Norwich bulletin., 1920-11-26
CHURCHES IN THANKSGIVING SERVICES

I've need the belief that God speaks to us through our own past, but even more we need the conviction that God actually speaks to us in this immediate present time." said Rev. Alexander H. Abbott at the united Thanksgiving service of the United Congregational church. the Cen tral Baptist church, the Church of the Good Shepherd, the First Baptist and Trinity Episcopal church Thursday night at the Central Baptist church. Rev. MT. Abbott's address was thoroughly enjoyed by the 300 present and the message that he brought to the congregation was one of great import
 Mr Abbott took his text from the fifth verse of the 143d Psalm: q remember the days of old I muse on all thy doings.'' MT Abbott spoke in part as follows:
 God speaks. Some believe it with conviction that cannot be shaken. Some doubt it. To Isaiah, Paul, Augustine, Luther, it seemed as if God Himself actu- ally spoke a command. But for most of us there seem to be NO dream, no pro phet ecstacies, no sudden rending of the veil of clay, no angel visitant no opening skies"
 Accordingly, there is often the question, Does God speak to 0s today? 1t is the affirmation of Christianity that God does speak, even if not so catastroDhically as Tn the case of the, epochal religious seers ] yet He speaks
 First of alb we should observe that the -"al meaning of any event is not known as it's inception, only afterward can it's lpal significance be understood Many elements enter into human deed emo ton colors it; a transient judgment shapes it; intuition plays it's part; but all i these things were not thought of when we did the deed. Long afterward we can | judge the deed in it's entire setting For | instance, those who came to our country three hundred years ago could not know
 the full meaning of what they were lm-
 mediately doing. Ard there is one of the I astounding paradoxes of experience that | when we know We do a thing we don't know what We are doing. Because time i IS intervened, bringing experience and
 insight and a clear vision of the move
 ments of the life that preceded and fol | lowed these specific deeds, we of today
 can read the meaning of these deeds ant
 see wherein the hand and voice of Goo 1 have directed.
 Have you any memory of an act whose 1 consequences you did not know at tn, time, but whose marvellous influence or
 your life youScan now see to have beer divine? Can you remember some choic, you made long ago without any impetu! except perhaps your own tuition. whlcl now you can see was made only unde
 the direction of a spirit not yourself
 Have you ever said: Tt must have beel God who told me to do that?" Then vol
 know that God Ihas spoken to you iron your own past
 We need the belief that God speak
 through our own past. But even more d.
 we need the conviction that God actuall, , t'eaks to us in this immediate presen time. Our wholly modern i.1e will oecom
 spiritual, moral and material chaos unles
 somehow men and women;po can have potent belief that the God of the race speaking.
 There are intimations Of caution urgin
 the one man and the race as well to re
 frain from certain things There is l slbtle enthusiasm that stimulates the in 5 dividual and the nation toward service ableness. There are instantaneous intui ] tions that some things ought to be. don
 and that some things ought not to b
 done. To men and women there come in