Part 25

The Boards with painstaking, loving care seek to meet the constantly growing requirements of the fields committed to them, many times attaining almost the impossible in erecting buildings and responding to the appeals from people and places lacking the gospel ministry, and needing desperately the provision of a school or a hospital. Let us remember that the Boards can be strong and effective for the kingdom only as the societies and churches through their vitalizing prayers and their strengthening gifts make it possible.

The most important and basic place in all this organization structure must be assigned to the women's, young women's and children's missionary society, auxiliary, or mission band, in the local church. Here in the local society each one finds her particular place and work. Here loyalty for the denomination of our choice finds scope and nourishment. Here through prayers, letters, leaflets, the presence of missionary speakers, we come into close fellowship with those consecrated ones of our own household of faith who stand in the lonely, difficult places as our representatives, ministering of the things of Christ to those in need. Here our responsibility for maintaining the special work committed to our society is found.

To obtain a renewal of purpose, a vitalizing vision either of a personality or an enterprise, to create a fresh enthusiasm, we must turn from the familiar aspects of the subject to a first-hand thought, or view. We need to be freshly introduced, as it were. For this purpose let us renew our thought of the essential task of Home Missions. It is to Christianize our home land-Christianize, shorn of the formal services and forms of activity with which we associate the word means simply to reproduce in our own lives and strive to bring to others as accurately as possible the spirit and method of the life of Jesus, the Christ.

The source of power which will make possible the Christ-life in us, and the dynamic for all missionary service and power will be found only in Him; "Ye in me and I in you"--"That ye may be witnesses unto me," are His words.

Let us then each seek Christ afresh, that we may know and realize Him as if finding Him for the first time. Let us read the Gospels as if we had never before heard the story of His life. Let us come again to Calvary. Let us by prayer and communion open all the avenues of our being to His presence and spirit.

Let us seek a new realization and understanding of His character and purpose. For what did Christ live? Ringing in His every word and expressed in his every deed is the key note of His life--Love. He lived to express, to incarnate love--the love of the father for His children. We see Him turn from honor, riches, from what others value and strive for, that he might manifest His love and teach others how to love. The love of Jesus embodied more than it is possible for us to comprehend in the height and depth and fulness of its meaning.

His love expressed perfect understanding and sympathy. "Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."

His love was filled with compassion and tender pity for the needy and suffering. "Jesus, moved with compassion, touched him and saith unto him, Be thou clean."

His love felt human sorrow. At the tomb of Lazarus "Jesus wept."

His love shared human joy. "These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full."

His love held redemption--was a saving love. "He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out."

His love knew fullest forgiveness. He said to the woman taken in sin, "Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more."

His love brought friendship. "Ye are my friends."

His love gave new meaning to justice. "Her sins which are many are forgiven-for she loved much."

His love gave inspiration, "If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done." "Greater works than these shall ye do."

His love held the promise of eternal companionship. "All mine are thine and thine are mine. I will come and receive you unto myself, that where I am ye may be also."

"Outlawed men, criminals and lepers and madmen, became as little children at His word, and all the wrongs and bruises inflicted on them were healed beneath His kindly glance. This is how He lived and this Gospel was the Gospel of a life He lived in such a way that men saw that love was the only thing worth living for--that life had meaning only as it had love."

O Love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee. I give Thee back the life I owe That in thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be.

This many-sided, all-embracing love is the type of love His followers are pledged to yearn for and to seek earnestly to express. The love of Christ found three great expressions--in giving, in service, in sacrifice.

If we, Christian women, are to reproduce Christ's spirit of love, then giving, service, sacrifice must be dominant in our lives.

How wonderfully and fully the Christ gave of all that He had--Himself. He needs our gifts to-day, ourselves, our talents, our money. Home Missions means a life to be lived, the full, glad giving of thought, prayer, money, that His love may be made known to all the weary, oppressed, ignorant, waiting, suffering ones in our land.

"Christ gives the best. And in His service as we're growing stronger The calls to grand achievement still increase. The richest gifts for us, on earth or in heaven above, Are hid in Christ. In Jesus, we receive the best we have."

The Christ-love was expressed in service. From the time that He went forth to be "about His Father's business" we see him always serving to the utmost of His strength with no thought of rest, or comfort. We recall the long, hard day in Capernaum when after having spent Himself in teaching He came to Peter's house; the news of His presence there spread through the city; quickly were brought unto Him the sick, the crippled and possessed; forgetful of His weariness He healed and ministered unto them until the shadows lengthened and night closed in. All along the way, as He journeyed in Galilee, Judea or Samaria, he gave help and healing to the sick and sinful. When He heard the sad cry of the lepers, He drew near them and gave them cleansing. Those possessed of evil spirits, the blind, the soul sick, the unrealizing, hardened woman at the well, the beautiful, loving Magdelen, all found in Him a response to their utmost need. He said truly, "The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to minister." He says to us, "As the Father sent me, so send I you."

"The final purpose of knowledge is action."

Grant us the will to fashion as we feel; Grant us the strength to labor as we know; Grant us the purpose ribbed and edged with steel To strike the blow.

Knowledge we ask not--knowledge Thou hast lent, But, Lord, the will--there lies our bitter need. Give us to build above the deep intent The deed, the deed.

--John Drinkwater.

Knowledge must find expression in action or it is harmful and vicious in its reaction. Having learned of Home Mission conditions and needs, "word and deed must become one witness in action," else our knowledge will mean a hardening of sympathy, the atrophy of some spiritual impulse. The Lord calls us and sends us forth to serve.