Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-06-28
Do we Worship?

singular question tnls, many Will think
What do our church organizations mean
What signifies our sanctuaries, with theil
prayers and hymns, on any other supposi
tionY do not published notices declare
that divine service will be held" at such
time and place? Does not the minister
rise and say, ave will begin our worship
by singing" this or that hymn? Of course
we worship, and we pay literally for the
privilege.
| That is one side of the matter let us
look at the other. Worship is a reveren-
tlal approach to God in certain prescribed
forms. In every such act God is upper
most in thought and feeling. The mind
conceives of him, and the heart goes out to
him. Whether it be confession, petition,
Thanksgiving or alteration, the idea is, to
present oneself before God, to exalt him,
and to obtain his blessing. The form is
but secondary, the state of heart every
thing God lis spirit, and they that
worship him, must worship him in spirit
and in truth" Taking this conception for
our guide, what facts meet the eye? 1t is
no SANDER to affirm that many congrega-
tons offer few outward signs of worship
| beyond the use of certain rites and cereno-
MES They do not enter the sanctuary as
if God were in their thoughts. but much as
they go to concert or literary lecture
They do not indicate reverence by varying
their posture according to the nature of the
exercises; neither bowling in PRAYER, nor
standing in song, nor sitting attentively
upright in the reading of scripture. They
weary, if the devotional services are pro-
longed, even if there be variety and brevity
In the single parts. They are eager to reach
the sermon, as that for which they came to
church. If the sermon be not particularly
attractive, one learns by the subsequent
complaints, that the occasion was a failure :;
that being disappointed in that, they found
no edification in the whole service They
select a minister with little inquiry as to
his piety, but have in view chiefly his elo-
quence, or his oddly, or his ability on,
some ground to draw crowd, and to pay
the expenses of the church. They plainly
wish and expect to be entertained rather
than profted by his preaching, and they
have special horror of doctrines. revival
efforts and an old fashioned style. They
limit him also to twenty or thirty minutes,
that his discourses may be always brilliant
and never tedious And then as to the
matter of praise, so called, it is performed
by proxy, by an Organist, who plays beau
| tiful snatches from the operas, and by a
costly quartette of singers hired regardless
OF price or character And these attract
i've exercises, in churches where the poor
are excluded by the high rental of seats,
are called worship! Also the ten OF fifteen
thousand dollars annually expended in
maintaining these aresaid in current phfa-
seology, to be paid "for the support of di-
vine worship" Allow that we have stated
the case strongly, must it not be granted
that something of this world spirit has
crept into our churches, and needs to be
exercised? This putting man foremost in
the sanctuary, be he preacher or singer,
must be done away, and God be allowed to
take his ancient and rightful place Wor-
ship and not entertainment should be our
object. The Episcopal service although
open to criticism in various particulars, is
correct in this respect. 1t is long and re-
petitions and formal it lacks the extern
poraneous element, and hardly leaves space
for a sermon; but it nobly maintains the
| idea that the grand occasion of assembling
IS, to worship God. Its use produces a
more reverential and devotional effect than
do the free and easy meetings of some con-
gregatiOns to listen to a favorite orator
Christians are properly taught to depend
for their edifcation more upon themselves
as worshippers, and less upon the genius
and eloquence of the preacher. With a
good service they can make out well. tho
the sermon chance to be Indifferent This
can be carried to an extreme, so that the
true teaching function of the christian
ministry shall be almost lost, asst was, and
is, in the sacerdotalism of the Romish
church. But we long to see a reaction in
our Professionalism, which, without the pu-
erilities or Ritualism, shall cultivate more
reverence and devotion, more communion
with God and less idolatry of man. Let
us multiply the acts of worship: let US
make them brief, varied and hearty; let
us keep before the people the idea that
they are in the house of God, and not in
public hall, and that reverence requires as
much decorum there as does politeness else