Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1922-04-12
EASTER

crates an event which Christian peo-
pie recognize everywhere as symbol
izing our resurrection and redemp-
ton. To many Easter means more
than Christmas but its celebration is
always in less boisterous manner. 1t
is well that the dignity and solemnity
of Easter is maintained. Most of
our holidays have been prostituted
from the original intent and purpose
of their founding to licentious sea-
son of fun and commercialism. Dec
grafton day, Fourth of July, Thanks
giving and Christmas have all more
or less lost their meaning in our day
and generation. Despite the fact
that Easter dances and new Easter
clothes take the attention of too
many people Easter maintains more
nearly it's original meaning than 9th
er holiday seasons.
In connection with Easter one nat
urally thinks of and turns to the
church, because our Christian church
es are, according to Paul, founded
upon the incident which made Easter.
Our local churches especially in
vite people to their services at
this time and it is the custom of
many people to visit the church of
their selection on Easter Sunday.
Next Sunday is Easter and it is hop
ed that churches will be filled with
people, both regular attendants and
those who can go only on occasion.
Most churches make Easter a season
of special interest to those who con-
template uniting with the church and
lay special emphasis upon making a
decision for the new life.
1t is noted that much of interest
is taking place in the churches of
Orleans county. Many additions are
being made to the membership and
in the Congregational denomination
at least the annual missionary bud
get is being planned for.
There is decided new note with
reference to the position the church
and it's interests hold in the life of
the world today. The change is by
ne means a riot for the church and
for Christian principles, but he who
reads carefully and thoughtfully will
discern many straws which point to
a changing current. Secular news
papers, commercial organizations,
manufacturing establishments and
hard-headed business men as individ-
uals are thinking somewhat along
new lines with reference to funda-
mentals of life and character.
The Montreal Star, one of the
great newspapers Of North America,
and never noted for it's high moral
tone, recently contained leading
editorial on the Bible which would
have done credit to the Christian Her
aid or any other religious periodical.
The Burlington Free Press had a
leading editorial only Saturday on
s'World Yields to Christian Ideals in
all Fields" A publishers magazine
recently contained an article which
tells how the great newspapers of
the nation are assisting the "Back to
the Bible Bureau" by publishing daily
quotations from the scriptures One
of the first to do this has used a
Bible verse at the head of it's editor
ial columns each day since September
1920, The response to the movement
by the newspapers of the nation is
amazing says the secretary of the or
ganization Papers with more than
100000 daily circulation are now
printing daily verses of scripture as
regular feature. Sunday school les
sons are being used by the papers
again and great news syndicate con-
Germs are supplying them because of
the demand.
About year ago leading manufac-
turer in Orleans county, not church
member, told the writer that he be-
Heved in the missionary movement
and would give 500 toward it
through the local church. because he
was convinced that it was the prin-
ciple upon which missions were found
ed that would make an end of most
of the troubles to which the world is
heir today.
If people who confess their belief
In Christ and the church would all
think along as broad lines as this
man, and would give for the adj
vancement of Christianity as liberal
ly, there would be fewer problems of
labor and capital and more institu-
tions preaching the gospel of truth.
If processing Christians would give
one per cent. of their incomes to the
advancement of the cause which they
profess to believe in the world would
soon be changed. Ten per cent. is
the accepted standard for many stu
dents. We are convinced that the
reason there are so many poor
Christians is because there are so
many stingy ones. That only he who
gives lays I'D treasure is a funda-
mental which bears close study and
the greater the application the more
convinced one becomes that there is
no escape from the principle.
There is no better way of celebrat-