Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-06-07
DEXTER
Wednesday Afternoon Session
of State Universalist Conven-
ton Most Impressive relig-
iously of the Several Sessions

VI Tue otdte OnlNerSailSt convention
the most impressive religiously. of
the several sessions Of the convention
as at this time occurred the Holy
Communion service, following q SER
mon of appropriate spirituality, de-
liNered by Rev. Harry Eben Town
send.
During the earlier part of the after
noon an address was delivered by
Rev. F. l.. Masseck, secretary of the
General Sunday school, association.
His theme was. Keep on the high
lands, keep off the lowlands" He de-
clared that the Sunday school is the
only organization on which we can
depend to give the children of to-day
the moral and religious education
they need to keep them ION the high
lands He named the chief object
Of the general Sunday school asso-
| cation to he that of assisting the
churches to find the best way to give
this education. and he urged more
earnest and definite conservation of
the churches to this work He
claimed too that the Sunday school
room should be made as perfect and
the auditorium is for its work. He
said, the greatest need in our
churches is for men and women who
are equipped for the work of training
children and urged that wider use
be made of the institutes, the con
ventions and the schools Of methods
A brief recess was held between
Rev. Mr.. Massecks' address and the
delivery of the occasional sermon by
Rev. Harry Eben Townsend of West
brook. The church was well filled by
an attentive, worshipful audience and
the sermon was one long to be re-
membered. The text was. And Abra-
ham was called n friend of Cod" and
Mr.. Townsend's theme was Gods
covenant with man. He defined COW
enent as an agreement and he de-
Clared that the fact that God and
man can make an agreement is
Abraham's first contribution to man
/ kind. Among the statements which
! he made are the following: This COW
enent was one of friendship and the
covenent of the liberal church is one
of friendship. Jesus taught the gos-
pei of simple kindness and good will
{ He did not organize church, a
creed, nor did he write a book nor
poem. He simply went about preach
ing the gospel of good will Some peo-
pie think that to husband creed is
the business of the church. They
think more of images than of aching
hearts"
/ The covenent of the church is
cevenent between man and man and
between man and God. Mans SUI
pren1e need is the need of God and If
we believe that there is a mother love
in the world and a father love every
where about us, though not discern
able, no matter which way the wind
blows or temporal conditions try US,
we can trust. that Gods in His heav-
en-. all's right with the world"
If Gods work is TO be done on this
earth, God and man must work to-
gether. The vision of Jesus was a
vision of redeemed humanity and the
vision of many great men since, has
been the same. And this redemption
is to come through the covenent Of
friendship"
would happen tomorrow if every
man on earth should begin TO love his
neighbor as himself and to keep the
Golden Rule? If everyone should
commence tomorrow to seek first
the kingdom Of God and His right
eousness, all evil and sickness would
soon be gone from the earth All
good would come because man has
sealed the covenent with God"
At this point in the session the au-
dience united in the singing Of
hymn and an offering was taken for
ministerial relief. A most effective
and we'll rendered duet, Come Unto
Me-" was sung by Miss Amy Nor
gridge and Miss Mildred Widdoes
Then followed the Holy Communion
service conducted by Rev. Stanley
Gates Spear of the Dexter church,
assisted by Rev. Pliny Allen of Rock
land.
The speakers at the Wednesday eve
ming session OF the State Universalist
convention were Miss s. Laurine Free.
man of Boston, assistant to the nation.
al secretary ef the Young Peoples
Christian Union. and Rev r. z. Potter
ton, D. D., of the Church OF Our Father,
Brooklyn. \. Y. one of the national
hoard of missions of the Universalist
church. who has recently returned from,
VISIT IN Japan in the interests OF Uni
Versalist mission work there.
MISS freeman spoke in the interests
OF the 7. P. c. L. in the absence OF Rev.
Sei s. Eisner Of Boston. Who vas on