The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-09-13
RAISED
S684 ON SUNDAY
Drs. Swift, Hitler, and
Homer Greene Speak
ST. JOHNS EVANGELICAL LU-
THERAN CHURCH HAS BEEN
GREATLY BEAUTIFIED.


Six hundred and eighty-four dol
lars was raised at the three services,
last Sunday, marking the recon-
secration of St. Johns Evangelical
Lutheran church, Rev. c. G. Miller,
pastor.
At the morning service, strong
German sermon was delivered by
Pastor Miller. Sonner's orchestra
assisted the choir in the rendition of
the festival music. The singing of
Testified " composed by Pastor
Miller, featured the Hauptgottes-
dienst.
A platform service was held in
the afternoon at $3.50 o'clock when
congratulatory addresses were made
by Rev. w. H. Swift, d. D., pastor
of the First Presbyterian church.
Rev. w. H. Hitler, pastor of the
Central Methodist Episcopal church,
and Homer Greene, Esq.
Since St. Johns is an Independent
German Lutheran church, with no
synodical connection, she is not
obliged to live up to the famous
Galesburg Rule, viz. Lutheran pull
pits for Lutheran pastors, and Lu-
theran affairs for Lutheran COM
municants,' and is accorded a larger
measure of freedom in the admins
tration of her internal affairs.
True Conservation was the
fitting subject of Doctor Miller's
sermon at the Vesper service, which
was largely attended as were, in
fact, all the services of the day.
The vestry of the church is COM
posed of Rev. c. c. Miller, presl-
dent, ex-officio; Edward Welsch,
second president; Theo. A. Dreyer,
secretary; C. Roeschlau, treasurer;
Messrs. G. w. Peil, G. A. Rippel, l.
A. Hartman, w. J. Haggerty.
$500 was spent this Summer in
beautifying the interior of the edi-
flee. Many favorable comments
were made on the. improved appear
ance of the beautified sanctuary,
which was made possible by the de-
voted and self-sacrificing efforts of
pastor and people.
Mr.. Greene's address follows:
Il am here to-day because | be-
lieve in the efficiency of the
church as moral and spiritual
( force in her community. AS
rule the condition of the church
building and it's attractiveness
reflects the spirit and the spiritu-
ality of the people who worship
in it. Judged by that standard, st.
Johns church is awake, progress
siye and spiritual. 1t has meant
great effort and much sacrifice
to accomplish what you have done.
But you have been wonderfully
successful and you have done the
work without any blare of trum-
pets or beating of drums; but in
that quiet, earnest, persistent way
that is characteristic of the Ger
man race. 1t does not require
noise to make a church pow
er in a community. You will re-
member that God was not in the
lightning, nor in the tempest,
nor in the whirlwind, but in the
still small voice. And so, with
zeal that marks the people OF
this faith, in your own quiet un-
obtrusive but unfaltering way,
you have been faithful to your
pastor and to your God; and
what is better than all else you
have lived your religion in your
homes.
"When | think of your mighty
Martin Luther, l do not think SO
much about that day when he
nailed his theses to the church
QOOT dL WlIl6lnDSIS VI IhoI uoy
when he burned the Pope's bull
on the University Campus, as do
of those many years that he spent
in his home in the old monastery
at Wittemberg, with his beloved
and devoted wife Kathe, sur
rounded by his group of laughing
children, the best example that
the sixteenth century can show of
the big-brained, large hearted,
loving and God-fearing husband
| and father.
And so, in the path broken by
him for your four hundred years
ago, you people of this faith have
marched on, believing as he be-
lieved, singing as he sang: Elm
feste burg ist unser Gott,' and
! finding as he found your mightiest
fortress, your strongest tower of
defense in the God your fathers
worshiped in the years gone by.