The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-03-26
Two Thousand Attend
Prayer-Meeting
In Arcadia
FOLLOWERS TELL
OF EXPERIENCES
Business Men Are Con.
spicuOus In Con-
gregatiOn

When 1900 to 1000 persons will
gather for a prayer meeting In the
middle OF the week, In these days
when everyone Is supposed to BE-
movie mad" IL Is significant. TIC
one who sat on the siae.nnes, so tc
speak. In Arcadia. Wednesday night
during the regular midweek ser
vices OF the FIRST Church OF Christ
Scientist. the spectacle was n reye
lation. Yet. this was merely one OF
thousands OF such gatherings beins
held in all parts OF the country.
Practically every seat in the great
auditorium was nlled. Wednesday
night Sometimes even standing
room Is at premium. As many as
$500 persons have been I'm attend
ance on occasions. II Is merely an
evidence OF n genuine interest 10
cally In what might appropriately be
termed the gospel OF good cheer.
for ehevrfulness seems 10 dominate
the whole proceedings.
A happier lot of people never gath
cred under one roof than congregates
here In Arcadia every Sunday and
Wednesday. There are no Ions
faces, everyone Is smiling
The Wednesday evening services
are not unlike the oldfashioned
prayer.meetings OF the orthodox
church. Beginning promptly at )
o'clock. the first 20 minutes is de
voted TO the singing OF Christian Sci.
ence hymns and readings from the
Bible and the Christian Science text
book. The remainder OF the time to
o'clock. when the congregation
goes home. Is given over to the Civ
Ing OF testimony.
Wonderful experiences are related.
Al icast,.they seem wonderful to the
initiated. They vary in detail. but
all are OF the same general trend.
They breathe OF security. of conn.
dence. OF great comfort and. above
all. OF good cheer. One young wo-
man told. wednesday night. how she
had brought husband and wife to-
gether through Science at a time
when a divorce seemed inevitable.
An elderly lady related her expe-
riences In an earthquake In Mexico
and declared that she had known no
fear. Many bore witness TO the pow.
or OF science over disease. attacks
OF error" as the Christian Scientist
characterizes IT,
Men and women. old and young.
Joined in this testimony giving.
There was no hesitation. no embar-
rassment. no faltering. Their mes
sage Is for all. and they give II Joy.
fully. almost exultantly in some In
stances. To one with a preconceived
prejudice against the cult II would
be convincing demonstration that
its followers are at least sincere.
These weekly prayermeetings are
q revelation In another way. As
likely as not you will bump into your
next.door neighbor. whom you-never
suspected as Scientist. Men
prominent In the business and pro
fessional life OF the community
thickly dot the audience. taking an
active. earnest part in the work
They will tell you gladly. II you ask.
what Christian Science means TO
them
After the closing hymn. the great
audience files out amid a subdued
chatter OF happy voices as hands
are clasped In friendly greetings.
The feeling OF welcome that marks
our entrance is intensified n thou.
sand fold. The sense OF strangeness
II gone.
Yet there Is no buttonholing In the
interest OF the cause. You are not
urged TO Join" II the subject IL
discussed. you are the one to bring
Il up. There In no PROSECUTING here.
II you are to embrace Science, you
must do so voluntarily. you are told
In that respect II is q good deal like
Masonry.
The First Church II housed In AT.
cadia only temporarily. The old
church on Alexandrine-ave. was Civ.
en- up when the congregation out.
grew Il. and Arcadia will be the
church home until new edifice can
be built; and the plans are going
rapidly forward In the meantime
the temporary quarters serve the
purpose admirably. and a large pipe
organ provides music for the singing.