The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-08-14
SUNDAY SCHOOL NOTES
Side Lights on Next sv~da"'s
Lesson for Teachers and Pupll0
Edited by Charles K. Meyers.

August IS. Working in the Church.
Acts 2, 41-47.
The lesson verses are part of the
wonderful account of the Day Pente-
cost, day Immortal in the history Of
the christian church. 1t will be re-
membered at the time of the ascension
of Jesus to heaven in the presence of
His disciples, He told them to remain
at Jerusalem until they had been Civ.
en- power from on high. In pursuance
of this command they did remain in
the city, praying and of course dis
cussing the life work Of the Master
| in the light OF His death and resurrec-
ton. Peter was the chief disciple
and spokesman. There came time
when he and his associates did re.
ceive a new spirit and became chang
ed men in their devotion to the gos.
pei, and understanding of the relation
of Jesus to them, and the world at
large. Under the preaching Of Peter
and his associates hearers believed,
land their number ran up into the
thousands.
We have for our thinking this week
the christian Church" AS one faces
about and considers what this means,
human language seems inadequate to
Iexpress the thoughts which rush to
mind. 1t is the organization in the
world engaged in spreading the news
LOT. the gospel Of Jesus Christ and en-
gaging in all work growing out of
what that gospel says. Beginning
with the death and resurrection OF
Jesus and the Day of PentecOst, the
church began it's work which will not
be completed until the end Of the
physical world and that may be mil
lions of years in the future.
While it is said that all people have
the tendency to be religious and to
worship some power or spirit superb
or to themselves, the christian relig-
itn in its high teachings does not ap-
peal to human nature with it's base
passions and selfishness. There has
to be education, growth, the implant-
ing of the ideas of brotherhood and
love for ones fellows. The fight for
right in living for individuals and ma
tions began with the death OF Jesus
and has continued ever since. It's
successes and failures thus far are an
open book to the student Of this sub
ject.
The successes of the christian
church have been great since that
eventful day of Pentecost. The world
has not been revolutionized in whole,
or in great part as far as numbers OF
converts are concerned, but there has
been a tremendous effecting of the
standards of the world on moral ques-
lions and on common brotherhood. We
all deplore the present war, but when
it is finished right the bible religion
will have made most notable strides.
1t is because the religion of Jesus
calls for a feeling of brotherhood, that
human liberties are essential to hap
piness, that with one body of freemen
oppressed, all freemen are affected,
that England, France, Italy, our coun-
try, are allied together to defeat the
barbarous Turk, the greedy, overbear.
ing Austrian, and the cruel despotism
of the Germans.
The christian church is the greatest
organized force in the world. It's in
trests stretch to the remotest corn
ers of the globe. 1t has sent mission
aries to face every known difficulty,
death and disease included. It has
thus far seen seen nations, peoples, revo.
lutionized in thought and manner of
living. 1t has seen bloodthirsty canni-
balls changed into peaceful, loving cit
liens of their homes; customs revolt
ing and cruel abolished; education