Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1922-10-06
HOLD SERVICE OF
RE-DEDICATION
Local Methodists Present Pro-
gram to More than ESQ
Rev. AG. T.. Price Of Rutland Speaker
Rev. Fred w. Adams Of Springfield,
Mass, Unable to BE Present.


ton cannot be enforced, but that's n
damnable lie because it could be en-
forced if we had the courage to suffer
for principle. The church today needs
n great augmentation of men and women
who can lift and not lean and who will
not permit the sitting and degrading in
huences that are permeating the world.
These and other assertions of simi Jar
Importance were Nthe main ideas brought
out in an address by Rev. George Il.
Price, pastor of the Methodist church
| of Rutland. at the re-dedication exercises
of the First Methodist Episcopal church
here Wednesday night. A congregation
of between $50 and 900 was present,
many of whom were members of other
local churches, including several of the
local pastors.
Among the visiting clergymcn were
tcndent of st. Albanss and Rev. Douglas
Guest of Chicopee Falls. Mass, pastor
of the church here in 1917-191S.
The re-dedication service began at
7.30 o'clock with the singing of a hymn
and was followed by the invocation by
Rev. c. c.. Chayer. The choir then rem
dered The Lord Is Exalted, following
! which Rev. Mr.. Davenport made an in
toductory prayer to the dedication ser
vice. The scripture lesson was read by
Rev. Mr.. Guest. following which Miss
Olive Capron sang solo entitled L Come
to Thee.
Rev. Mr.. Price was introduced by the
pastor of the church, who explained that
he had a disappointment and pleasure
to offer. The disappointment was that
| the speaker who originally was sched-
uled Rev. Fred Winslow Adams, ID. d.,
of Springfield Mass, was unable to be
present, owing to illness, and the pleas
ure\ was that Rev. Mr.. Price had been
secured in his place and showed a will
ingncss to assist in the exercises by max
ing the address of the evening.
Rev. Mr.. Price said there was nothing
of greater interest than the soul, whether
it be the soul of the nation. of the peo-
pie, or of an individual. There is no
acquisition that can take the place of
the soul nor any idea that can take the
place of the souls life. We are living
in hasty time and it seems hardly
possible to keep our lives away from the
bdsness of the world. In this immersion
of business we are gradually drifting
away from the gospel. The speaker
cited William Jennings Bryan who once
said, Il don't know how Indifferent peo-
pie are to church. but | recognize the
fact that people are not buying property
where church is not located"
Turning to the question of the attain
! UltIL VI SucttSS. lHt SItuhtT Sdll tuut III
some corners of the world people often
wonder how North America became so
peaceful and united whereas South
America was always more or less in tur-
moil The reason is because the Puri-
tans came to North America to seek
God. while the Spaniards went to the
southern continent to seek gold. What
we need today in the world is not more
legislation but more religion. With
God as our goal we shall succeed as the
Pilgrim Fathers did. With gold as ouI
motto we shall succeed no better thar
the Spaniards. We need religion from
the very legislation halls in Washington
down to the mines and factories through
out this land of ours.
The great trouble with business mer
today is that they are counting without
God. The trouble with business is right
in the center of the word. We need tC
take the "sn' out of business. With the
proper religion in the world there would
be 10 need for the fraternal organiza'
tons that we have today. 1t ism mate
rial prosperity that makes America
great. for we have really gone daffy over
railroads, steamships, electricity and all
the other inventions. Americas greatest
resources are her souls. In the lands
across the sea, who are the people that
q blaze the way for commerce! They are
the missionaries of Jesus Christ. we
| must Keep our SOULS 'ulllStHtiH' anu III
doing so we shall make the church and
the community.
The speaker then told of the evils OF
the liquor traffic and showed how prohi-
bition could be enforced if men and
women had the courage TO stand up as
whole and stop it. He also spoke
briefly of the recent massacres in the
East and in connection Herewith said
that America ought not to be Indifferent
to the preparation of those brutal
crimes.
There are two kinds of people in the
world, Rev. Mr.. Price said. those who
lift and those who lean. There is one
who lifts to about 10 who lean, and
what the world needs in connection with
can lift and keep the world moving along
the lines of religious betterment.
Following Rev. Mr.. Prices address
Psalm 122 was read, after which the
church was presented to the distric,
superintendent for rededication by DIR
G. G. Wheeler Rev. Mr.. Davenport
} then read the dedicatory prayer which
was followed by the Doxology and bene
dntion.
After the service was over reception
was held most of the congregation pres
ent taking the opportunity to inspect the
repairs recently made within the edifice
The interior walls in both the audi
forum and, the Vestibule have been en-
tirely re-decoratcd, huff color ben:
used for the lower half of the walls, d
darker buff giving a border effect on the
upper half. A band of gold decoration
divides the two colors and emphasizes
the contrast. Back of the pulpit
handsome stucco design in plaster Of
Paris has been brought out softly, ye
Tcontrastingly, in white New hardwood
floors have been laid in both the audito
rum and the vestibule and new rubber
runners have been bought for the aise
} and passageway in the vestibule. Th,
t old chandeliers have been removed ant
} new suspension lights installed In add
ton to the two in the yestbule there
( are six large lights and four smaller
5 ones in tho auditorium. The reflectini
globes are decorated in brown to harmon
ze with the color of the walls. New
t chairs have been installed in the choi
G space, and the pulpit has been re-car
peted and equipped with new rug.
In the basement, both the hall at thu
foot of the stairs and III" main vestr'
have been handsomely re. decorated, tn
general lines being the same as in tn,
: main section of the church. New hard
wood floors also have been laid in thu
VPStry and 40 new chairs have beef