Norwich bulletin., 1917-07-23
UNION SERVICE AT
 SECOND CONG. CHURCH

Il '
 SECOND CONG. CHURCH Rev. c. H. Rieketts Says Food Sup ply ia Greatest Question of the Ages The first of the union services held | throughout the summer by the Broad ] way. Park and Second Congregational churches was observed Sunday with l the Rev. Charles H. Ricketts occupy ing the pulpit of the Second Congre- John 6: 35, And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; furnished the theme of the sermon on the spiritual and material bread of life.
 In this text the Saviour was draw ing the parallel between the two sides of our nature and their needs. Only shortly before had come the miracle of the changing of the five loaves and thousand with it's consequent impres- sion on the minds of the vast multi tude. It was clearly miraculous and accepted as such by the crowd, and passing impression. Jesus saw, how ever. that a false emphasis had been laid on his act not one having grasp ed the deeper and underlying meaning heavenly ability to quench their spir- itual hunger and thirst. It was but incidentally his object to feed the
 multitude and his disappointment was
 bitter that they had just missed his point.
 It is in this miracle and his applica-
 tiOn of it to the spiritual needs of
 man that Jesus rises above every
 other teacher. He lifts himself from
 the merely local to the universal ser
 vice of man.
 The burning question of the ages is
 and has always been, that of food
 supply. From the earliest migrations
 of men down to the present age the
 motive ha of
 food and more food. It is an age
 long question.
 Let us examine some of the most remarkable migrations of the world. Abraham, in his need for food and sustenance for his sons and daughters with their households and focks set forth in search of 1t. He believed that God would supply it in plenty and his have the same deep and abiding faith in Gods will and power in this great question. But we must unite the spir- itual with the material quest Lot cordinely punished. So. also, the chill dren of Israel when they went out from the land of Pharoah went be- cause of the same urgent need and while they were satisfied all went well but when they began to banker for the flesh pots of Egypt and to lose faith in their spiritual leaders they had to pay their penalty of suffering
 When we pass to the middle ages We see the same conditions in the continual preying of one robber baron on another.
 We have had to feed in these later times Armenia, China and India in their famines. But when before have we had to feed Christian nations?
 It is wise to put forth our present great effort for food, to have a greater acreage under cultivation, because otherwise there will be great suffer iG 0I1 but we ought, however to combine with it greater faith in the good ness and mercy of God and His will to sustain us in this crisis
 We discover three distinct types of mind in regard to the present food situation. There is first, the happy go-lucky type. who says he is not go- ing to worry; he has always had all in the hands of Providence. mak- ing no effort on his part. That is certainly not the right attitude. If every one adopted this view where those who help themselves is certain ly proven truth There is, however, a force superior to us working through Gods natural laws. We may plant the rain and all the natural forces by which it is surrounded it will come to naught.
 There is the second type of mind, the alarmist, which fears the worst. l He feels that a sub-normal crop will be our fate and all will suffer He, too, l needs more faith.
 The third type believes in doing | what he can and all he can with | Gods help and cooperation. He will | never disappoint us if we do our | share. The trouble is we don't al- 1 ways do our part. We must do our | pit to preserve our heritage.
 With it all we must have faith. We | are in danger of putting all our | thought on the bread that perishes. 1 That is important, extremely impor | ant, but we must not forget the other | side. Are we not in danger of do- | ng so? We must not forget the spir- tual side of this struggle.
 We cannot have bread without it. So with our spiritual | bread. We must have great desire or it. Our church Is the one place | where we may receive that bread.
 As seed, after sowing, is cultivated, 70 must it be with our religion. Some imes it is very weak and tender at irst and it needs to be tended and strengthened. We ought not to let a lay pass without the performance of ome service, no matter how small. | By the daily use of our activities they i TOW. If every Christian today tried O distribute spiritual bread to those in sick souls who so need it, the millennium would dawn here on earth | n a few years. Spiritual bread is life hey should know Jesus Christ whom 'hou hast sent.
 7. M. C. A. BOYS 4
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