The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-05-27
IN.
SENIORS / ] j|| HEAR !. 7. .
FROM PASTOR
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OUTLINE FOR
II their FUTURE
Mastery Address Delivered
in, Methodist Church by
n Rev. L. p. Warford. ~
QUALITIES OF ENDURANCE
Is. TOPIC OF DISCOURSE
Vocal Solos Add to Pleasure
of Program; Baccalaureate
=,
r. Given in Detail. =.

+ '"The Qualities of Endurance"
taken from the text "Thou therefore
endufe-Aafdness as a good soldier of
Jesus Christ" (Timothy 2:3), was
the subject of the baccalaureate SER
mon delivered to the graduating class
of the Bemidji high school Sunday
evening by Rev. L. P. Warford, pas
tor of the Presbyterian church, in
the Methodist church. It was mas
terly address and the program was
featured by solos by Miss Ida Vir-
ginia Brown and Miss Alys Hetland.
The baccalaureate::
It is easy to grow things in ia
vorable weather, but when the elem
Aents are against us then the problem
deepens. Yet that is what Christ
demand of His disciples that they
III ght wrest the harvest from the
wilderness. We are to raise good
crops in reluctant soil. That is, we
are to do unreasonable things 1t
is unreasonable to win victory out
of adversity. 1t is unreasonable TO
make progress when the road is
blocked. It is unreasonable to row
against an unfriendly current. 1t
seems like all the heroes Of the faith
did their service under unfavorable
conditions. The season was never
just right for their service, but they
persevered and in that perseverance
was their victory. The apostle Paul
was fine illustration Of this. DR..
Jowett says that you cannot pick
one day in his career when the sun
shone all day and there was no cloud.
In Damascus the Jews took council
to kill him. IN Jerusalem they were
all afraid Of him and would not even
believe that he was a disciple. In
Perga the Jews were contradictory
and envious, and sought to persecute
him. In Iconium the Gentiles were
stirred up against him. In Lystra
there came certain Jews, and per-
suaded the people and they stoned
Paul. So it is that If Paul had wait
ed for favorable conditions, he would
sfave accomplished nothing. Instead
I he set his face to his task and went
ahead.
Carried to the Front.
It is then not unnatural for such
a man as Paul.to write such a word
to us as the text, "Thou therefore
endure hardness as a good soldier OF
Jesus Christ" That verse has been
written more times in the little testa-
ments given to the men who have
gone to the front than any verse from
the Bible, and it is particularly ap-
~plipable t0~the-life of those who are
just crossing the threshold, and en-
tering into the broader life OF re-
sponsibility.
That word endure is one of the
stable and basic words of the Eng
lish language: It first had its mean
ing "to sustain" and in that meaning
it grew into the life of the people
when they were in bondage or serf-
dom. They must remain firm under
the burden they must sustain it: 1t
then developed the meaning. to bear
with patience, and grew into the
>life of the people when they were
tossed about by revolution and civil
strife. Finally it came to have the
more popular meaning to harden, to
toughen..-~ In this last meaning we
see it in the text. Endure hardness,
CONTINUED on page four)