The Glenwood post., 1918-11-30
Inspiring Letter Sent Churches
by District Superintendent
...WhoIesome Advice
keep THE WORK GOING
To Members and Friends of the Meth
odist Church,

" -hcHlbtlS anu TTltuuS OF Int
odist Church:
An epidemic of unprecedented severi-
ty has swept our land. Some sections
of the western slope have been gra-
ciously spared great losses. In others
the population has been decimated. In
some instances entire families have
been wiped out, and the end is not yet.
In all this it was not to be supposed
that our churches and church homes
should escape. We have met with
losses, but out people have borne tham
with Christian fortitude and with an
unwavering faith in God s promises.
" He that dwelleth in the secret place
of the Most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty lie
will deliver thee from the snare of the
fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
-Ps. 81.
BY the extended quarantine at a
critical season of the year unusual con-
stions have been created in our church
life. We have everywhere rigidly oh
served the regulations. as became law
abiding people. This has meant that,
amid multiplied calls for unselfish ser
vice we have missed the usual sources
of inspiration for that service foun1
in the public meeting for prayer and
worship, and in the co-ordinated efforts
of the organization instead of the indi-
ing, but it needs the church or its
morale will inevitably break. Without
the church meeting and the Sunday
school We can no more beat the enemy
than our soldiers in France could have
beaten the Hun if the army and navy
had taken a summer vacation and gone
home.
Conditions are rapidly improving. II
the quarantine has not already been
lifted in your neighborhood, it doubt
less will be as soon as it is wise to do
so. Meanwhile:
Keep busy helping somebody. The
rArmerous calls for relief and help con-
stitute the Christian supreme oppor-
tunity. Christianity in its active eN-
preston was never more needed than
it is today.
Hold yourself up to strict habits Of
Bible reading and prayer. Keep the
up-to-date Sunday school literature on
hand and keep in touch with the lesson
material Saturate yourself with the
spirit of the happy, optimistic portions
of the scripture and master the great
promises. A smiling face and fearless
attitude are death to "flu' germs.
Scrupulously attend to the financial
needs of your pastor. If the parsonage
has been visited by the scourge his ex-
penses have been even heavier than
usual. Visit your church treasurer
every week and leave the full amount
of your pledge. If possible, increase
your giving a little, for, remember, the
giving constituency of your church is
cut down by the closing of it's doors.
Don Il let the "flu' become chronic
in your church in the form of decreased
attendance and interest when activities
are resumed. Be ready, when the au-
thorities give the word, to start your
church off again at full swing, without
waiting several Sundays to be "looked
NM by an anxious hearted pastor or
n lonesome Sunday school teacher. This
ia important, and if it is observed, we
sSall not find the effects Of the long
break in our church activities no very
serious after all.
The BOYS are coming home soon,
thank God! We must take up the task
where they laid it down. There is still
need for ten thousand peaceful vic
tories before the world is safe for
democracy or democracy safe for the
world. You could not he spared while
they were fighting, you can be spared
still less now. 1t is still needful that
we face the front with spirit az nn'
conquerable as any ever shown on
"Flanders' Fields,'' while we declare
in the strength of our great Leader
"They shall not passl
p. N. EDGERTON, Dist. supt.
Grand Junction, Nov. %.