Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-09-21
OTTUMWANS AT
. CHURCH MEETING
gkEMI.ANNuAL SESSION OF CON.
cREGATloNALlsTs At kEOsAU-
QUA WELL ATTENDED.
TO KEOKUK IN 1913
Rows. Malcolm, Dana and w. D. Spiksr
and Mrs. Frank Root Had Prem->
insrt Places on the
Program. s

Keosauuua, Sept. 1s.--The seminar
nual meeting Of the Denmark associa
ton OF Congregational churches wa
held in Keosauqua Tuesday and Wed
nesdAy September II and IS.
The next meeting of the association
will be held in Keokuk. Iowa
At the last meeting in Olds las
April the Rev. Malcolm Dana Of tn
First Congregational church OF Ottum
wa was elected moderator and Rev. w
II Bickers of Danville was made reg
istrar
Rev. II. j. wilkins. pastor Of tn
Keosauqua church and assistants me
all delegates and ministers on Tuesda!
and conducted them to hospitabl'
homes waiting to give them q warn
welcome.
At 3 o'clock Tuesday afternoon Rev
Dana called the meeting to order ant
introduced Rev. S. A. Martin of Eddy
vile, who conducted the devotional
meeting.
The organization Of the convention
was then completed by the appointment,
Of committees and the selection of Rev
j. II. Skies of Eldon as scribe. Rev
Martin of Eldon and Rev. Newell Were
appointed corresponding members. The
minutes of the meeting in Olds was
read by the registrar. Rev. Bickers.
After the business session Rev. Os-
borne, pastor of the First Congrega-
tional church in Burlington, gave an
able and scholarly address. His theme
was Robert Browning. He said no
English poet, in fact. no great English
writer can stimulate a preacher as
Browning. His gold lies deep and must
be mined. Read him as tonic. not In
a hammock, but at desk in chair
with hard seat. His obscurity lies In
his not explaining too much but too
little He expects US to do our thinking
along with him. 1t is we'll to have an
Introduction to one Of BfOwning's
poems through the many good books
written on them. Then after you know
the story read the poem, for he some
times begins his story in the middle
and writes at both ends. You must
work il you read him Understandings.
Read the difficult passages over and
over. then try to write out the thought
in prose- The work is worth while He
and Alfred Tennyson were the greatest
writer's of the nineteenth century.
Tennyson was born in 1909. Browning !
in 1912. The one was English through |
and through, the other spent much
time in Italy; one was aristocratic, |
the other democratic; the one won |
fame early. the other waited long for
Both wrote great poems
late in life. Tennyson wrote "The
Crossing of the Bar and Browning !
his "Prospice."
The evening service was opened by
excellent singing by the Congregation
al church choir of Keosauqua. The SER
G. c. Williams Of Keokuk, but as he
was unable to be present Rev. Osborne
was asked to substitute, and again an
appreciative audience heard a splendid
discourse. IT was spiritual and inspir-
ing on the text BLESS the Lord, Q My
Soul" found in the 1O3 psalm.
The sermon was followed by the sac
Bickers Of Danville and Rev. Newell Of
Fairfield.
The Wednesday morning session was
opened by devotions conducted by Rev.
Bickers. After short business meet
ing a paper on THE Place of Personal
Religion in the Redemption Work Of
the Church" was read by Rev. Spiker
Ut the Plymouth Congregational church
nf Ottumwa 1t was strong spiritual
paper with an urgent plea for more
more power. more soul de-
velopment and less emphasis placed
upon organization and machinery and
more upon individual soul growth and
personal work.
Rev Dana OF Ottunwa followed with
4 strong paper on Church Federation
In Rural Communities" The tide is 60
ing back to the country. the best talent
IS now being employed in rural COM
Cooperation in work be-
tween country neighborhoods is desir-
able when they do not overlap in use
Fulness. Have the, church the center,
the pastor the leading citizen and con-
in all good work establish
I'd between weak churches.
A helpful devotional hour followed,
ed by Rev Skiles of Eldon The text
The People that Know God Shall be
Strong and do Exploits, from the 18th
chapter of Daniel was developed in a
strong helpful way with the idea of
strength in Christian work and person
II character was emphasized.
After a short recess an excellent
Eldon on THE Organization Of Young
People for Church Work" The social {
element was emphasized. the need be-
ng recognized and provision should be
made for 1t. A plea for high standard
or young people, and sympathy with
hem by older workers in their attempt
o gain it; the value Of the personal
.Oucn was maze strong. A plea tnat
,lder ones expect not too much of +
hose who might be considered in the
baby walker Of the church The :
,oung peoples meeting is not primarily :
he place for athletes. either spiritual
n intellectual, but for beginners In the :
Christian life-a training school for c
rorkers. So long as there is a meaning p
% team work. and the gang spirit" O
. brotherhood" and "sisterhood," to q
Christian fellowship and the commun- l.
on OF SANS, SO long as we sing "Blest y
oe the tie that binds" SO long there
will be good reasons for the organiza- X
ion Of our young people. C
At 1880 p. m. Mrs. Frank l.. Root of b
)ttumwa, president Of the Denmark. O
Of the Woman's Missionary , +
,oard Of the interior, presided over =
yoman's meeting where helpful ideas 9
we're exchanged in round table Of all l
he women delegates and ministers g
wives At this same hour the advisory c
'oard Of ministers and laymen met at
he parsonage in a business session.
After devotional meeting led by y
se.. c. v. Lanholm of Webster. Miss
lydia Finger Of Chicago, field repre-