New Britain herald., 1920-03-15
NEW BRITAIN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 15 1920
COMMONPLACE LIFE
 GREATEST OF ALL
So Says Rev. G. M. Missirian
 in Sunday Morning Sermon

Rev. c. M Miasirian, pastor of the Stanley Memorial church, prea chcd upon the glory of q commonplace ex- istence at the morning service yester- day, holding forth the lives of tho greatest biblical characters as such and lamenting the fact that in the rush of the present-day world tic commonp place liver is sometim $ spurned. He said:
 ''In the mad rush of our worlds everyday life, a great mass of the people are swiftly becoming blind to the vital significance and glory of the commonplace. The gigantic progress in industrial and social activities and neverending series of new organiza- tions With an ever-inclusive nature have dazzled the eyes of many men, and women. And we are coming to the stage of forgetting that the great est and most enduring influences and movem ents of the world have had comm onplace origin. Men who have shaped the destiny of the human race at various periods of history, generally speaking, were not persons of glamor and majesty, nor movements of im- mense number or wealth. but men of simple and common origin and move ments which were of humble and in-
 
 Look back and observe the coming Of Jesus into this world. As the great mass of humanity. whom he came to inspire and uplift. live obscure and humdrum lives. He himself chose an tumble sphere and thus sanctitied and slo1lfed the commonplace life. We think of those three years of His il- lustrious and most useful service and ministry and forget the 30 prepara- tory years of obscurity. Our Lori not only laid aside His heavenly hon. ors' but even as man humbled him. self and became obedient. And was ever life so glorified?
 The noble Christian life is not ne- cessarily one of heroic deeds, but one animated by the spirit of devotion-a life of commonplace duties done and burdens borne for the glory of God. It is the spirit that slorifies the task. no matter how ordinary and hum ble that task may be. It is sweet pa tience or loving zeal that you put into your work that makes your life a bane or a blessing.
 Moreover, without the common place the illustrious is impossible. Be- fore the great mogul engine is the !! sooty. common foundry; below the 1 deck of the battleship, the grimv. ] sWeaty stoker: back of and beneath ] every great enterprise are many hum Die auXiliaries, unrecosnized by man. but used and honored by God. So we 1 have slimpses at least of Moses 10 years in Midian: Of Samuel's service at Shiloh; Of John the Baptist in the desert: of Jesus in the carpenters shop, and of Paul's three years in Ara bia.
 It Is the commonplace people and things that often God uses to accom- pl1sh great results. Only a rod in Moses hand-but it smote Egypt, divided the Red Sea, opened the rock and gave victory to Gods people. Only sling and common pebble but they laid low the impious giant and turned the tide of the battle. Only little boy with his lunch oe five barley cakes and two small fishes but they fed a hungry multitude. Only a poor cobbler begging and as he hammers the tacks into his shoes he hammers the idea into the church. The result is the worldwide mission societies.
 ''The world is indebted for Moody to an humble, ordinary Sunday school teacher; a mother accomplshes her great life's mission in training Moses, a Samuel, an Augustine, T Luther, Wesley and a Lincoln.
 To-day the great difficulty is 10 convince the average man or woman of the high calling and the glory of the commonplace tasks Today we have larger factories and enormous plants of industry, but there is nos adequate appreciation of common labor. Most of the people today are provided with more good things and conveniences. but there is not the ap- preciation and happy contentment.
 No. my friends Do not disdain or look down upon the com onplace. 1 It is the vital and most enduring truth in the backbone of the human race Cheer up. Do your commonplace l duty and glorify if, ennoble it with the spirit you put into it."
 POLK STEPS OUT.