Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1926-05-27
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Number n
BACOAE4AUREATE SERVICE
DRAWS LARGE ATTENnANllE

The baccalaureate service for the
M. Il M graduating class of 1926,
held in the twin city opera house
Sunday evening, drew an audience
that taxed the capacity of the house.
extra chairs having to be provided,
and some persons remaining stand
/ ing throughout the service.
The graduates in their caps
and gowns, and accompanied by the
members of the high school faculty
occupied the customary seats in the
front of the middle tier of the aud
itorium, and another reserved Sec
ton back of them was occupied by
parents of members of the g-aduat-
I ing class.
The glee club of yoaua ladies'
from the NJ & M. high school. un-
music supervisor in the schccts, fur
nished two selections.
Rev. Geo. G. Van ArtsdaIen, pas
| tor of the BristoI-Deerfield Presby-
lterian churches, preached the bacca-
laureate sermon. Other pastors oc-
Icupying the stage and participating
| in the service, in Scripture reading,
prayer and benediction, were Revs.
! L. B. Douglas, A. N. Grove, w. e.
w. Seller and r. E. Stevens OF the
| local churches. The Scripture
chosen for the basis of the sermon
of the evening was the first chapter
! of the book of Joshua and the sixth
chapter of the gospel of John.
Mr.. Van Artsdalen chose for his
sermon theme 1.-THE Challenge of
Youth" and made very worth
while presentation-rich in thought
and spiritual force, and in practical
! application, delivered in a pleasing,
convincing manner, with charming
diction and splendid enuneiation,
all of which is SO desirable in pub
/ lie speaking. In passing, one could
| say that Mr.. Van Artsdalen-a very
young man, might himself be con-
| sidered a practical demonstration of
/ the ideas he presented to the young
/ folks of the graduating class whom
| he was addressing, having as he ap-
parently has, made Jesus the i'm
pelling force of his life, and being
ready to face all difficulties through
! that force.
His sermon he presented under
three heads, dwelling particularly
on the first two The first chal-
lenge he said that confronts every
one and which all must meet in
some way is What attitude will
they take toward Christ Great
Icharacters of history or of the pres
ent time mean more or less in the
molding of thought or action of So
ciety. To the individual, they are
not vital. They may fade away
4 Lii 1t
ory. Not so with Jesus. He is vital
to the human life and souI-and no
life in which he is not enthroned,
can be it's best.
The second phase of Mr.. Van
Artsdalen's talk, was 'eThe meeting
Eof difficulties" That they are to be
met is inevitable in the life of ALL
Happy is the man or woman who
fortified with the power and grace
of Christ, meets them bravely and
with assurance of overcoming, and
lin that overcoming strengthening
land broadening his own life.
The third phase which he touch
ed upon briefly, owing to the pass
ling of time for the service, was
I''The challenge of tomorrow"
which was simply following out of
the precepts going before: Christ
the impelling power of the life;
through that power meeting diff
Iculties brayely, and making of each
"a stepping stone to higher things,
making of each tomorrow a better
day than the day preceding, if pos
sible,-being the best to be attain
ed, in the physical, mental, moral
land spiritual living, the rounded,
Icomplete personality.
Mr.. Van Artsdalen's address was
listened to throughout with the
Iclosest interest and attention by the
large audience.