"OPPOSITE THE TREASURY"

"SITTING DOWN OPPOSITE THE TREASURY, HE WATCHED THE PEOPLE PUTTING THEm MONEY INTO TREASURY."

MARK 12:41

.n.N ITEM IN "NEW YORK TIMES" DATED SEPTEMBER 23HD: ".a. CRO~lD OF 49,614 TSnT SC.n.TTERED MONEY RIGHT .t1.ND LEFT, ESTAffi..ISHED A WORLD RECORD BET­TING TOTAL OF 5,016,?45 •••• WAS THRILLED YESTER­D.n.Y .n.T BELMONT PARK". A LITTLE SIMPLE ARITHME­TIC SHOWS THAT THE AVERAGE .AMOUNT WAG.ERED BY EACH PERSON WAS $102.12 - PLUS THE COST OF ADMISSION. THAT SAME DAY I READ THAT THE PROBABLE AMOUNT RAISED BY THE PROTESTANT CHURCHES OF AMERICA FOR RELIEF AND RECONSTRUCTION IN EUROP~ THIS WINTER, WOULD NOT EXCEED $5,000,000.

sUCH WAS THE HEADLINE ON THE SPORTS' PAGE THAT DAY. NOW I WOULD CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO AN ITEM THAT FAILED 'ID MAKE THE HEADLINES AND YET BECAME IMMORTALIZED. LISTEN ro THE REPORT OF THIS EVENT THAT STANDS IN THE GOSPEL STORY AS A "WHITE CANDLE iN A HOLY PLACE". THERE IT IS.

AND WHAT ARE WE SAYING? "THAT'S GOING BIT TOO FAR. SHE MUST HA. VE BEEN OFF SOMEWHERE. MUST HAVE HAD RELIGIOUS MANIA - A FANATIC. SOMETHING MUST HAVE SNAPPED. POOR; vAN'T AFFORD IT. PER­HAPS IT WAS A r-ASE OF EXHIBIT! ON ISM. WANTED TO "SHOW OFF " • "

BUT JESUS DID NOT SEEK 'ID EXPLAIN HER ACTION EITHER ON 'lEE BASIS OF FANATICISM OR EXHIBITION­ISM. HE WAS THRILLED. HIS SENSITIVE EARS HEARD MUFFLED DROPPING OF HER CO INS. KEEN EY1!::3 SAW HER SHABBY DRESS. WITH PENETRATING I.NSTGHT HE RECOG­NISED HER MAGNIFICENT GESTURE. THEN POINTED OUI" HER DEED TO HIS DISCIPLES, AND IMMORTALIZED IT. WHY DID JESUS 'lRRILL TO THIS INCIDENT?

SHE GAVE OUT OF HER WANT THAT IS, s HE GAVE OUT OF ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE - OUT OF HER POVERTY AND

DIRE NEED. ·rWO COINS - ALL SHE HAD. GAVE OUT O:F HUNGER, PRIVATION, DESTITUTION ,POVERTY. ONE TRANS­LATION READS " OUT OF HER PENURY SHE GAVE". A WORD THAT SOBS IN EVERY SYLLABLE - npENURY".

A LITTLE BOY WAS BORN .tNTO OUR HOME. ..tt'ROM TIME HE W.AS HORN HE COST US MONEY • .i!'OOD, ULOTHING, MED­ICINES. AFTER A WHILE, IOYS AND PUPPY DOG. WHILE AT SCHOOL HE COST W MORE. 'fHEN lfE W:ENT 'ID COLLEGE HE OOST US STILL MORE. STARTED TO GO OUT ONCE IN A WHILE WITH THE GIRLS. BUT IN HIS SENIOR YEAR HE BECAME ILL .AND DIED. AND HE .HASN'T COST ME ONE CENT SINCE." POINT IS, AS LONG AS ONE HAS A LIV-ING RELIGION lT .1S BOUND TO COST SOMETHING. AND JESUS COMMENDED THIS WOMAN BECAUSE SHE FELT CON­STRAINED TO GIVE HER 'IWO PALTRY GOINS 'ID T:FMPLE·.

wELL Tfl .lliE ~HE WAS. AND JESW SAID uF HER, "SHE Hri.TH C.rlST MORE IN THAN ALL THEY WHICH HAVE C.rlST INTO THE TRE ...BURY" • MORE 'mAN ALL OF THEM TOGEl'HER. SEE THOSE RICH MEN WITH THEm REI'INUE OF SERVANTS AND SLAV]}) AND THEIR BAGS OF COINS! Th'T SHE GAVE MORE THAN THllM ALL.

PERHAPS SOME OF THOSE WHO BROUGHT LARGE GIFTS HAD ROBBED THIS VERY WIDOW. REMEMBER HOW J.ESUS CHARGED 'IRE SCRIBES WITH "DEVOURING WIDOWS' HOUSES" A RATHER PROVOCATIVE THOUGHT. HOWEVER, HERS WAS THE GREAT EST GIFT. HOW COULD IT BE ANY OTHER? FOR AFTER ALL, SHE WAS THE RICHEST OF THEM ALL - HER GIFT HA.D AN El':ERNAL QUALITY. QUALITY OF SACRIFICIAL LOVE.

ErTHER FROM POETIC INSIGHT, OR FROM ACTUAL SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, 'IHE STORY OF THE WIDOW'S GIFT IS FOLLOWED BY THE STORY OF THE REACTION OF THE DISCIPLES TO THE GRANDEUR OF THE TJ!MPLE. "JUST LOOK; WHt T TR:HMENDOUS STONES. HO'~ ST ~LE .tiliD tbGNIFICENT!" BUT JESW KN.H.VI THE DIFF:ERENCE BE­TWEEN THE MAGNIFICENT AND THE SIGNIFICANT AND RE­PLIED; "NOT .11. STONE SHaLL REM. IN ONE UPON iiNO'IH­ER". THAT GLORIOUS TEMPLE IS WELL-NIGH FORGOTTEN BUT THE WIDOW AND HER GIFT ARE REMEMBERED FOREVER

AND JESUS STILL SITS IOWN OPPOSITE THE TREAS URY.

-3-MEAT; THmSTY AND Y E Gfi VE ME DRINK; STRANGER AND YE TOOK ME IN; NAKED AND YE CLOTHED ME; SICK AND YE VISITED. THEN SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS ANSWER HIM SAYING, LORD, WHEN S.ri.W WE THEE HUNGRED ••• AND THE KING SHaLL .dNSWER AND S.n.Y UNTO THEM, VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, INASMUCH • . •" 'miS POOR 'M:>MAN WITH MOST EXCUSE FOR NOT OOING IT, EXPRESSED HER LOVE AND FAITH IN SUCH A CONCRETE WAY THAT JESOO HELD HER UP FOR ALL THE lM:>RLD 'ID SEE.

GAVE IN SUPPORT OF ORGANIZED THAT P ATRETIC RELIGION BRACE OF COINS

WAS FOR TEMPLE. HER GIFT TIED RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE AND ORGANIZED RELIGION TOGETHER. NEVER IDES 'IRE TEMPLE APPEAR IN A LOVELIER SETTING THAN IN THE FRAME OF THIS WIDOW'S LOVE.

THOUGH THE T.llXPLE WAS NOT ALL IT SHOULD BE; THOUGH THE RELIGIO'OO AUTHORITIES HAD TURNED THE HOUSE OF PRAYER INTO A DEN OF THIEVES; THOUGH VESTED INTERESTS AND MONEY CHANGERS HAD MADE THE TEMPLE THEm HEADQUARTERS; THOUGH JESUS WELL KNEW ALL THE INSINCERITIES OF mE PRIESTS; YEr HE LOV­ED THE TEMPLE, ·NoRSHIPPED IN THE TEMPLE, AND RE-GARDED IT AS HIS FATHER'S HOUSE. AND THE WIDOW FELT THE SAME - IT WAS GOD'S HOWE; IT HAD CLAIM UPON HER. SHE FELT IT WAS THE IMPERFECT INSTRU­MENT OF GOD'S REDEEMING LOVE IN THE WORLD - AND SHE LOVED IT.

"THAT'S ALL VERY WELL. YOU'RE A MINISTER AND YOU'RE TALKING IN SUPPORT OF A THEORY. BUT AFTER ALL, IT DOES COST A LOT OF MONEY 'ro KEEP A CHURCH GOING!" YES IT OO.ES. IN 1944 MErHODISTS GAVE IN LARGE AND SMALL AMOUNTS NO LESS THAN $116,000,000 TO KEEP mE METHODIST CHURCH FUNCTIONING AT HOME AND ABROAD. PER CAPITA ,GIVING WAS $14.40 PER METHODIST MEMBER. IN FREMONT WE HA.VE DONE LITTLE BETTER THAN THAT: RAISED APPROXIMATELY $20,000 'i'HIS YEAR FOR ALL PURPOSES. PER CAPITA OF $16.50. '1'HIS INCLUDES OUR FINE RESPOM.>E TO THE CRUSADE FOR CHRIST MOVEMENT OF COURSE IT COSTS. STORY OF CHRONIC WHINER: "CHURCH COSTING TOO MUCH. AL­WAYS ASKING FOR MONEY TIRED OF ALL THESE REPEAT­ED RE UESTS." OTillR MAN REPLIED. "LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING OUT OF MY OWN LIFE. OOME YEARS AGO

-2-

i\IOT A CASE OF JESUS MERELY EXTOLLING A POOR WIDOW - MORE THAN ·.LHAT; .tiE RECOGNIZED A KINDRED SPIRIT AND HIS HEART LEAPED OUT TO HER. A CASE OF MATCHED MINOO AND SPIRITS. HE HAD KNOWN POVER­TY AND ECONOMIC INSECURITY. >:>AID HE, "A. PERSON DOES NOT SEW A NEW PATCH ON AN OLD GARMENT". WON­DER WHERE HE GOT THAT lDEA AND INFORMATION! .~.Hm ONE DAY HE DECLARED HE WAS NOT AS WELL OFF AS THE FOXES; AND EVEN 'l1HE BIR:OO WERE PROPERTIED BEYOND HIM - "THE FOXES HaVE HOLES .AND THE BIRDS OF AIR HAVE NEsrs BUT OON OF MAN NOT WHERE TO LIE HEAD".

"OUT OF HER W~~T - OUT OF HER PENURY SHE GAVE". GIVING WAS NOT SOLELY A PROSPERITY PRO-GEDURE WITH hER auT ALSO A POVERTY P ROCEDURE AND JESUS IMMORTALIZED HER FOR IT. JESUS HURLED HER INCONSPICUOUS DEED IN'ID LIMELIGHT OF HISTORY. bE­GAUSE SHE MADE A rtELIGIOUS USE OF ECONOMIC DISAD­VANTAGE. WE SAY SHE WAS A LITTLE CRAZY BUT JESUS THRILLED TO HER SIMPLE BUT BEAUTIFUL DEVOTION.

FULFILLED LAW OF CONCRETION SHE WOULDN'T HAVE RECOGNIZED SUCH A STAT.JiMmT. POINT IS,

SHE DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SOMETHING TANGIBLE AND CONCRETE. DID MORE THAN TALK ABOUT THE SITUATION; SHB: EXPRESSED HERSELF IN A CONCRETE FASHION. L~T ME PUT IN A WINDOW HERE. LADY IN FORMm CHURCH WHO WAS ALWAYS SAYING "YOU _.i.NI) MRS.. CLARKE MUST COME 'ID DINNER SOMETIME." RATHER NEBULOUS AND INDEFINITE; NOTHING CONCRETE HERE. BUT ONCE SAID; "SURELY, HOW .d.BOUT NEXT THURSDAY AT 6: 30?" THAT WAS THAT.

THIS POOR WIDOW COULD HAVE RATIONALIZED VERY EASILY. "THI5 LORD KNOWS ALL ABOtlr IT. THE LORD WILL LET ME OFF SINCE LIFE HAS LET ME LOWN. IF ONLY I HAD AS MUCH ~43 THOSE RICH PEOPLE I WOULD DO SO MUCH. NOBODY EXPECTS ME 'ro 00 ANYTHING!" BUT THERE WAS THAT ABOUT HER RELIGIOW EXPERIENCE THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW HER 'ID APPEAR BEFORE THE LORD WITH .FMPTY HANDS. NOT SATISFIED WITH "LORD LORD".

AND JESUS WAS IMPRESSED. AS SHE DROPPED HER TWO MITES INTO THE TREASURY, SHE FULFILLED PRIN­CIPLE OF CONCRETION. THAT SAME PRINCIPLE RE HAD STRESSED BOTH IN HIS LIFE AND TEACHING - PRINCIPLE OF DOING SOMETHING - LISTEN TO HIS V\ORDS; "THEN SHALL THE KING SAY; I WAS AN HUNGRED AND YE GAVE

Ql4... dJ€ lOot-/. .t.:; IE).<.- I!-/< 7~~ ~ft?AU .-(lla, / fl d" ~ 1 /t:;;'l-ctJ ?-' y :r:&I:QAY, O...@.TOBER 19, I {/ ,,._ ' t

I 't; f'"" ~{!. f'.A...{)?/ "'f"" ~,.;;............,.. • r "A certain man made a great SUJ:lller .• Anc1 sent his servant at supper time t say . . . Come . . . And they all wit one consent began to m:~.ke excuse." Lul! 14:16-18. (Read Luke 14:16-24.)

ALL of u s arc templed lo indulge h1 e'

· cuses to cover up our folli es ancl fai lll"e. This is n<•lhing n~w. Atla111 blamed h wife. J.:Jve blamNI the serpent . A a ron hlamc i.he fire fLW fashioning tlw golllcn calf.

Alibis a rt; still in vo~ue. Th ere is U million dollar alihi: "If I hacl a millie dollars .... " But the question is n o t wh: we mig-ht do " ·ith wvallh. hut what we a: .at.:lnally doing \Yilh whal we h o.vc.

'l'herc is llH' Nhll' a liona l ali hi: "If I h r :.1 collc·;::e cducat iOil. • • ." Howev ·r, tl J'n::tin r f'C! Uircnu·nt s for Christ i un scv il!C a not colleg-e clPgrePs. l>ul cha.rac tN. si ccrity, and pcrsnnal dPv,llivn to Christ.

'rherc is the h:~d vnvirt:'ln Jncnt alibi: " only 1nY s uJ-rotnHlings ,,.t're n1orc eleva jng .... " But ('Yt·n if livi ng in the ::;lun '\Ye mHY !'lill have fp\Jowship with t Gt·at Co mpanion . and )Jy His :11cl I< ~"P 01· :-;c•l\ es unspollt·t1 f1·om tlw world. '\Vith J ;;us, the inner life counts far mot·e th anything e l se.

PRAYER Infinite :rather, help us to respond

Thy great invitation to the feast of Chr tiau fellowship. May we witll one nccc accept Thy offer of the life alJUndaut. Jestts' name. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Aiil.Jis dL'n't \Villiam

b~~

I'Otlnt.

R. L,•sl ic (:lfU"l':ll:hn"ctls)

0( 2¥._/J /.I._ *

'" . SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20

"What man of you, ltaving an hnnc1recl sheep, lf he lose one of them, cloth not lea.ve the ninety ancl nine in the wilderness, and go after that w1tic11 is lost, until he fincl lt?" Luke 15:4. (Reac1 Luke 15:3-7.)

WHE~ the :-.raster began telling a story about "a lost she<·P," every shepherd

present remr•mbercd what he l1ad clone many times wlwn a shc<'P was lost-how he h:ul left the ninety and nine and !!"One into tho darkness, throu~h d<'<·J) watP1'S, over ,;teeP }Jillsiclc,:, \llltil he had found th•' shcr·p Cfl.tl~ilt in tho brambles. 'Thrn hE' had frPNl tho shcrp, and lifting it with thorn-torn lutnds, 11:Lcl borne iL har·k tn the fold with grcn.L joy, calling in his friends anu neighbors to J'PjOiCC with him.

'ThiS :<lOrY un<·Ovr·!'S tl\0 VCI'Y ]1cart of Gt)(l. All hca\"('11 rcjoif'('~ "'hen the 1o~l is founcl. The 1-T•·n ,·enlY Father is con~dlll'c.l about His family . .T<·sus said: "I am <:0111'' to seck nncl to savr· thn t whif'h i,; lo. l." rfhi~ ,\"01'1( of SaYinp; 111C'fl n111~l eonli1111C. unl il th•" 1:1"\ on<' of the lost ;;hcep is found and broughl l1omc.

PRAYEE :S:ol:Y Father, we thank Thee for the

search that is eternallY cardec1 on for the lost of tlte earth. Help us to join Tl1ee in seeking; the lost "to the eartll's remotest llounds." In tlte name of Jesus, our Sl1ell-hec1. Amen..

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY "Dul all thro' the mountains. thunder-riven,

An<l up from th 0 rocl<Y Rl N·Jl. Thcr<' arose :J. glad cry Lo the gale or

]H:[lY(·ll, 'Rejoice! 1 ho.Yc founu my ><hr···P!'"

JamPs D. Hunter (Alnl••""u).

2~ ..

The Church

THE world is always in danger of permitting "time to

crowd out eternity." Material things become so im­

portant that eternal values are forgotten or ignored.

So persistent are the demands of the body that the longings

and aspirations of the soul are stifled. The struggle for ex­

istence becomes so keen that the gift of eternal life through

Christ Jesus is lost sight of.

In sharp contrast to all this the Christian Church pro­

claims, "One thing is needful," "Seek ye first the kingdom of

God and his righteousness." Christ Himself places supreme

emphasis on the importance of seeking His kingdom first,

but only the beginnings of that kingdom are here in time i

its consummation is in eternity.

In every part of our land church spires continue to point

heavenward, a visible testimony to the truth that man is not

an earthbound creature with temporal success and happiness

his supreme and only goal. They proclaim to all the world the

undying faith of man that his ultimate destiny is eternal life

in unrestricted fellowship with his Savior.

1'm a pilgrim, and 1'm a stranger,

1 can tarry, 1 can tarry but a night,

Do not detain me, for 1 am going

1 o where the fountains are ever flowing.

1'm a pilgrim, and 1'm a stranger,

1 can tarry, J can tarry but a night.

Voint me to the Sleies

* ----------------· FREMON'l' S Ti{E;FT ME;·.rHODIS 1' CHURCH

GLOVERSVILLE, 'NEW YORK Fred Clarke - Minister

Marjorie J. Gensemer Minister of Music

Lewis Cunning - Sexton ~-------------------------

Grace L. Gifford Church Secretary

ORGAN PRELUDE "Benedictus" ..... .......................... .......... .. .. ........... ... Alec Rowley CALL TO WORSHIP - By the minister HYMN - "Glorious things of thee are spoken" ............... No. 382 CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER - The people standing

Direct us, 0 Lord in all our doinga with Thy most gracious favor, and further us with Thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in Thee, we may glorify Thy Holy Name; and finally by Thy mercy, ob­tain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

DOXOLOGY - The people s~nding

* RESPONSIVE READTI~G - 42nd Sunday - page 609 GLORIA PATRI APOSTLES 1 CREED

* SACRAMENT OF INFANT BAPTISM SCRIPTURE LESSON -Mark 12:28-44 ANTHEM - "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring'' ...... ............. ..... .. J. S. Bach PASTORAL PRAYER :: SILENT PRAYER :: LORD 1S PRAYER

* ORGAN OFFERTORY - 11 Improvise. tion" ...... ............. ..... Johannes Brahms PRESENTATION OF OFFERING AND PLEDGES OFFERTORY ANTHEM - "Prayer of the Norwegian Child" .... Rich-

The Carol Choir .ard Kountz HY'lllN - "Spirit of Life, in this new dawn" ....................... No. 178

SERMON - "OPPOSITE THE TREASURY"

HYMN - "True-hearted, whole-hearted" .. .......... .... ........... ............ .. No. 255 B~NEDIC TION - The people standing O~~LN ?OSTLUDE - "All~gro" .................... ............... .. .. ........ ............... Mendelssohn * ~r h.e l.l d•J<r·s ~ea t thos e who may be waiting.

Flowers are given by Mrs. Chris Williams and daughter, Ruth in memory of husband and father~ Chris Williams.

10:30

11:00 11:45 5:30

7:00

OCTOBER 21. 1945 - CALENDAR FOR TODAY

Loyalty Sunday. Morning Worship and Sermon. Church-time Nurs..er-y with Miss Ruth ·Foste:t .., Primary and Junior Church. Church School. Everyone cordially invited. Youth Fellowship. Lender~ Don Richardson. Dis­cussion topic, "What Do We Protestants Believe?" Union Evening Service at Fremont. Preacher, Rev. John W. Guyer, First Methodist Church, Northville.

THROUGH THE WEEK

MONDAY 7:00 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. ~ Leadership Training School. ~ Board of Education Meeting.

TUESDAY '"8:00 Executive Meeting of the w.s.c.s •• WEDNESDAY ~ Weekday School; grades 4, 5 and 6. ·

~ The Mid-week Service . All invited. THURSDAY ~ Crusader Boys~ Choir r ehearsal.

1':1b &enior Choir ~ehoarsal. ~ Werner Workers meet at the home of Miss ~aret Perry. 24 E. 8th Avenue. Letter "M".

FRIDAY 1:00 Weekday School; grades 7 and 8. ~ Chapel Girls' Choir rehearsal.

SATURDAY ~ Carol Choir r ehearsal. ~ Hallowe 'en Costume Party for boys and girls of grade~ 4. 5 and 6 of Church School.

*--- ----- ·-----TODAY IS LOYJ-..LTY SUNDAY

This is the day wo bring our voluntary pledges to the churc~; thus ~e share in helping our church to minister throu~h another year. This is a privilege as well as a r esponsibility. Tho church is unable to function unle$S we assume our personal obliga ­tion. Place your pledge on the offering plate.

* - ---------- -- - - -----.. ----·-·-- ·- *