The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-06-26
CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER.
(continucd from second PagoJ

result.
 "The cause is a changed conception of the office and work of Christianity which is gradually and almost uncon- sciously creeping over society and dis placing the conception of it as a preaching institution. It is uncon- sciously felt that Christianity is-not something different, but something more; that the church, as mere preaching institution, leaves out an es- sential side of Christianity, and that it is this omitted side that contains the real care of the matter.
 Tt is the sub-conscious sense of this in the minds of the people that ac- counts for the relaxed hold of the church upon them, What is a sermon? they say. We can read them, or we can read books as good or better; 1t Is a continual exhortation to duty; it is an explanation of the nature of Christian ity, but we understand 1t; it is a. proof of the reality of divine things, but we do not doubt them; it stirs our religious feelings, but to what end? It comforts
 us, but we have a deep, blind feeling that while We need comfort Christiani-
 ty chiefly requires us to give comfort
 to others, and that a church that sim ply breaches comfort and does not give it falls short of fulfilling it's nature.
 q cannot. on such an occasion as
 this, do more than name what I think
 is the chief cause of the weakened hold
 of the church upon the people, namely
 a limitation of it's function to preaching
 as it's main work. I hope I shall not be
 misunderstood. There should be not a
 sermon less, but rather more; there
 should be more churches, more and
 better preachers; but until there is an
 enlarged conception of the work of the
 church there is enough preaching, and
 where there is will find fewer and few
 CT listeners. ...
 You may be thinking that I have
 entirely forgot that I am giving a
 charge to a church that is receiving an
 assistant pastor; that is pastor who
 will do something more than preach.
 This is the very thing l have had
 in mind all along; and it is because
 this church is taking a step towards
 the enlargement of it's functions, and is
 entertaining the thought that it is
 something more than an organization
 for preaching, that l have said what l
 have, and offered 1t the congratulations
 of it's sister churches.
 We congratulate you not because
 you have increased your preaching
 force. but because you are incorporat-
 ing into the life and work of your church another form of church action, and that is, the application of the ser
 mon to the life of the community as a whole
 You are not content with listening
 to the sermon of your able and eloquent
 pastor but you have gained that fuller conception of the church which impels you to secure a pastor to work at large amongst the people and especially amongst those who most need the of- fees of the church; and you have call ed in order to consecrate not only your newly chosen pastor, but yourselves to this enlarged work of your church.
 'In this movement you show your wisdom as well as your grace; the two run into each other. Whether you un- derstand it or not you are doing the one thing that is necessary to the pros perity, if not the existence of your church. I have no hope for anything besides a struggling existence for few years for any of the churches of our city, except as they open their eyes to the changed conceptions of Christianity and of the church which are coming on, and enlarge the function of the church from a preaching organization to that of applied Christianity. And it must be applied according to the con ception that is now prevailing.
 What are we all preaching about at present? What else but service; the 1 life of Christ as the law and method of | conduct. We seek not only to secure i the consciousness of Christ in His rela- | tion to the Father, but His sense of duty to humanity; and we tell the peo- pie that the former is good for nothing | without the latter. That is, the em- phasis of the sermon to-day rests on 1 the human side of Christ, and it's
 watch-word is'iservice. The sermon says Christ gave Himself to human 1 ity and became one with it; you who ! believe in Him must do likewise When such a gospel as this is preached one of two things will ulti- mately happen; if it is not needed and made real the people will cease to care | for it; they do not care for unrealities l or, if needed, it will transform the 1 church into a body of people who i will strive to turn Christ into a living | fact in the community, and regard i themselves as the personal agents of 1 this work,
 Such is the alternative to which the | churches are fast coming. For a while ! longer the people, in lessening num- | bers, will go to hear disquisitions on | the nature of Christianity, and where music offers it's entertainments and i where social enjoyment can be secured
 on easy terms, but the Christianity | that we are beginning to preach, the | Christianity that is displacing worn ] out dogmas, the Christianity that this l age of keen inquiry and relentless crit l icisn is forcing on us the Christianity | of the four gospels and of Christ Him. self, which we are at last beginning to l see and understand, is slowly taking 1 possession of the pulpit and it will 1 either send the churches to their proper
 work of Christianizing the community, 1 or it will cease to utter itself
 l "The service this evening seems to | indicate that this church has ended the i alternative. and is entering upon | course which will make the preaching 1 a reality by the simple process of car
 rying out it's injunctions.
 l "As l understand it, you are carry l ing the Christ to the people, the saving 1 Christ to the lost; Christ, the Bread of | Life. to the hungry; Christ, the Friend | of Sinners. to sinners who have need of