"THE WORD IS INTEGRITY"

INT~ODUCTION In a book by Carlyle Mqrney you will fi'1d B.n int eresting reference to General Dean, who wqs

c~otured by the Communists during the Korean iar. This incident th~t is referred to in the book took ~ lace in the Korean town of Chong-ju. Apparently it was there that the Communits told General Dean that he had a few minutes in which to write a note to his family. He was morally cert ain that in less than thirty minutes he would be taken out .... and shot. The ~uthor goes on to raise this question: thNhat •..• under those circumstances would you write to vour only son?'' I was fascinated by the letter. There g,re onl ei~ht or nine lines to it, but right down in the middle of the letter General Dean said, "Tell Bill (Bill is his son) ... tell Bill that the word is integri ty 11

• Marney goes on tn the book to commen that he did not write, "Tell Bill the word is 'JOoulR,rity. Tell Bi the word is security. Tell Bill :he word is ha:oP1 ness". But he sa id, "Tell Bill that the word is integrity" Out of t he terrible probabilities of that hour General Dean wrote that line. And I find no reason to take away from the serious directive of that lin, "The word is integrity".

I NTE:GR ITY: "NHAT IS IT? Intep:rity. It 1 s an intere stin~ and q

curious word when you ston to re~lly con· sider it. Integrity means wholeness, it me~ns soundness, it rneqns uori~htness. Integrity meg,ns being intact. Part of the tr ouble is that too many people become unglued in a time of crisi.::l .... they fall '3..part . 'rhe word means wholeness with order . And in the case of ourselves, we could say that it means wholeness around '3..

Ghristi an center. It means the moral wholeness implicit in Chris+ disci0leship .

Sometime ago I came anross this definition of integrity. Some one has defined int~grity has the cement of society. In other wore everything else has to be built uoon that f oundation. And when inteprity becomes to crumble, a civilization is in dan~er of collqose. nd there are disturbing signs that it is c~umbling in our society . Our moral sense is a t a low ebb.

Have any of you read the article that deals with the morality of the oeople of this country that is in this week's is eue of LOOK :nagazine . The article is entitled, "Morality, USA", 3-nd I would commend the article to you. I would like to supgest that it be required reading for every person here today. Iirn sure that you Nill feel as I felt uoon completing the article that we q,re l ·iving tn days similar to the last days of the Roman Em ry ire. I think you Nill be ~disturbed by t he questions and issues it brin~s forth just a.s I was disturbed . The article states this:

ur n our country, three institutions h 3.ve the oower - ana the resoonsibi l ity - to influence our morality: government, business (with the lg,bor unions ) ana the churches. Each has failed to orovide the moral leadership and h~ s helned to precioitate our moral crisis".

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The article does an honest and excellent job in nroviding us with evidence of its claims. Our moral sense is at a low ebb. Some­thing shallow and coarse h~s come over us and is stealing our wholeness, our mora l fitness to survive. For one thing, we have been weakened by our consuming anxiety to be ~ore comfortable than right. Ve are growing weaker by reason of the deterioration of what we feel is important. We are nutting emuhasis on the wrong things; our values are c onfused. We don't seem to h~ve that moral certainty, the knowledge of the difference between right and wrong that our grandparents had. Our concerns are dwindling. There is a breaking u~ of our common integrity. We are daily lowering tke floor of our ethical and moral behavior . M~nd you, this i~volves ~11 of us - in our churches, in our homes, in our businesses, in 1111 of our living. This corruut.ion has its be~inning in our wanting ~nd in our thin king. This article noints out 'We are witnessing the death of the old morality . In our world of masses of ~eople, jet age travel, nuclear ~ower, fragmented families, conditions g,re changing so fast that the established moral guidlines h~ve been yanked from our hands".

Yes, you and I share in this decline. 'Ne are told that there is a character out in California who is referred to as 11F11irly Honest Joe". That 1 s just the ooi nt - most of us are fairly honest , fairly right, fairly truthful.

Several weeks ago I came across this incident which I think is indicative of the sort of thing that has been coming over the American people. Out in Los Angeles, there lives a man by the name of Douglas Johnson, a janitor, who, qs some of you may recall, found $240,000 tossed out accident~l~y into the street from a Brink's c ar . He returned it. The Brink 's neoule ~ave him a $10 ,000 reward. He wishes now that he h~d never seen the money . Recently he told newsmen that neighbors, relatives, friends and strangers had s~ o ken or written to him ridiculing him and jeering at him. His son has been hurt by all of this . The son had this to say, "The kids kept saving thinp:.s to me ....• all the time they wer'3 saying my father 'ra s dumb qnd a fool ~nd stupid. 11 S'lid Johnson, "I've received letters and 'Jhone calls to the sg,me effect. I h~ve had to listen to it every day of the week since I g~ve the money back. My wife h9.s h,g,d to listen t o it. I wish now I had never seen any of it. I wish I had let that money sit in the street and rot. It has made me a poor man". A rather sad commentary, is it not, of the effort of one man to do an honest deed.

Dr. Fosdick tells us that the Great Wall of China, built by hand labor of thousands of Chinese, was an imore p:nable barrier shutting out every foe. No enemy ever breached that wall or ever tore it down. And yet three times foes fr 8m the north Passed beyond it. How? Bv bribes that were offered to the vatekeepers. It was when character collapsed t hB.t the W"lll W'l S no 1 onger a defense . Our greatest danger is this decline in reli~ious c on­viction and moral char~cter. This is more serious +o our future than the external threats we face. And it h~s now reached ~ - level that should be of concern t o all Christian oeoole . ·

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We as Chrietian oeonle h~ve on our hands the immense re­SDOnsibility of stemming this tide of corrunti on . Christ will never consent to our mediocre livin~ ~nd lowered ideal s. By the thousands, Americg,n neo~le need their co nsciences cleansed. By the thousands, in our churches, our communities, neonle need the redemntion th1t will cleanse lives of wron~ nractices, wrong doing, wrong attitudes. Let sin be sin. Let dishonestlv be dishonesty . Let the judgement of Christ flow over us and cleanse us of all unri ghteousne ss •

. iHAT CAN YOU DO? You :3. sk, whq,t can I do? You can begin 3.S a Christian to straight en out your own life

and live the kind of life that you, as a Christian, were meant to live . Live as a Christian in accordance with the New Te stament and the teachings of Christ.

The word is integrity. It is not DOnub .. rity. It is not security. It is not ha·anine ss . It is not social acceDtance. It is not money. It is integrity - integrity in our r e l at ionshins with others; integrity in our dealings in the market ~ lace. It means that we are to be what Jesus intended us to be, then to face the world and to stand in it. Integrity means character - a chogrqcter founded on the moral nr incinles of our Judeo-Christiqn herita~e .

In a play by Channing Pollock, we recall the characters 1.\rchie and Jennifer. Archie is horne now, tired . He had been down in the village trying to stand ap:g,inst the nressures to do l=l.n unethical thing concerning a housing nroject . He did not give tn. He was toid by the men who desDised him becu1.se he would not coonerate that he was a little man . Now, seqted beside Jennifer, He eays , "I am not a big man , Jen". Jennifer ~sks, "What is a big man, Archie?" He renlies, ''Henry Ford". JenYJifer s<J.ys, 11 No Archie, a big man is a man who keeps his soul ." Keep your soul. Hold fast to your principles . Stick to your word. So often in the little and large crises, we do not say, "If I do this, I will lose my integrity." '/18 say, ttif I do this, I'll lose my nosition . I 111 lose my nrofit . I '11 lose my friends. I'll lose my nrestige ."

Perh:1ps those of you who remember your American history will recall that now classical incident when Senator Edmund Ross, the Junior Senator from KA.nsas, met his crisis. There was a momement on in the Senate to i mpeach President Johnson. The President stood between some vindictive persons and their revenp:e unon the south . On that crucial morning in 1868, the one vote of Senator Ross was to determine the matter of the imne~chment. These politicians had warned him, 11 If you do not vote guilty , it means your nolitical suicide." Senator Ross , as he nut it, looked right down into his nolitical grave . Then came the call for the vote, "Senator Ross, how saY. you? 11 Faltering at first g_nd then loudly he declared, "Not gul.lty 1

• F'or that one vote, he lost evervt bing; he lost his chance, his future, his nlace, his "~Olitical nresti~e. He lost everything . But he saved his name and his charg,cter g,nd he hel~ed to save our democratic way of life.

The word is integrity.

I don't k -ow if you're as glad to see us

as we are to see you •...• someone remArked

to me earlier this week: "That in a way

he was glad to see us return ... but in

aneth ~ wqy he w~Pn't s o sure .... becAuse

he h~d heard some pood sermons while I

" was away ..... .

PHILIP A. C. CLARKI! Minister

HAROLD C. METZNER Associate Minister

MARY C. HEDMAN Deaconess

PARK AVE. METHODIST CHURCH 106 EAST 86TH STREET, NEW YORK 28, NEW YORK • ATwATER 9·6997

Canon Streeter once said:

11 A principle is th8.t which you g,ccent in cold blood - in order to stand by when the blood is running hot . "

Get your ryrincnles fixed in your mind .. and then be willing to stand by them .

PHILIP A. c. CLARKE Minister

HAROLD C. METZNER Associate Minister

MARY C. HEDMAN Deaconess

PARK AVE. METHODIST CHURCH 106 EAST 86TH STREET, NEW YORK 28, NEW YORK • ATwATER 9·6997

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HOW DO 'IVE ACQUIRE IT? You ask, how do we acauire it. There is nott echniaue that I c~n think of th~t can

comuare with the religious disci "'l1ine. Integrity falls within the religious experience. Rufus Jones one of America's sniritual giants of our own time, said one time that he derived a gre9.t deal of helu from John Woolman, the Quaker, in the fact that he h13.d an absolute faith. Woolman believed that if a man n lanted himself on an eternal urinciple, he could then calmly stand the whole world. That is ureci sely our program. We are to get ourselves well-rooted, anc·hored, fixed in some eternal urinciple of truth and then we can stand the whole world. Thqt eternal urinciple of truth is found in Jesus Christ. He is the mg,ster of the art of living. He is the real transformer of life. The uower that makes and remakes character is the power of Christ. And when men and women come under his influence, da ily lifting up their minds and snirits in loyqlty to him, getting to know his will, seeking his ~uidance, they have found the secret which will g ive them moral soundness.

I have a lways been fond of the followin~ story. Some of you have heard me tell it before. We're told that after the fatal battle of Gulloden Moor i ~ Scotland, Bonnie Prince Charlie was a hunted fugitive in the highlands of Scotland. For five months he moved about among the ordinary peoule, trusting his identify to f isherman and farmers, many of whom hRd no not ion where their next meal wa s com i ng from. Anyone 'J f them could have h1d thi rty thousands uounds, the price the government h~ d nut on his head by disclosing h i s hiding p l a ce to the neare st En~l ish ~overnment. He wa s never betrayed. It is that kind of integrity we must have - men in government, on the bench, in business, in our churches, in all walks of life who can be absolutely denended u"'l on, who will not sell their souls for cash, whose word is their bond, whose sense of resnonstbility and whose moral sense is sound, ... service before

se lf. As we prep are for another season in J ur church together, will

you join with me in nlacing your life comuletelv under the influence of Him whom we cal l Lord. Let us take un our T_; :, 1,estaments, re 9.d ing them through, chapter by chapter, letting the living truth rise U :J from the uages and take uo ssession of our lives. And will you into your life, into your mind, in that nlace where you kean the t h ings that are most imnortant .... to be taken out and reviewed from time t J time over the year •... wi ll you out this line int o that ulace- 11 The Word is Integr ity".

LET US PRA ·! :

0 God and mqster of us all , hel"'l u e to nut into practice in aur d~ily Jives these thin~ s thqt we believe and thi~~ so s~riously and so sincere ly. He l 'J us to rememoer '3 l W9.'.rs that there :tre s om t}1 ings that ar: wrong . Give to each o~ us an awareness of ri~ht and wr ong th9.t wi ll save us frorn finaJ fo lly . And a s · we go about our way , heln u s so to live thqt we may be ~ore neqrly measur ed b r the charqcter of our Lord ~nd aster , Jesus Christ.

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ANNOONCEMENTS

I WOULD REMIND YOO THAT COFFEE AND TEA WILL BE SERVED IN FELLOWSHIP HALL FOLLO..v:ING THE SERVICE AND THAT ALL OF YOU ARE INVITED TO SHARE IN THESE MOMENTS OF WARMTH AND GOOD FELLOWSHIP.

TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE VISITORS, WE DIRECT A WORD OF WARM WELCOME. IT IS A JOY TO HAVE YOU WITH US. WE HOPE WE MAY HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME Ya.J PERSONALLY - EITHER AT THE DOOR OR AT THE COFFEE HOUR. LEAVE YOOR NAME IN ONE OF OUR GUEST BOOKS. AND DO COME AND WORSHIP WITH US AGAIN. IF WE MAY BE OF SERVICE TO YOO IN ANY WAY, IT WILL BE OUR PRIVILEGE.

THE ANNOUNCEMENTS OF CONGREGATIONAL CONCERN ARE IN THE BULLETIN. WE WOULD EMPHASIZE THE STUDY OPPORTUNITY THAT BEGINS TODAY FOLLOWING THE SERVICE. THE BOOK, THE SECU~T CITY, WILL BE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED. MISS HOOVER IS LEADING . THE DISCUSSION GROOP. AFTER SECURTI YOUR COFFEE AT FELLOWSHIP HOUR PASS .THROUGH THE DOORS TO THE FRONT END OF FELLOWSHIP HALL WHERE THE GROUP WILl,. ASSEMBLE.

IT IS GOO DO TO SEE DR. METZNER AGAIN •••• SOME OF YOO HAD OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HIM THIS SUMMER AS HE LEAD THE WORK AND WORSHIP OF THE PARISH WHilE I WAS ON VACATION. WE'RE MOST APPRECIATIVE OF HIS EFFCRTS AND IT IS GOOD TO HAVE HIM BACK FOR THIS DAY.

WE HOPE YOU WILL REVIETN' THE OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS ON YOUR OWN AND SHARE IN THE VARIOUS MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES THAT ARE THERE FOR YOU.

JESUS SAID:. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Some where along the line ministers children seem to have a acquired a reputation for being rather non-cooperative when it comes to matters pertaining to church life. I'm beginning to wonder if there's something to all of this:

Our first child - a son - was born on a Stunrday night at 11 o'clock.

Our second child - a daughter - born Satunrday noon. Our third child - a son - was born at 2:15 this

morning.

I 1m happy to report that mother and son are doing fine, having just seen them at nine this morning ••• at the Methodist Hos ital in Booklyn.

LET US REM AI N" I N A SP I RIT OF PRAYER ...

A..~D ENTER I NTO A TI E OF SILENT MEDI_AT ION •.

A TidE OF SILENT SY,ARC HI~G OF OUR OWN

HSARTS? MI~DS AND CO ":rSCIE~CES •...•

AS WE COME I~TO THE PRESE~CE ~F HI M WHO IS

THE SOURCE OF A.LL LIFE ...• LOVE •.• FORG IVET'.JES S •.

HEALING.

LET US PR AY.

WOMAN 1S SOCI"STY OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE

The first meeting of the Fall Season of the Woman's Society of Christian Service will be held tomorrow evening at eight o'clock in Fellov-rship Hall. Hiss Theressa Hoover will speak on "You Are Christ Called and Sent". The Horship service will be led by Hrs. Philip Clarke. Hiss I11aude Barnett and lliss Carrie Boice will serve refreshments. This meeting is open to all of the women of the congrega­tion. Fall plans will be discussed.

YOUNG ADULT FELIDHSHIP

The first meeting of the Fa.ll Season for the Younc Adult Fellm-fshin is scheduled for next Sunday evening, September 22nd, at seven o 1 clock. The speaker will be :1-iiss Dorothy McConnell, Editor of \r·Iorld Outlook. She Hill take us inside the Vaticc::m Ecumenical Council where she was a special press repre­sentative. The discussion will consider the impact of the Council on present day and future relations between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.

DAY SCHOOL COMMITTEE IffiETING

The Park Avenue l"lethodist Church Day School Committee will meet on Tuesday after­noon at two o'clock. The first session of the Day School will be on Thursday, September, 26th. All members of the Committee are asked to make a special effort to be present.

A BAPTISM

John Charles Altoonian, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Altoonian, will be baptized fol­lm-fing the service of 1-J orship.

NEXT SUNDAY

Homecomi ng Sunday will be celebrated next Sunday morning. Homecoming Sunday marks the end of summe r vacation time and the beginning of a neH church season. 'de hone that all of our members and friends will be able to share in this inspiring service. The choir will be back in t he chancel. The coffee hour will resume.

Prior to the service, there ;,rill be a meeting of the church ushers to arrange the Fall ushering schedule. This 1-fill be held at nin~; -thirty in t he basement.

BRINGING PLEDGES UP TO DATE

Many of our members look upon Homecoming Sunday as a time when they review their church obligations in order to bring them up to date. The Finance Commission 1vould express apprecia­tion to all who assume this voluntary initiative and would like to commend this practice to all of our members and friends.

CHOIR TO MEET

The choir ~Qll meet Wednesday evening at seven o'clock. New members are needed and vJarmly vrelcomed.

FOURTEFNTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY September 15, 1963

ORDER OF HORSHIP 11 A. M.

ORGAN fiJ\.irn Tortini CALL TO \rVORSHIP HYMN NO. 4 11 0 worship the King , all glorious above" PR.I\.YSR OF CONFESSION (Seated)

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; 1'1Te acknm.rl­ed; e our manifold sins and wickedness, Nhich we have committed by thought, word, and de ed. \rl e do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings. Have mercy upon us, most. merciful Father; forgive us all that is y:Jast; and grant that He may ever hereafter serve and ~Jl8ase Thee in net-1-ness of life j t i1r ough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

SILBNT HEDITAT ICN - ~lORDS OF ASSURANCE - LDRD 'S PRAYER

R~SPQi\TSIVB ~-~ADING

GLORI A ?ATRI APOSTLES ' CR;ED

SCRIPTURE LESSON PASTORAL PRAYER ANNOUNCEJ'i!ENTS OFFERTORY SOLO

"Enduring Praisen

Romans 13: 1 - 14

11 1-.l inety -first Psalm" (Miss Kay hcCosley, So·:; rano)

OF THE O::'FERING i,riTH THE DOXOLOGY 11 The Lord 1 s my Shepherd11

Pa~e 604

Page 512

McDermid

PRESENTATION HTI'!N NO. 70 SERl'10N 11 THE \rJORD I S INTEGRITY" Hr. Clarke IffiliN NO. 29 BENEDICTION ORGAN

"Saviour, again to thy dear name we raise"

11 Rondo 11 d'Andrieu

~~* Interval for ushering

OUR GREETING

He take this opportunity to extend a 'tvarm we lcome to any stranger who may be •v-orshipping vli th us today. If this is the first time that you have found your way into our quiet, peaceful s anctuary, 1v-e trust t hat it will not be the last time. In fact, 1-v-e hope you will return to Horship Hith us again next Sunday. If you are a transient in Ne1.r York City and are lingering only over this September Heekend, do include us i n your hour of worship lvhen next again you ' ralk our city streets.

USH~RS

The ushers for today' s service are Mr. Bm-1ater and Hr. Herget.

NURSEEY _A,l·ID [INDEHGARTEN .1\.T ELEVEN

Sessions for pre-school children are offered every Sunday morning on the fourth f loor of t he church. Crios are avc:.ilable for infants. l'1rs. Lowry , Hrs. George Hull, a nd Mrs . Pauline Levy are in charge of today' s Nursery and Kindergarten IIour.

FOR THE YOUNG ADULTS

Young adult visitors are invited to meet the Young Adults of th:i.s Church f ollmring the service to go to a restaurant in Greenwich Village for a ''dutch treat" lunch. Follo-vling the meal, the group plans to attend the Outdoor Art Show. The group Hill assemble in front of the church immediately follou ing t he service.

S":PTEHBER - OCTOBEE "UPPE'l ROOW 1 AVAILABLE

The September - October issue of the "Upper Room" can be secured in the narthex follmring the service.

PARK AVENUE METHODIST CHURCH

106 East 86th Street New York 28, N.Y.

AT 9-6997

CHURCH DIRECTORY

Rev. Philip A. C. Clarke .. ..... ........... ..... .......... .... ... .. Minister Dr. Harold C. Metzner. .. .... ... .. Associate Minister, Emeritus Mr. Mark A. Else ..... ...... ..... ...... ......... .... .... ... .. Choir Director Mr. J. Earl Weatherford ... .... .... ....... .... ... ................. Organist Mrs. George Leech .. .... .................... ...... Day School Director Mrs. Richard Morley ...... ... ..... ..... ...... .. ...... ... Church Secretary

GENERAL OFFICES

Lay Member, Annual Conference .......... Mr. Paul R. Russell Lay Leader, The Church ...... ..... .... ......... .... Mr. Mark A. Else President, Trustees ...................... ...... ..... . Mr. Paul R. Russell President, Woman's Society ......... ... .......... Miss Allene Ford President, Young Adults ................... ........... (To be filled) President, Choir ..... .... .... ...... ...... .... ..... . .Dr. Charles W. Kim Education Commission Chairman .. ... .. . Miss Marion Hosmer Finance Commission Chairman ....... ...... .... . Mr. Glenn Lowry Membership Commission Chairman ....... .... ..... (To be filled) Missions Commission Chairman .. .... Dr. Harold N. Brewster Social Concerns Commission Chr.. .. ... Mrs. James McDonald

STATED MEETINGS

Sunday Services: 10:00 a.m ............ ............... Sunday School 11:00 a.m ... .... .. ...... ...... Morning Worship 12:00 noon ... .... ............... Fellowship Hour 7:00p.m . ................. ......... Young Adults

(2nd and 4th Sundays) Official Board .. ... ..... ....... ........ ... ...... First Tuesday, 8:15 p.m. Woman's Society ...... .... ............. ... Second Monday, 8:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal... .... ....... ... .. ..... Every Wednesday, 7:00 p .m. Day School... ........ ..... ....... ............. .. Every morning (9- 12)

PARK AVENUE

METHODIST CHURCH