--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yet the service went on. The people…" description: "\"“Yet the service went on. The people knelt. \"'Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have foll..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/george-w-cable-59395_quote_yet-the-service-went-on-the-people-knelt_1902351.jpg" --- # Yet the service went on. The people knelt. "'Almighty and… ![“Yet the service went on. The people knelt. "'Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts'"— Thus far the rector's voice had led, but here it sank, and the old General's, in a…” quote by George W. Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/george-w-cable-59395_quote_yet-the-service-went-on-the-people-knelt_1902351.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/george-w-cable-59395_quote_yet-the-service-went-on-the-people-knelt_1902351.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/george-w-cable-59395_quote_yet-the-service-went-on-the-people-knelt_1902351.jpg) > ““Yet the service went on. The people knelt. "'Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts'"— Thus far the rector's voice had led, but here it sank, and the old General's, in a measure, took its place. Then it rose again, in the confession, "There is no health in us," and in the supplication, "Have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.”” [George W. Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-cable/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A community clings to ritual and pleading for mercy amid moral collapse and collective guilt. **In simple terms:** People seek forgiveness when they feel lost. Key Takeaway Acknowledge guilt and seek compassion. Themes faith guilt redemption Mood somber reflective Type literary dramatic When to use this quote - religious services - confessional moments - public apologies Key Concepts theology collective conscience Questions to Reflect On - How does collective guilt shape communal rituals? - What role does forgiveness play in restoring moral order? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [One of the reasons my husband and I connect is our shared value of service. 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I know that the sunshine shall follow the rain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-miller/merciful-father-i-will-not-complain-i-know-that-the-sunshine-shall/) [Joaquin Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-miller/) > [The wind is blowing; those vessels whose sails are unfurled catch it, and go forward on their way, but those which have their sails…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-wind-is-blowing-those-vessels-whose-sails-are-unfurled-catch-it/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“Reality began its tedious crawl back into their reasoning. After all, they were needy and hungry and despised and dispossessed, and sinners the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/reality-began-its-tedious-crawl-back-into-their-reasoning-after-all/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“With a resounding bang, the door burst open. A crazed man gaped at her with piercing and anguished blue eyes. Grunting, he staggered inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-jarecki/with-a-resounding-bang-the-door-burst-open-a-crazed-man-gaped-at-her/) [Amy Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-jarecki/) > [Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merciful Father, the God from whom all help comes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-give-thanks-to-the-god-and-father-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Pray your words, old man.” The priest licked his lips and glanced fearfully at the crowd of savages around them. Perhaps it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/pray-your-words-old-man-the-priest-licked-his-lips-and-glanced/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [God is merciful to all, as he has been to you; he is first a father, then a judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/god-is-merciful-to-all-as-he-has-been-to-you-he-is-first-a-father/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [But prosperity, and the happy issue of events, ought also to be attributed to his grace, in order that he may always receive the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/but-prosperity-and-the-happy-issue-of-events-ought-also-to-be/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [“Merciful Father… I have squandered my days with plans of many things. This was not among them. But at this moment, I beg only,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-ibn-fadlan/merciful-father-i-have-squandered-my-days-with-plans-of-many-things/) Ahmed Ibn Fadlan > [“PRAYER O God, our merciful Father in heaven, fill our hearts with patience under the cross, strengthen our faith, and so govern us that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/prayer-o-god-our-merciful-father-in-heaven-fill-our-hearts-with/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [So this estate is given each of us to determine whether or not we will merit glory and honor "for ever and ever," or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elray-l-christiansen/so-this-estate-is-given-each-of-us-to-determine-whether-or-not-we/) [ElRay L. Christiansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elray-l-christiansen/) ## More by George W. Cable > [“militia. As they passed a field of broom-corn several men suddenly disappeared, their swift course through the cane being easily followed by the swaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-cable/militia-as-they-passed-a-field-of-broom-corn-several-men-suddenly/) [George W. Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-cable/) > [“Thus we swallow politics with every meal. We take a mouthful and read a telegram, one eye on table, the other on the paper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-cable/thus-we-swallow-politics-with-every-meal-we-take-a-mouthful-and-read/) [George W. Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-cable/) > [“Too big a coward inside," I laughed, "to be a big stout coward outside," and he assented.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-cable/too-big-a-coward-inside-i-laughed-to-be-a-big-stout-coward-outside/) [George W. Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-cable/) > [“It was one of those southern nights under whose spell all the sterner energies of the mind cloak themselves and lie down in bivouac,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-cable/it-was-one-of-those-southern-nights-under-whose-spell-all-the-sterner/) [George W. Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-cable/) [Explore all 5 George W. Cable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-cable/) ## More Merciful Father quotes > [Therefore, is thy brother a sinner? Then cover his sin and pray for him. 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After all, they were needy and hungry and despised and dispossessed, and sinners the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/reality-began-its-tedious-crawl-back-into-their-reasoning-after-all/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The wind is blowing; those vessels whose sails are unfurled catch it, and go forward on their way, but those which have their sails…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-wind-is-blowing-those-vessels-whose-sails-are-unfurled-catch-it/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Merciful Father, I will not complain. I know that the sunshine shall follow the rain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-miller/merciful-father-i-will-not-complain-i-know-that-the-sunshine-shall/) [Joaquin Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-miller/) > [O most merciful Father, put far from me all my iniquities and all my offences; so that, by Thee made whole in body and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-ambrose/o-most-merciful-father-put-far-from-me-all-my-iniquities-and-all-my/) [Saint Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-ambrose/) > [So this estate is given each of us to determine whether or not we will merit glory and honor "for ever and ever," or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elray-l-christiansen/so-this-estate-is-given-each-of-us-to-determine-whether-or-not-we/) [ElRay L. Christiansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elray-l-christiansen/) > [“O God, our merciful Father, by Your Holy Law do You work in us the true knowledge of our sin, that our heart may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/o-god-our-merciful-father-by-your-holy-law-do-you-work-in-us-the-true/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [There are people who are afraid to go to confession, forgetting that they will not encounter a severe judge there, but the immensely merciful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/there-are-people-who-are-afraid-to-go-to-confession-forgetting-that/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) Browse all 18 Merciful Father quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Yet the service went on. The people knelt. \"'Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. 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