The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-18


 Very happy together,
 And very near to God
 "That is what the centenary call is for Mrs Elliott said. Just what Uncle Sam's call was for-missionaries Now suppose you and 1 were walking down Second avenue, very happy and care-free. and our progress on the way we had planned for ourselves was sud denly obstructed by a sign. On this sign we read in big painted letters:
 'Wanted-A volunteer for the U. $. army-A volunteer for the U. s. navy "a volunteer to help free the world from bondage. Man, woman or child whom old Glory's Stars and Stripes protect, this volunteer means you! For further information apply within.
 What would be do-you and l? Why, , we'd apply within, wouldn't we, for further information, because we'd be the most ungrateful of people if We didn't And when we received the ln- formation that a beast was abroad in the land to enslave the consciences and minds of men, to desecrate the faith of women and the innocence of little children, we'd be sure to say:
 "Tm not a trained soldier, but such as l am, or can be transformed into, I at the service of the flag of freedom. And then we'd carry out exactly the mission Uncle Sam asked, even if that meant q home missionary willing 10 stop eating sugar and begin knitting socks, or a foreign missionary sent to France as a nurse or a cook or SOL dier
 "But this physical war is over, at least, apparently, so let's change the sign on the thoroughfare to a more telling sign of the times. We're as Sla fire 1 letters that confront us again: "Wanted-A volunteer in the army of the Lord of Hosts; a volunteer to | jon the thin picket line "oVer there;" a volunteer for the nome guards, over ! here; volunteer to fight the sorrow of the world; a volunteer to help win l freedom for all men everywhere; if you are a man. woman or child, who knows of any Savior equal to such redemp- 1 tion if you accept Him as the Captain of so great salvation? This volunteer means you, For further informant tion l apply within.
 "Now this is a big challenge to this generation" Mrs Elliott said When we see it what shall we do? Shall we walk around it. or stop any progress | We are making ahead2 No, neither: we will obey the command like any soldier. We will apply within and when the recruiting officer reads our l apr t1cat1on card he Wl!i order us over to the centenary regiment of 6000, 009 l Methodsts. This is just for convent 1 ence, you understand-not to make Methodists of the whole world. Its ! just to be sure we've found our places ! with all the other White Cross troops 1 who are interested in big world pro- i gramme of reconstruction and regen- l eration. No, dear no, the Methodists l have no idea of assuming the attitude of one war hero, who telling of his great 1 adventures over there provoked his I wonder-eyed young hopeful to the in- quiry: Dad you didn't have nobody
 to help you whip them Huns and win that war. did your
 There are millions of others be- sides Methodists belonging to the White Cross army, of course, and the
 battalion of 2000000 Southern Meth
 odists are only d part of the Methodist
 regiment 6,000.000 strong" she con- tinued. KThe Southern Methodists have
 a big want column, though, in this
 century drive. In every church might
 be hung the sign, "Wanted-EigGt
 hundred missionaries to serve on the