Arizona republican., 1916-12-01
Tempe News Notes
REV. HAND GIVES
 IMPRESSIVE SERMON

The annual Thanksgiving service of the Tempe churches was held last evening in the Christian church, and Rev. Clifford Nott Hand, pastor of the Congregational church spoke to a con- gregation that taxed the building to it's capacity. Music. specially prepared for this occasion. lent an impressive part to the service.
 The minister's sermon was inspiring and conveyed a message that every member of the congregation earnestly heard and profited by. Rev Hand said in part:
 Tn the observation of the day we celebrate we need to carefully avoid the sin of Phariseeism. If the contem- plation of our blessings serves only to make us thankful that we are not as other men we have observed the day in vain. We need to remind ourselves that our Pilgrim forefathers instituted the day. not for vain glory in a bound less superfluity. but for humble thanks giving for bare preservation of life and the privilege of ordering it according to conscience. Thanksgiving Is moi day but a habit, an attitude of mind. a mood to be cultivated. Therefore il is possible that an examination of the habit will be more profitable than the hare enumeration of the blessings by which we and the nation have been favored New Testament Christians ought to he the most thankful of peo- pie. For the praise of this grace runs like a singing river throughout this book. Where did these men learn 10 give thanks Where we must-at the feet of Jesus The Masters habits pro- foundly impressed his disciples Their holden eyes were one time opened to Ia f,t He was known in the breaking of bread, he was recognized by his praise so characteristic was this mood. Let us learn to give thanks by recalling ex- amples of this shining habit of the Master
 He gave thanks for daily bread Al the last supper. at the feeding of the five thousand. in the Lords prayer He took loaves and gave thanks That Is. He took the common. commonplace bread and associated it with God. ana it was no longer commonplace What God hath cleansed. call not thou com mon The Masters habit of thanks giving renders every ordinary meal . sacrament The real presence about which the schoOlmen fought. Is a daily experience to the thankful heart. For whose feels the divine relationship Of bread will walk a transfigured road. For whoso gives thanks for loaves will also give thanks for the kindred com monplaces-for the fertile fields. the sunshine and the rain. the reapers. the mill and the miilers and the touch of God upon them all. The eyes of him who Is thankful for commonplace bread are open to the glory of the desert flower. for the afternoon shadows upon the purple hills. for the masterpieces Of the evening sky and the beauty and harmony of Gods glorious world. Jesus
 habit of gratitude made every com
 mon thing radiant-every common
 bush afire with God And unless we can somehow do the same. God Is go-
 ing to be a yer unfamiliar and infre-
 quent guest. For life is made up Of or
 dinary things God pity the man who
 must tread this dreary. monotonous in-
 significant road, Put he who lifts his
 heart and voice in thanksgiving. lives
 in wonderful world-filled and
 thrilled with God.
 Listen again to Jesus praise |. thank thee. Father. that thou hast hic
 these things from the wise and under , standing and hast revealed them unto babes He Is thankful that spiritua secrets are not reserved to the edu-
 cated. That cleverness alone gives nc access to the kingdom That the gospe is independent of academies-not 2 prize to the merely smart or cute bu the heritage of the child-like. the do. cile. humble trustful. Upon this grea
 fact he fixes his eye and is grateful {, his God for the common denominator l among men. For bread and the child , types of the cummon--he IS glad Thanksgiving for commonplaces make'
 q transfigured world. for common mer q transfigured race. One unveils thu world as the Fathers house The othel % the race as the Fathers family So le !. us like ihe Master seek out the de 2 sirable-cOmmOn to all men-and giv' ? thanks for it. And thus learn the rel } ative values of things-that learninl ? cannot he compared with lowlines