The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1923-11-29
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Prepared especially for The Republi
can by Rev. U. S. Wright, D. D.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER ?.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2.
THE POWER OF THE EARLY
CHURCH. Acts 2:1- 81.
WhosOever shall call on the name of
the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21.
THE GIFT OF LIFE
These last lessons take one thru
the book of Acts in a study of its
trail Of light streaming from the open
tomb of its Lord across the plains of
earth. Within walked that early
church, feeling the constant tug at
their hearts of His Spirit The rec
ord is of what He continued to do and
to teach and it reaches from Jerusa-
lem to the City on Seven Hills. I'm
! like the early adventure of God which
passed from the Garden to City this
is from capital to capital for it is in
response to the last command to dis
ciple nations. 1t follows folks and
these are always the chief concern in
the plan of God as they were the de-
termining thing in the mission of
Jesus. Where they were He was GER
tain to be found.
The Pentecost was a great day in
the life of the record and a greater
still in the history of the world. In
the book it is the first step outward
toward the creation of new atmos-
phere among the men of earth-in
the history of what they did it looms
as the beginning of its real upward
march. There had been the slow
gathering of the Jewish ideas and ra-
cial instincts into such body of folk
that they have persisted until now.
Growing their life with light was
the coming of their Lord who gather
ed about Him a little group of doz-
en- people who were inbreathed with
His spirit, taught of His work and
methods, stirred by His vision for
His Kingdom until the bony frame of
the structure meant to inspirit the
life of all men was fully formed. In
that other story of the earlier begin
ming that God made in the Garden He
formed man in whatever fashion one
chooses to imagine-for there is moth
ing in the record that goes beyond
saying that God made man, nothing
of the method used-and then in that
infinitely tender stoop to the Great
ure of His hand He Touched lips with
him and breathed into him His life.
That is foregleam of this other day
when after the slow centuries God
had evolved body that He could use.
Then He breathed into it His spirit
as in that other day and living
church stood up, lived and marched
forth to do His bidding. 1t was a
unique day that harked back to that
earlier one in the desert when in flame
and smoke the man God had made,
long stopped under his burdens, lifted
his head and caught sight of the bea-
con that directed his advance-a fit
ting day upon which to begin another
upward movement.
THE GIFT OF POWER
What were the circumstances under
which this great deed was done? 1t
was a matter of numbers for there
were only 100 of them who believed
but it held the men like James who
had rejected Jesus as Lord in his
life. 1t had as part of it Mary and
other women. Childhood and age
were there; all conditions and kinds
even in the small number but they
were all united in that prayer hour
so that there was a submergence of
any differences that had ever existed
Personal ambitions had been surren-
dered, envy had been ruled out, doubt
had died, discipline had been accepted
and Judas place filled, and each was
in his place. Empty pews are a con-
slant problem but the tragic thing is
that they make breaks in the circuit
that compels the spark. Any opening
hinders the electric arc. If not too
great it may be bfidged by the power
of the current but the least separation
limits it. 1t is as true of the spirit of
God. When conditions had been filled
the Spirit came. There has been no
other day like that. There were and
are other manifestations of the Spir-
it's presence but tongues ard witches
and frances are no longer given the
honor once accorded them but even in
the New Testament record there is
10 repetition Of this days acts. 1t is
tho one macmillan, nocncinr &c 80,