The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-06-24
FLAG SERVICE AT
ST. JOHNS CHURCH
sunday AFTERNOON
Service Flag With 81 Stars Dedicated
and Address Delivered BY the
Pastor, Rev. f. IL.
Eggers.

| Eggers.
| ST. Johns Lutheran church was the
scene of patriotic services on Sunday
| afternoon when a large service flag
was dedicated to the young men who
have entered the service OF Uncle Sam
since the war started. The flag is OF
red border, white center and contains
81 blue stars in honor of the following
church members now with the colors
| Edwin Schlueter, William Korte-
CAST, Walter Kruger, Elmer Luther
Elmer Schemmel, Arthur Geschke
| Erhard Geschke, Arnold Geschke, Mel
vim Norbert, Frank Schmeling, Felix
Nehls, Edward Berth, Ewald Radtke
Paul Loeffler, George Semrich, John
Seefeld Emil Radloff, Albert RadlOff
Paul Schroeder, Arnold Guetzlaff, Ru-
dolf Bahr, John Bast, Theodore Ka-
liebe, Herman Doering, Clarence
Mayer, Fred Sauer, Samuel Schumacher
Arthur Erdmann, Otto Hintzmann
Otto Manke, Albert Tiews, Douglas
Pieritz, Charles Pieritz, William Block
Edgar Schulz, Herbert Henke, Silas
Oestreich, George Strassburg, Fred
Block
The Rev. F. H. Eggers, pastor of the
church, Officiated at the exercises and
delivered the address. He said:
We are living today in momentous
times, in times Of trials and distresses.
New questions of civil and christian
duty spring up daily, questions that
must be met and answered The terri
bic war in which our beloved country
mas become involved has brought
far reaching changes, and has multi
piled our obligations as citizens to our
government. The young men of the
nation have gone forth by hundreds of
thousands to serve their country in it's
direst need. They are willing to make
great sacrifices, willing to leave their
loved ones at home to face the uncer-
talnties OF war, yea, willing to lay
down their lives for their country, if
God asks the sacrifice. 1t is to them,
especially to those of our parish, our
sons, our husbands, our friends, and
in number to whom our hearts go out.
We think of the many dangers con-
fronting them. Answering the call to
the cOlOrs, they are no longer able to
seek the advice and enjoy the guild
ance and protection of their parents,
but are thrown upon their own re-
sources, and are obliged to act on
their own initiative. To a great extent
the ties binding them to the home are
broken. New friendships are formed,
new conditions must be faced, new
circumstances Of difficulty. Will the
advice they get from their comrades in
arms, from their newly formed friends
IN camp, always be as wise, as cOnduc-
i've to purity and piety, as the advice
their parents would have given? Or
will the lack Of restraint, the zest for
strange adventure, the example of an
Indifferent, unbelieving companion
induce our young men to turn their
back to the sacred ideals of Christian
manhood taught them in church and
school and home? Those are the
thoughts on which many a parent and
pastor meditates today, and for which
fervent prayer arises to the Heavenly
Father that He may preserve our boys
from all evil, that He may keep their
souls from all danger and harm.
Performing Duty.
And yet, we know, that our boys in
going to war are performing a duty
laid down by God Almighty Himself.
The Lord has commanded them to
obey the government as His ordinance.
Our Lutheran boys have learned the
lesson God teached in the fourth COM
mandment that we must honor father
and mother, parents and masters, to
whom the government as such belongs.
They know it to be their duty to
cherish respect for civil government
and a spirit of obedience to the laws
OF the land. For Paul tells us in Ro-
mans: Let every subject be subject to
the higher powers, for there is no
power but Of God; the powers that be
| are ordained of God. Yea, we Luther
ans reject the opinions of many. even
| OF some Christians who regard civil
government to be virtually nothing
| more than a human arrangement. We
| hold that government is a divine insti-
| tuition, essential to our civil welfare
the spring of industry and enterprise
the shield of property and life, the
refuge OF the weak and oppressed We
are bound to respect government as
the great security for our social happi.
ness; and we find it imperative thai
the laws of the country if they be moi
contrary to the law of God-must be
obeyed, for without obedience to the
laws the ends of government cannon
be accomplished Among Lutherans
knowing from Holy Writ that there is
no power but Of God; and that the
powers that be are ordained of Cod
all wanton opposition to the consti
tuted authorities, all unwillingness tt
submit to laws which are directed tt
the welfare of the community is class
ed as sinful and contrary to the pre-
cepts of the Lord. Because of these
principles laid down in the unchang.
able, everlasting rule of life, in Holy
AIsA