South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-06-17
GRADUATES HEAR
SUNDAY SERMON
Or. ]. N. Greene Delivers
BaCCalaureate Address
to 1919 Class.

IF high school diploma means
nothing more than the possession Of
a sheep skin. it is worthless But 81
Fl means that the possessOr is able 10
take his place in Iife's work and
make his contribution 70 the prog
ress and happiness Of the world. 10.
IS worth while" Rev. Joseph r.
Greene told more than 40 mem bers|
OF the class Of 1919 Of the local high
school In delivering the baccaI1ure-
ate sermon At the First Methodist
Episcopal church Sunday morning
Building the Altar Of Life" was the
subject OF Rev Greenes inspiring
address and the splendid musical
program given under the direction
OF Fred .. Haas lent impressiveness
70 the service
In beginning Rev Greene called
attention 20 the building OF the altar
BY the Israelitcs as they journeved
from Egypt 20 the promised land and
formed an analogy between the
building Of that altar and the build
ing OF the structure Of a human life
He confined himself 10 the thought.
OF the dimensions or life. including
length. breadth and heighth.
Meaning Of Life.
DR.. Greene said in part.
BY the length OF life is meant its
reach through the years. or the dis
lance il Is felt Life should be longer
than the span between the cradle
and the grave. worthy life does
not end with death. It gathers up
that dynamic quality which projects
II onward through the years
"A life Of great length must be
one OF great ambition and large pur-
pose Many a failure in life is oc-
casiOned by a lack OF purpose. or bv
a shifting from one purpose 10 an
other Get worthy purpose and
stick to it. As a rolling stone gathers
no moss. so a shifting life acquires
no length You young people should
live longer than three score and ten.
You should be age long in the reach
OF your lives. and cosmopolitan in
your citizenship. After teachers and
parents are gone and your own
bodies have returned TO dust. YOU
should be living still
Measuring Life.
The breadth OF a life is to be
measured by its reach outward in
sympathy and service. and its re-
Spouse TO the needs Of the world. A
real man is wider than his own little
life. his home or his city William
Lloyd Garrison said NV country
IS the world, my countrymen are an
mankind The man who can say
hat is reaching out. A life can he
successful only as il is related 10
something beyond itself Isolated Iiv-
ing Is ignOminious living If a high
school diploma means nothing more
than tho possession Of a sheen skin
II is worthless. But If IL means that
the possessor is able to take his place
IN LIES work and make his contribu-
ton 10 the progress and happiness
OF the world, It is worth while The
question or concern is. not. What
can / get out OF the worId?' but
What can give to the world q
The OLD expression. The world owes
me a living is out Of date. Better
IS n 10 say. Il owe the world a life
Height Of Man.
The height of a life need not be
expressed in feet and inches. but
should he sufficiently great 10 reach
up 20 God. Some men are so short
they can not stand on their tiptOes
and see over a silver dollar. Some
men are as tall as a Judges bench
or teachers table. or merchants
counter, but no taller. In a public
building in Washington this inscrin-
ton may be read Too low they
build who build beneath the stars
When men talk that way they are
getting tall. But they must reach
higher still. Man must lift his head
above the stars. bath his forehead
IN the sunlight or another world
look into the fact Of God and claim
kinship there. Too low he builds who
builds beneath the divine.
You young people are not here
10 make merchants. teachers. law
Sers or housewives. merely. You are
here 10 build the structure OF life
Build IL so long II viii reach into tho
years yet unborn Build IL so broad
II VIII touch benedciaIv the age i'm
which YOU live. Build 70 SO high il
viii reach up 70 God. claim kinsbin
there and dare 10 become like hin.
Build for character. II shall be Yours
build for usefulness and your life
shall bless the world Build for
eternity and your work shall never
pass away