Norwich bulletin., 1912-03-18
What Next In Forward Movement
Rev. c. H. Ewing Declares That the Churches Should Fed
crate and Outlines Work fer Committees in the Churches
Must be Kept Geing.

Rev. George H. Ewing delivered
timely sermon Sunday at the First
Congregational church. Taking as his
text, And he arose and did eat and
drink, ard went in the strength of that
meat forty days and forty nights unto
Horeb, the mount of God he said:
Elijah was the promoter of the first
Men and Religion Forward movement
1t was vigorous campaign for right
eousness. And It was a success. But
the promoter, Immediately the last big
meeting was over, fell into a wall and
cried What's the use of it all?' The
leader of the second Men and Religion
movement WAS Jonah. AS Elijah had
his juniper tree, so Jonah had his
suord and each alike prayed for death
| That was no true way to end such
brilliantly successful campaigns for
men as those on Mt Carmel and in the
city Of Nineveh. To Elijah came ac-
cordingly the inspiriting call to be
up and doing. And he responded
We have arrived at a critical period
in cur own Men and Religion move
ment in Norwich. Shall we seek the
juniper tree and wiring our hands in
| helplessr ess, or shall we eat the meat
| Of the angels" and push on to the
mount Of God? What next?
Conservation.
| The keynote of the future is conser-
| walton, as the Watchword of the past
! has been organization. 1t is proper to
ask first what we are to conserve and
| then how the conservation shall be best
effected. If / were briefly to charac-
| terize the Men and Religion Forward
movement at large, l should call it a
/ revival minus the familiar name and
| minus the traditional accomplishments
| but plus vital emphasis on religion
| for the whole man. 1t is a revival
| primarily fOr men and boys rather
than for women and girls II has an
| invitation, but it is Co and not
| Come" It sounds the social call 1t
says not Save your own SOUL" but
| Go make the world better lest you
forfeit your own life
Furthermore, it is not a spasmodiC
revival. It is nationwide and Very
nearly simultaneous, and it is laid
down IN strictly business lines. And
finally, it is a layman's revival, in
stituted by the men of the peWs, pro
claimed by the practical eloquence OF
hundreds of skilled leaders of indus
try and thousands of intelligent toilers
the country over.
FiNe-FeId Field of Effort.
w e are 10 tbuSGING ILLS " VI r III ils
five-fold field Of effort-in continued
| systematic work for boys; in unrelent-
ing emphasis on Bible study; in a con-
carted forward movement for the mas
terry Of various social problems, in q
fruitful reorganization of the church's
missionary endeavors, as well as il
earnest and loving pressure of the
Evangel of Christ upon men. All this
is meant by the conservation of this
twentieth century revival of religion.
DO YOU ask for a programme fer tine
future? l viii venture these sugges-
tons.
Federations of Churches.
1. The churches of cur several com
munions must federate. The time il
past when it was good form to make
our common journey to the mount OF
sod independently of one anotl er. We
owe 100 muck in common and we 1--WE
too great a common debt to humanity
Brothers are not merely to dwell TO-
gether in unity. they are also to WORT
| together in inter- church fellowship
The hour is ripe. 1t is the psychology.
cal moment. AS our federal govern
ment makes for strength and efficiency
in each several state, SO a fedora
council of the churches Of Norwich