Norwich bulletin., 1916-06-12
ODD FELLOWS MEMORIAL SERVICE
Members of Local Lodges Attended Sunday Evening Service at Central Baptist Church Joel B. slOcun. D. D.. Delivered Appropriate Sermon Sunday School Or chesta Assisted in Service.


 The odd Fellows of Norwich gather 1 cd at the Central Baptist church on 1 Sunday evening for their annual me- 1 mOrial service, and the sermon deliv- I cred by Rev. Joel B. Slocum, D. D., tle l pastor of the church, was especially ap- prUpriate, as 1t dealt with Love, repre- scented by the middle of the three links 1 emblematic of the order
 The Odd Fellows representing She- tucket lodge, No. 27, Uncas lodge No. Il. Hope, Rebeikah, No. 21, PaImyFa encampment, No. 8, and Canton Oneco T.15 and marched in a body to the church. Following the prelude came the proceSsional by the Sunday school orchestra and the opening ode, Tue Odd Fellows. A word of welcome was spoken by the pastor and the orehes- tra then rendered a selection. Tne scripture lesson was Cor. IS, and after another selection by the orchestra the pastor, Rev. Dr. Slocum, read the EameS of the deceased members uf l. 1915, to June 1, 1916, as follows:
 Uncas lodge, No. II: Thomas IT. Poi lard, George Frohmander, Frederick Cook, Peter Murray, Joseph c. Worth. Charles Meyers.
 Shetucket lodge, No. 27: Thomas Crompton, Otto H. Bennett, Char1es H. Preston. E. s. Rise, w. A. Booker.
 As each of the eleven names was read an electric light set in a wreath was switched on. The eleven wreatns were suspended around the choir loft above the pastor, and the lighting of the Wreaths was very effective.
 A prayer was followed by the offer tory and a-hymn was sung. Rev. Dr Slocum took as his text Cor. 13: IS.
 Rev. Dr. Slocum spoke as follows:
 It is related that in little meeting of the early Christians stranger arose near the door and said: Your leader has been saying to you that HTere are ten great commandments of the law. But I say unto you there are eleven commandments" Whereupou the meeting was thrown into confusion until someone boldly asked the Stran- ger to explain. And the stranger, who proved to Be St. John the beloved, arose again and gracious1y answered.: Behold, 8 new commandment give I unto you. that ye love one another!"
 In almost any catalogue of virtues that you will find recorded in the New Testament tEe climax is reached in love. John said about it the greatest thing that could be said when he ex- claimed God is lovei" There is no other predicate for God so surpassing- ] ly comprehensive as that one: God is lovei" The words that have chosen for our text occur as the epitome of a remarkable discussion of love re- corded in that classic, the 13th chapter of first Corinthians. For the closing l sentence of the treatment of that great
 subject Paul reserves three notable
 words, and he names Nlem in their l order: And now there remain faith, hope, Iove-these three, but the great
 est of these is love. It is the greatest
 of these which I wish to speak about 1 this evening.
 Love the Middle Link.
 In the trio of principles upon which
 our order is built, love occupies the most conspiucous position. Of the
 three links it is the middle one. From it's central position it reaches down or
 the one hand and takes hold Of friend
 ship; on the other hand 1t reaches UT and takes hold of truth. These three 1 Friendship, Love, Truth, but the great
 est of these is Lovel
 But that which Is so obvious to uI
 here tonight would not be understood so clearly by people in general Sup pose we were to go out among our fel low men and ask What is the thins l most worth w1ile?" I'll venture tha before we had gone far someone woult | answer 4The thing most worth whili l Is pleasure!' He notices that som, | of us are surprised at his statemen and so he gees on te prove his point
 He reminds us of the almost counties } number and the almost infinite variet, of devices for amusement. When tki , enthusiast has finished his story al ! though he has not convinced us tha l pleasure is the greatest thing in tn , world, he has made it very clear tha
 there are thousands and probably mil { lions of people who live as though the think pleasure is the greatest of all ap peals to the human spirit.
 : But meanwhile someone else has lift : ed his voice in answer to our question The greatest thing in life is busi l ness!" he proudly answers. In fel
 crisp sentences, illustrated by som : well chosen samples in his own lift n he places before us facts so gtupendou l as to the extent of the almost unthink t able volume of business in this coun ;, try alone, So say nothing about the en !, tire world, that we are almost read ] to acknowledge that the biggest thin : in the world is business.
 n Hardly has the svoice of this captai : of industry ceased when another voicl . a little husky from it's recent activitie f in Chicago, but jubilant in its conVic : ton and militant in it's aggressivenes n criesi "Politicsi politicsll politics. ] n earth!" And To and behold! this ma { too has an argument worth hearing. D Then another voice arrests our al Q tention mad we realize that 1t is Jun
 and that commencement and idea s are in the air. This man shouts it s q loudly that we cannot fail to hear whs q he says, even above the clatter t traffic and the explosion of hot air t the political conventions. One w'or
 he uses. over and over again: sEduca . tdon!" There is no mistaEdng his sir e cerity.
 # Surely, we must admit that knowl Q edge is power and power does not al t ways reside in material things. Q And just as we are about to adm - that this last speaker has used an UT
 answerable argument, a voice breal
 in with a rudeness that is fairl
 shocking. "WarI" he excIaims. ssWs P is the most gigantic thing in lifei Then this military man in full un form and standing at attention CT T terE into an interesting and at tf U same time astonishing discussion ss high explosives and big guns. E .SI reminds us that nearly the who v world is engaged in this terrible cal . mage that is now going on and ] = waxes enthusiastic as he seeks to in A press us with the power of war. ' IS. he says, the great and final arb ;, ter in the destinies of mankind. # Love Es areateat of These,
 But you sand I know after we hal a listened patiently to all these and po r sibly to- still other claimants, tn lg there is something suggested by fpl le letterss combined into one Words of oi se syllable that is infinitely stronger ths Al En- -a.- lnm