The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1895-02-16

what value are higher thoughts, If
they cannot be applied to material
facts?
Excuse these things as we may, ex-
plain them away as we choose, the fact
remains that the crying need OF the
American pulpit is for men who are
more in touch with the world-at-latge,
in other words, who have an intelli.
gent knowledge of those elements
which enter into and form the greater
part Of nearly all mems lives. And
until a greater number OF men who
understand the world, and have rub
bed their shoulders against it, come
into our pulpits, the attendance OF
Young men at church will be what 1t is
to-day. fit does not grow even less.
1t is not meeting the exigencies rt the
case TO say that this is asking for a
religion OF the head rather than the
heart. The spiritual and the material
cannot be separated very far when 1T
comes to 4 question of mans needs.
The young man simply asks, when he
goes to church, that he will he mental
" interested at the same time that he
is spiritually benefited. He does not
ask for ''light talk;' he asks simply
for common-sense, everyday truths
plainly put.
Il ia not an indication of religious
degeneracy that the young man wants
shorter sermons than did his fore
fathers. But he does want them, and
he will 90 where he will get them.
And lust here is where the Episcopal
Church is adding so largely to its
membership of Young men by its TWEEN.
tv-minute sermons. To be compelled
to listen to a thirty-five or forty-minute
sermon is not only asking too much of
ne nile nowadays. hut it is unnecessary.
| # a man be of the proper mental cali
ber. he can saw all he need say, on any
given subie ct, in twenty or twenty fl We
minutes. A man rises from a good
sermon of that length in a refreshed
state Of mind-he rarely does from a
forty-minute sermon which must, Of
necessity, have offended the laws of
concentration aud condensation. In
every branch OF our literature, the
order is, concentration. Space and
time are alike valuable commodities IN
journalism. Why should tney DC OF
less value IN the pulpit! Inc minis
ter OF to-day must remember that ne
is not the only fount OF intellectual or
moral In plratlon IN the community,
rs was true a hundred years ago., ne
tai oday toa lar more lntelllgen.
and br'ad-minded audience tnan ala
his predecessors OF f1rltan ZINES.
Men and women are thinking more II ior
themselves than ever before. Inc
minister can better nope 70 sogges1
than to teach. Tnerelore, snoulo ms
sermons De more compact, nlleu Wltn
a living knowledge OF the times ratner
than OF q borrowed knowledge from
history. Things oi sne presens l,e A,e
uppermost IN we minus oI 'ne Peopie ;s
OF to-uay, anu .n,s ea".ne .,,a - q, % nthsrs s
!enuency Ine s"uus ..han . 10 90 rnas -
- rs aosprpl"s. oa, n.u VA aI h.s ~ y rinht ~ ~
ouuaen t 10 ~. eHpe.;i, ,,;;, ga to rnI,,it IN
eApec'. .uaS no W. - @ nse ono of III owp
W.. W .ne 40 .a."a ..mes' ..,,n ~ " doto n " !,
pos pu'"s'o' W W ~
The minister OF the present cannot
afford TO be behind the t'mes IN tnougns
or method. tie should ratner ne IN az
vance OF them. But II ne CANNOT oe
that, let him at least oe abreast OF
modern thought. II ne seeks lor
illustrations In his sermon, tes MN go
to modern life instead. OF history, or
even to the Bible. A modern lliustra,
tion OF bravery, such as occur daily an
around US, will be far more enectlve
and better understood than II tne
heroism OF David before Gollatn 20
employed. The church Is sucking 700
closely to traditions IN these times, ana
its ministers are to blame. The living
present Is always the most interesting
to those who make 1T and comprise ".
and the clergyman OF to-day should, o.
all men, feel this, and govern himself
accordingly. s
Some will argue that the real lif.
ficulty ia not With the minister: that II
Is Fundamental, and concerns the
church. Il has been asserted that
cumbersome creeds contradict the
word which often comes from the pull
+ bit. This naturally touches the intel
f;rart ,,n,,no. mo xUhn has hoan tanuht