Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-17
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
A Senator Proys
BY DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain Of the United States Senate

E1I JAAC bCBhAAAAAB Va SNCAy
day the United States Senate
convenes a preacher prays for
the Senators and for the Ma
ton whose servants they are.
But, recently at his own flu
neral service a truly great
Senator prayed for a preach
er his pastor. 1t was a
prayer that strangely moved
the vast throng, mournfully
gathered in his own Okla
homa City church, to honor
with grateful remembrance
the endearing qualities, the
dedication to great causes,
and the public service Of one
who was the Governor of his
State and for IA years an
outstanding United States
Senator, attaining national
stature-Robert s. Kerr.
In the concourse of peo-
pie assembled to bring to his
memory the evergreens of
gratitude and the forget-me-
nots Of love we're leaders of
his State and Of the Nation,
including the President Of the
United States, the Vice PreSi-
dent, Governors Of States
and many of the Washington
colleagues Of the statesman
who so suddenly had come
to the close Of his earthly
career.
In the mosaic of tribute,
fashioned by the three min
listers who took part in the
service, one Of the loveliest
gems was a prayer composed
years ago by the one whose
earthly toll is now ended. He
little thought when he penned
those petitions, mirroring so
wildly his understanding of
the mission Of the ministry,
that many years later he
would offer 1t at his own
memorial service. That
prayer we will leave under
this Spire, feeling that with
its searching and sympa-
thetic insights it will prove a
hallowed treasure for both
the clergy and the laity. But,
even before together we lift
up that prayer by one whose
lips, once so eloquent are so
silent now, let us look at the
flaming torch in the hands
of a miniSter-any minister
no matter what his name or
sign, who as q prophet OF
God stands framed by Sena-
tor Kerr's prayer.
Let us think first Of the pc
culiar temptations Of the
ministry as suggested by a
paragraph from a new book
1t is written by a preacher
under the title, Love So
Amazing" 1.-THE preacher is
tempted to conceit by the
flattery of the superficial, to
bitterness by misinterpreta-
lions of the spiteful, to lazi-
ness by the absence of a time
clock, to folly by the atten-
ton of posSeSsive women, to
cynicism by the unexpected
disloyalty Of friends, to CON-
promise by the patronage Of
the successful. to irritability
by the constant drain upor
time and energy, and above
all to pride by the very ma
ture of his work. Add II
these, those temptations HI
has in common with all men
and wouldn't you agree tina
he is far from bein
sheltered?"
For our second speaker
under the Spire we call on
brilliant and highly success
full preacher who from hi
pulpit in a Midwestern ca
thedral church, speaks every
Sunday to a great congrega'
ton, including many leaders
in all walks Of life. 1t Il
the annual Sunday devoted tt
presenting the claims anC
challenge Of the ministry Il
students, young people, and tt
parents present in inspiring
numbers. This is what thai
one preacher said in seeking
those who might think Of thu
,,,1,gst,.,, ne thair life uyOTk