Autumn at The Mount of the House of the Lord
Archbishop Francis is better known to all as Father Francis not only among the Followers, but among the many who come from this and other countries and make their way to his Church nestled in the trees on the side of Meade Mountain in Woodstock, New York. This is but a short distance from the Kingston, New York area, where not only the Kingstown Mansion is but where many other properties once owned by the Followers and known as The Promised Land, were visited frequently in years past by Father Francis as he sought out FATHER DIVINE, to be in HIS Presence whenever possible, even before he had decided to move his church to Woodstock.
It was for this reason that both he and his constant companion, Mr. Benji, who is of great help in assisting Father Francis in his work with the youth who seek him out, came this day to Woodmont, the Mount of the House of the LORD, that Father Francis might spend the day with FATHER and MOTHER and reminisce over past experiences of many years standing with FATHER DIVINE, having sought FATHER out in those very early years of the thirties and having had first hand knowledge of FATHER'S glorious Work and Mission and its steady advance in bringing about a new birth of freedom to fallen humanity, and lifting up a moral and spiritual standard which has made Christianity a practical reality for all the world to see.
Father Francis and Mr. Benji were blessed to drive with FATHER and MOTHER to the Circle Mission Church. Upon arriving, they were taken through the Holy Communion Banquet Hall, and its Annex; the kitchens; the Public Dining Room; and from there to the Barber Shop, the Dress Shop, and then to FATHER'S Private Office, before going to the Auditorium for the Devotional Service.
Wonderful songs of Praise greeted FATHER and MOTHER and the guests as they entered the beautiful Auditorium completely renovated and modernized for the comfort and convenience of all who come to give GOD Honor and Glory for HIS matchless Work here on earth.
Thunderous applause resounded as later in the Service our Beloved MOTHER DIVINE stepped forward to the lectern to speak.
MOTHER DIVINE:
Peace FATHER Dear, Peace to Father Francis, Peace, Everyone: I am very happy to be here this evening and we are very pleased that FATHER'S Spirit has brought Father Francis to be once again in our midst.
On coming to the Circle Mission Church Father Francis remembered very well being here on several occasions before, and it brought back many fond memories to him. This has been a very long day for Father Francis and he asked that in the Meeting I speak on his behalf. I would just like to say that at the Holy Communion Table in Woodmont today Father Francis spoke, and among the thoughts he conveyed he said, words to this effect, that he was impressed and happy to see our happy faces and see us enjoying this perfect democracy, this equality, this brotherhood that FATHER DIVINE has established, and he gave honor to FATHER for laying the foundation and being the One responsible for establishing it that it might be flourishing in the world today.
And he also read for us a Pastoral Letter that he wrote and co-signed with a number of Bishops in January of 1924. This Letter is most significant because it was written in 1924 and at that time he was defending a Bishop Montgomery Brown who was a Bishop in Arkansas and was being tried because he had spoken of the equality of man and that we were all Children of GOD, and included especially those of the dark expression.
So with Father Francis' permission I am going to read you this same Letter at this time.
(After MOTHER DIVINE reads the Letter She turns to Father Francis and asked: )
Are you sure you wouldn't just like to say a word, Father Francis?
Father Francis:
(Coming forward said, Who can resist MOTHER DIVINE?
It is with more than an usual, more than an expressible happiness that I am with you today! Some of you have seen me in this building many years ago. It was not where I first met FATHER DIVINE but where I first met MOTHER DIVINE in this building, and met many of you.
The Letter that MOTHER just read to you was written in 1924 I don't know whether any of you people can remember back that far, but I was then a valiant young person set out to repair all the ills of the world. Some of them have been repaired by others. Along came Somebody who I came to take advice from one time FATHER DIVINE and you have seen yourselves, and this is just briefly the message, what has happened since 1924. The Christian Church is almost Christian! give it a little more time and it will be and people are treating one another as they should have done years and years ago.
Our duty in memory to FATHER DIVINE is to hew to the line and remain faithful to HIS Teaching HIS Love.
I came down today from the mountains, a long, long way from here. I love Philadelphia but I love my mountains too. And I've gained much inspiration, I must say, from FATHER'S teachings. I knew HIM Personally, I knew HIM as few knew HIM; I've known many of HIS Followers; and I must say it has cast bouquets of the most beautiful flowers in my path, because I've seen what the world has gone through; what its coming to and let us all hew to the line in memory, first of all, of Jesus of Nazareth, and HIS great Worker, FATHER DIVINE.
I hope to come back again sometime and talk to you. I don't know, I've just turned ninety years of age I hope to make a hundred, I don't know, but it will be your prayers and your smiles and your love that will do it, if it's possible.
MOTHER would like me to tell, because She knows a little about me some of you know also a little how I first came in touch with FATHER. I come from across the other side of the tracks I did in those days. I'm not dropping names but I married the Vanderbilts. When I was made a Bishop I was made a Bishop by a prince, a duke, a Spanish grandee and an Archbishop and I come from that side of the tracks. I lived then in Greenwich, Connecticut, which is a town where the Rockefeller's live; I knew them all. And a young man came to me that had difficulty he didn't have difficulty but his parents had the difficulty. They told me that he had met a man who he believed was either GOD or had the spirit of GOD within him, and it was a family trouble, and I proceeded to stick my hapless head into a family trouble in Greenwich, Connecticut!
To know what I was talking about I came to New York, to Harlem. FATHER DIVINE had just come from Sayville into Harlem at that time and it was there I met FATHER DIVINE and in listening to HIM and telling HIM how I might come into the picture but HE could come in still more, I listened to HIS Kindliness, I saw those beautiful Eyes of HIS and the Love that came out of HIS Mouth at that time, and HE gave advice to the young man. HE said perhaps I could take the young man to California, it might be good for both of us for a while, and I did, and the young man went with me; the troubles were over. I had met Somebody I had been looking for One Who told the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth and that was the beginning of a great friendship.
I could go into this but my life has been so full of incidents like this that at the present time Scribners is writing my life. It will be quite a story when it comes out. I wish, really, they would leave me alone because I have found my happiness, living with people whom I can trust, who I can love. And it was days like today as I sat at Woodmont and looked into the eyes of all of you people it was a touch of Heaven to me. Keep it up! The Victory is yours and you may thank FATHER DIVINE and MOTHER DIVINE for all of this.
Gratitude is one of the greatest Gifts of GOD and if we are grateful, GOD will be grateful to you.
I want to thank you all, very much, and pray that my health may come up and someday I'll come back again.
MOTHER DIVINE:
Peace FATHER, Peace Everyone: At this time I would like for the Rosebud Choir to sing two or three patriotic inspirational compositions, especially after hearing that Letter that was written back in 1924. It was really very prophetic and was a very truthful and honest position of the church at that time. And as Father Francis well states, that the Christian Church is becoming to be almost Christian at this time in other words, we are certainly thankful to GOD ALMIGHTY for changing the hearts and minds of the people, and it won't be long before HE really can look at HIS whole Creation and know that in reality they are ONE in the brotherhood of man because they recognize GOD as their REAL and ONLY FATHER. Thank YOU, FATHER.
(After the singing by the Rosebud Choir MOTHER arose to speak again as follows:)
MOTHER DIVINE:
Peace FATHER Dear, Peace Everyone: I think it would be very good at this time if we would hear from the one who came with or accompanied Father Francis to Philadelphia. Father Francis fondly calls him Benji and he is his constant companion at this time. And Father Francis was telling Me how Benji is able to be the intermediary between the young people and himself that he understands the thinking of the young people and he can interpret it to Father Francis, and likewise interpret Father Francis to the young people.
I would also like to say when Father Francis was looking at the picture of Tarrytown in FATHER'S Office here, he was saying how he knows many from Tarrytown and it was there that he interceded for or befriended a group of young boys who were apparently in trouble, and that's what changed the course of his ministry is that how to put it? (Father Francis nodded in assent.) And of course at this time Father Francis has his little church, the Church of Christ on the Mount, which is just outside of Woodstock, New York. Now Woodstock is about fifteen or eighteen miles, I would say, from Kingston, and Woodstock came into our consideration, many of us, a few years ago when it held a Rock Festival which received much publicity at that time. But it is wonderful how the young people and people from many parts of the world flock to the little Church on the Mount which is a short distance up the mountain from Woodstock and perhaps Benji can tell us a little bit about what goes on there in the Church.
Mr. Benji:
Thank you. Well I really don't know too much what to say about it. I came about two years ago about this time of the year and not knowing at all what was in Woodstock. I knew a lot of young people were going through there and I found something that kept me there and I lived in Woodstock for about a year and then finally I moved up and was helping out Father Francis, and we're sort o helping each other out, you know. It has been a new experience, you know, and the second one with FATHER DIVINE'S people it is really wonderful.
A lot of young people do come to the church; it is filled every Sunday, you know. I don't know if they know why they come but Something attract them there. It is a beautiful place; it is very spiritual to a lot of people, you know. It holds quite a lot. A lot of people center their lives around it, you know, and I am right there, right next to the Archbishop yes. I wake up every morning right there, you know.
I haven't found out, really, too much what I am going to do with my life just working on music, you know but I'm learning a lot for what I am going to do; I really just haven't found out what my purpose is yet. I will find out sometime, you know.
It is wonderful to be with a lot of wonderful people. I hope to be back sometime Thank you.
(It was time for The Creed of the Week and MOTHER DIVINE arose and turned to address Father Francis saying:)
MOTHER DIVINE:
Father Francis, when I heard that your Church is called Christ's Church on the Mount, I automatically considered that you were thinking about Jesus when He went up on the Mount and gave the immortal Sermon and FATHER says that the Sermon on the Mount is to be legalized in this day and time and I think it is so wonderful, because we know it is the Law of Love, it is the Law of the Spirit of Life. In the Peace Mission we have Creeds and Documents that we live by the Rosebuds' (which are the feminine youth), the Crusaders' (the masculine) and the Lily-Buds' (which are the older sisters) and these Creeds are the same Precepts or Laws of the Sermon on the Mount translated into modern language or made a little bit understandable to each group. So each week at this time during the Devotional Service a Creed is selected from their box of Creeds and they are supposed to especially stress this Creed for the week. We are supposed to live each one but we are supposed to especially work on that one for the ensuing week. So (turning to Father Francis) that's what this Box is for. The Creed that they were stressing last week was: "We will have no division among us." I will let Father Francis pick the new Creed and then I will read it. (Father Francis picked the Creed of the week and gave it to MOTHER.)
MOTHER DIVINE:
This is from The Crusaders' Self-Discipline, and it says:
'The true Crusader shall possess sufficient knowledge and competence to fulfill to the satisfaction of all concerned, his obligations to his employer, his neighbor, his church, his Country, his GOD and himself. He will be ambitious, industrious, intelligent and persistent.'So we thank FATHER that the time has come now where we will dismiss and go to the Holy Communion Banquet where FATHER will serve us. We thank FATHER at this time to do that, but we will conclude by first repeating together the Rosebud's Pledge.
(All rise and recited The Rosebud's Pledge in unison)
Comment:
During the Holy Communion Service which followed we were blessed to partake of the abundance of every good and delectable thing to satisfy the appetite materially, but our guests and all who partook of this, which to us in our Holy Communion, were also blessed with spiritual manna. And Father Francis especially enjoyed hearing FATHER'S Precious Words of Spirit and Life as HE Spoke them Personally via tape recording the beautiful Sermon given by HIM at the Circle Mission Church, July 14, 1950 A.D.F.D., for in this Sermon FATHER Speaks of the Consciousness of GOD'S Presence being a Living Reality, which Father Francis more than sanctioned this entire day as he spoke of FATHER DIVINE'S glorious Work and Mission and instructed us to continue on up the highway of life in and under the guidance of FATHER DIVINE and HIS Virgin Bride, MOTHER DIVINE, that GOD'S Actual Presence and the conscious AWARENESS of it might be universalized on earth among men.
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