Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-11-27
BE THOU A BLESSING"
A THANKSGIVING TEXT

"Today we have an international
prestige we have never had before,
due to the troublous times in war rid
den Europe Add to this all of our
individual blessings and our national
blessings of liberty, peace and pros
perity then think how easy it is to
give thanks today" This was the
optimistic opening of the address of
Rev. Perry Frederick Schrock of the
Congregational church delivered at the
Union meeting of six of the churches
of the city yesterday at the First
Christian church.
'Our many reasons for thankfuness
and of the many blessings enjoyed at
this season by the American nation
impose an obligation, however, and it
is the duty of the people to arise to
these opportunities and to take ad
vantages Of the present opportunities
of doing good"
"I will bless thee and make thy
name great. Be thou a blessingD was
the text selected yesterday. "Be
thou a blessing" was the thought the
speaker drove home to his hearers in
his address. The people of the
city of Salem have cause for rejoicing
and for giving thanks for the lack of
any great calamanities in the past year,
for the growth of the churches, schools
and higher ideals of the community and
for the reasonable measure Of prosper
ity which thew have enioved" said the
speaker. GAS a nation we have cause
for thankfulnesss that the moral senti-
ment of the world Of business is grow
ing better, and that business methods
tolerated a few decades ago are no
longer countenanced. That public
conscience is being acquired and that
the peonle of the nation have a righer
sense of right and wrong.
owe are nation of unbonndcl re-
sOures Of peace, Of liberty and of high
ambitions and vigor. Such BLESSINGS
huild for leadership in the world $ ma.
tions. Now that Enrope is emhroiled
in devastating struggle the TTnitcd
States stands alone as nation TO-.
ward which the eyes Of the world are
NllHNu tAIlNNldltlN lbI Iilt UtNL NlONfs
That this nation has a cool henlcl man
Mt the helm is pttested Inv President
Wilson S masterlv handlmg of the
Mexican situation and the pcoplc of
this country have him to thank that
even We are not now wasting lives of
men in useless slauOhter.
"While II sometimes takes great
faith to believe il, ] believe that ell
things are moving in accordance with
J Gods great scheme for the bettermcnt
of humanity and toward tho great
! Kingdom Of God. You ask what s the
! Kingdom Of God II has been defined
/ rs society improved, but there is n bet.
J ter definition RIGHT in the Tor (
J nraver. THY will be done in Earth
J MS it is in heaven It is the fulfil.
ment of the Lords wish Expressed in
J his PRAYER. II means the rule of God
! in the life of man. the absolute
! triumuh Of justice and Righteousness in
! all Of the affairs of mon and the
/ dominance Of their actions by this
} spirit.
h Gas I firmly believe that all things
4 are being shaned toward tho realize
1 tion Of the vision Of the kingdom Of
4 God those who 10 not fall in line Will
n the work are only delaying the realza
n tion. When the world becomes peace
. ful once more during the period Of
! reorganization this nation can establish
itself as q leader Of the world g nations
hy building now for the Kingdom Of
God, To do this we must have churches
working toward this ideal and to hav,
churches Of this kind we must have in
dividuals with this vision in mind. ~
The Christian. Congregational, Pres
hvterian Baptist Methodist ant
Evangelical churches Joined in III,
Union meeting hell nt the Christian
church, Rev. A. A. Winter read Presi
dent Wilson's Thanksgiving proclama
tion and n drartotto composed Of Dr.
IT, G. Epley, S. Wolfe, Fred Metz an,
Charles Knowland rendered severa
selections and the meeting closed witt
the congregation singing "praise Go,
from whom all blessings flow"
The churches in the northern part o
the city affiliated with the Jason Le
memorial church for n meeting at tn
church near the fair grounds TIL
Evangelical Association held anothc
Union meeting at their church on l7tl
and Chemeketa streets. The Gcrmai
snenling people met at the Germa
Metho list church for special Thank.
Giving services conducted bv Rev. r
schunke. The Catholic church hel
!. snccial thanl sewing services as did IN
y Episcopal church Of this city, III
n meetings In enCh church boinn eol