The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-19
THE SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE.

THE SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE.
It appears from the Journals recent inter-
views with several of our city pastors that the
Sunday evening services are. as rule, but
thinly attended. This fact deserves more
than passing notice. 1t raises the old ques-
ton: Is the influence of the pulpit declining2
If the power of the pulpit is to be measured
by the size of most Sunday evening audiences
in the churches, then; manifestly, its power
is on the wane; for it is simply fact that but
q small per cent. of the members of the
various churches attend the evening service.
It is said, and doubtless it is true, that here
or there church may be found where the
evening audience is as large, Or perhaps,
larger than that of the morning; but the rule
is the other way, and because the many
churches are not as well filled in the evening
as are the few, the critics of the pulpit are
quick to censure the pastors But is this
just2 The pastors are ready to preach; the
churches are open. The people are earnestly
invited, and, if they go, they will receive
cordial elcome. There is not a church in
this city, nor in any city in this broad land,
where doors not open to the poorest as
well as to the richest, as far as the capacity
and arrangements of the church will permit;
or, if, perchance, there might be found here
or there a church so unchristian as to shut
out the poor or any one else DESTROYS of hearing
the gospel, still there are plenty of churches
where all such persons will receive warm
Christian welcome Why, then, are the churches
not crowded in the EVENING" Why do not the
people who 'belong to church" as well
those who are said to "belong to the world"
attend these evening services when ALL or
almost ALL churches, are practically freef The
sensible answer is: because they don't want
to attend. The pastor, if he be worthy the
name of pastor, is not to blame for this
worthy the name of church of Christ, is
not to blame. They, and they only, are to
blame Gf any are to be regarded as blame
worthy who refuse to 90 to the sanctuary.
1t has been said that a good deal of the
Sunday work of many church going pc ople
amounts to but little else than religious dis.
sipation." With them, Sunday is the busiest
day of all the week, and, perhaps, it ought to
be busy day; but it might, also, be day of
rest-for one may be busy, and yet rest. But
TO go to Sunday school, to class-meeting,
early in the morning; then to church; then
rush home to dinner; then back again to Sum
day-school in the afternoon; then stop for
prayer-meeting; then home to supper; then
back to attend meeting of Christian en-
deavor; then attend the evening seryice-for
parent or child, for the old or for the young to
do all this, Sunday after Sunday, unless when
official duty requires it, is simply religious
dissipation" 1t leaves no time for physical
or mental rest, nor for meditation, nor for the
cultivation Of family religion; and if the even
ing services at some churches are not large
because the members of these churches are
at home training their children. or reading
some good book, or meditating upon some
sacred theme, such churches are to be con-
graduated rather than censured, and well
would 1t be both for church and state If such
families were greatly multiplied.
One critic of the pulpit has suggested in
our columns that the cure for these small even
ing audiences is to have, in the pulpit,
greater ability and greater originality. This
critic forgets, or he seems not to know, that
his remedy has, over and overagain, proved to
be a conspicuous failure. Some of the ablest
and most original preachers of the day, in all
denominations, are not able to draw evening
audiences. But when critic of the modern
pulpit suggests that the sayings and illustra-
tions Of Jesus Christ, while good enough in
their day, are scarcely suited to this age of
progress, he demands, we think, little too
much Of the Christian clergy. Such hearer
is almost too intelligent to 60 to church. No
clergyman could instruct him.
The truth is that the Christian pulpit never,
during the whole history of the world, exer-
cised so widespread and wholesome power
NJ it is doing to-day. There never was
time when so many people were found regu-
lar attendants upon the ordinances of the
sanctuary. There never was time when the
Christian pulpit was, the whole, SO well
manned with devout, industrious. able and
eloquent ministers of the gospel and there
never was a time when Jesus Christ had SO
many and SC devoted followers as He has to-
day. This being the case, let those who like
it attend the evening services in the churches.
and let those who have opportunity to at
tend divine service in the morning by all
means attend in the evening, and let the