New Britain herald., 1920-07-17
PILGRIM FATHERS
 AND MODERN CHURCH
Rev. G. M. MisSirian Touches
 Upon Old PuritanS

Rev. c. NJ. Missirian, pastor of the
 Stanley Memorial church, preached
 sermon yesterday on, The Pilgrim
 Fathers and Their Religion As Com
 pared to the Modern Church" In
 part. he spoke as follows:
 Throughout this year of 1920. all
 the Protestant churches in America,
 and particularly the Congregational
 churches. are celebrating the tercen-
 tenary, the three hundred years an-
 niversary of the landing of Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth. Mass. in 1920. At the fourth decennial meeting of
 the International Church Council. held in Boston. within the last week. the Pilgrim Fathers, their character and ideals and their message to our
 modern world. were the most promi-
 nent subjects for numerous speakers.
 The great historical periods stand in the minds of men represented by persons. These persons stand for the principle involved and are far more interesting and significant than the
 principles. Without folks why bother dDouA tHe ten or the sermon on the Mount? Practically
 speaking only the consciousness of
 a human being counts.
 The immortal spirit of the Pilgrim
 Fathers, who were not saints. but
 common. ordinary human beings. has
 very definite and vital message, to
 our modern churches, and to their
 half -perplexed. and disheartened
 members.
 In the first place the Pilgrim
 Fathers individually and collectively
 lived up to their faith. They were
 men of action and leadership in spiritual and moral affairs. In our days we talk and write more fre-
 duently on what we believe or what
 we ought to believe. while neglecting to incarnate in everyday common life the faith and the truth which we profess to kpow. The restless ness and the evil of our times is not the lack of high ideals and thought, but the sad failure of incarnating the | ideals and translatinr the thoughts into actions. The destiny of tho world and the ultimate peace and welfare of the human race is in the hands of men and women who know to incarnate the conditions of the true religion in their common lives. They were men and women of strong convictions, not in one phase of human life. but in the whole realms of human activity. The ever Il shining star of hope always guided. | Because Of this immortal hope in fu- ture, they were happy. brave and ever optimistic. The Pilgrim was a Christian. not only when he was in l the church. but also in his humble ! business with his fellow people and in his civic life, because he was not merely a man of opinion, but a man of deep and living conviction.
 The welfare of the community was | the highest concern and most vital | interest in their minds. The Pilgrims | were not selfish. They may have been narrow minded in certain things, but | in their sympathy. and in mutual | help and sacrifice they were broad | and thoroughly unselflsh. We mod | ern Christians may not be willing | to adopt their theology. any more than we are willing to adopt their | costumes. But we certainly need to | he inspired and nurtured by their | brave, adventurous, true and self | sacrificing character. ''All for one, one for all" was their motto if not | in words. undoubtedly in action and experience.
 The world has come to the house , cleaning period. and the Lord knows | it needs it. We have invented new | instruments and discovered new | chemical powers and we are becoming | familiar with new dimensions and new regions under the sea and in the | air away from the land. Why should | there not be restlessness with these | tremendous new energies abroad | There arc more new ideas and admir- able systems of thought and plans for | our political, social, industrial and | religious life. than Pilgrim Fathers Il ever dreamed of. New ideas big with | benefit are coming 10 the birth with
 a cry. It is the time of a new birth | of human interest and human powers The supreme task of the modern
 church. is to produce men and wom'
 en who incarnate the best thoughts l and the immortal ideals of their | times. as the Pilgrim Fathers did ir | their own time.