The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-11-29
BISHOP Mann
On THANKSGIVING
TELLS OF THE DAY AND IT'S
NATIONAL PROMINENCE AND
EMPHASIZES LESSONS TAUGHT
IN a CLASSIC CASE OF IN
GRATITUDE.

FOR his Thanksgiving DAY sermon
Blshop Mann, in the pulpit Of Geth-
semane cathedral, yesterday morning,
TOOK Tor his text Luke xvii, 10, Arise,
n go thy way; thy faith had made
thee whole.
national institution, a legal holiday for
the whole United States, a festival
inviting all Observation-Disclosures
day dates back not quite half a
century. 1t is significant that, it be-
gan in the troublesome times of the
civil war The first presidential
proclamation designating the last
Thursday of November as a day of
thanksgiving to Almighty God, for the
fruits of the harvest and all other
blessings of His providence was is
sued in 1858, while the armies Of the
north and south grimly confronted
each other.
"Of course, there have been similar
observance before; a Thanksgiving
day was observed in the New England
states from the end of the eighteenth
century and one by one other states fol-
lowed the example. George Washington
issued a proclamation recommending
Thursday, Nov. rs, 1889 as a day of
public thanksgiving and prayer
probably this was suggested to him by
the presence in the first edition of our
American prayer book, printed in 1856,
of an office entitled, A Form of Prayer
and Thanksgiving to Almighty God for
the Fruits of the Earth and All other
Blessings of His Merciful Providence.
The general idea of the festival goes
very far back of the civilizing of
North America. We can trace it in the
English Harvest Home, in Roman
Cerelia, in the Greek Tl1esmophorid, in
the Hebrew Feast of Tabernacles.
Nevertheless, it remains that as a
patriotic anniversary our Thanks
giving arose in the day of pain and
gloom, when Americans were crush
ing the corn stalks with cannon wheels
and were drenching the fading groan
with fraternal blood.
Men who do not believe there is a
God cannot be thankful to Him, no
matter how many and rich the boun-
ties they receive. Today, however, I
may claim exemption from arguing
with or against such men. Today the
sublimest religions conviction of the
nation asserts itself. Unhappily, true
though it be, most Of our citizens are
not in any place of worship this morn
ing, that the dinner and the games
and the theatres and the parties are
the popular programme-yet the ma
tional executive and laws have declar-
ed and constitute Thanksgiving day as
viz VI lAOAA4ASS ~ " NANNAA 1NASA Az
loves us Inc cares for us, who is u
heavenly Father"
The bishop quoted Bishop Butler on
gratitude, Izaak Walton, who says
that to him, a Inc morning, a meadow
flushed with prfmroSes, are not only
grand in themselves, but sweeter and
better because they give him occasion
| to be thankful for them.
"Why, yes! nobody can reasonably
| question it. The flower handed us by
our lady is livelier than any flowers
we pluck for ourselves; the dinner
| spread by our friend is merrier than
any dinner wei put on u own table;
the book or beweI given Us by our
parent or ouY child is more precious
than any we buy alta shop."
unsratefuiEess
Closing, Bishop Mann said, I'm the
narrative when my texts taken is the
classic case Of ungratefulness. Ten
miserable outcasts, groaning under the
most loathsome and defiling disease
known to man, met Jesus on the high
way. and besought Him to have mercy
upon them. In response to His COM
mand, which was implicitly a promise,
they started off to show themselves to
the authorities who would IL the facts
justified it, pronounce them cured. As
they went on their way they were
/ E6dlGu-Sl duupAAy OuN CT @1SN SSA
bletely. They were cleansed by the
will Of Jesus Christ. They all knew
II. they all exalted over. 1t. Only one
turned back, n sought the bene-
factor, and loudly proclaimed his
gratitude and alteration. Jesus said,
Were there not ten cleansed? but
where are the nine?i We behold in this
transaction only the completest and
most conspicuous revealing of what is
an exceedingly common habit and
behavior.
"It does behoove us to think, and to
rejoice in thinking, that Goo has a
high purpose, a magnificent destiny,
for this nation which He has made so
rich. 1t is our duty today to praise
Him for the power He has conferred
on our country and to pray Him tt
inspire it for the work He has assign
ed it. the building up and honest and
pure and generous society, where each
child porn into it shall have a talr
chance to earn an honorable livelihood
and to enjoy the beauty of the earth
A grateful nation means grateffui
individuals
Besides the bishop and Dean Dow
ling, Rev. H. S. Epson assisted in the
service. The service of the church for
Thanksgiving day was used. Durins
the offertory Mrs. A. ]. Stephens sang
A Psalm of Thanksgiving, by Alliston'
There was a goodly congregation.