"THE JOINED HANDS"

Dr. Hobart Goewey sends a church calendar -sermon topic, "Joined Hands of Comrades". Inter­est aroused. Faint recollection of phrase; it seemed somewhat familiar. Then I remembered -phrase from " Servant in the House" by Charles Rann Kennedy. And here it is.

No idea what Dr. Goewe;y did with it. Will ask him sometime next Summer. But in this des­cription of the church there is a significant symbolism in the figure of "The Joined Hands".

Hands Joined in Fellowship

'' Church no deo.d pile s t ones ~nd unne~ning t iMber. It is d. living t hing''. It is a fellowship. Between God and

man; also between man and man. A sense of community and continuity - that

stretches across the centuries and annihilates space and time. Our hands are joineq with the hands of the apostles -Peter, Paul, John. We join hands with St. Francis of Assisi; St. Aug­ustine (mighty intellect); Brother Lawrence who practised presence of God in monastery kitchen; Martin Luther; John Russ of Bohemia burned at the stake; John ·,vesley indefatigible traveler for God; Adoniram Judson of Burma and genteel wife; General 'viilliam Booth of Salvation Army; Archbishop Temple of England with social vision. and time would fail me to tell of others - all part of the fellowship - Francis sbury, Rufus Jones, David Livingstone, John Bunyan.

That's what we mean on Sunday morning when we say, "I believe in the Holy Catholic Church" - the Universal Church. The church militant on earth and the church triumphant in heaven - all a part of the fell owship. We join hands with all these. All bound together in the Beloved Community - leaders, saints, martyrs, and the unnumbered millions, who, humble and nameless, the straight hard pathway have trod.

·Nhat a living fellowship it is. Thought of that last Sunday morning - communion table all

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around the world. If a first century Christian had walked into this church last Sunday he would have understood and knelt here with you. Joined hands of fellowship link the present to the past. And also links us to the present - for in that fellowship are Schweitzer and Kagawa and humble Christians in every land. Hands joined in fel­lowship - universal and Christian fellowship.

Hands Joined in Young p eople, remember some Prayer and 'lorship Summer Institute and prayer

circle around camp fire -hands joined in prayer. And

you sang "\i e Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder '', and n re Ye ble?n, and "I'll Go ' fuere You Want Me to Go, Dear Lord". .And God seemed so near and the moment of joined hands and joined hearts is unforgetable. Joined hands of comrades.

Stime thing happens in church Sunday morn­ings - join hands figuratively. Joined hearts in singing, in worship, in p rayers for each other. :t.:inister is priest but we all pray for each other. "We share each other's woes; each other's burdens bear; and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear rr . ·;e need each other's prayers. Need joined hands of prayer.

And because of this minist ry of p rayer and worship, we find peace and power. Make same discovery as the prophet; They that wait upon Lord shall renew their strength ..• " Does some­thing for us. Carol said it "Made her feel so clean all over" f~;hl-t- cc~ - hi•..( a~ "76 A~ • rcfre-A.e....(__.-

Hands Joined in s we speak of the joined Reconciliation hands of reconciliation, we

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0,;} remember two things in regard

o.r~pe...ten. to Jesus. First, He was the arpenter, or The Joiner. He joined wood to­

gether and made doors, yokes, coffins, wedding chests and a hundred other things. Second, He had a passion for joining broken things. Can im­agine how children brought broken toys to Village Carpenter. Broken dolls. Supple fingers joined and restored broken toys. Ude- d" dp~.t-' 7~'

He mended broken nets. He healed broken hearts. He re-established broken homes. Mended broken social relationships. Restored personal relationships. His was a ministry of reconcili­ation - the ministry of joined hands.

Church the place where strained relation­ships are restored; where broken relationships are mended and joined together. Have seen great things happen to a church when people became re­conciled. In first church I had was a memorable service in which that very thing happened. Hands were joined in forgiveness and reconciliation -and over those clasped hands were the hands of Christ. ~"'Y a..A..~ /utzl( ""'- ~~ ~~ •

·;e are all sinners in the sight of God. "If we say we have no sin ••• " Let us therefore be reconciled to each other. Can say, "I have noth­ing in my heart against any person in the church". Therefore as Wesley said, "If thine heart is as my heart, then give me thy hand". Let us join hands in reconciliation and Christian love and mutual respect.

Hands Joined in Service

Let me read from Kennedy once more. And we are among those workers. Fremont is no dead pile of stones and unmeaning

timber - it is a living thing. /!" ,Y~N. Think of those who have joined hands in ser­

vice. Hinisters who have died - Brown, Douglass, Thompson, Irwin, Sommerville. Dare not mention laymen and laywomen. Dare mention Mary Venner and Dorothy Mellick; and men I have known like 'I alton Werner, William Oaks ford, Charles Rich­ardson and Arthur Lowenthal. These are but some examples of Christian laymen who joined hands in service here at Fremont. Those who have kept the church functioning and witnessing for seventy four years. Think of men who have gone into the ministry from Fremont. T aldorf to Williams.

Fremont is no dead p ile of stones. It is a living thing - a comradeship of joined hands. Of hands and hearts joined in fellowship, in worship, in reconciliation and forgiveness, in service. She will continue to be a living fellowship and the church we love, as long as our hands are joined with the Pierced Hands of our Master.

House, explaining that it is a description of a living church as given by Manson and so misunderstood by the bishop, who, interested only in the institutional organization, midway in this speech turns back to munch­ing his breakfast:

Or you might arrange the following material on the "l?eloved commu­nity" as a responsive reading:

"Through the long centuries of human history there has been building a Beloved Community in which all souls that love, ·all souls that aspire, are bound together in one life.

"Precious unto us are the name of the heroes and leaders of the race who have toiled mightily :in! the service of the Kingdom of God.

"Precious unto us are the men of the spirit of Jesus, who in every age and in every clime, have endured all things that they might bear testimony to that truth which is powerful unto the salvation of the world.

"Precious unto us is the memory of the unnumbered millions who, hum­ble and nameless, the straight hard pathway have trod.

"Precious unto us the memory of earth's lowly who have added, each in his measure, to the ever-growing treasures of the common life of man.

"All these have not lived in vain. They have put on immortality in the life of the Kingdom of Heaven.

"All these are not dead. They have joined the Choir Invisible whose music is the gladness of the world.

"Still does the Spirit of Jesus speed on his conquering way. "Still do the prophets and martyrs inspire men to heroism and self­

sacrifice in the service of life. "Still do our own beloved dead live again in minds made better for

their presence. 1 Charles Rann Kennedy. A Servant in the Hoose, by permission of the author ,

Harper and Brothers and The University of Chicago Preas, publishers.

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"We too are members of the Beloved Community. A thousand unseen ties bind us in one living body apart from which there is no life.

"We are joined in one communion of love and aspiration with all man­kind, living and dead.

''We too have our gifts to bring to the altar of Humanity-gifts of love, of wisdom, of consecration.

"We too would make our contribution to the unborn future, and find immortality in the radiant life of the Kingdom of God.

"We are strong, with the strength of all mankind; the courage of Humanity's burden bearers of all the years descends upon us.

"We are thine, 0 Kingdom of God! Take us, use us! Let our whole life be an offering laid on thy living altar." •

PRAYER: A guided prayer might be effective, with the leader suggesting that the group pray silently; ( l) giving thanks for the fellowship we have with each other, (2) expressing gratitude for the fellowship we can have with God, (3) asking help for all those in our fellowship, here and far away, (4) asking for a fuller measure of the strength that comes from comradeship, ( 5) dedicating ourselves again to more faithful work in our fellowship. Arrange the list of suggestions for prayer to fit your group and the rest of your worship service.

HARVEY AND Lors SEIFERT

March 12: Faith of Our Fathers

SETTING: Make the worship room as much as possible like a room in the catacombs. Darken windows; use symbols on the wall-fish, cross, etc. (for explanation see Stafford Christicm Symbolism in the Evangelical Church, pp. 36-39) ; use a single candle on the table. This lone candle can symbolize the first small beginnings of the Christian movement as a light that came into the darkness, with the confidence that there is not enough darkness in the whole world to put out the light of a single candle. Create an air of secrecy and expectancy, such as the early Chris­tians had in their secret meetings of the "fidelis" (faithful).

PREPARATION: The group, to participate with meaning in the service, must be prepared ahead of time. This may be done the Sunday before, or briefly preceding the worship service, or better yet, during the study or discussion period with the worship coming last. Useful background material for such preparation will be found in The Robe, by Lloyd Douglas, especially pages 505-507.

CALL TO WoRSHIP: "God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Now as in past centuries Christians

1 George Walter Fische, The Recov<~r~~ of Worship, by permission of The lll&o­mlU&n Company, publishers.

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Jrn_snun ano ®r_sanizatinn

There is a place for you

1. SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP. 11:00 A. M.

This is the focal point of all church activity, the most important meeting in the church. If you can only attend one service, be sure to choose this one.

2. THE CHURCH SCHOOL. Floyd E. Felton. S ·Jpt.

Sunday School. 10:00 A. M. Children, Young Peop~e Adu!t Divi sions . Week Day Scl1ool . Thursday High School, 8:25 lo 9 :05 A. M. Grades 1-4, 2:00 P. M. Grades 5-8, 3:00 P. M.

3. YOUTH FELLOWSHIP. Sunday, 6:30P.M.

Coll ege Group Carleton. DuBois, president. Mrs. Charles Hecker, Counsellor. Hi-Group, Marjorie J ebo, president. Miss La•Jra Woolsey, Counsellor.

4. YOUNG ADULTS Third Monday in month.

Allan Lockwood, president. Social meetings and projects for s ingle and mar­ried yo ung people beyond Youth Fellowsh ip age. Vital topics will be discussed at these meetings.

5. WOMAN'S SOCIETY OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE.

First Wednesday of each month, 8:00 P. M. Mrs. Walter Cook, president. An oTganization for all the Ladies of the Church. Missionary Education Local Church Activity, World Relations.

6. CHOIRS. Mrs. Lionel Decker, organist.

Senior, Miss E lizabeth Ryder, d irector. Junior , Miss Marie Ryder, director.

7. MID-WEEK SERVICE. Wednesday 7:30P.M.

An inspira tiona] service of gospel singing, prayer and Bible study.

"Serve The Lord with gladness"

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r\ life ,,·ithout the L ord Jesus and the church is indeed au empty one. If you do not know Ch rist as your sa ,·iour, . ure ly you want to; if you are in fello,,·ship ·with H im, certainly you want to \YOrship and se n ·e Him in and through the churah. ln either case . may l sin­cerely im·ite you to enjoy the spiritual atmo.­phere of our church'

\ ' ita! messages from God's \\ 'ord, in spiring music, friend ly people and a beautiful church edifice ''ill ma.ke YGi.l fee l tha~ ..-ou arc in the presence of God. l{egul a rity, punc~tuality and ser­Yice a re conduci ,·e to christian grO\Y th .

If I ca n be of se n ·ice to YOu in any " ·av, fee l free to make YOu r desi re kno.ml. l\Ia,:I ha~· e the priYilege of g;·eeting you in person? ~

Sincerely yours, Paul :\. Roy.

"Come let us go into the House of the Lord."

cffi~ ([qurr4 r:n~r-

Before I was born MY CHURCH gave to my parents ideals of life and love that made my ho,me a place of strength and b·eauty .

.d=;_u,_"-1 In helpless infar.cy MY ' CHURCH joined my parents

in consecrating· me to Christ and in baptizing m e in His name.

~~ enriched my childhood with the Romance and Religion and the lessons of life that have been woven into the texture of my soul. Somet~mes I see,m to l1ave forgottPn a nd then, when else I might surre:1cler to foolish and futile ideals of life, the tr;Jths MY CHURCH taught be­come radiant, insistent and inescapable.

In the stress and storm of adol2scer:ce MY CHURCH heard the surge of my soul and She guided .my foot­steps by lifting· my eyes toward the stars.

When first my heart knew thE> strang·2 awakenings of love MY CHURCH taught me to chasten and spiritualize my affections; She sanctified :my mar­riage and blessed my home.

When my heart was seamed with sorrow,· and I thought the sun could n~ver shine again, MY CHURCH drew me to t he Friend of all the Weary and whispered to me the hope of' another morning, eternal and tearles .

When my steps have slipped and I have known the bitterness of sin, MY CHURCH has believed in me and wooingly She has called m e back to live .within the heig·hts of myself.

Now have come the children dearer to me than life itself and IviY CHURCH is helping me to train them for all joyous and clean and Christly living.

MY CHURCH calls me to Her heart. She asks my service and my loyalty. She has a right to ask it! I will help her to do for others what She has done ;for me. In this place in which I live, I will help Her keep aflame and a loft the torc11 of a living faith.

William Henry Boddy, D .D.

Jffirst

4ffi{t±4ohlst 014urr4 Jotsbam, ~efu '!ork

MAIN STREET

®ur ~n&itcdhm to lJou

To all who are strangers and seek a Church l1ome; to all who are weary and would find ·rest; to all who are bereaved. and woul.r,'l fi~d hope which is eternal; to all who are worn with the stress of toil and the fret of care and would find spiritual refreshment; to all who feel their need of a Saviour; to all who want to do their part to bring in the Kingdom of God on earth- this ho.me-.l ike Ch'.lrch opens wide its doors and in the name of our Christ bids you

PAUL A. ROY, Minister

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:Athirst for {;ad ,~. \

,.,FROM IDAHO came Indians in 1831 to St. Louis, ask-ing, -" Where is the white_ man's Book of Heaven?" There they were befriended, entertained, feasted . Their

disappointment is voiced in a farewell address : " I came to you over the trail of many moons from the

setting sun. You were the friends of my fathers, who have all gone the long way. I came with an eye partly open for my people who sit in darkness . I go back with both eyes closed. How can I go back blind to my blind people? I made my way to you with strong arms through many enemies and strange lands that I might carry back much to them. I go back with both arms broken and empty! Two fathers came with us i they were braves of many snows and wars . We leave them asleep here by your great water and tepees. They were tired in many moons, and their moccasins wore out. My people sent me to get the white man's Book of Heaven. You took me to where you allow your women to dance, as we do not ours i and the Book was not there! You showed me images of the Great Spirit and pictures of the Good Land beyond, but the Book was not among them to tell me the way. I am going back the long t ail to my people in the dark land. You make my feet heavy with gifts, and my moccasins will grow old carrying them, and yet the Book is not among them! When I tell my poor, blind people after one more snow, in the big council, that I did not bring the Book, no word will be spoken by our old men or by our young braves. One by one they will rise up and go out in silence. My people will die in darkness, and they will go on a long path to other hunting grounds. No white man will go with them, and no white man's Book to make the way plain . I have no other words ."

The publication of this story brought about the establish­ment of the first Protestant mission west of the Rockies , among the Nez Perces Indians .

A.P.H . No. 8104 Litho on U.S.A .

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FREMONT STREF;·r HETH.ODJST CHURCH Glovers·;rille. 1-Icw York

October 10, 1948

ORDER OF MORNING WORSHIP

ORGAN - "Resurgam" CALL TO WORSHIP - By the minister HYM1T 381 - "The Church's one foundation" RESPONSJ.LS:

Minister: Create in me a clean heart, 0 God;

Rowley

Aurelia

People : M~nist e.r.:

People : .Minister:

And renew a right spirit within me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy fr ee spirit. 0 Lord, open thou my lips;

E_eople : And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

DOXOLOGY - To be sung by all

* RESPO!-!S IVE READING - 41st Su.Ylda.y - Page 608 GLORE. PATP.I :: h.POSTLES 1 CRETm - Pa ge 512 SCRIPTURE LESSON - Ephesians 4

* JJiT3EH - "Praise, my soul, the IUng of Hc;a ven" J~ndrews P11.STORAL PRJ,YER :: SILENT PRl-YER :: LORD 1 S PRAYER ORGAN OFFERTORY - '' Jesu, Meine Fr eude" PRESE1JT:.TION OF TITHES .AlTD OFFERINGS

Read

HYJI,!N 380 - "Jesus, with thy Church abide" SFRMON - 'J'HB ,JOINED H.i1.NDS IIYT.lN 480 - "O Ma ster of thc3 waking world11

BENEDICTION :: CHORAL .hl>~lEN ORGJN - "Festal Postlude in C" * Interval for Ushering

Rev. Fred Clarke, Minister Miss Gloria Ia.conc , Minister of Music

Mrs . Ha r vey Connor, Minister's Assistant Mrs . Keith Gifford, Church Secretary

Mr . Lewis Cunning, S<:-xton -o-

Litany

Melita Do.nish Calkin

10:30 10: 30 11:45 6:00

CAlENDAR FOR TODA. Y, OCTOBER lO, 194 i1

Morning Worship and sermon, nThe Joineci. Hands" . Children's Division of the Church School. Youth a nd Adult Divisions of the Church School. Methodist Youth Fellowship. Installation of new offj cers and r eports of Summer Irlsti tutes. Couples Club at the home of .!i.tr . and NJ.Ts . Robert Lowental. 157 Second Avenue. Yiss Ida McGinnis will be the guest speaker. Union Evening Service at First Congregational Church with the Rev. H. E .. W. Blount preaching.

The altar flowers today are given in memory of Keith Edwards by his family.

TJ-ffiOUGH THE WEEK .. \.T FREMON'r

l:lQN. • 11 : 00 .2.;_QQ 6:30 7:30

Neekday School; grades 10 to 12. Council of Churches dinner and meeting • Cordia 1 Class dinner vii th Clarence Frank. Boy Scouts meet at the church.

1.1lE.a • 7 : 4 5 Muddle Class meets with Mr s. Clark Wal r ath. Jl.:OO Anna 1!.osher Class rr.oGts with I\:rs. Frank

'Muddle. l!EJl. 6:30 Dinner at the church for Every-Member Can-

THllliS, .fuM2 .1.:..~ 8:00

.E.Jll. • 3 : 4 5 SAT. fl:30

vass Workers. Venner Class chicken dinner at the church. Fremont Choir r eheD.rsal. Bercan Class moets with Mrs. Henry Cruther,s. Youth Choir r ehearsal. Children's Choir r ehearsal.

THE ; .. NNUil L EVSRY-JVJEl,J1BER Cl..NVJ,SS will be hc; ld in Fremont October 13 to October 18. One hm1drod Fromonters will serve as canvassers. Mr. Keith Gifford is serving as general chairman of the canvass. Your church needs the continued loya.lty of every Fromontcr.

.fl. ViORD TO j~.DUL'T'S ~ You a.re invited to stay to thG Church School session- 11:45 to 12:15. ClassGs for all ages,

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