Christ in the Souls of Men

1916

By A. B. Beresford in the Universalist Leader

Christ is in the souls of men — his ideas, motives, hopes, principles, actual spirit — is daily present, and really at work in the multifarious deeds of the world. There are hosts of business men who are transacting business just as Christ would do — honor and humanity being their watchword. Millions of fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers are making "home" and "heaven" synonymous — Christ would have done just this!

Men of the professions are doing likewise. Said a great surgeon to a colleague: "Remember that there is a man at the other end of that foot. Anyone can amputate a foot — to save one is our business as surgeons" — were not these words Christlike?

A patient recently spoke of a surgeon who operated in the spirit of Christ: "Never before have I seen so Christ-like a look upon any human countenance; he touches the scalpel as he would a sacrament; to him the human body is the temple of the living God, and his work is worship therein." Christ is present at the operating table — thus in the deeds of humans — obscure, unknown save to few — is Christ present.

Working In Joy

Man must work. That is certain as the sun. But he may work grudgingly, or he may work gratefully; he may work as a man, or he may work as a machine. He can not always choose his work, but he can do it in a generous temper, and with an up-looking heart. There is no work so rude that he may not exalt it; there is no work so impassive that he may not breathe a soul into it; there is no work so dull that he may not enliven it. — HENRY GILES.


Idleness Condemned

I am not the only one that condemns the idle; for once when I was going to give our minister a pretty long list of the sins of one of our people whom he was asking after, I began with: "He's dreadfully lazy." That's enough," said the old gentleman; "all sorts of sins are in that one." — SPURGEON.

"Flying Parson" Goes Back to the Pulpit

1919

Takes Old Man's Advice and Quits "Being a Fool."

NEW YORK, N. Y. — Lieut. Belvin W. Maynard, "the flying parson," winner of the recent Army transcontinental air race, announced here that he had resigned from the Army Air Service and will resume his work as a clergyman. He said he expected to be out of the service early in the new year.

"I am going to take the advice I received in an anonymous letter the other day and go back to my preaching," Lieutenant Maynard said. "In substance it said: 'I am over 80, but when I was a young man an old man told me not to be a fool. Now I am old and you are young, so I want to give you some advice. Don't be a fool. Go back to your pulpit and give up your flying and newspaper fame.'"

—The Saturday Blade, Chicago, Jan. 3, 1920, p. 11.

Pastor Acts As Floor Walker in Department Store

1922

Union Hill, New Jersey, March 23. — Unable to make financial ends meet on his salary of less than $24 weekly as pastor of the Methodist church, Rev. W. C. Ramsay, spends six days each week as a floor walker in a store and the seventh in his church.

He was found today in the position of floor walker and section manager of a big Manhattan department store, a position which he has held the past year without the knowledge of his parishioners. Rev. Mr. Ramsay has been pastor of the Union Hill church for 30 years.

"The average human being doesn't work enough," he said. "I find that I can work as a floor walker, write my sermons, study and lecture in the evenings, preach twice Sunday and wake up Monday eager for my store job." — Associated Press.

Leaves the Ministry, Seeking University of Iowa Presidency

Dubuque, IA, 1898

ABANDONS THE MINISTRY

Rev. Nacy McGee Waters Wants the Presidency of State University

Some months ago it was reported that Rev. Nacy McGee Waters, formerly pastor of St. Luke's Methodist church in this city, but now of Evanston, Ill., was about to leave the Methodist denomination and accept a call to the Plymouth Congregational church at Rockford, Illinois.

At the time the report caused quite a good deal of comment, as it was supposed that he was devoted to the work of his chosen denomination. It has since then been learned, however, that he now desires to abandon the ministry and take up another vocation, and he is at present an active candidate for the presidency of the Iowa State University at Iowa City.

It was for the purpose of furthering his interests in this matter that Rev. Waters visited Dubuque about ten days ago, as he came here to get the endorsement of Senator Allison and Col. Henderson before they left for Washington. He called on both these gentlemen, and with the aid of some of his friends here pressed his case with them.

Rev. Waters is a young man of much ability, and would no doubt fill such a place creditably should he receive the appointment, which is made by the trustees of the institution.

—Dubuque Daily Herald, Dubuque, IA, Dec. 10, 1898, p. 5.