"And proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" Lev. 25:10

BELL"

Text may be found in two places; Bible of course. Also inscribed on Liberty Bell in In­dependence Hall in Phil delphia. lords inscrib­ed upon this symbol of our national origins.

J:lell has interesting history. vhen first cast it developed a flaw. Danger of breaking under pounding of heavy clapper. Bell re-cast; but another crack appeared. Since then the bell has been carefully guarded and cherished.

1ll of Which is both interesting and some­thing of a parable. First; it is a difficult feat to establish a pattern of society and way of national life that will not crack under pres­sure. Second; the bell, though not flawless, has to be guarded, lest cracks deepen and bell breaks under pounding and pressure of events.

ie Recognize the Flaws Let us be realistic and recognize there exists a crack in the bell -

flaws in our society. There is a danger that our American way of life might split into frag­ments from blows within or without. Need to rec­ognize these flaws - the cracks that threaten.

Dr. L. P. Jacks, radiant Christian and em­inent scholar was asked for his impressions of lUllerican civilization. " ell, America strikes me as a country where a terrible struggle going on between God and the devil for the possession of the souls of the peopleH. Who is winning?

Leslie Weatherhead of City Temple speaks of post-war England. No deep penitence. No turning to God. All they want is plenty of beer and go to beaches again. Church bells ring but less than ten per cent heed their call.

America - are we doing any better. Church not exactly crowded. Gambling a mania. More gambled away in single day than given to Christ­endom in a year. Staggering crime record. "I

"VIe have lacked an idea. l e came to imagine that the proper duty of man was to arrange an easy way of life, individualistic to the point of selfishness. We saw no farther than the village pump. We looked upon the State as the universal provider, and we always spoke of our due, seldom of our duties ••• and imag­ined that the State would prove an everlasting milch cow. Tell this to the Americans and warn them at the same time of the peril that may befall democracy everywhere when it for­gets that free men have duties as well as rights".

The American Dream was born of God - and cannot long endure without God. It is a spir­itual thing. las the result of a spiritual re­volt. American democracy is not a political system but a spiritual ideal. s long as it remains a spiritual and religious thing, we h ve no need to fear. [oreover, if it ever descends into a mere political system with no thought of God, then it might perish from the earth.

And today, America is the only hope of the world. In this concept of a spiritual dem­ocracy is the only rational hope for a world of peace. It is based on the idea of "liberty for all the inhabitants thereof". Hischa El­man as he sailed from New York declared that the most significant inscription on any public monument in the world appears on Statue of Lib­erty; "Send these, the homeless and the tempest­tossed, to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden

~" · "Proclaim liberty to all" - that kinft of

liberty and freedom is hard to achieve. Does not come by miracle. Liberty, freedom, human rights, democracy, tend to become mere phrases to many of us. If freedom merely means doing as we please, then it is not merely an empty phrase, it is also dangerous.

The time is here for all of us to place spiritual value and content into these words that should mean so much to us. We need to guard the cracks in the bell; we need to let it ring out in tones of joy and conviction. e need to realize that the bell fundamentally is sound at the center. le need to proclaim that our american Dream is of God - a dream for the whole world and for all children of men.

-3-

freedoms and blessings we have. Don't misun­derstand me please. I know that Negro is not yet free of economic bondage. I am aware of injustice of racial discrimination. I know there are flaws in our democracy. But I still maintain that at heart the bell is sound. On this Fourth of July we need to say that the bell, though not perfect, is worth cherishing. Even a cracked bell is worth struggling, worth fighting for.

personal word of testimony. ot born in America; came here as matter of choice. Seeking a land where in the words of Bobbie Burns, "A man's a man for a' that" here rank is but the guinea stamp and "the man's the gold for a' that". Came for liberty- economic and politi­cal. Remember singing 'All things bright and beautiful". One stanza - ''The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate; God made them high and lowly and ordered their estate".

The ffoundation of Democracy Let me return to and the Basis of Liberty opening statement:

verse found in the Bible. lhere else

could founders of the nation find an adequate foundation? Not by mere chance this verse in­scribed on Liberty Bell. The concept of liber­ty and political democracy roots in Bible. The american Dream was born of God.

Based upon concept of human worth and dig­nity. "Proclaim liberty unto all ••• " All men are children of God - created equal in His sight. And therefore to be treated as such. Cert in in­herent rights. Founders of this nation believed that democracy was a spiritual thing with relig­ious roots. The utterances and writings of the founders breathe this spiritual concept. Let us turn to these writings - Mayflower Compact with its opening sentence - "In the Name of God, Amen". lso Decl ration of Independence; The Constitu­

tion of the United States; Washington's Farewell ddress; Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address.

- 2-

am not easily shocked or alarmed, but today I am both shocked and alarmed" says Edgar Hoover. "Some of the crimes youngsters are committing are unspeakable. It is an ugly situation". We have brought youngsters up on diet of movies, parental unconcern for the church, advertise­ments which glorify liquor, and a philosophy which exalts financial success. Sowed the wind and reaping the whirlwind.

A ~arning to america. Shortly after fall of France letter written by French workingman was published in New York paper.

Purport of all this catalogue: just this; we recognize there is a crack in the bell. e see there are flaws on the periphery of bell. Ve are not blind to our faults and flaws. Rec­ognize there are dangers inherent in democracy. We also recognize these cracks could develope to such an extent as to destroy our democracy.

Bell Sound at Center In sp ite of all cracks and flaws the bell is sound at the center. e

sometimes put so much stress upon cracks that we fail to recognize the essential soundness. Despite her flaws, America has given a Dream to the world. The dream of a land where life shall be richer and fuller and better, with opportun­ity for every person according to his ability.

He recall the familiar words from Declara­tion of Independence; "Ve hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with cer­tain inalienable Rights, taht among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness".

That is the dream. Not always succeeded in living up to it. There have been flaws; there are flaws; but the bell is sound at the center. At least when we fail we know we are failing and are conscious of the flaws and challenged by the flaws. But the dream is there at the heart.

Some of us are so concerned about the flaws in our society that we fail to appreciate the

The 18ook for Today

T HE world is searching for an answer . .Its problems are many, its dilemma great. It has been seeking an

· answer in education, in philosophy, in science. But our troubled world is still asking. Today many are turning to religion; they are convinced that religion must furnish the artswer, for it must be spiritual. As a result the question comes from every source : What is the answer of religion? What is the Bible's answer? What does it have to offer for our day?

The individual who seeks an answer by reading the Bible, especially the Gospels and the Psalms, soon discovers that it has very much for the man of .today. It speaks words of profoundest wisdom concerning human relations, words of comfort and reassurance to the sad and disappointed, words of encouragement to the frustrated and despairing, words of guidance to those who do not know the way, and above all, words of forgiveness and renewed power to all who place their trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

~efore the nations of the world-greedy, selfish, brutal­the Old Testament places the complete history of a nation which at one time did serve the Lord and then forgot and forsook Him. That history is a clear demonstration of the prophet's word that, "Righteousness exalteth a nation," but also of the terrible doom pronounced, "The nation ... that will not serve Thee, shall perish ... be utterly wasted."

The New Testament brings God's final answer to all the vexing problems arising out of man's sinfulne~s. That answer is Christ. In Him is salvation, victory over sin and death.

A.P.H. No. 7122 . Litho. in U.S .A.

I I

17t1y '\\lonl Shull 1/lot 1Dass Away , I I I 1 I I I !;

FREMONT S T:rtE.e~T METHODIST 0HURCH Gloversville , New York

Fred Clarke, Minister Minister. of Mus.ic Janet -Price Davis

Church Secretary Grace L. Gifford

Lewis Cunning, Sexton

ORDER OF MORNING WORSHIP

ORGAN PRELUDE - "Meditation" CALL TO WORSHIP - By the minister HYMN 533 - "O God, our help in ages past" RESPONSALS:

Vi erne

St. Anne

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

Min1ster: People:

And renew a. right spirit within me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit.

Minister: 0 Lord, open thou my lips; People: And roy mouth shall show forth thy praise.

DOXOLOGY - To be sung by nll

* SCRIPTURE LESSON • Joshua. 24:1·18, 25•28 SOLO - "How Lovely are Thy DNellings 11

PASTOP..A.L PR2 .. YER J..ND LORD 1 S PRAYER

*

Liddle

ORGAN OFFERTORY - "Ado.gio" from Choro.lo in A Minor PRESENTATION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS Franck HYMN 509 - "Great God of no.tions, now to Thoen Mendon

Iffi.1N 491 - "O beautiful for spacious skies 11

BENEDICTION - By the minister ORG.b.N POSTLUDE - "lntroduction nnd Choral" * Interval for Ushering

Materna

Boellma.nr.

The altar flowars are given in loving memory of Mr. and ~r s. William Meyers, by fri ends.

10.:30

10:30 11:00 7:36

JULY 4 I 1948 - CALENDAr.. FOh 'l' (J J.A y

Morning Worship and sermon- "A dra c«:ed Bell" , .Bass soloist, kr. Nornan Pugh. Church-time Nursery for small clid.ldren ~ Junior Church with Miss Jane Van Arnam. Union Evening Service on the lawn of the Kings­bora Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Andrew Hansen preaching. Everyone is invited.

ANNOUNCEr.fENTS

The Mid•week Service will be held on Wednesday evening at 7:30 with Mr. Ernest Allen in charge. Il'lr. Clarke will in attendance at Graduate School all week at Green Mountain Junior College, Vermont.

Tho UPPER ROm .. : devotional booklet for July-August is in the upper hall. Take a .copy and l ee.vc five cents.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion will be observed at Fremont next Sunday. Every Fremonter should be in church next Sunday for this Summer Communion.

Last Tuesday morning the following Fremonters grad­uated from the Gloversville High School; John Aldrich) Diana Engel, !-l'ildred Grant, Douglas Guenther, Marie Gun­dersen, Raymond Hohenforst, Beverly B~vler, Montford Hallenbeck, Earl Hoyt, Robert J~tticc, Janet Miller; Leonard Ogden, Mo.rilyn Olson, Albert Rotonde, Patricia. Rowley, Robert Wandel, Mary Wilson, Letson Behlen. We extend them our congratulations and best wishe s for the future.

We take this opportunity of tho.nking o.ll officers and teachers of our church school who have served with such loyalty and efficiency during the church school year just brought to a. close. Church School will open September 12. Happy vacation to all.

,