The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-08-05
By w. T. Ellis).

COngregationalism hashitched lis
wagon to the Pilgrim Star. Takinl
advantage of the fact that 1920 is the
three hundredA anniversary of the
landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth
the denomination which gives allegi
ance to the religious ideas brought
over in the Mayflower is now in the
midst of what it calls the Precautionary
Program. A substantial sentimental
and material advantage will be de.
rived by the Congregational churches
from the popular interest in the ter
centennial Of a historic event that
bulks large in American life.
Were 1t not for the war the forth.
coming event would already be figur-
ing largely in American thought. The
state of Massachusetts and the town Of
Plymouth and the Maynower descend.
ants and the Congregationalists all have
commissions at work upon proper
celebration of the occasion The Red
Men will erect a statue of Massasoit
the friend of the Pilgrims, upon Coles
Hill. Plans for a national exposition at
Plymouth have been abandoned; but it
is expected that a great memorial hall
will be erected in Plymouth where ma
tional conventions may be held. Ply.
mouth Rock itself will be taken from
its absurd canopy and the surroundings
will be made more slightly, and closer
akin to the original coast conditions.
Some sort Of memorial will be put into
the Church of the Pilgrimage and Coles
Hill burial grounds will be more suit.
ably marked and beautifed.
Drinking at the Pilgrim Spring.
There is a literal Pilgrim Spring
which is shown to visitors to Plymouth;
but the plan Of Congregational leaders
and the scheme IS already in operation
is that all Of their churches shall
drink anew Of the spring OF the spirit Of
the Pilgrim Fathers-and Pilgrim Moth
ers. too; for no tercentenary article or
celebration would be complete without
the old saying that while the Pilgrim
fathers endured the rigors of the wilder.
ness, the pilgrim mothers had TO en-
dure the Pilgrim Fathers as we'll"
First Of the five-fold program of the
Congregational denomination for the
next three and a half years, is the
stressing Of the principles Of the PHI
grims. The national council has advised
its churches that this commemorative
period be marked by an intelligent study
and setting forth Of those political and
religious convictions which brought the
Pilgrims to America"
This does not apply to preachers
alone. All sorts of ingenious methods
have been devised for the retelling of
the Pilgrim story TO all ages and classes
of the church membership. Historical
pageants have come into wide vogue.
The material is being used in Sunday
schools and Christian Endeavor Socie-
lies. a large body Of literature has
been produced upon II.
Adventures for Christ.
In a striking editorial. The Congre-
gationalist.' stresses this first item OF
the tercentennial program. saying, for
one thing: They were adventurers.
They were not reckless wanderers and
freebooters but adventures in the
highest sense of the term. They were
willing - turn their backs upon famil.
I'm - endearing scenes and relation
ships. They dared TO go forth. not
knowing exactly whittier they went, but
because they had the vision Of free
church in a free country. knowing to a
certainty why they went.
Would that this adventurlng spirit
would take possession Of hundreds of
our churches Would that a mighty pur.
pose TO dare something new for Christ
would pierce the crust Of conservatism
and open up fresh channels Of service,
The good is so often the enemy OF the
better in the church life Of today We
shrink from new methods and new
adaptations because we always did H.
in the old way. We admit that a
change might be desirable, but, we post,
pone to more convenient time begin.
ming the effort TO bring the change
about. II that cautious temper had pre-
vailed at Delfshaven three hundred
years ago we should not have heard of
the Maytlower, and we should have