Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-09
DOING PARISH WORK.
Lessons to be Derived From the ACT
of the Good Samaritan.
WHAT EACH CAN ACCOMPLISH.
Faithfulness, Efficiency and Loyalty Are
Necessary Qualities.
NEED OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

ltan. he did not set up to be preacher,
probably he was good deal better at
practicing than he was at preaching. But
practlcing is the very best kind of preach
ing. And, after this fashion, that good man
preached sermons enough to last us whole
year.
Some Of nv newspaper congregation are
active workers in various Western Pennsyl-
a MIA parishes. All OF them ought to be.
Let us see what that sense of personal re-
sponsibility which marks this Samaritan
has to do with parish work. 1t is plain at
once that whoever has his spirit will be a
worker. He must work. He cannot help
it. He "can do no otherwise" Parish
work is of two sorts. There is the work
which you do yourself, not letting
your left hand Halter your right.
Personal responsibility touches that We
have some need to be reminded, In
these days when division of labor is getting
to be recognized as principle of ecclesias-
tical activity, and when the age of machln-
cry in the mill is parllleled by cotempo-
rary age of machinery in the guild-house
and the church-we have some need to be
reminded that parish work, in its truest
meaning, includes all the good which we
think that all the parish workers belong to
the sewing society. To live true, straight
forward, honorable, reverent and helpful
life, is parish work. 10 be such one that
yonr presence will bring blessing with it, is
parish work. The lest work cannot be
measured by yards and inches, nor estimated
by dollars, nor gathered under the super
vision of societies, nor regulated by consti-
tutions and bylaws, nor reported in statis-
tics at annual meetings.
OTHER PAIIsH WORK.
And then, there is The other side of parish
work which is done in association and un-
der rule, which, in these days of large needs,
must be done. Personal responsibility
touches this. One Of the best things about
the parish work of the worker who has this
spirit, is the fact that he will not wait to be
invited. He will not need to be continually
urged. He is conscious of personal re-
sponsibiiity, and that is invitation enough.
There is that within his own heart which
urges him. His work is his own work. and
nothing can hinder him. He NAV be
stranger-like the Samaritan. He may have
reasons for strongly disliking those with
whom or for whom he works-like the
Samaritan. He may be very busy, and
have pressing engagements-like the Sa-
maritan. All these count for nothing
against this sense Of personal responsibility.
Imagine man standing by the wreck OF
a passenger train. The cars are burning;
peoples lives are in imminent danger. Will
he tarrv for an invitation to work? Will he
wait for an Introduction to the brakemen?
Will he stand about and do nothing until
the conductor calls upon him? No; he has
a strong arm, and that strength makes him
personally responsible. Let him stand by
with chance to help possible TO him and
see his brother burn to death, lifting no
finger in his rescue, and there is a very
ugly name which fits him. You see how
that applies to parish work. Here is need
for help-help for the bodies and the souls
of men. Here at home and away in the
mission fields behold the wounded lying by
the wayside. And yet people imagine that
they can be good Christians without doing
any Christian service. They think they can
without fighting.
HOW THE COUNT STANDS.
think see a mystical meaning behind
the relations of numbers of the helpful and
the unhelpful in the parable of the Good
Samaritan-two to one, and the balance on
the wrong sidel is that the proposition in
any of our palishes-two who pass bv for
every one who helps? Whoever has this
kind of helper who discerns the honorable
adjective faithful" A realization of
personal responsibility makes faithful work.
ers who can be depended on. One of the
greatest difficulties in the way of parish
work is that so many of the workers cannot
be depended on. They may be at the sew
ing school, or they may be at the Saturday
matinee, you cannot be absolutely sure
which,. This is due to a lack of this sense
of personal responsibility. These people do
not realize that the success of
every work depends upon every
worker. They do not remember that
chief obstacle in The way of the Lords work
is not opposition, it is not difiiculty-these
have always inspired men. seldom dis
couraged them. The chief hindrance is
half heartedness. The boat rows heavily
against the current, because some of the
rowers are letting their oars drag.
This is your work. we have to say to every
Christian man and woman. You are re-
sponsible for your share in it. The Lord
wants you to be in earnest about it.
I like to remember how thoroughly the
Samaritan did his work. He went to the
man and bound up his wounds. He put
him on his own horse, and trudging along
on foot himself, supported him. That was
hard work. So they plodded YEARLY along,
up hill all the way, till they got to q little
tavern. He took him in, got him a room,
sat up all night and took care of him. And
the next day when he paid the bill he laid
down some extra money-two days wages,
as money went then-and told the landlord
to take care of him after he was gone.
A SIGNIFICANT ACT.
That was significant transaction-that
payment of the extra money. II showed
that the Samaritan had not only a con-
science, but heart, and good big heart,
too. This he did, not simply out of duty,
but for loves sake. Whoever has this
sense of personal responsibility will do the
Lords work thoroughly. faithfully, and all
the way through to the end. "I have fin
ished the work thou hast given me to do''-
who can say that of any part of his share In
the Lords work? "Thy meat is to do the
will of Him that sent me and to finish His
work." How many good Christians would
starve if they had no other meat than thatI
''To finish His work'-thoroughly to do
the deed of help which He sets in our way
is not that one of our unrcalized ideals?
Whoever is possessed by this sense of per-
sonal responsibility will have another title
set against his name in the books of God be-
side the description faithful" He will be
efficient.
For faithfulness is not necessarily eff
cheney. Faithfulness means industry, but
efficiency means industry which accom-
plishes something. There is a great deal of
work going on to-day of one sort or another.
We are all amazingly and uncomfortable
busy. All the church over there is an epi-
demic Of parochial industry. The modern
clergyman sits in his study like the man in
the switchhouse. Before him is a time In BILE