Norwich bulletin., 1911-03-30
FIFTH UNION LENTEN
SERVICE AT TRINITY CHURCH.
Rev. cranston Brenton Of Trinity Col
Iege Was the Special Preacher.

Like all the other places of public
gathering on Wednesday night in this
city, Trinity Episcopal church had it's
electric lights all cut off for good
Fart OF the evening Through the sud-
den disablemcnt OF the city lighting
plant. and the congregation present for
the fifth of the midweek united Lent
en- services heard most Of the sermon
delivered in the dim light shed by two
GaS jets at the side Of the organ in the
available when the electricity failed.
Only one or two apprehensive members
of the congregation Were SO nervous
that they accepted the suggestion made
by Archdeacon ]. Eldred Brown, If
they felt compelled, to. 60. When the
service began the lights were burning
all right. but just before the time for
the sermon they went out. When the
two gas jets had been lighted. Arch
deacon Brown stated that the preach
er Of the evening, Rev. Cranston Bren-
ton, professor of English literature at
Trinity college, was ready to deliver
his sermon, and the service proceed
ed regularly to its close.
Speaking from the text Hosea xiv:
l, 20 Israsl return unto the Lord, thy
God" the visiting preacher delivered
q sermon OF practical application and
lessons for the present day and the
Lenten season that was listened to
with appreciation by his hearers.
Hosea's words in the text, he said, were
written at time in the history Of
Israel Of great national prosperity, but
with the attendant evils of a luxury
loving people. vena1 courts and judges,
corruption in politics-conditions that
prevailed not alone among the rich, but
also among the poor. The people still
went to church, but it was to listen to
false prophets, who preached unto
them Smooth things" and the nation
was fast following after the idolatrous
practices of their neighbors. Then we
read what happened to a people that
were trusting only to the material
things. In spite of their sin, God low
ed them vet, but because he was just
his judgments must be visited upon
them. Then Hosea stood before the
people trying to stem the tide of evil
that was flowing over them.
Is 1t not now true that we are de-
pending too much on material things
on position and power and place, rat1l-
er than on Almighty God? Are we not
If things seem going WELL too content
to push the future beyond our reach
There was this terrible, self satisfac-
ton and self cornplacency to be fought
against in Hosea's time 1t was
sage, and it confronts Your rectors to-
day. There is need of prophet to
stand before the people and shake
them out of this self satisfied feeling.
WCuld tndL II might be pOSSlDIe 1Or us
to realize what we are in the sight of
Almighty God. It is a time to take
stock, as it were to know what man
ner of men we are.
In this Lenten season can you say.
that you have kept obaisetions made
by you or for you. 4 You have got to
face yourself some time. Why not
now? Salvation is not for you unless
YOU repent. and true repentance con-
sists in more than being sorry, in
promising not to do it again, and in
making restitution. 1t is an absolute
change of heart, of mind, turning your
back absolutely on that far country to
which the Prodigal joufneyed and ask :
ing nothing but the privilege of serv-
ing your Father.
If you will return to God, with him
is pardon with him peace. It il for
your own good. real vital practical
thing. ALI the suffering in your lives
has come through sin, but the power
of God can be real dynamic force to
give yeu your rightful inheritance as
the sons and children OF God. No sin
is SO great that it will separate you
from your Fathers love. Despair not
that you may return to. the Father, for
the sacrifice of God is a broken and
contrite heart, a. broken and contrite
heart he will not despise. With re-
pentence such as this let US turn to the
Lord, Our God