God's Minute

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.--1 Corinthians 16:13

O GOD, our Father, enable us to stand fast on the Faith that Thou art Eternal Goodness, and that we, to be well pleasing to Thee, must also be good. May wavering, perplexed, anxious souls become strong in Thee so that they shall not be shaken by doubt, nor dismayed by fear. Let such as enjoy confidence be safeguarded by Thy Wisdom, and such as suffer bereavement be comforted by Thy grace. May we not only stand fast in this Faith, but follow it withersoever it leads us: being made by Thee not only steadfast and unmoveable, but also abundant and overflowing in the work of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Correct, enlarge and enlighten what trust we have that we may labor as those who know that Thou crownest the toil. Give us peace with Thee, and with ourselves and with our fellowmen; even the peace of Him Who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His Life as a Ransom for many. Grant that our lives may reflect His tranquility; that our hearts be animated by His holy love. And these blessings we ask in the name of Thy Son, our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

S. Parkes Cadman, D.D., S.T.D.
Brooklyn, New York

If you follow the link associated with Rev. Parkes' name, you will see that he apparently came down on the "wrong" side of the anti-smoking lobby of the late 1920's.

Here's the quote from his letter:

I do not share your views about the viciousness of the habit of smoking. I think it is by pushing these things too hard and being so anxious to clean the outside of the cup that we often neglect the inside.

The Correspondance which follows is very interesting. I have to agree with Rev. Parke in this: if our focus is too much upon the physical, we can give the impression that holiness is a matter of "cleaning up our acts", as as he put it, "cleaning up the outside of the cup."

Jesus had something to say about that:

What Defiles a Person

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Related Tags: prayer, morning prayer, S. Parkes Cadman, anti-smoking, temperance