The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-03-20
Why DO We Not Go 10 Church:

This is a practical question which every one
may or may not answer to his own liking.
The fact is. however many persons
remain away from church. AS every one
should attend divine worship every Sunday.
unless prevented by some good reason, is it.
not well to enquire into the causes, which in :
duce so many TO stay away from divine wor-
ship.
Is it because ofIan indifference on their part
to their religious duties, that their places
in church are not filled:
Can such absences be accounted for on the
ground that the absentees feel that they have
not been welcomed into the holy temple?
Have the absent ones, with or without good
cause, been made to feel that they were
at any time shown the "cod shoulder"' II
not for these or any kindred reason, IS their
absence accounted for because the sermons
do not interest?
II 1t were not for these, or other reasons,
why is 1t that more men may be seen on our
public streets during divine service than is TO
| be found in some of our churches on Sunday
| morning?
| Respected church member, have you done
your duty? Have you invited any OF these
people to 60 with you to church, or have you
gathered up the skirts OF your garments as
/ as you passed, with the thought in your
imind II am holier than thou; am going 10
| my devotions, while you are standing around
the corners. | am good and plous Christian.
| You are lost reprobate."
Honestly, now, haven't you had such
thoughts? IF not how many of these people
have you spoken kindly to and invited TO go
with you to church?
Beloved pastor, have you done your whole
duty? Have you sought TO make your ser
vice interesting and entertaining? Have you
kept abreast with the current events OF the
times, so that you might entertain and In
struct, while pointing a moral"
Do not successful preachers everywhere
know something of the world, and the people
among whom they live: If we heard little
more of applied religion, and little less OF
ETHEREAL theology is 1t not likely that greater
interest in spiritual matters would be created
| In the hearts of terrestrial beings? To make
| more plain There is not, perhaps, a human
being In all this land that would not listen
with great interest to speculation and facts OF
the war in China and its possible effect on
Christian civilization and the spread Of the
gospel We only mention the war, as an In
stance.
No man can 60 to service in the church
without being more or less Influenced by the
purity and sweetness of the very atmosphere
that pervades the holy temple.
Men love to be entertained, and they love to
worship the Lord our God.
| But IL the sermon is shot entirely over their
heads, without coming down among the
things that are OF the earth earthly, OF what
earthly interest can it be TO them?
Let our preachers talk about things that
will gain the attention, and interest their
hearers.
Ii their reson Is appealed TO. and If they can
hear something that they can understand,
their places in church will not be vacant.
You do not give meat TO sucllings, and you
need not preach intricate and fine spun theo-
ries on doubtful theological questions to a
soul which is simply dying because of lack
of the comforting consultations OF the plain
religion OF our beloved Lord and Saviour.
If people are Interested, and they are well
coined, they will be found IN church. lou
needn't doubt that. They are more
interested in religious truths as applied to
| our sinful natures than they can be in essays
on Theology, about which the people know
very little, and about which they might be
disposed TO form Jh cir own opinions, even IL
| they could follow the delivery OF "A long
talk on the subject.
Most of us were reared by good and pious
Christian mothers. We took in the Christian
religion with our mothers milk. and we
learned to adore and worship our Saviour at
the feet of sainted women. whose souls are
with the blessed ,and yet we are talked to from
the pulpit as if we were heathen, as If we were
unbelievers, and as if we had never heard OF
ric