Christ; some cried aloud at the sound \
of the hammer when the nails were |
driven into the palms of Christs |
hands, and il is said one woman |
tainted when the soldier thrust the |
spear into the Savior's side, but near.
| ly every one was bathed in tears
when Christ said good bye to His
mother.
The fourth act portrays the jour |
| ney to Jerusalem and soliloquy OF |
Judas, when he was debating with
himself whether to betray his Master.
Here the speaker gave a dramatic
| impersonation of the character Of
| Judas and actedd out the fourth act
very effectively.
The fifth act was the Institution
Of the Lords Supper 1t showed the
washing of the disciples feet and
also the grief and confusion among
the apostles when they were told
that one Of them would betray the
| Master.
THE sixth act Is the Sanhedrin in
session Judas was there, parlying
and bargaining to sell the Christ
The resentment of Nicodemus and
Joseph of Aramothea at the unjust
and unlawful condemnation of Christ,
THE seventh act is the Garden of
lGethsemene, This act shows Judas;
the disciples; the agony: the prayer;
the comforting angel; the wounded
SOLDIER the healed wound: the fee
ing apostles; the rush of soldiers and
Christ--a prisoner"
Rev, Thompsons audience was
very attentive, and received his lee
ture with the greatest interest The
large crowd Is expected to be in
creased next Sunday, when Rev
IThompson will give the second part
lof the lecture. He talked last even.
ing more than an hour, but the time