Norwich bulletin., 1922-03-24
BLESSINGS OF WORK MAKE
LENTEN SERMON THEME

Kew. Edmund ]. Cleveland. rector of
Christ Episcopal church. Westerly. was
ire preacher at the united Lenten SER
vice held Thursday evening at Christ
church. Rev. Richard R. Graham rector
OF the church. led the service. The scrip
ture lessons were taken from Isaiah 80
and st. Luke IA. Prayer was offered by
Kew. j. Eldred Brown, rector Of Trinity
church.
Rev. Mr.. Cleveland took as his text
Gen. 3:19
In part he said:
Work, it is generally agreed. is
blessing of the highest kind But work
Is often called curse. That is Just ex-
actly the way the first man and woman
regarded it. You know the experience
they had. They found themselves in the
pleasantest place iu1ae. uable Nothing
was asked of them. There were only one
or two restrictions placed on them. It is
rather pity they disregarded these re-
strtctions. They were driven out q
Eden and forced to work for their bread
BY the sweat of their brow
This is undoubtedly tie case in many
instances today. Here is a person sur
rounded by wealth and not obliged 10
raise her hand in work. Suddenly her
fortune disappears. She is thrown out
a curse for that moment The first MAJ
and woman had what would be a difficult
job under any circumstances. 1t was
particularlv true of their case as they
knew nothing about it. It is literally
true that thew earned their bread by the
sweat of their brow.
Take the case of the Immigrant COM
ing into this co"ntry How does he
make Roadway? How does he get along?
BY doing the work that nobody else will
do. When Won come right down to it
You can say there are aspects about
work that are not pleasant or agreea BILE
The point IS there are curses worse
than work. There are positions or con.
ditions far worse than the position OF
conditions If man who tolls hard for
Z living. Take the condition Of poverty
| II is ? snectre IN many peopIes' lives
| How it undermines courarei How Il
dashes happiness! Then there IS til;
| curse of unemployment involuntary IN
! en1rloyme nt. Tt is not difficult to under
| stand when n person is unable to fnt
| employment how he finds vagrancy
| very easy state into which to fall Thl
| worst curse of all is self determined un
employment those who live in luxur,
while getting first class education o
| avoiding. studious1y avoiding any kin
of honest labor
The first man and woman withou
thought Of care. fell into sin. OF cours
they were not ready for any kind Of rea
sonable toll. Tho first man and vorlal
made no attempt to get back into Eden
They had had enough Of that kind .
life It is by such experiences that w
come to q realizatio Of the true valu
of work. The toilers find out that wor
is really blessing and NOT curse a
AL. We all agree that work was wha
the first man and woman needed.
II is rather the fashion today to tai
about the economic problem. the indus'
rial problem. Thank God W. have a
, Industrial problem. Thank God we hav
cities full Of mills There Is where tn
future Of America ex!sts-amongst thos
l. who toll
r Poor old Russia with so per cent
its industries paralyzed and its me
making a deity out If idln7ess. IS goin
down and down. Some day she wi
wake " and get 20 work. Then Il
road VIII turn and win lead upward ar
not downward.
Work out your salvation with fear ar
trembling. Blessed are they that labt
for Jesus partakes of their bread.