"I BELIEVE IN MAN!"

SOME MONTHS AGO PROMINENT NEWSPAPER STARTED SERIES OF ARTICLES ON TOPIC, "CaN WE BELIEVE IN GOD?". SERIES .ENDED SUDDENLY. WHOLE MATTER SO REMOTE AND ACADEMIC. DISCERNING CRITIC - SOUGHT TO GIVE REASON FOR SUDDEN DISCONTINUANCE. "WHAT IS TROUBLING SO MANY TODAY IS NOT BELIEF IN GOD BUT BELIEF IN MAN".

RAISES QUESTION - CAN WE OR DARE WE BELIEVE IN MAN? MAN WHO RUSHES HERE AND THERE; PILING WEALTH; ENLARGING HIS CIVILIZATION; ERECTING MON­UMENTS AND BUILDING POEMS IN srONE; EXTENDING HIS SOCIAL SERVICEs TO OTHERS - AND THEN PERIODICALLY GOING INSANE AND WITH UNBRIDLED FURY DESTROYING BY BOMB .AND FIRE THE TREASURES HE HAS ACCUMULATED. IS IT NOT MAN WHO IS THE PROBLEM RATHER THAN GOD? CAN WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IN MAN WHEN THE END SEEMS TO BE NOT PARADISE BUT A JUNGLE?

MAN - AN ANIMAL THE PRIMARY Q.UESTTON OF COURSE IS THIS , WHAT IS THE NATURE OF MAN? "LIFE MAGAZINE" CONCLUDES

ITS EDITORIAL ON "THE ATOMIC AGE" BY SAYING "THE THING FOR tl:i TO FEAR TODAY IS NOT '!HE ATOM BUT THE NATURE OF MAN". Tl!EREIN IS THE REAL PROBLEM RAISED BY THE ATOMIC BOMB - WHAT IS MAN GOING TO 00 WITH IT? WELL, WHAT IS MAN?

LET'S TURN TO VERY IMPORTANT YEAR FOR MOM:ENT. 1809. NAPOLEON APPROACHING ZENITH OF. POWER. THE PENINSULAR WAR GOING ON. SOME IMPORTANT BABIES BORN THAT YEAR. TENNYSON. GLADSTONE. MENDELSSOHN, LINCOLN. AND ALSO CHARLES DARWIN. GREIN UP SHY AND STUDIOUS. AND IN 1859 HE CATEED A GREAT FURORE BY PUBLISHING A BOOKIN WHICH HE SEr FORTH THE STARTLING HYPOTHESIS THAT "ALL FORMS OF LIFE &.VE GRADUALLY DEV.ti:LOPED FROM LOWER i.ND SOMEVVHAT DIF­FERENT FORMS OF LIFE". AND ACCORDING 'ID DARWIN, THE CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT OF THAT LONG PROCESS, IS MAN. THIS HYPOTHESIS CAUSED CONSTERNATION AMONG RELIGIOUS PEOPLE. BITTER CONTROVERSY BROKE OUT. A LONG BA'rl'LE ENSUED. AN.D STILL CONTINUES.

BUT THE PRINCIPLE DARWIN AFFIRMED HAS BECOME THE WORKING HYPOTHESIS FOR SCIENTISTS, PHILOSOPH-

-2-ERS, AND PSYCHOLOGISTS. NEVER'ffiELESS, MANY OF US ARE UNWILLING TO ACCEPT SUCH A HYPOTHESIS. SE»AS TO LESSEN DIGNITY OF MAN. SENSITIVE PEOPLE HA'FE TO BE LINKED WITH 'lEE BRUTE· EVEN IN A DISTANT KIND OF WAY. BUT EVEN DIGNITY CANNOT HIDE THE FACT 'll!AT BONE FOR BONE, NERVE FOR NERVE, ORGAN FOR ORGAN WE ARE AKIN 'ro THE OTHER VERTEBRATES. BORN AND NOUR­ISHED IN THE SAME WAY. PHYSICALLY WE ARE RELATED TO THE ANIMALS. ''I DON'T LIKE THIS MONKEY STUFF!" PERHAPS NOT; BUT THAT 00 ESN 'T CHANGE rr. FURTHER­MORE, 'l.H:ERE ARE OTHER THINGS MORE DEPLORABLE IN HUMAN NATURE THAN THIS "MONKEY STUFF" • WHAT OF THE PEACOCK ; WHAT OF THE MULE ; WHAT OF THE SNAKE?

ALL OF WHICH LEADS ME TO SJJ THIS. OUR BASIC INSTINCTS ARE INHERITED FROM OUR ANIMAL ANCESTRY. THESE ARE RAW MATERIAL OF LIFE. THESE ARE DRIVING POWER OF ACTION. THESE ARE THE BASIC MATERIAL OUT OF WHl:CH CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY ARE DEVELOPED. BUT THEY ARE ANIMAL. AliD WHEN GIVEN REIN, · WHEN AL­LOWED TO GET OUT OF OONTROL, 'l.HEN HUMAN LIFE IS REDUCED 'ro n:IE LEVEL OF THE BRUTE. WE HAVE BEEN SEEING THAT IN THESE LATE YEARS - MEN REELING BACK TO LAW OF JUNGLE. A THROWBACK TO 'l'HE ANIMAL. YOU WON'T LIKE THESE LINES ENTITLED " THROW&CK".

BUT MORE THAN AN ANIMAL 00 NOT CLOOE THE CASE BY SAYING MAN IS AN .ANIMAL. THANK GoD HE IS MORE AN

ANIMAL. YOU SEE, IF MAN IS NOTHING MORE THAN AN ANIMAL, 'mEN HE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS ACTIONS AND MISTAKES. INDEED, TII:mE ARE NO MISTAKES. IF MAN IS AN ANIMAL AND NOTHING MORE, THEN HE MWT NOT BE BLAMED IF HE MAKES A HOPELESS, SUICIDAL MESS OF LIFE. THE FAULT THEN LIES NOT IN MAN BUT IN HIS HERITAGE AND ORIGIN. ~ 1&-vlrl/ ~ C4t:1"-'

THERE ARE INSTINCTS WI'rH MAN THAT ANIMALS DO NOT !UVE. INSTINCT TO SEAR FOR GOD. THE IN-STINCT TO WORSHIP.. ·ro LOOK UP. THE INNER DESIRE FOR THE TRUE, GOOD, AND BEAUTIFUL. CAN SAY TO WHAT ENDS OUR INSTINCTS SHALL BE DIRECTED • .ARE AWARE OF AN INNER LIGHT. SOMETHING WITHIN MAN WHEREBY WHEN ANIMAL iNSTINCT CRIES TO HTh1 TO SAVE HIMSELF, .tiE BECOMES WILLING TO GIVE HIMSELF i7 EVEN ·i10 DIE FOR/ WHAT HE CONSID:ERS .LDEAL :ENOO. .J. ~~ C!fU'1.fe.-r~

CANNOT ]'ULLY EXPLAIN MAN IN TERM:> OF HIS KIN-

-3-SHIP 'Nl'rH BEASTS OF THE FIELD. NEITHER lS A WATER­LILY EXPLAINED IN TERMS OF THE MUD IN WHICH GROWS. OUT OF THE MUD AND THE SL !ME BURSTS FORTH AN IM­PRISONED SPLENDOR. WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT ORIGINS MAY GIVE 'liD! FmST WORD OF EXPLANATION, ..t.T IS THE DESTINY, J.HE BLOOM, ·rHAT GIVES US THE FINAL EXPLAN-EXPLANATION.

"A FIRE-MIST AND A PLANE!'. A CRYSTAL AND A CELL ••• "

A HE.ALISTIC VIEW OF MAN lS THE VIER I WOULD PRESENT. !'dAN lS BOTH ANIMAL MID ANGEL; bO'l"'H DUST AND DIVINITY; BOTH MAN AND GOD; A WALITY. IHIS RhU.ISTIC VIE# OF MAN WAS SO WELL .~:'RESENTED BY A POPULAR MAGAZINE "Sn.TURDAY .lVENING POST" SOME FEW YEARS AGO. CHRISTMAS NUMBER • HEM:FMBER rr? GROUP OF CHOIR BOYS. ANGELIC BEINGS. FACE3 WASHED AND HAIR COMBED. WHITE ROBm AND SINGING WITH ANGEL­IC FERVOR "PEACE ON EARTH, GOODWILL .AMONG MEN". BUT A CLOSER LOOK REVElU.ED OTHm 'IHINGS. REALISTIC THINGS. A BANDAGED HEAD. A BLACKENID EYE. A TOOTH MISSING. A '!WINKLE OF MISCHIEF IN SOME EYES. LOOK READY TO THROVl A SPITBALL OR PINCH A FELLOW CHOR­ISTER. WELL, THEY REPRESENT 'IRE HUMAN FAMILY AND HUMAN NATURE. A WALITY. WITH GREAT .POTENTIAL-ITY. .

MAN AT HIS BEST IN JESUS NOW I SUBMIT TO YOU THIS MORNING THAT MAN IS SEEN AT HIS BEST AND

AT HIS HIGHEST POINT IN JESUS CHRIST. THERE, WE SEE THE PERFECT FLOWERING OF HUMANITY. THERE, WE SEE MORAL BEAUTY AND POWER • THERE, WE SEE MASTERY OVER SELF. THERE, WE SEE A LIFE SHINING WITH THE STEADY LIGHT OF SPIRrrUAL REALITY. '!HERE, WE SEE THE INCARNATION OF GOD - GOD INCARNATE - GOD IN HUMAN FLESH. THERE WAS GOD; THERE ALSO WAS MAN. MAN AS HE REALLY IS ; MAN AB HE CAN BID OME. THAT IS THE DEEP MEANING OF THE INCARNATION.

STUDY HIS LIFE. SEE HOW HE BRINGS EVERY IN­STINCT UND.EE CONTROL. SEE HOW HE MAKm EVERY DE­SIRE CAPTIVE 'ID HIS WILL. NOfiOE THE WHOLEN~S OF HIS LIFE - NO FRACTIONS; NO FLAWS; NO SELFISHNESS. COMMANDING HIS OWN LIFE .AND WALKING OWN QUART.l!lt-DECK. LIVINr- ABUNDANTLY AND TRIUMPHANTLY. AND REMEMBER, HIS T:EMPTATIONS WERE AS REAL AB YOURS.

-4-HE GOES STEADILY FORWARD TO A CROSS BECAUSE HE WILL NOT COMPROMISE. HE COULD HAVE GONE TO THE NORTH AND TO SAFETY. AND 'mEN DYING HE IS mE SAME TRIUMPHANT PERSONALITY. HE NEVER GIVES WAY TO THE PRESSURE OF LOWER INSTINCT. AND ON mE CROSS HE DIES MAGNIFICENTLY - THE EMBODIMENT OF HIG~ST HUMANITY 49 WELL AS THE INCARNATION OF GOD. w~ lo ~~ - '~-<Ja-,oc.-.."'7~'-..JIIebretVC

"a SENTRY FROZEN ON DUTY, MOTHER STnRVED FOR HER BROOD"

THERE IS THAT EIGHTH PSALM. SHOULD BE READ IN MOONLIGHT. SHEPHERD HAS FOLDED FLOCKS FOR THE NIGHT. BLEATING OF SHEE? AT LAS!' SILENCED. ALL Q.UIET SAVE FOR CRY OF PROWLING JACKAL. THE SHEPHERD STAN:OO BEFORE FOLD LEANING ON HIS STAFF. ONE BY ONE THE STARS APPEAR. MOON RIS.E:3 BATHING SCENE IN SOFT GLOW. SHEPHERD MEDITATES. LIFTS EYES TO SKIES. SOUL FILLED WITH WONDER AND AWE. THEN HE BEGINS TO SPEAK SOFTLY 'ID HIMSELF. HIS WOROO: "WHEN I CONSIDER THE H&.t1.VENS, THE MOON ~ THE STARS WHICH THOU HAST MADE, WHAT IS MAN THAT THOU .ART MINDFUL OF HIM AND THE SON OF MAN THAT THOU VIS I TEST H1M. FOR THOU HaST .. DE HIM

LI'ITLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS AND HAST CROWNED HIM wrrH GLORY HND HONOR. 'IHOU MAD:EST HIM TO HAVE OOMINION ••• THOU HAST PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET."

"WHAT IS MAN?" THE PSALMIST CRIED. AND PEAL-ED OUT HIS OWN ANSWER - "A LITTLE LOWER THAN GOD; CROWNED WITH GLORY AND HONOR". AND THE APOSTLE WRITES, "NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD." SOMEONE HAS SAID, "THE ~TURE OF .c N OBJECT WILL DETERMINE HOW IT OUGHT TO aCT" • BY NATURE MAN IS A SON OF GOD. OUR WORLD WAITS, IN SUFFERING AND TRAVAIL, FOR MEN TO BEGIN ID LIVE AS SONS OF GOD.

" .~. F rnE-MIS T AND A PLANEr • A CRYSTAL AND A CELL ; a JELLY-FISH AND A S URIAN, AND CAVE:3 WHERE THE CA. VE-MEN DWELL; THEN A SENSE OF LAW AND BEAUTY, AND A FaCE TURNED FROM THE CLOD -SOME CALL ri' EVOLUTION, AND OTH.EBS CALL rr GOD.

A PICKET FROZEN ON DUTY, MOTHER STARVED FOR HER BROOD,

SOCR TES DRINKING 'ffiE HEMLOCK, AND JESUS ON THE ROOD; AND MILLIONS WHO, HUMBLE AND NAMELESS, THE STRAIGHT HARD PATHWAY TROD -SOME CALL IT CONSECRaTION, AND OTHERS CALL IT GOD" •

'IRROWBACK

"MAN WAS NO SUBTLE BLEND OF AIR AND EARTH -NO MAGIC TEXTURE SPUN OF RAIN AND LOAM; NO WIZARD BROUGHT THIS SHAPE TO DAZZLING BIRTH QUICK AS WINK, INVOKED OF FROST AND FOAM. MAN'S WAS GROWTH TORTUOUS AS TIME: ONCE HE WAS FANGED AND T.n.LONED LIKE THE C T, OR LIKE THE LIZARD, ONCE HE CRAWLED IN SLDm, OR UPSIDE-OOWN HE BROODED LIKE THE BAT. ECHOES IN HIM OF THESE OLD SHAPES REMAIN: THE HAWK'S RAPaCIOU3 GAZE, THE SERPENT'S RATTLE AND LIKE THE SaVAGE BEAST'S, SOMETIMES HIS BRA LUSTs FOR THE KILL, AND MAN SETS FORTH ro BA ONCE MORE HIS CLaWS UNCURL, HIS EYES GROW W Y; ONCE MORE HE STALKS HIS PREY, ALL HORNED AND

HAIRY." Lionel Wiggam.

TH.ROWBACK

M AN was no subtle blend of air and earth­No magic texture spun of min and loam;

No wizard brought this shaj;e to dazzling birth Quick as a wink, invoked of frost and foam. Man's was a growth tortuous as Time: Once he was fanged and taloned like the cat, Or like the lizm·d, once he crawled in slime, Or uj;side-down he brooded like the bat. Echoes in him of these old shapes 1·emain: The hawk's rapacious gaze, the serj;ent's rattle; A. nd like the savage beast's, sometimes his bmin Lusts for the kill, and Man sets forth to battle: Once moTe his claws uncurl, his eyes grow wary,· Once more he stalks his fJrey, all homed and hair?

"\ fi rc-mi~l :111il a planet. A t·n·stn 1 and :1 <·ell; A j<·ily-fish :1nil a s:nni:1n, A11d caves whl're tht• •· aY<'·llH' ll

ilwcll; 'l"hr11 a s('nsc of law anrl bt•nut_,-, 1\nd a f:lt'<' tun1cc1 from tlw t·lod-· Honw !'fill it EYolntion , A tl(] otht•rs c·3ll it God.

A haze on t.ht• rar J,orizon. 'l'hr inflllite tc•1Hlrr sl;y, 'fhc ripe, ric·h tints of the rornfic•ltl, And the wild gees<' sailin g high; .A1Hl ~ll ovPr llphnd :tnr1 lowl:llld 'J'he eharm of the golden roll­:3omc o£ u~ call it Antmnn, 1\ nd othrrs c·all it C:ou.

T,iJ;e tides on a crescent sea -beach, \Vhcu the JllOOJI is ne\1· aiill thin, Jnto our hrnrts high )'C :!l'nin~s <'omc "·elliug ancl surging in-< ~omo from the mystic oce:111 Whose rim no foot hath tnH1-Flomc or us enll it Lon~ing, i\nr1 others tall it Go<l.

1\ Jlil'l;d fro~cn on rlnf)·, A mother sbnet1 for her hrooil, Soer:1.tcs drinking the lH'mlot·k, ,\JH1 .rrsw; on tl~C' "l~ot•d; ;\nd million~ whn. hmnhlP :111tl

nameless, 'l'h<' ~(rai1~ht, hanl pathway trod­:-:omc c~ll it ConseCTation, 1\nd othrrs r·all it Gorl.

I I

·~ r

.F.OUND "WHAT MAN of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one

of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness,

and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he

hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And

when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and

neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have

found my sheep that was lost. I say unto you, that likewise

joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more

than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no re­

pentance."

At times it seems that this parable would be more fitting if

the figures were reversed-the one in the fold, the ninety and

nine in the wilderness. Staggering, indeed, is the number of

those lost in the spiritual wilderness of unbelief, who do not

recognize the voice of the Shepherd, nor give heed to His call.

But the search of the Shepherd proceeds. Not in person and

directly, but through His followers, those who love and trust

Him. Sometimes the search seems utterly futile. There is no

response. The calling, the inviting seem so much wasted

breath.

Yet we are not to be discouraged. The Shepherd persisted

and found the lost one. The Christian Church that continues

to seek out and invite those outside the fold is not laboring in

vain. Some day the call of the Shepherd will make its power

felt in the heart of the straying. Then there is joy among the

angels of heaven.

Good Shepherd, stir up our hearts that we may never

weary of carrying on the search for those who have strayed

from Thy loving care.

' i lr-.. :r

,....., I

•• .. -

.~.

r .~

The Hund1redth Sheep

I I r

I •

.....

FREMONT STREET METHO:JIST CHURCH GLOv~RSV~LLE, NEW YORK Fred Clarke - Minister

Marjorie J. Gensemer Minister of Music

Grace L. Gifford Church Secretary

Lewis Cunning - Sexton

ORGAN PRELUDE - "Ajalon" ......... .......... .... .. ...................... Seth Bingham CALL TO WORSHIP - By the choir Liturgy of

"Let all Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" ... .... St. James HYMN - "O worship the King, all-glorious above" .... ... No. 4

THE PRAYER OF CONFESSION - To be said by all Have mercy upon us, 0 God, according to Thy loving kindness; according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out our transgressions; wa~h us ~hor­oughly from our iniquities and cleanse us from our sins. For we acknowledge our transgressions, and our sin is ever before us. Create within us clean hearts, 0 God, and renew a right spirit within us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

SILENT PRAYER THE PRAYER FOR PARDON - By the minister THE LORD'S PRAYER - To be said by all

* RESPONSIVE READING - 41st Sunday - page 608 THE GLORIA PATRI - To be sung by all THE APOSTLES' CREED- To be said by all

* SCRIPTURE LESSON - Psalm 8 ANTHEM - "Praise my soul, the King of Heaven" ..... Mark An­PASTORAL PRAYER drews

ORGAN OFFERTORY - "A Hymn of Praise" ............................. Mendelssohn PRESENTATION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS HYMN - "O Spirit of the Living God" .. , .... ................................ No. 182

SERMON - "I BELIEVE IN MAN~~~

HTIJJN - "O Master of the waking world" ... .. ............................... No. 480 BENEDICTION AND DOXOLOGY ORG.t!.N POSTLUDE - "Fugue in D Minor" ............................ J. S. Bach

Flowers on the e.ltar a re given by Mr. anu i~s • .nluer t. Edwards and family in memory of son and brother, Keith.

10:30

11:00 11:45

6:00

OCTOBER 14, 1945 - CALENDAR FOR TOW,Y

Morning Worship and Sermon. Church-time Nursery with Miss Ruth Foster. Primary and Junior Church. Church School with classes for all ages. Youth Fellowship. Leader, Audrey Hardy. Topic, "The Christian Outreach11

• Youth invited.

THROUGH THE WEEK AT FREMONT

MONDl~Y 6:30 Cordial Class meets at the home of Tom Eslick. Covered dish supper. 7:00 Boy and Girl Scouts meet at the church. ~ First session of Leadership Training School at the First Methodist Church.

TUESW~Y 1:00 District Meeting of w.s.c.s. at Trinity ~odist Church, Albany. 8:00 E.F.W. Class meets at the home of 1~s. ~Montoney, 8 Hoosac St . Johnstown.

WEDNESDhY 2:30 Weekday School; grades 4, 5 and 6. ~ The Mid-week Service.

THURSDAY ~ Crusader Boys' Choir rehearsal. 7:15 Senior Choir rehearsal. 774b Epworth Workers meet at tho church.

· 8:'50 The Laurel Band will meet with N!I"s. Al- . frea Sanborn. Letter is "Q".

FRIDAY 3:45 Chapel Girls ' Choir rehearsal. SATUR~Y 9:30 Carol Choir rehearsal.

UNION SEi~VlCE TO-NIGHT J ... T 7 0 'CLOCK First Presbyterian Church

" A NEW APP~OJ,CH TO THE LIQUOR PROBLEM" a challenging address by Df LEIGH COLVIN, PH. D.

Noted Lecturer, Author and Historian A Conununity-Wide Meeting-