The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1916-02-17
odd Fellows Listen
to Splendid Sermon

The address at the Methodist church
Sunday morning was on the theme, lis
There Difference Between the Lodge
and the Church," The members of the
Odd Fellows lodge were the guests of
the church for the occasion. The fol.
lowing is a brief synopsis of the ser
mon:
1--WE live in time Of multitudinous
organizations. Men organize for prac'
tically everything. The lodge is only
one of the many organizations all of
which bespeak a unity of human inter
ests, and are the forerunners of a
larger cooperation among men.
"The fact that many men and mod
ern institutions have accepted the
moral standards Of Christianity has
tended to an unfavorable criticism Of
the church and an unwarranted esteem
Of such achievements. The church, if
properly understood, will be seen as
the agency which has made the larg.
est contribution to the bringing Of this
about. The fact that modern society
and many institutions have adopted
Christian moral ideals, is only testi-
mony to the success Of the church in
favorably impressing men. This is not
to the discredit Of the church but rath-
er credit. This is the chief end for
which it exists.
Being member of local lodge,
the remarks OF the morning are not to
be interpreted as an attempt to dis
credit the lodge as such. They have
their places. l have always believed
that measure of brotherhood is bet
ter than none. Rather is the aim to
lead the hearers to give each it's proper
place, and overcome the tendency that
sometimes arises to feel that there is
no place for cooperation with the
church or holding it in high esteem.
"In comparing the two institutions,
we find that in the main, while the
moral standards are largely the same
SO far as form is concerned, still there
is difference in the application Of the
same. The lodge calls it's members to
charity, sympathy and helpfulness,
with some emphasis on these virtues
as being universally applicable, but In
practically every instance there is the
greater emphasis on manifesting these
traits in relation to one member to an
other. In practice at least this is
where it terminates. The lodges build
worthy homes for the aged and needy
but always so far as the speaker
knows, for it's own members or those
dependent upon them. Men join the
lodge primarily for what will come
back to them socially and materially,
while specific fee is demanded and
gladly paid because of that which is
expected in return. Even the helping
hand is in danger of having a mixed
motive behind it. We may be in need
or those dependent upon us sometime
and if we give it will come back to us.
So we are in danger of reasoning, not
withstanding the fact that it would not
be true to say that the generosity Of
the membership of lodge were bound
ed entirely by self interests. This one
should never believe to be the case.
Turning to the church, it calls its
membership to the same kind Of NOR
ais, aside from the fact that it knows
no class lines. The man who has not
the price of initiation fee has as great
a claim upon us as these who have
more. The passwords Of the church
are "Our Father" for the outer door,
and my Neighbor" for the inner, and
yet when one gets in he finds that the
whole outside is there before he came.
In fact there are no peek holes in the
lodge Of the church. Morality is not
to be measured by the yard stick or
by a few good deeds. It is a spirit
that dominates a man in relation to
all men. The lodge was not intended
to take the place of the church, and
until it becomes as broad as all life
in the applications of it's privileges
and spirit it should not be considered
substitute for the same.
"This however is not the chief diff
ference. The church goes step
further, in that it is saying first unto
men, "The moral life you want and
emphasize as good must find it's root
in personal adjustment OF the indi-
viduaps life to God, who only furnishes
9 foundation for satisfactory theory
Of morals" The first great command.
ment as set forth in the incident that
gave rise to the parable Of the Good
Samaritan, calls for q commitment Of