Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1925-04-10
Easter Fifty
Years Ago
Ut IS a little more than so years
ago that /, as young minister Of
i suburban church, was invited to

vt IS little more than so years
ago that /, as young minister of
suburban church, was invited to
preach, one Sunday morning in
| April, at the Broadway Tabernacle
church, then standing at the corner
| of Broadway and Thirty-fourth street
| In New York city, Washington Glad
den, d. D., LII. D., writes in the Wom-
ans Home Companion. 1t happened
to be Easter Sunday, as knew; and
although almost no notice of the day
was taken at that time by the non
| Episcopal Protestant churches, it had
| been my custom to preach an Easter
sermon, and I ventured to bring one
| with me for that service. There were
no Easter flowers, and there was no
Easter music. I doubt If 1T had oc-
! Cured to the minister or to any mem
Der of the congregation that 1t was
Easter Sunday. l thought it prudent,
! therefore, to make virtual apology
| for preaching a sermon on the resur-
rection, saying that while we, as the
children Of the Puritans, had little to
do with sacred days, it might not be
uniting for us, on the day when many
| Christians were celebrating the resur-
| rection of our Lord. to turn our
| thoughts in that direction.
Shows Times Changes.
After the sermon my good and great
friend, then pastor Of that church, had
| just one word of communication, and
| that referred to the sentence in which
| said that we as Congregationalists
had little use for sacred days. II am
| glad" he said, 'that you emphasized
| that fact" The incident will Illustrate
the change which has taken place in
the attitude toward the Easter festi-
val of the Protestant churches during
| the last half century. 1t Is now the
! day of the Christian year most gen.
orally observed in all the churches.
The message Of the Easter day to
| you and me and to all men-what is
1t? In what words shall we phrase it?
| We might get some idea of the mes
| sage from the conduct of those who
hear it.
| See that man sitting solitary and de-
jected within his home. There is a
knock at the door, and messenger
enters. Now he Is delivering his mes
sage. The downcast look has gone
from the face of the listener; he Is
all attention; watch him. He springs
| to his feet; his hands smite each
other with ringing blow; his face is
all ablaze with joyful emotion; his
voice is pitched in high key; his
movements are full Of energy. You
have not heard a word that the mes
senger has spoken, but you know that
he must have brought joyful mes
sage.
Joyful News, Good TldIngs."
So If you look into the face of hu-
mainly on Easter day, and listen to
It's accents, and watch It's movements,
wherever the message of Easter has
been spoken, you know that it Is JOY
full news, good tidings. The pealing
bells, the jubilant songs, the churches
and the homes bright with the flowers
Of spring, the festive garments, the
whole costume and utterance of Chris
tendon show that the word that has
been spoken Is word of cheer, word
of hope, summons to rejoicing. Is not
this in itself, great achievement? To
fill the heart of the world with great
hope and an unselfish Joy, is not that
great good? That Jesus the Christ
has done all this for the world no man
can deny.
| There is reason in this rejoicing. It
| Is the truth that Easter tells that
makes the whole earth glad What is
this truth? 1t Is the truth that there
is life beyond the grave. To the per-
| feet man there is spiritual principle
over which death has no power. This
has been the unquenchable hope of
mankind in all the ages and the resur-
rection of Christ gives to this hope
a great confirmation.
| Not at All incredible.
| "Why," cries the great apostle,
should it be thought thing incred-
lble that God should raise the dead p
| It seems to me the most natural thing
In the world, provided that Nature is
the outcome Of loving will. Why
should not the gracious Providence
who watches over the world and
| guides It's destinies in the track of
! Righteousness, fling into the dark Of