New Britain herald., 1921-09-26
STANLEY MEMORIAL
 CHURCH SERVICES
Many at School Rally-PaStor
 Breaches Special Sermon

Services at the Stanley Memorial church yesterday were largely attend cd and at the Sunday school rally 25 children were presented with bibles on their promotion from the primary to the junior departments. Rev. G. M. Missirian, pastor, took as his sub- ject for the morning sermon, The Challenge of Faith," speaking as fol- lows:
 Without faith it is impossible to please him." namely God. This posi- tive and strong statement was given to the people. who were utterly disap- pointed. Their dreams and brilliant expectations were shattered and so they were in full despair. They were losing their faith in all the phases of life.
 After defining the word faith, the writer of the Epistle to Hebrews, puts down this most emphatic and chal- lenging phrase. namely. But without faith it is impossible to please Him.
 We need to understand his truth in our own times. when the clouds of depression are hanging so low and the faith is breaking away.
 Great masseS of people are losing their faith in the sacred book, in the ministry of the pulpit, in church mem p1iS' iii NhpIAal tihu HI hObSoS business. in democracy and in the politics of all nations and even in press However, above all these the most tragic fact of our day. is the gradual loss of faith in God. No matter what direction we turn in life, we are con- fronted with a strong challenge of faith
 Our Lord and Master heroically ac- cepted the challenge of faith in His own day, even though the world con ditions and wicked heart of man. were not any better than ours. He kept his faith in men, who persccuted Him and crucified Him, and also His faith in God. who did not rescue him from the agonies of the cross. He kept the faith when both men and God had forsaken him. This is the faith that knows no defeat and overcomes the world.
 Without faith it is impossible to please Him. This sounds very much final and rather cruel. But consider moment, how can you please God without believing in him? May I ask, how can you please anybody. without having faith? Our family, our school. our church and our government will be. ruined without this element of faith.
 The greatest danger and shame of
 
 capital and labor. nor war and peace, nor lawlessness, not even the selfish ness, but it is the lack of faith h God and in man. Faithlessness stands at the bottom of all the troubles in the world. Man becomes brutally selfish when he loses faith in God and in everybody else. You can not be selfish | if you truly and honestly have faith in somebody besides yourself. Jesus needed his faith in God. in order to keep his faith in men, and in order to go through trials and suffering and even cross with a sense of victory.
 With all our so-called progress of civilization, industrial and scientific discoveries still we are helpless and impotent. without this Christlike faith in God. Therefore let us do the urgent and vital task. If you love your own life and the life of your children and if you wish to go through life with a sense of victory and happiness. no matter what comes. then have this Christlike faith be cultivated in you and in your children, through the min istry Of your church.
 The church of today is living in critical times. The church is on trial Your profession for Chritianity is on trial. He who fails in this crisis to do his utmost to help the church per form its task. he who Is indifferent or recreant now, either has no faith in the Christian church. or is a traitor to the cause of humanity. All goes we'll with faith in God" So remember, without faith it is impossible to please God