The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-04
OPENED BY EVANGELIST BROWN Began at First Christian
 Church Yesterday RENDER GOOD MUSIC Evangelist Breaches on Importance of Communion Service-Says Only
 Lack of Energy Can Pre-
 vent Big Revival
GOOD MUSIC

The great revival meeting of a months duration slated for the First Christian church under the direction of Roy l.. Brown opened yesterday morning at the Il o'clock worship with a sermon on "Christ's Memorial Day." delivered by the visiting evangelist. D. Emmet Snyder. so- loist and musical supervisor. and R. L. Brown, Jr., are assisting in the series and the number composing the volunteer choir is expected to rapidly increase with
 in the next few days.
 Dr. A. R. Moore, the pastor of the First Christian church, presented Evan gelist Brown to his congregation as a well coming preliminary to the services about to begin. The vocal solos of MT. Snyder and the cornet accompanments to the chorus singing rendered by R. L. Brown. Jr., composed the musical features of the morning that were greatly enjoyed.
 With a predatory reading from the eleventh chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians as the cornerstone of the dis course, MT. Brown chose theme appro- priate to the observance of Communion Day. and said in part as follows:
 There is only one thing that could stand in the way and keep this revival from being a great success, and that is lack of energy. You have every other requisite for the continuation of a great forward step-your beautiful church home, a federated body of members and cen- tral location. Let us turn our energies over to God and see with what a mag nificent meeting He will reward us. '
 Men to Admire
 '1 believe that we all admire men who will speak their conviction directly and earnestly, and for that reason l have always thought unusually well of the Apostle Paul. As the scripture reading that l have just concluded shows, Paul did not praise those to whom he preached, but rather told them bluntly of their wrong deeds.
 q wish to direct your attention to one of the verses 1 have just read, which embodies the last request of Jesus Christ. He said, DO this in remembrance of Me- and gave us the Lords supper as Q monu- ment to His martyrdom. There is an inl- planted desire in the heart of every hu- man to be remembered after his death, and no man can help but think with anguish of any time that he might be forgotten by his closest friends and rela- tives- when he has passed away. This final admonition of our Lords is consd- | cred by many people to be a command
 ment, but it means more to me when treated as a request.
 How often we give heed to the last re- quest of our dying loved ones and make every effort to carry out their dying wishes even at our sacrifice and dscom- fiture. If this be true in our material life, should be not prove all the more ready to acquiesce with Chrst's last wish that we should commemorate His mem- ory with the communion service. When We receive the loaf that symbolizes His body and sup the wine that represents His blood. we are lingering around the last words of the worlds greatest Man. who conquered death and stteth on the right hand of God, the Father. I truly say that l have never known a man or woman to become a backslider who has regularly observed the Lord S supper service, and I never expect to see it happen. The first step away from the kingdom is a negligence of communion service.
 Chirst's Monument
 We erect monuments to great men, places and events, but Christ has left His own monument in His feast day. Throughout the north and south Memorial Day Is celebrated to honor the memories of those who have died on the battlefield so how much more should we as Chris | tians gather around the communion board to set our minds in action of the Man
 whose blood was shed as an atoning power for the whole world, that we might be purified in mind and body? Some people go to communion through custom, making it after a time only a matter of form which is not in accord ance with the true spirit of religion. Some persons refuse to commune from trivial reasons and refusal in those cases is re- bellion. Some people neglect it, and 1t gradually comes to count for nothing in their lives, whereas it should be the one important occasion of their church life. All over the United States today, one- half of the church members are robbing God of their presence around the com munion table.
 T love the south and the southern peo- pie, combined sentiment that makes me very glad to be among you here. If I ever decide to take up permanent ministerial duties again I am coming south. As a parting word, let me say that we must make more of this communion service, even if we have to preach shorter ser mons, because it is the vitalizing center of the church the spiritual need of every member"
 Services will be held every evening at 7:30 o'clock with a song service. The pub- lie has been invited to attend the meet | ings.
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