The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-12-02
THANKSGIVING SERVICES
WERE WELL ATTENDED
DIR. SWIFT DELIVERED EIO-
QUENT ADDRESS IN GRACE
EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

Services Were Held Jointly by Bap-
list, Presbyterian, Methodist and
Grace Episcopal churches Thurs
day Morning.
The annual union Thanksgiving
services of the congregations of the
Presbyterian, Baptist, Grace Episco-
pal and Methodist churches was held
in the Episcopal church Thursday
morning at 10:30 o'clock. The ad-
dress was given by Rev. w. H.
Swift, ID. D., pastor of the First
Presbyterian church. The text was
from Psalms 1904.
The church was packed on
Thanksgiving morning to hear the
eloquent sermon and the special mu-
sic by the choir. DR.. Swifts words
, were highly patriotic and in speak
', ing of immigration he said that mas
much as the foreigner was called up
on to do three-fourths Of the work
in many lines of the country's man
ufacturing, it was the duty of the
church to instruct and inspire in
them the patriotism that every Amer
lean feels, Immigrants should not
be disbarred; but they should be
Americans for their help is needed.
Thankfulness is only another
name for thoughtfulness, he said,
land is largely the result of habit.
Optimism, the disposition to take the
most hopeful view of the situation,
because we believe God is on the
throne, and proposes the highest
good. 1t comes from thinking sane
Go
the bright side of things.
He reviewed the effects of Holland
on our early government, since the
landing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth
Rock Our laws, he said, came indi.
rectly from Holland.
That is the best kept Thanksgiv-
ing Day." he said, (which sees the
conservation of the brain and heart
and will be the erection of monu-
ments-not of granite and marble
but institutions instinct with life and
blessings whose influence shall
mould and shape the coming citizens
for unselfish service. Patriotism ex-
presses itself in the moral and in
tellectual development of the COM
munity. No narrow horizon must
shut us in to-day.
THE Stars and Stripes are at
home wherever Christian education
and the Christian religion are per
mitted and take the land and fill it
with churches. The truest patriot
ism is Christian patriotism. We do
not, he said, put the flag above the |
cross, but we do claim that he who |
understands what the cross means:
he who reads Alright the mission of |
the church; he who has confidence
in our holy religion and believes it
to be the divine inspiration designed |
to make earth what it should be; to
finally dictate legislation, is just as
loyal to the flag that floats over him.
I'VE ought to be thankful" said
DR.. Swift, "to-day that the great |
truths which gave tone to the char
acter OF the fathers and still lives
in their sons, can give tone to the |
character of the horde coming to our
shores every year. The problem of !
Immigration is big problem. The
Transformation of the immigrant is
not problem, but glorious oppor-
tunity for the church. She is fully
liable to cope with it, otherwise a wise |
Providence would not have put the
task in her hands,
The other pastors held Thanks
giving services in their respective
churches. At St. Mary Magdalen's
church DR.. Balta delivered the .
Thanksgiving sermon at nine o'clock
in the morning. Special mass was
held at seven o'clock. At st. Johns
Catholic church a special sermon was
delivered by Rev. Father O'Toole.
Special mass was conducted at seven
e clock. Rev. c. c. Miller of st. |
Johns Evangelical church conduct
'ed special Thanksgiving service in
the German Lutheran church Thurs
day morning at the usual hour.