Harold Bell Wright in
The Christian-Evangelist
The Christian-Evangelist was
a monthly publication of the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. While
the Christian Standard, published by the same denomination, was for
popular consumption, the Christian-Evangelist was for more serious Bible students. Established c.1882.
1. "Third District, Kansas"
July 31, 1902, p. 538. (Thanks to Kristin Nama, President, Harold Bell Wright Museum, Pierce
City, Missouri for sending the text for this article.)
There are three things of first importance at this moment before the
Kansas Disciples: our state convention, our offering for the state work
and the Bible chair work at Lawrence. The convention at Topeka, Sept. 8-11
means fresh strength and courage, renewed hope and zeal. It means a
broadening and uplifting influence all along the line. We of the third
district need to share largely in this business and with the one fare rate
many will no doubt avail themselves of this great opportunity. Will you
not, for the sake of your work, join your brothers and sisters in Christ
in this great meeting? It will add to your life that which will strengthen
the lives of others.
I see the reports of the churches in this district that we are far
behind in our offering for this state work. Brethren, the close of the
year is close at hand. There is so much to do if we would prove true to
that which is committed to us. We are taking too small a part in this. Can
we not do better? I believe we can, and we will: even thought the offering
be small, God will place it and it will be a power in winning souls for
Christ. If every congregation would share this privilege we would receive
blessings without measure.
Brothers, don't put this off another Lord's day. The third district
must come to the front in this, our Bible chair work. How the disciples
loved the old, old book, and how we long to put its sacred truths within
the reach of the young. There is no work in all the land that surpasses in
importance this of our Lawrence Bible chair.
Before September 1 is the word. Don't let it get away before September
1. Please God, the third district will not fail in this, but every church
will send an offering and help to place hundreds with the word of God.
Brethren, our work is before us: one long, strong pull and we are safe.
Let those shirk who will, but let the third district be true.
Pittsburg, Kan.
Harold B. Wright
2.
"Just as Good Old Days Ahead" January 3, 1907
(Thanks to Kristin Nama, President, Harold Bell Wright Museum, Pierce
City, Missouri for sending the text for this article.)
This is the season of the
general round-up, when we gather in our stock—and our neighbors stock too,
if we can—and count whether our bunch is larger or smaller than twelve
months ago.
It is a time for wishing we hadn’t, or
thanking God that we did, as the case may be.
Happy is he who has more to be glad for
than to regret. Twice happy is he who can forget the things he should
regret. Three times happy is he who can be glad whether he has much or
little to regret. Seven times happy is he who is big enough to have no
regrets.
Most of us will find that we have spent
half of the year trying to do things we ought not to do—and the other six
months in wishing that we had not tried.
Right often too it has happened that our
greatest successes came to us when we failed—but few are wise enough to
see it that way.
Of some things we may be sure: We are
older than we were a year ago—whether or not we are a year wiser and
better, others perhaps know better than we.
1906 is gone--with its burden of sorrow,
its weight of woe, with its treasure of gladness, its wealth of joy; with
its smiles and laughter, its frowns and tear, it is gone—gone with all
that belongs to it of good and bad—gone where all the years have gone,
where all the years will go—let it go.
Man has learned to do many things since
he lived in a cave and earned his living with hunting-weapons of wood and
stone, but he has not yet found out how to make yesterday today. If he
should find out how, he would be a fool to do it.
No, 1906 will never come back. Whatever
it ought to have been it can never, now be—whatever it might have been it
is now as it is—let it alone.
All that remains of life is before us.
That one who handicaps himself with a weight of dead years is very
foolish. You cannot win the race if you look behind. You cannot climb
Pike’s Peak backward—battles are not won by those who face to the rear.
The one great question asked by life of
every soul is not what you have done—but “what are you going to do?”
The test problem placed for solution
before every boy and girl in this old school is the problem of the future;
and upon the scholar’s solution of this problem depends his rank and
standing on examination day. After all, the years are much alike. Each
seems to hold its just proportion of light and shade. A bit different in
the framing, perhaps, but the pictures easily show the touch of the same
brush. Fear not thee—tomorrow will bring all you need of sadness to soften
your life. Don’t carry over the woes of to-day. Tomorrow will bring
enough, too, of gladness to brighten your life, so don’t fret your soul by
sighing for the good old days. There are just as good old days ahead as
you or anyone else has ever seen.
Let us make our plans and make our
resolutions for the new year just as carefully and earnestly as we did at
the beginning of this. What if we did fail to follow the chart all the
way. A vessel is not wrecked because a gale carries away the captains cap
or the cook falls overboard. What if our resolutions were damaged a little
in the fight—a battleship is not lost because a ball goes through the
smokestack.
Aye, Aye, Sir—plan your plans and
resolute your resolutions, and then take to heart the wisdom of that
Hoosier who knows more than most men how to get the best out of life:
“Jest do yer best, an’ praise er blame,
That follers, that counts jest the same.
I’ve allers noticed great success,
Is mixed with troubles, more er less.
An’ its the man who does his best,
Et gits more kicks than all the rest.
Back to Magazines
|
