The Washington herald., 1914-12-27
IN THE REALM OF RELIGION
What Church People
Are Saying and Doing.

OVLOOV 0O0tVS
y,
Years reception and linrn shower from
to O'clock on Friday, when Mrs
Champ Clark. Miss Genevieve Clark, Mrs.
John M Nelson and Misses Agnes and
Ruth Nelson will assist.
Watch night services will be held, be-
ginning at Z p. m. "A special invitation
is extended to Presbyterians for the first
hour, to Lutherans for the s O'Clock
service. to Methodists at 3 O'Clock. 10
Episcopalians and Baptists at 10 o'clock.
and to all denominations at IL O'Clock.
At the last named hour H. W. Kline.
superintendent Of the mission. win pre-
side.
The Christmas entertainment Of Beth
any Baptist Sunday School will be held
on Wednesday evening, December %. at
s p. m. The committee having >the en-
tertainment in charge consists OF Deacon
W. E. Marsh. as chairman, and Fred
erick Bradford, vice chairman. The
other members Of the committee are Mrs.
W. L. Marsh. Miss Edna Marsh. Mr.. and
Mrs. Raymond Owens. Miss Mary Wind
sor. Everett +. Haycraft, Mr.. and Mrs.
J. W. Jenkinson. John 7. Dent, Miss
Emma l. Wilkins. Mr.. and Mrs. W. z
Vaughan, Horace Stevenson, Miss Eliza
beth Harris. Miss Ruth Carter. Miss
Beulah Harvey and Miss Sarah Harvey.
They promise the best entertainment yet.
The Tskoma Park Presbyterian Sunday
school Christmas entertainment viii be
held next Wednesday evening at o'clock.
II will be a giving entertainment. and
every class will bring some article for
the reliAf Of the 0f ha l. 1,a
members Of the classes win be dressed
to represent the character of their gifts
The corner stone of the new St
Johns Church. Bethesda, Nd, in the
diocese of Washington has been laid by
the Archdeacon OF Washington. assist
ed by the rector, the Rev. James Kirk
patrick. and by the Bethesda Lodge Of
Masons. This church takes the place
of the one burned to the ground early
last spring. and under favorable build
ing conditions should be finished next
February.
The question of the protection of
churches from war risks has been
raised in England. The increasing
stringency of the precautions taken by
the authorities in London to protect
the city from aerial bombardThent is,
perhaps, largely responsible for the
current discussion of this matter. No
great amount of insurance business
seems to have been done in this direc-
tion as yet; ordinary fire policies, of
course, do not cover war risks OF any
kind. Westminster Abbey. It is un-
derstood, has been insured for a rela-
lively small sum. That sacred and his
toric building. we may be sure, would
be made the target OF any marauding
Zeppelin. The Abbey authorities prob
ably take the view that no large in
surance could possibly cover any great
that might be done. and have
decided merely to protect themselves
against the risk OF minor damage.
A Chicago Sunday school is being re-
organized in a way to abolish the Of
fee OF superintendent. The commission
form OF government of cities is the
model OF the new order. One of these
commissioners has charge of the plat
form work, another of the teachers,
and a third is responsible for the
music.
The Federal council of churches has
just created a Commission on the
Church and Country Life, with Clifford
PinchOt as chairman. 1t has located
its headquarters at Columbus, and will
take up first a survey OF rural life in
the State of Ohio. For a time the coun-
ell maintained a temporary office in
cooperating with the
Home Mission Council, representing all
home mission societies. or nearly all.
The council has now, on its own ac-
count, made the Washington office per-
manent and from 1t will hereafter di-
rect some lines Of the councils national
work.
The council takes up and pushes also
the plan for the use of part of public
school hours, probably Wednesdays, for
religious instruction OF children, the
same to be given in parish houses. not
In public school buildings, and under
direction OF pastors of the churches.
Larger measures have been decided on
for religious work during the Pana-
Exposition; for more effect |
i've work by chaplains of the navy, in |
creased in number recently from
to f1fty-two; and for cele-
brations of anniversaries Of great
events, like the martyrdom of John
auss. coming next July, and the start |
1f the Protestant Reformation. occur |
ring in 1917.
Earl Roberts was one Of the compara-
lively few, even among church people, /
who kept up the custom of family i
prayers. One of his last letters, recent |
y quoted in the House of Lords, con-
aimed the following reference to the |
practice of his household: I'VE have had
amily prayers for fifty-five years. Our
,hief reason is that they bring the house
lold together in a way that nothing else
an. 1t insures servants and others who
nay be in the house joining in prayers,
which for one reason or another they /
nay have omitted saying by themselves.
Since the war began we usually read a |
prayer like the inclosed, and when any
hing important has occurred tell those
resent about IL In this yuav have Ro,,y,t |