Father Divine

International Peace Mission Movement

Archives for January 2012

Praise the Lord Forever He’s Done So Much for All

Our Father’s sermon given whilst at the holy communion table of the Nazareth Mission Church, Home and Training School, Inc. of Pennsylvania 1600-1614 Oxford street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Friday eve. & Saturday morning of May 16-17, 1952 at 1:05 a.m.

This truly beautiful and profound Sermon came forth from the SAVIOR of ALL MANKIND shortly after the testimony of one of the Followers, Mr. John Wesley by name, who brought forth many important thoughts to be considered as to the depth and breadth of FATHER’S wonderful Work in tangible form, and for the UPLIFT of HUMANITY in GENERAL!— and vividly depicting the many years it has been going on in just NEW YORK CITY alone!

Mr. Wesley firstly gave thanks to FATHER for the many Blessings extended him down thru the years, and HE also thanked FATHER for MOTHER, the Spotless Virgin Bride; and the marvelous Work going on today!  He then told how many years ago during the depression, when thousands were without jobs, he had been nothing but a bum, starving for want of food. He told of having stood, hungry and cold, in breadlines, and leaving the soup kitchens still hungry, until he learned of FATHER DIVINE.  There at the Peace Mission he would come, in New York City, at One Hundred and Fifteenth Street, and with thousands of other unemployed, dine sumptuously GRATIS— DAILY!  He said he was amazed to see how such good Work could go on and on, and thousands more at that time being fed for a mere ten and fifteen cents a meal!  Mr. Wesley brought out many other points for consideration concerning FATHER’S wonderful Work, but concluded by saying that he considered one of the greatest things to him was that FATHER could take a good-for-nothing bum, such as he had been, and completely change him, so that now he is not only healthy, well-fed and prosperous, but is now at a place where, in his line of business he is able to give employment to other men at the rate of sixteen dollars a day, and they didn’t have to wait until Saturday to get paid. They could see him any time and get their money!

For this and all the many other wonderful things FATHER has done for him down through the years, as well as for all mankind the universe over, he said, he truly thanked FATHER─ for only through HIM could such have been accomplished!

Shortly after this testimony, the inspirational song herein recorded was sung, after which FATHER gave this soul-stirring Sermon.

THANK YOU, BELOVED SAVIOR OF ALL MANKIND!

(The foregoing statements are those of the transcriber after which is firstly recorded the song sung just before FATHER arose to speak.)

Praise the LORD forever,
Forever and forever,
Praise the LORD forever,
HE’S done so much for me!


Praise the LORD forever,
Forever and forever;
I cannot help but praise HIM,
HE set me free!

 

(FATHER Speaks as follows:)

PEACE, EVERYONE:  That little composition is someone’s conviction, and according to the last speaker, I think it’s his!  (Loud applause sanction this:)

While listening to his testimony I thought of what I had just said today— in New York City —just in New York City alone, at one time, we were feeding from twenty-five hundred to three thousand persons DAILY, without a nickel!— (Thunderous applause rings out) and feeding UNTOLD THOUSANDS for FIFTEEN CENTS, and the maximum fee at that time was FIFTEEN CENTS!  Sold-for meals, from TEN to FIFTEEN CENTS!  (“So true, LORD!” came the verification with loud applause.)

I have long since declared, “It is more blessed to give than to receive!”  And
“Whatsoever you measure unto others, the same shall be measured to you!”  Therefore, sow GOOD SEEDS, everybody, for “You shall reap just what you sow”!  Aren’t you glad!  (“So
glad, GOD ALMIGHTY!” exclaimed the entire Congregation.)

That thought was stressed in the Actuated Words of Expression form one year to the other.  And as Mr. Wesley said, as he and many others who were called bums and hoboes, and a-plenty of them who were not called by such a name but were fed WITHOUT COST, and it was done from year in and year out.  Aren’t you glad!  (“Yes, so glad, LORD!” came the unanimous declaration.)

Therefore, I say, it is more blessed to give than to receive; for that which you apparently were doing for others, you could not lose!  You have not been in lacks, wants nor limitations!  You have not been in adverse nor undesirable conditions by so doing!  And
through the method as described, thousands and THOUSANDS were sheltered for as little as
ONE DOLLAR and ONE DOLLAR and a HALF PER WEEK, for years and years and
YEARS!  (“So true, LORD!” verified the vast Assembly.)

The maximum fee at one time was just a dollar and a half per WEEK, and after then it went up to TWO dollars per WEEK; but not until recently did any of our hotels or apartment houses receive from guests, more than two dollars per week!  (“So true! came the verification.)

For the last three or four years, since the dedication of the Divine Lorraine Hotel, the fee went up from TWO DOLLARS to TWO DOLLARS and a HALF PER WEEK; the same hotels and the very same service, as so to speak, that were given and that receive from THREE and a HALF and UP, PER DAY! But under the Peace Mission Movement they could get such accommodations for TWO DOLLARS and a HALF PER WEEK, or FIFTY CENTS A DAY!  (Thunderous applause and cheers ring out.)  So then I say, it is something to PRAISE GOD for!  (“So true, GOD ALMIGHTY” came the unanimous exclamation.)

[Read more…]

The Peace Mission Movement by Mother Divine

The only book written about the Movement endorsed by its Churches. Mother Divine, in her direct, unaffected, lucid style, relates her personal conviction, knowledge and understanding of the Peace Mission Movement.

A copy of the book could be obtained by contacting us at fdipmm@gmail.com.

Foreword

In the year 1884, the History of Montgomery County edited by Theodore W. Bean was published. This was a comprehensive, 1200 page history of Montgomery Country in Pennsylvania, covering the hundred years beginning with 1784 when, on September 10, Montgomery County was established as a political entity.

The Montgomery County Federation of Historical Societies is undertaking a similar history of the second hundred years of Montgomery County, edited by Jean Toll. It is scheduled for publication in 1984.

Editor Toll requested Mother Divine to supply for this work an account of the activities of the Peace Mission Movement which have been carried on in Montgomery County between 1884 and present. Pertinent background information concerning the Work and Ministry of Father Divine prior to its advent in Montgomery County in 1952 has also been included.

Editor Toll supplied all the religious bodies represented in the work with identical guidelines for writing their respective accounts. The following account has endeavored to stay within these guidelines as much as possible. To a certain extent, following the outline limited the describing of the somewhat unorthodox beliefs and practices of the Peace Mission Movement. On the other hand, following the outline brought out various aspects of the Movement about which little was generally known.

The following work differs from the report submitted to the Montgomery County Federation of Historical Societies only in minor revisions and refinements, except for chapters added to Section Two. Section One contains a brief account of the Work and Ministry of Father Divine and the activities carried on by his Peace Mission Movement.

In preparing the manuscript for publication it was thought expedient to give coverage also to certain viewpoints, concepts, situations, proposals and events in the ongoing of the Movement which have provoked much debate without benefit of clear comprehension of factors involved.

These topics are presented in Section Two – for the most part in Father Divine’s own words, or in words that he directly and personally inspired in others, or in Mother Divine’s own words.

The account in Section One serves as a base from which excursions into the topics treated in Section Two may be made. After digesting Section One, the reader will easily be able to weave these topics into the fabric of the Peace Mission Movement.

There may be space in the history to be published in 1984 for only a fragment of this work. However, an unabridged copy will be filed in the County Archives in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

The vignette on the cover is a composite of Peace Mission symbols. At the top is the ascending Dove of Peace mounted in bronze on the interior wall of the Shrine to Life on the Woodmont Estate. The face of the Angel below it is taken from the wood carving between the windows of the Chapel Dining Room at the right of Father’s and Mother’s chairs. The script letter “D” calls to mind the tremendous scope of the Work and Ministry of Father and Mother Divine. “Rosebuds are the young ladies who form the official choir of the Movement – Father always wearing a rosebud on his lapel. Below the Rose is the thirty-two room, French Gothic castle at Woodmont.

Beneath the castle is the Shield of Righteousness which the men’s brotherhood called the “Crusaders” carry in all of their endeavors. Under the Shield is a Lily – the flower of the ladies’ “Lily-Bud” group. At the bottom is the minaret-like Tower whose base is set in the exterior wall of the castle just above the cornerstone. On the sculptured cove at the top of the walls in Father’s Office, the motif is the leaves and fruit of the grape-vine. This motif provides a lattice-work in the vignette on the book cover that supports and is interlaced with the symbols described above – grapes signifying victory.

 

 

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