Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-09-18

y
custom, though new to US, is in entire
harmony with the taste and practice
OF very large number of the churches
o. the Congregational order. Its his
tory may be traced from the time of
Aaron through the priesthood and the
prophets, through the Christian church
for 1000 years, to Luther Calvin,
Knox and the other reformers down to
the great Puritan preachers It is
used by nineteen twentieths of Chris
tendon today.
Redecoration and Rearrangement.
Secondly, We have been doing some
notable things. Earlier in the year
the chapel received a thorough reno
walton. This has been worthily sue
ceeded by the mora ambitious and Sc
rious undertaking of redecoration and
Encouragement of the whole interior of
our main audience room. 1t was al
ways regarded as worthy omen when
the ancient worshippers took pleasure
in the stones of the temples worship.
Every great revival and qnickening of
the Christian faith was signalizad by
the building or repair and rededication
of the holy sanctuary. 1t is certainly
not the sign Of vigorous spiritual life
to let the outward structure or equip
ment fall into disrepair. The spirit
which allows the cruanble and ruin of
these venerable shrines was not the
spirit of great and bouyant religious
feeling.
New Era in Church Music.
Thirdly, and lastly, and perhaps
best of all, we inaugurate a new era in
our church music We have already
made a good beginning, but / am sure
we shall make that more effective by
the use of a great organ. Thanks to
the noble generosity of one of our con-
gregation, we inaugurate practically a
new instrument And. best of all, we
dedicate it to the memory. of one
whose name IN this church is as ONT
ment poured forth-a man who has
served this church in the elevation of
the standard of musical service as no
other of his contemporaries could have
done.
Monument to Major Learned.
| count it as one of the happiest
omens that the name of Major Learned
is to be forever associated with the
musical services of this church and
that this is to be his chief monument.
When we were defeating a tablet to
, his long service to the Sunday school
l said we could put memorials to him
with equal propriety in every nook and
corner of this church building, for he
served the church in every capacity in
which layman could serve his
church. l would like to see his fidelity
as church officer commemoratad who
took with the office all the duties ap
pertaining thereto. To this man the
church was the great thing in the
community. calling for the best he
had. l never knew a layman who
had a nobler and more exalted ideal of
the sacredness of the church of Christ.
And SO we find him giving his utmost
of fidelity to every department of the
churchs life. He never let his own
business interfere with the church
business or overlap in any way. 1t
was this same basis of fidelity which
lent power and efficiency to what was
his supreme service to his church in
it's musical services. OF course his
equipment was ample. He had a per
feet ideal of what sacred music should
be, a spiritual ideal of the function
music should take as a spiritual force
in worship. and he brought all this
unequaled Punishment to bear upon
making music the uplifter of the spir-
itual life of congregation. He was
not in the choir to exploit a personal
gift: he was there to make music the
servant of God to exalt the praise and
the glory of the infinite goodness and
to this ideal all his work bent and
bowed.
Surpassed Others.
He surpassed other men in exalting
spiritual effect and impression above
artistic expression. 1t was because of
these things our debt to him was so
great, and it is for this great service
he brought US we rejoice today that his
name and memory are to be insepara-
BILE from this part of our weekly re-
ligious worship of Almighty God. 1t
is, know, to everyone a supreme
ground Of congra tulation that we can
dedicate to his memory this rebuilt and
practically new organ.
In the old temple service it was sig
nifieantly said that when the sacrifices
were offered then the music rose and
flooded the whole valley. This year
seems one of generous deeds. The giver
of this organ made this offering as the
spontaneous outburst of a generous
regard for the church's good and we
shall be disappointed if the joy and
gladness of the hour and of the future
will not compensate for the sacrifice
made.