St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-17
REV. WATSON B. WILLARD.
Pastor Plymouth congregational
Church.

Pastor plymouth CONGREGATIONAL
Church.
1t is at least a straw showing the
tendencies in the religious world to-
day that some are asked to join a
Symposium on the observance Of
Lent who belong to branches of the
Christian church which originally
were strongly opposed to such OBJ
@servance, and do not now officially
recognize it as a binding or desir-
able Christian custom
But there is growing sympathy
in all Christian bodies with genuine
Lenten ObServanceS. Individual
Christians everywhere though
trained to ignore the custom, are
their own lives, while a greatly in
creasing number are joining in the
celebration of Passion week.
There are two reasons why Lent
might be observed by Christians Of
all denominations, and thus bring a
great blessing to humanity:
First-The custom would hasten
the unity of the church.. This was
the prayer and purpose Of our Com
mon Master. If generally observed
it would greatly tend to peace and
sympathy among all denominations.
The week of prayer might be
merged into the Lenten season, and
both observances be benefited, while
the world would have no sugges-
ton Of a lack of harmony in the
church universal.
Second-The pressure of business
and social life is tremendous in our
day, and more than ever there is
need of a special time for prayer
and meditation. AS our Lord felt
the need of Withdrawing for a time
from daily life and contact, so we
may well recognize a human need
and help to meet it by encouraging
the Lenten observance.
AS practical suggestions upon the
way Of keeping Lent, L would say:
FirSt-Let it not be in violent con-
trast to the rest of the year. The
habit of indulging in social and per-
sonal designations with increasing
madness until Ash Wednesday
dawns, and then doing sort of pen
ance for forty days before jumping
again into the whirlpool of society
is heathenish rather than Christian,
and perverts utterly the spirit which
led to the establishment of the Gus
tom.
Second-I would guard against the
tendency to a superficial, or formal,
observance, which is the danger of
all established customs. Let no
. one keep Lent because others do
but because of a personal sense of
need, and let it consist primarily in
private, personal prayer and confess
sion, which are possible, even if one
is compelled to constant activity in
business.
fThird-At the same time it is very
desirable to make change in daily
habits, if possible-to shorten bust
ness hours-and omit pleasures, in
themselves innocent, that one may
have time for special meditation,
and especially for the study of the
life of our Savior. If Lent could be
used for getting a more intelligent
knowledge of the Gospels, or Of
CHRISTIAN doctrine, it would be of
great advantage. =
FOurth-We think also that spe-
cial services are desirable when the
people seem ready for them. The
Lenten season is a more favorable
time than the first week of January
for such meetings, and there would
be distinct gain of power from the
widely extended custom among
Christians.
Fifth-Lent has always been asso-
ciated with fasting or personal
sacrifice. The money which could be
saved by self-denial on the part of
all the Christians of a community
might be given to meet the needs of
the poor and unemployed through
the recognized organizations. This
is our common cause, whatever be
our religious or social affiliations. 1t
would be a splendid exhibition of
Christian sympathy, and would
greatly tend to a feeling of real
brotherhood which is a fundamental
principle of our common Christian
ity.
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