Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-28
SERMONS PREACHED
/ N NAUTICAL Terms
Chaplains of All Religious De-
nominations Conduct Serv-
ices for the Sailors. u
BOYS JOIN IN THE SINGING


BY MRS. EULA McCLARY.
Religious services are held aboard
ship every Sunday morning at 1918
o'clock. Attendance is not compui-
sorry. The morning attended services
there were about two hundred in the ).
congregation. little more than "a per
cent of the men on ship. This seemed
remarkable to me.
The chaplains are OF all denomina-
tons. They are young men for the
most part, with an cdiicer's rank. They
have the enthusiasm OF the sea. Spe-
cial arrangements are made for the
men of Roman Catholic faith. When at
sea church boats take all who wish to
attend mass from their respective ships
to that ship where the chaplain 10
priest. When in port the Catholic men
are allowed to go ashore to mass
priest on one of the ships, who has an
unusually strong hold on his men. holds
mass every Sunday and delivers a nom
sectarian sermon later for the Protes-
tarlts-
Church Pennant Above the Flag.
While services are being held church
nag. This is the only banner OF nag
that is ever placed above our national
flag. II is q white triangular shaped
pennant with blue cross The omssr
where they were being held. learned
later that the place changes with the
weather and the work that must be
done. We went up ladder to the
foc:s;Ie and through a door Two hun
dred whitehead mon sat on the benches
that earlier in the morning had served
as seats at the table. Many of the men
were barefooted. For the first few min
my FIRST attendance at military services
and was the only woman.
American flags and signal hags were
draped about. The five-inch gun. which
American flag. The piano, the pulpit
and a table were draped. One large
nag hung on the wall Flowers were
on the pulpit A choir of ten men sat
beside the piano and at one side Of the
choir was the ships band.
Boys Love to Sing.
Service opened with singing. And how
those boys did sing! They love music
of all kinds. and they love above all
things to sing. have never attended
any church where 90 many hymns wero
sung during service. The choir was
very good. The tenor sang solo which
brought tears to my eyes His voice
was not trained. but Il was sweet ana
Of the quality that goes to the heart.
A prayer for the nation. for those at
sea and absent friends was made by the
chaplain. followed by = few minutes OF
silent prayer.
The lesson was the story of the prodiRnl
son. AZ the chaplain had not been told
Of my probable attendance, heard a SER
mon OF the salt in all its boldness and
force delivered in nautical terms Dur
ing the sermon queer sounds would erna.
nate from behind the nag on the wan.
Also there were suspicious smells When
the church was dismantled to be turned
into q mess hall. I discovered that the
nag hid the door OF the galley.
Sermon in Nautical Terms.
The sermon was given. m I saad hesor.
In nautical terms. I enjoyed it more
than any sermon on the subject I had
ever heard, and IL made that prodfxai
! son and his family live. It wasn't really
OF an older man to Q younger Of the price
I OF sin. paying strict attention to the
ravaging diseases which are 80 often that
price.
The men seemed an interested a. I vas
They were being told things In = language
they could understand. In the terms
Of sea they saw the realities OF life paint
ed. They grasped the subject and it be-
not sinners. they were WRECKS who served
as warnings to other ships
Jesus was not presented as the Son
Of God. but as the Greatest Beacon Of
all beacons-that beacon which stands
at the end of our travelings when we
return-the Statue of Liberty. Mothers
and their teachings became guiding
buoys, which mark the channel How
could those boys help understandingf
Worthy Of Reproduction.
wish could have reported that sss,,,
mon. and the announcements made 65s,1
the chaplain to the men. The ssAipN'
welfare fund was brought up, atisleffc
events, announcements of the birth of
q son to one of the gunners was made,
and all in nautical terms. ,SpeAktdIs
about New York club which h33
offered its privileges to the men when
they are in the metropolis. the preacher
said: 81 don't want you fellows to
think I'm trying to force you to use
the club. But it's yours II You want IT,
Next time you are in New York drop
around there. II you like It. hang
around: if you don't, shove Off,
The chaplain's duties are many. He
is adviser and friend and big brother
to all the men on his ship. He advises
in the same terms he breaches. The
boys know they may well talk to him
frankly without fear that he will tell.
He is there by the will of Uncle Sam
to do all he can to build stronger the
religious life Of the Navy.