St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-10-25
ST. JOHNSBURY
AND ITS NEEDS
Facts Concerning Them Frankly
Given By Protestant Pastors
Participating In General Exchange
Of PuIpits
SERMON ABSTRACTS
Rev. Paul Dwight Moody Gives Three
Reasons for Spiritual Awakening,
Non-SuppOrt of Churches, Moral
Conditions and Indifference
Other Pastors Views.


Other Pastors Views.
Facts concerning "St. Johnsbury,
and It's Needs" were frankly given
by the pastors of the Protestant
churches participating in the general
pastoral exchange Sunday morning.
The general idea held forth was that
although St. Johnsbury may be no
worse than other towns, yet there is
an existing moral condition about
which the people have become lax.
An outline of the subject as han
died by Rev. Paul D. Moody at the
Union Baptist church, Rev. G. A.
Martin at the North Congregational,
Rev. f. L. Richards at the Church OF
the Messiah, Rev. c. L. Eaton at Grace
Methodist Episcopal church, and Rev.
F. S. Tolman at the South church, is
given in part.
Sermon BY Rev. Moody
Mr.. Moody said: The need of
spiritual awakening is evidenced by
three things, the apathetic and half
hearted support given to the
churches, the moral condition in the
town and the complacency on the
part of both town and church to
both of these. The first of these, the
apathetic support given the churches
s indicated by the many who do not
attend church, condition for which
n great part those VINO do attend
q to blame; they do not urge at
4ndance, they do not always back up
cheir profession with their lives, and
sometimes they actually disgrace the
church by their profession. The NOR
al conditions in the town may be no
than in nfhnT n1annC That is
neither here nor there. The fact is
there is not a little drinking. immor-
ality~ and general carlessness. The
worst of it is the church is too in
different to both. This is because its
viewpoint is the viewpoint too largely
of the world, and not the viewpoint
of God. We cannot believe because
we receive honor of men-the worlds
point of view. There is only one cor.
rection of this-and that is prayer.
Sermon BY Rev. Martin
The text 20 Lord, revive thy work
in the midst of the years." is a part
of the prayer of Habakkuk, one OF
the minor prophets of Israel. The
need of a religious awakening in st
Johnsbury is not based on the as
sumption that the people of st. Johns
bury are more wicked than those of
any other town in Vermont But
upon the conviction that the pastors
and the Christian people of the town
need a deepening Of their spiritual
life and that the harvest field is
white for gathering to Christ many
new disciples. Many have drifted
away from the anchorage of Christian
faith and character and they know it
not. They have lost the conscious
ness of God in life. This loss is re-
vealed in their prayer life, prayer
has become a duty and not a privi-
lege. 1t is revealed in their faith
life. They have lost their grip upon
God. 1t is revealed in their lowering
standards of personal achievements.
in ethics and character. It is re-
vealed in the apathy and Indifference
with which response is made to a
call for personal service.
Never in the history of America
have we come to a time so fraugh,
with dire peril to our religious life
and institutions as this. The spirit and
temper of the age is favorable to lax
views concerning conduct, faith ideals
and character. A colorless religious
life with many is popular and fash
ionable. At a recent meeting of the
American Bankers association the
president said: "As a nation we
have grown rich, and have grown soft
and have grown fat What happens
when nation grows rich, and fat and
soft? Decline and decay of vital
faith. of rugged convictions, of rock
ribbed character, of good morals and
of the great institutions of society
Tests of prosperity are far greater
than tests of adversely It is no time
to take counsel of our fears, but to
rally all our latent powers, to chal-
lenge this spirit of apostasy. To rise
from a church vision to a community
vision. To construct a program that
is big enough to enlist every disciple
with all his resources. And to yield
ourselves to the leadership of Christ
and the power of the Holy Ghost. ST.
Johnsbury needs a religious awaken
ing for men and women who are liv-
ing in sin. Some of this is covered
and some of it is open. st. Johns
bury needs a religious awakening to
charge the atmosphere of the
churches, so that it will be easier to
do aggressive work; to deepen Chris
tian experience, to place "a new en-
phasis on the fundamental things of
religion, to restore the family altar
and to bring men and women to
Christ.
Rev. #. B. Richards
Text Pet. I, 13. 'I think it right
as long as am in this tabernacle, to
stir you up by putting you in re-
membrance.
Peter. in old age, feels for disciples
How? Not by new revelations, OF
CONTINUED on page four)