The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-05-17
|. 0. OF. AND REbEKAHS
At CENTENARY CHURCH
Rev. Herbert l.. Nichols Delivers
Splendid Discourse

About 100 members of the Odd Eel
| lows, Rebekahs and affiliated bodies
| attended divine worship last Sunday
! at the Centenary Methodist Episcopal
| Church. The altar was beautifully
decorated with cut flowers and potted
plants and the Citizens Band escort
ed with the Cantons in full uniform,
Brigadier General l.. W. Gerrish of
Gardiner coming to attend the SER
vices. Special music included an an
them, I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes" by
| the choir another anthem, Teach
Me The Way" also by the choir and
duet, I'm Thee Will Put My Trust"
by Mrs. Donald Burrill and Lyle S.
Moore, with Mrs. Howard Friend at
the pipe organ and Mrs. M. j. Smith at
the piano. Rev. Herbert L.. Nichols
preached powerful sermon upon,
Our nsibilties-Manward God
ward In his opening words Mr.
| Nichols said, at affords me great
pleasure today. as the representative
of Centenary Church, to welcome you
to the services of Gods house. Our
doors are opened wide for your en-
trance, our hearts beat sympathetical-
ly with yours, our hands are extend
ed in cordial greeting. The fact that
you are here indicates that there are
certain bonds of respect, sympathy
and cooperation binding us as indivi-
duals and organization together in the
holiest of ties. No unwarranted as
sumption is maintained by either your
fraternal body, or by the church. We
all seek to realize that we are humble
children of one Heavenly Father above
as we sit together in the unity of
the spirit for an hour of Christian fell
lowship and worship"
Mr.. Nichols went on to say that the
Christian Church and the Odd Fellows
fraternity were both seeking to do
distinctive phase of the great task
God has committed to the children of
J, men, the making Of a happier and bet
ter world for the human race. He
pleaded for a better understanding
and helpful cooperation between all
forces that minister to the well being
of the human family. He referred
, to the one hundredth anniversary of
the founding of American Odd Eel
lowship and gave as his text, Render
Thereforth unto Ceasar the things
which are Caesars and unto God the
things which are Gods" He refer
red to the beginning and growth of
Odd Fellowship and the helpfulness
of the Odd Fellows fraternity. The
speaker chose this text to give him
Scriptural basis upon which to talk
upon vital theme that should claim
the attention OF every thinking man
and woman in our midst, that of
high and holy obligation to our coun-
try. her rulers and her citizens, and
to the Infinite One Himself. 'Rend-
er therefore unto Caesar the things
which are Caesars" shall stand for
loyalty devotion and self-sacrifice to
America and all her glorious free
institutions. Such patriotism is in
spired by the farest flag, the richest
nation, the ,freest democracy, the
mightiest republic, the most Christian
nation on which the sun now shines"
He spoke of the patriotism of the Am
erican people from the Colonial days
down through the war of 1872, the
Civil War, the Spanish War
and the World War. But he believ-
ed that true patriotism flows deeper
than martial spirit, that it means love
and devotion to our native land un-
uCl Idil SOlluiblOnS III Va pSo1O
as we'll as in times of war. He said,
at has a part in the prayerful and
conscientious use of the ballot, the
enactment and enforcement of right
eous laws. the denouncing and re-
forming OF existing evils which exploit
private and public virtues" Mr..
Nichols stated that he believed the
avowed principles of Odd Fellowship
to be in full accord with the senti-
ments thus expressed He suggested
as a few of the responsibilities to
our nation and our fellows that there
must be the building up of a respect
for law and the constitution of the
United States; to condemn and count
eract all those influences and agencies
that breed class, racial or religious
determinations; and the unwarranted
failure of some of our courts of law
to restrain or adequately punish the
wrong doer, and while he commend
ed the visiting order for all that 1t is
and does, he urged those present not
to substitute their fraternal obliga-
tions to men for personal obligations
to the Creator. He said in closing,
81 leave you today facing the 104th
year of commendable history. My
sincere wish Is that you may fill out
this and each succeeding year with
the largest measure of success to your
order. and with the largest useful
ness to others in the bonds OF Frind-
ship, Love and Truth and that wish
surely will be realized II you live up
to the message given you today Per-
chance you will forget in few days
time what | have said, but you will
not, / am sure, forget to be both pa
triotic and religious If you remember
and are obedient to the words from
the lips of our Elder Brother, our
Redeemer and King-'render there
fore unto Caesar the things which
are Caesars and unto Cod the things
which are Gods