Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-01

served at the Episcopal Church OF the
Incarnation.
Services at the First Presby terrain
church, where the congregations Of the
| First Baptist, First Methodist Epis-
| copaI, Grace Presbyterian, First Con
| gregational, and the Church of the
United Brethren gathered. Special
music, including a number of hymns
sung by the congregation and selec-
tons by the choir, and the Thanksglv-
| ing sermon of the Rev. We're Y. Lopez
Of the First Congregational church
| we're the features. The sermon,
which was broadcasted by The Tri-
| pune radio station KDYS in the aft
| ernoon follows:
Text-"Were there not ten cleansed
but where are the nine Duke II:
II.
This question of Jesus brings to lis
at once the realization that we have
come here this morning in obedience to
an impulse where has always moved
human hearts. No matter how far
back we may go into history, we find
| that people while yet in ~barbarism
have turned to something outside of
| themselves with gratitude in their
hearts. 1t may have been that they
turned to a stick or a stone, an ami
NAL or a tree, a God or a man, but
the essential thing for our purpose IS
to know that they did thus turn.
Greeks Celebrated Day
"A race which was so low as not TO
have in it's language some word or
idiom for / thank you is hardly to be
found. The Greeks held a great
thanksgiving feast which lasted for
nine days. The Romans observed a
harvest festival which is supposed to
date back to the mythical foundation OF
that great city. Yet it is in the jew
ish people, that we find the most ade-
! quate expression Of that perennial
spirit which has inspired the requlr-
ed observance of a Thanksgiving day
IN our country.
1T is from the background of the
feast of the ~tabernacles hat we catch
| the echo of the songs Of the Hebrew
| poet, Know We that the Lord He is
God; it is He that hath made us, and
not we ourselves: we are his people,
and the sheep OF his pasture. Enter
into his gates with thanksgiving, and
into his courts with praise; be thank
full into him and bless his name. For
the Lord is good; His mercy is ever
lasting; and His truth endureth to all
generations
Would that to the accompaniment
Of such hymns of praise. all ages
might have moved to the sacred ex-
preston of the thought which inspires
us today. But it could not be. There
was from the beginning associated with
it a considerable measure of abuse.
The English in their observance of
Harvest Home allowed SO much of the
sensual and so little of the spiritual to
have q place that when the Pilgrim
Fathers went to Holland. they left be-
hind them the celebration of any days
of thanksgiving.
Later they came to America. The
first winter was n of untold hard
ship and suffering. At one time only
six of the group of w a hundred
were well. Almost half of their num-
Der died from disease and exposure
during the first winter. When the
time for the closing down Of the sec
ond winter upon them approached they
were in better condition to face the
giant of the north. They had come to
this country in the name of God. They
His aid, while others who had come to
found a colony at Popham Beach mott
stated only by a desire for gain had ut
terly failed. In gratitude to God, they
held a three-day festival which has
come to be known as the first Thanks
giving. The toll, the hardship, the
agony Of that first terrible winter had
brought them back to an ancient insti-
tuition. Yet it had brought them back
to that institution cleansed of its
abuse and sanctified to its divine and
eternal meaning.
Meaning Often Lost
eve would not have America repeat
that first winter of the Pilgrims, vet
we know that many of the abuses Of
that day have crept back into common
usage. We know that its sublime
meaning is often lost in gluttony and
materiaiism. If any word of mine
would cause you to pause even for a
moment some time in this day to think
Of it's real meaning, | would that God
would give me the power to speak that
word. A winter such as the Pilgrims
experienced of hardship, of death, Of
plague, of privation would bring all of
us to our knees to thank Almighty God
for that which we SO carelessIy accept
and enjoy. We would cease to spend
sleepless nights thinking about the
money we had lost, the failure which
threatens, the sorrow which Expresses
and we would spend happy days in the
consciousness of the abundant and low
ing care of a Heavenly Father. We
would leave behind the spirit Of the
age and commune with the spirit of the
nges-a spirit of thanksgiving. / in
yite you for a few minutes this morn
ing to come close to this spirit and ex-
anime it and your relationship to it.
Examine it in the light of a CON
crete situation which to YOU
from the life Of Jesus, Were there
not ten cleansed, but where are the
nineT' This text and the situation
which gave rise to it sets clearly be-
fore you two things: first a service
rendered and second n varying attitude
on the part of those who were the re-
cipients of it.
First the service rendered: by whom
was it extended? The Bible says that
Jesus met 10 lepers as he was going
to Jerusalem. They had stood afar
off until they had seen it was Jesus.
Then they had cried out to Jesus to
have mercy on them. He had sent them
off to the high priest, and we are told
that as they go. they are cleansed.
Did Jesus cure them? No. God did.
for we lear the Master saying, Not |
but the Father working in me If
Jesus could stand among us today in