Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-05-03
FINISHES ten
Year PAST0RATE
Rev. Arthur Metcalf of the
Congregational Church
Delivers Reminis-
cent Address.
INTERESTING SERMON
Preached his First Sermon
in Webster City May 1,
1910.

gatiOnal church began his ministry il
Webster City ten years ago and yes
terday morning he delivered an ad
dress largely reminiscent of that ant
subsequent events. The text wa!
Saint Paul's exhOrtatiOn to Timothy Il
preach the good news il season an(
out of season. Rev. MetSalf said il
part:
Ten years ago today I began my
ministry in Webster City as pastor o.
this church, and this morning l am il
a reminiscent mood. AS time i.
counted ten years is a long while, bu|
as time run ten years seems but a
very brief span. 1t seems to be shorter
than the half Of ten months, for the
journals of time are well oiled and the
wheels of times machinery revolve in
|%silence and mystery.
The spell of the years is upon us all
Nobody knows how it is nor why, but
as a matter of fact none of us is
growing any younger. We grow Older
with the years. The quality of oul
being largely determines how we look
upon the progress of the years which
come within our W experience. Some
people simply grow old. They do not
learn the noble and gentle art of
growing old that Horace used to
love to talk about. But wiser and
better folk simply and glOriOusly ripen
with the years. 1t is better to ripen
than it is to feel the remerse OF grow
ing old. This morning l am looking
out upon an orchard the fruit of which
hangs ripe in autumn suns. To change
the figure, all of Us hold a single fare
ticket for eternity, and very swiftly
we are moving ~thitherward. BY still
another figure we are all pilgrims.
We bear the sign Of the wallet and
staff, and steadily we are marching
into the great mystery. Just as we
cannot appraise how these. ten years
have wrought their magic upon us so
it is beyond u power to even guess
what the coming decade may hold In
store.
Well do I remember that first Sun
day of the passionate ten years ago.
1t was the first day Of May, and the
first sermon Of the new pastor was
upon the grace, dignity and power Of
the public worship of Almighty God.
We have been a congregation Of wor-
shippers of God, and the Almighty'ss
blessing has been upon u public
service. This morning my mind runs
back to the change ten years have
wrought in the membership of the
church. 1t would be both interesting
and instructive to know how many in
the congregation this morning were
present ten years ago to greet the new
pastor. CA later count disclosed the
fact that tlfty-four persons were pres
ent at both these services ten years
apart.) During these ten years the
pastor has taken into the membership
of the church 341 new members. OF
these 233 have united with the church
on confession of faith and 1OS have
come by letters from other churches.
This means that fully three-fourths OF
the present membership of the church
is new timber and has been brought
into the church during the present pas
torate. The church has met the wear
and tear of time with steady growth,
and the future seems to be. secure.
Those Gene Before.
NV mood this morning recalls the
form and voice of many of those who
have passed on during these ten years.
The pastor has conducted 3 funerals
during the decade. This sad service
of tenderness brings him into the
closest touch with families in all quar-
ters of the parish. The calender OF
the church univgsal embraces an All
Saints Day. 1t is good for us to think
of the vanished faces and silent voices
of other years, the men and women
of character who during the ten years
have passed on into the great mystery
| had been in the parish but a little
while before we laid away to rest the
body of Deacon Hiram Carpenter. an
aged pioneer of the community and of
thc church. Deacon Carpenters was
fine first funeral conducted by the new
pastor. One day the news spread
through the parish that DIR. Rummell
was dead. l remember that his flu
neral was like the last solemn rites
for DIR. Mcclure in Ian McLarcn's
once famous story. Beside the Bonny
Rriar Bush. l recall the passing OF
mother Burgess, Il mother in Israel
and n faithful member of this church.
This morning there is Il vacant spot
where Lancelot Rood and c. E. Buell.
and Col. G.. w. Crosley used to sit
i'm the congregations. Such %persorali-
ties are hard to replace, and we still
greatly miss the genial presence of
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