Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-06-23
SHOULDER CAVE
AN INTERESTING
BACCALAUREATE
ADDRESS SUNDAY EVENING AT
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
HELD THE AUDIENCE.
Dignity of Service
Subject of Address

Ounudy evening 10 tht to'iliVi N''''' -
Alma high school at the Presbyterian
church by Rev. Shoufler Of the First
Baptist church was exceptionally
thoughtful, and delivered in clear
forceful manner held the close at
tention of the audience that packed
the church to capacity
The address, "The Dignity Of Serv-
ice or The Growing Virtue was
taken from the text: Luke 22:2I
But | am among you as he that
serveth."
The address follows:
"No sooner had the solemn cerc-
monies of the Lords supper ceased
than a dispute arose among certain
disciples, who should be the greatest
in the kingdom. Although there may
be different standards of excellence
by which men are judged, arguments
from that day to this have never set
tied the question. I'm this case as IN
many other Instances, Jesus brings
the argument TO an abrupt close, By
asking a question and administering
a rebuke by saying, "For whether is
greater, he that stitch at meat, or he
that serveth? Is not he that stitch
at meat? But ! am among you as he
that serveth' 1t is perfectly right
TO aspire to greatness. 1t Is all right
to want to be somebody and to have
a desire to do something worth while
as long as mere honor undeserved and
unearned is not the objective. | am
sure that none of you would assume
the attitude of the boy who always
stood at the foot Of the class. When
reprmanded by his father for being
at the foot instead Of being at the
manded by his father for being at
head, he replied that he didn't see as
replied that he didn't see as it made
it made any particular difference,
that the teaching was the same at
both ends.
Seek TO Excel
First seek to excel through the
purpose to serve organizes the forces
purpose to serve organizes the forces
of your life for effective action. A
boy when asked if his father attended
church replied: Yes he attends off
and on That is what is the matter
with many folks today-too many
off and on peope-an old hen could
not hatch eggs off and on. We are
told to be constant in season and out
Of season. A pile of steel shavings
lying on the floor of foundry may
be of excellent quality and weigh
tons, but in that condition the shaw
ings are useless. Organize and weld
them into a shaft and properly at
tach TO power and they will drive a
great ocean liner from New York to
Liverpool. Education sustains about
the same relationship 60 life as the
great shaft to unorganized steel. By
slightly changing the figure, life
without a purpose is like a ship with
ont rudder, not only is it i'm danger
at the mercy Of the wind and waves,
but it endangers every other ship
with which il may collide. Lacking
purpose, adrift upon the sea it be-
comes a dereict Of death.
again, let us seek to excel through
the displacement of low ambition.
There are no substitutes on short cuts
to real service. Some schools that
are not of the highest type offer
short courses with great money OBJ
jectives. A few days ago there APP
peared an advertisement stating that
a certain encyclopedia was the equiv
alent of a four-years' college course.
Be not deceived there is no set Of
books excepting the Bible itself, that
is equivalent TO the personal influence
of a great, good and consecratod
teacher.
"We must rid ourselves of the false
notion that glory lies in conspicuous
ness and is measured by large finan-
cial returns. You remember the story
Of the sons Of Zebedee Mark 1927
that came asking to sit one on the
right hand and the other on the left
hand of Christ in His Kingdom. The
account in Matt. 20:23 states that
the mother of the boys made the re-
quest, so / believe that both mother
and sons were ambitions to Obtain
such honor. They sought uncarncd
and undeserved honor. Jesus an
swered them with a challenge, Are
We able TO drink the cup that | drink
and to be baptized with the baptism
that / am baptized with?' Robert
Browning says:
"A mans reach must exceed his grasp
Else what Is heaven for7
This low man seeks little thing 20 do
Sees il and does IL
This high man, with n great thing 20 pursue
Dies ere he knows IT,"
You can have the position Of honor
il you pay the price. The most bril-
liant diamonds are polished in their
own dust
Ambition Has It's Dangers
ambition when selfish has its per-
lis. 1t was selfish ambition that sent
Kaiser to Holland. Nations have
Napoleon to St Helena and the
fallen when selfishness, greed and
low morals became the dominant ma
tional characteristics. The Pyramids
though grand they may seem and