The Ottawa Journal from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • Page 46

nmT'MTM1l'MHfMlMITMMIf Hti v'v i Vvyytvy4' SATURDAY, APRIL .8, THE OTTAWA' JOURNAL JAITmOAT, APRIL 28, 1981 LESSON Of TOMB i' fWealc Sinners Quickly Changed Intd Strong Men A MINISTER fnend spent whol day recently itudying th epitaphs oa th memorial ttonei in Hamilton cemetery, lit di-covered something significant. Newer stones carry -simply the nam and dam of birth aid death of the deceased. Older ton usually bear Mine poetic expression ol hope in the life to come; i This may be Just a reaction against the" sentimentality and bad poetry lor which many old tombstones are famous. Or. tt may, be (ears, reflect weak ened faith In 7 th resume and after life.

There are other signs inai mis Forrest ney be true. For example the cross is Being. used as tymbol much more commonly ia Protestant "hurche. Some believe they can detect less emphasis on the risen Lord, more emphasis on a crucified Jesus. This may be the sign of a weakened faith.

It could be a reaction from the derision of secularists who have qyer since the days of Karl Marx scoffed at the Christian belief as "Pie In the sky when you die." IT COULD BE side-product of 'travel sid better un-dersandlng of the world. Social ciehiists will point out that one reason the underdeveloped world in such a mess is the strong emphasis ol Buddhism and Hinduism and other religions of the East on the other world. I know in India 1 could wish like the Communists that theJ people would think less of what) more on what next week would be like. It could easily be a "mult of greed, selfishness, cruelty, and lust. It Is customary for teachers of religion to point out that the decent instincts at good man cry out for a resurrection.

That men who crave Justice look at the unfairness of the present world and say that if there Is God, and Cod is Just, then his Justice demands some son of reward for the good and punishment for the evil. It is natural that the evil and unjust would hope they might avoid resurrection and Judgment' MacBeth was resdy to take his chance that there would be no Judgment' here upon this bank and shoal of time, we'd Jump the life to come But in these case we still have 'Judgment here." Hamlet oa the other hand was ready to take bis chance on this life if only be could be sure there would be no resurrection. "Ay, there's the rub," be said. Such doubts have always haunted, and such hopes have long inspired the hearts of men. In Jesus' day the Saduceee did not believe In sn after life.

Jesus' own disciples bad very dark Easter Saturday and -at least some of them hsd made np their minds it was -all over and they were planning to re turn to their old pursuits. Then the tomb was empty and Jesus appeared to them in the Upper Roam at the seashore and else where. This changed them from band of-doybting ajd lempUtioiu, had deserted him et the trial Into a group of strong men who Pentecost ttarni the- world upside PAUL a little later found him self preaching to Greeks and Rtmwnncr ilon was Jooliehnes. And so hav th sponlts down the years. Ia our own time, men like Oscar Wilde could say there was enough suffering In any London street to prove there was no God or If there were didn't care.

And a nurse la a cancer ward can com out from the room of a dying patient and say. that If there was a powerful God she didn't like him very welL But tens of thousands of other nurse and other kinds of laborers will just aa quickly say that th reason they nurse or. work ia because they believe In God and the God of the resurrection. Several year-ago at Easter time an American Judge wrote the Christian Century, saying: "For 1 year I have been engaged in one Inquiry after another concerning facta. Facta must be ascertained as basis of decision and Judgment the narrative of a witness Is seldom aa accurate, veracious, reliable report the facte: It a blend of suggestion, wish ful thinking and drama." Then he proceeded to Question the testimony of th New Testa- A C.

FORREST ment and asked whether wes fact or fiction. EDITOR C. Morrison wrote long reply which con cluded with this: "The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact as well attested a any event of past history but our faith In the resurrection is not derived primarily, from New Testament writings but in the loving memory and faith of the Christian Church despite Its frailties the Christian Church Is the living, monumental and perennial proof of the resurrection of Jesus Christ" No Intelligent man may escape believing In the crucifixion. The doubts of Easter Saturday are known topmost of us. But man may deny the resurrection if he wishes.

Many do, for they obviously do not wsnt to face a Judgment or prepare for another life. But for. those who love the good and the beautiful end seek to serve a loving and righteous God, the resurrection: Is inevitable. 'At Foot of the Cross We Are All Equal'. WASHINGTON, (RNS) The story of an incident that occurred when the late Charles Evans Hughe, then Chief Justice of the United States, presented himself for membership at Calvary Baptist Church here was recalled a the nation'r capital paused on April 11 to observe the centennial of hi birth.

A commemorative postage (tamp honoring Mr. Hughe, who was a governor of New York and a candidate for President In 1916, wa issued and tribute were paid to his memory by Chief Justice Earl Warren and leader of Congress. It wa recalled that on a Sunday morning shortly after he wa named Chief Justice in 1921, the lata Dr. William Abernethy. pastor of Calvary Church, asked newcomer to the city to com forward at the end of the service to be greeted by the member.

Among those new to the city wa a' Chinese laundryman who had been convened by a Baptist missionary. A he started to come down the aisle, he realized that Just behind him was the distinguished Chief Justice of the United States. He bowed deferentially to Mr. Hughe and motioned for him to precede him. Instead.

Mr. Hughe put hi hand on the shoulder of the Chinese worshipper and, a they walked down the aisle together, side by side, he said: "At the foot of the Cross, we art all equal." n' Christianity Transformed Ancient Pagan World THE ROMAN world did not become Christian overnight For three hundred year the follower of Jesus were persecuted. and these persecution were nev er mora sever than they were a decade or two before Christianity became th official religion of the Romea Empire. The Emperor Constantino about A D. 124 largely for political purposes embraced Christianity, and thereafter tt wa the official fahb of Rome.

But for the three centuries preceding this Mm. Christian believers had not only been per secuted but had experienced Moral condition In th Roman Empire two thousand years aio were much worse-4ha any thing know today that find It Impossible to appreciate the Widespread degradation. In the midst of all this moral pollu tion a little group of Christian amailng degree -succeeded In living lives of honesty purity, and brotherly love. They were the amazement of their neighbors. "Think of what you're missing," cried the loose-living Roman.

And "the reply of the Christian wa a smile and th words. "Our faith I la th Lord Jesus Christ. He gives us peace of heart and Joy Immeasurable." -w THE APOSTLE PETER writing some time between A.D. St and tt to. Christian con-gregattofta scattered throughout the Mediterranean wbsid.

spoke of them-as "a chosen congregation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people The word "peculiar" did not mean that they were social misfits, people blighted with twisted personalities. Th Greek word here translated "peculiar" really means "A possessed people" possessed by Christ Peter beseeches hi bearer to "abstain from fleshly hots which war against the Vic roamed th streets of every city and village la that day. Even th philosophers whom we now revere a among the great- i United Church Growing TORO.VTO Statistics for IM1 released by the United Church Canada indicate that Canada' largest Protestant den omination is still growing In number and jiving; According to Ernest E. Long, secretary of the General Council, total adult common 1- caa members reached I.UT,74T i at December II, an Increase of 20.SM over IK. Total persons under pastoral care -1 now 2, soe.su.

For the first time in the church's W-yeer history, con tributions to the Missionary and Maintenance Fund iotalled ever all. purposes amounted to 88, 271.74). an Increase of HJtt.Ct over the IN figure. Total value of all local church property showed an Increase of which boosted the Canada wide figure to nearly Reason for this in-cresse was "church extension" the building program initi ated by the Church Board of Horn Missions, said Dr. Long.

Since 1M7. there have been S3e new churches or halls and 2tt manses built. Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what Is that good, and and per- feet will of God. Romens 12:2. Sunday School lesson By EARL DOUGLASS est minds to appear fat human history, simply thrugged their shoulder over the most lascivious forms of vice, and If ques tioned they probably would have declared that sexual Impurity was a matter of no consequence one way or th ether.

We can eee, therefore, can we not. what a tremendous chants I Jesus Christ has wrought through the centuries. Even year ago no on believed that war wa wrong in then -are aeeklng universal peace. No than of lmmor: al reputation or life could hold a high public offce In most" of the free' na tion today. hav com to a time when decency count.

And thlsTw say with th full real ization that right at the present moment we are experiencing a profound moral decline. PETER URGED hi bearer to hav their "conversation honest among the Gentiles That la, they were to speak out their faith and neither com promise nor deny. Furthermore, they were to be clean in their speech, for ribald conversation those day was even more prevelant than It ia today. Peter, furthermore, urged the follower of Christ to submit themselves to- every ordinance a KefiurcIiPage up J.l.mafe ibuiisUaa ter of euffering. If yeu suffer for a crime, he said ia sub you get' what" you de serve.

But If you suffer innocent because of your Christian faithr then you are an example to the world And credit to Christ. You are indeed following In hi steps THE UNIFORM LESSON for May .1 la entitled a Temperance Lesson. This mean that it deal primarily with th sins of th flesh particularly sex-1 ual sins and drinking. There will never be complete unanimity of opinion among hon est people as to the attitude one should take toward beverage alcohol. But we live in an age so highly mechanized and char acterized by such social free dom that, alcohol has become many more time a a-a V.aYY If -WxU-.

aw ,1 a rr THE OLD AND TILE NEW Exterior view show Farmer" Corner United Church, built In 1886, which 1 being demolished following amalgamation of the congregation with that of Ramsay-ville United Church on May 6. Interior view show the RuntayvUl United Church. The two congregations, numbering ISO families, will worship in Ramsayvlll United Church, Rev. A. D.

Wait, chairman of Ottawa Presbytery, will be the speaker at a closing service Sunday morning at Fa rmer Corner United Church. The tervk will be conducted by Rev. John Wayllng. the minister. Th following Sunday, May an amalgamation service will be held in Ramsayvlll United Church when Rev.

Dr. Norman Coll will be the speaker. Land oa which the Farmer' Corner church I located will revert to th Farmer estate or iglnal owners of the land. 4 (law) of man, "for th Lord uka." In other words, Peter held that sound Christianity and good citirenshlp go together. He urged believers everywhere to be loyal to the king and to gov ernors.

He urged employes, to give their employer obedience and a good day's work. And to other parte of the New Testament we find Jheemjloyersb ing commanded to treat em ployes well, -I H- Ti'Tnaw thaa It was two thousand years ego. Th people of the North American continent need to stop end ponder the fact that th alcohol problem ha become one of overwhelming importance. Some would like to claim that only the problem of' alcoholism ia important On ia II person wdo start to drink ends up either an alcoholic or a prob lem drinker. Parent who serve liquor in their home should remember -this.

Young people tempted to take their first drink should ponder the year ahead Many fine and honest people are for what they call modera tion." The trouble I that moder- ation does not always stsy erste. A per cent loss In A It per cent loss of human beings and human values Is lost which society must confrontf and ask Itself whether or not temporary eathrf action of ny variety are worth -ueh tre mendous cost. -The Sunday Sckeel Lessee for May 1M2 I "Christians la a Pagan society." (Tem peranee). I Peter St ML. SENTENCE SERMONS The problem of tvil la this world i something entirely be yond th power of the human mind to explain.

-Macartney. Our most hostile critics are sometimes almost a useful to us a friend. Chappell Gci maketh king to it in oversinty. He msketh subjects to His power obey; He pulleth down. setteth up on high: gives to this, from that He take away; For all wa have I His.

wait list doe He my. --Spencer. ft thaY "biobI filant film- Sf ladomltebly on hi Instincts, and there abide, the huge world will com' round to aim. Emtrsoa. IFkwto PEACE CORPS WORK WASHINGTON, DC (RNS) The Peace Corps announced here that It will send 2 volun teers to Honduras la a project of public health and social service will be conducted jointly with St Louis University, a Jesuit Institution.

The Honduras i project is th serond the Peace Corps has undertaken ia Cen tral America. Th capacity for religion i talent and th highest we have. Bushnell Teaching com and go, but wo teacnings of Jesu are of' ageless valu. I Around the World A 10,000,000 long rang development program wa announced by Southern California School of Theology at Clare-mont CaL Th program cover expansion plan to 1870. Th Supreme Court at Washington baa rejected a plea that it consider th constitutionality of tax exemption granted by th state on church properties.

Thi refusal allow to stand a decision of th Rhode Island Supreme Court which held such exemption ar within th cxclusiv authority of the atata legislature. Of the 23 bead of independent African nation. 16 received at least part of Jhgjr education in Christian mission schools, th United State Senate wa told by Senator Claiborne Pll (D-RL) Of the 16. he said, 12 were trained in Catholic minion schools and four in schools operated by Protestant mission groups. Leaders of th Lutheran Church of Hannover, Germany, hav asked Protestants to take a guest into their home Catholic attending th 79th German Catholic Day Congress.

Similar aid wa received from Catholic parish on th occasion of th German Evangelical Church Day congresses. Thi mutual assists nc ha become a happy tradition bare. A common Biol text for both Roman Catholic and Protestants was on of th recommendations mad by a workshop oa Catholic-Protestant relation at th doe of th annual conference ia Freiburg, Germany, of th Central Commute of German Catholic. There were 800 clerical and lay delegate In attendance. Total religious giving in th U.S.

for all faiths reached an estimated 84.43 billion in 196 l-com pared with SOS billion th previous year according to a report published ta New York by th Americas Association of Fund-Raising Counsel. A Boston Protestant clergyman ran leisurely fashion 48 mile froflr Providenc, RI city hall to th Boston city ball to publicize his need for 850,000 for a youth pro ject'headqua rters in Boston's teeming Wsst End. Rev. Nu O'Shannon. pastor of th Church of th Holy Word, a former priz fighter and still on of the best long distanc runners la th East RomanceofHy By K.

t. Ollvsr Wendell Holme was bora at Cambridge. Maesacha-i scut, in ISO. Hit father. Rev.

Ablel Holmes, was minister of the FirstCongregetlon! church la thai city. The boy-wael educated at Phillip Academy, New graduating in medicine at Harvard. He then Journeyed abroad and studied In Europe. At 2t, he was professor of anatomy and physi ology ia Dartmouth collet. At It.

he wss offered the chair of anatomy at Harvard, and here be remained for 28 years. A hard worker, Oliver Holmes yet found time for literary pur suits, contributing articles to numerous msgszines. He wis the moving spirit ia th founding of th Atlantic Monthly, which owed much of It reputation to his guiding band. Holm wss extremely tender of hesrt He never forgot tb rather stern -day of ais boy. hood at bom Ths clr- cumsUnce had left oa his aiiad an anfavorabl De termined to break wy entirely from hit harsh atmosphere, he went over to th Unitarian.

As th yesrs went en, root of his affection turned klm back to the Evangelical fold Once ststed that found th greatest a fart and strengizLia tha hymns of hi childhood. SSiataatt.tssl MODERN SCIENCE May Strengthen Christian Concept Of the Person At Toronto' Mshon airport the voyeger find a machine which, in return lor soms (mail chang, will deliver a cup of coffee. A not uncommon srv-lc in this of automatic vending. This machine, however, has special feature. By main of gadget you can select block coffee, coffee with r.

coffe with cream, or cof fee with bath The manufac turer of the vending equip ment would cer tainly prefer to sll only an form of coffee, Arckbishep Pececk "Black" would be the simplest deal. But has figured out that the increase in salee ob-lin tainec by offering variety i worth lb added cost. This small victory of per sonal preference I worth cel eb ratng. Here, in a mechanized field, a range of choice has left A person does not have to submit to uniformity; be I not subject to the tyranny of "take It or leave The victory 1 not straightforward of personal dignity over impersonal efficiency, bee us wn Ibis case mathemetic provs the victory profitable. Still in an age when me find them- 'elves increasingly handled parts ot a mscnin.

it is victory. -HOW WILL historian a thousand years from now describe the present century Perhaps a sentence will suffice: perhaps wool chapter. Perhaps the beginning of new "Dark Age" afttr a nuclear war. Per- asps th starting point ol a world at peece. Perhaps as mns Holme wss much loved by 1otk-ttriir itrr-ot Htf both oa this side of the Atlantic and tb other.

Generously broad-minded, be had host of friends. MhhiW, mmI, i.J A The Autocrat pf-th LBreakfesU Table. The Bwat of tha Break, fast Table, Over th Te la th migazln ht-which his contributions were wont to ap pear. Th following hymn, written by him in lt4t, wa not pub-. libsed until It year later, when It appeared in The Professor at tb Breakfast Tabl.

It Is to be found ia many kyma book. 0 Lev Divin that stooped to share Our deepest pang, our bitterest tear. On The cast each artb- bora smil at paia whil Thou rt near. Though long tb wry way we tread. And sorrows crow lingering yr.

No path shun, aa darkneti -dreadT Our hearts (till whispering Thou art near. Whea drooping pleasure turn to grief." Aad trembling (faith Is chang-' to fear, Tb murmuring wild, th isssaasasskss By Archbishop Philip Pocock the period of greet debate on the personal dignity of man. On one hand are the meant of man production, mass dls tribution, mass communication, mail education and mas wU fare, which hav given mora men a higher standard of living, of learning, of healthy and of security than ever before. Whether called communism or capitalism, thit modern matt activity seems to a certain -ea tent necessary to conquer, starvation, nakedness, ex posure, Uliterscy, incompetence, illness end despair. On the other hand, only a few personalities seem to find this kind of tocisty the poo sibillty of emerging, of ex.

ercising all dominating thtir powers, of Instead of being dominated. Names like Ctsur Chill. Eisenhower, de Gaulle, Adenauer, Nasser. Nehru com immediately to mind a ex. am pies.

In whose persons the populer will Is centred, CHRISTIAN tradition a Ion would seem to hav th key to the problem of getting the) most from modern orgaaiza tlonal genius and at th time giving the greatest pott sibls leeway to individual. la thi tradition there- ia a doubt about tb Importance of man' relationship to men. Loving one'i fellow-ma the whole law and th prophet. It i presumed that this Is, ia the long run, possible without love of God, which holds first place. Thus th three first commandment directed towird God form tb basis for th seven others.

directed towards other men. And without each other, neither is kuthentic. Ia practic. Christ brought out both th social and tha Individual phe of the hums person. He wss public figure, preached to crowds, performed deeds for the benefit of th crowd, called his followers "flock." branches of "vine." member of the divine "house hold." Th prsyer taught 1 expressed ia the plural "Out Father," "Glv Us." "Our Dally Bread." for rive." But.

and thi "but" has oftct been overlooked. took tim out for Individuals. Nlcodemut came at night and alon. Ha looked Into young maa's heart and loved him. Most of th examples gav ware of individual people, a ctrtaia pick man, a sowtr, widow, a dullness, a prodigal son.

And to drive home the lesion she re I tb story of most inefficient operation, the shepherd leev. ing the flock ta go off and look for th lost sheep. Then the great proclamation of tb measure of Individual human stun it profit a man to gain the wbol -world and suffer th lost of his soul? Modern science, sa -guilty of spreading uniformity la on sense, may well trenth en thi Christian concept of th person. The mystery of uniqueness in fingerprint and i tha enigma of the complexity genes, point in that direction. iCapnKM) -t- The Word AimL.1 The Way'; book tor people wno as normally resd books about re Ilglon has Just been published.

Called "Tb Word and th Wsy." th 2M page volum wa written by Donald M. Mathers, professor of systematic theology at Queen's Theological College, Kingston, and published by tha United Church Publishing House, it Is announced by Rev. c. H. Dickinson, Book Designed for popular reading, th book Is written ia layman' language.

Matching th fresh approach ta th subject taken' by th. au thor, tb Illustrations by Eric AldwincU and Willi Wbeatley. "Interpretive and im pressionistic I perhaps the best way describe them," lay Dr. Dickinson. quivering leaf, i Shall softly tell thou rt I Oa The fling our, burden-ing wo, 0 Lav Divin.

for ever deer-, Content ta suffer whil wt kow, Living or dying. Tboa art near. a svji a a lit.