The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-31
UPON STA YINa AWAYFRoM CHURCH

UPON STA YING AWAYFROM CHURCH
Sunday as . Day OF Rest nnd.Obstncles In
the Way OF C~hurchGoing
II some one would write a book on "How to
Get People to Go to Church " 1t would fill a
great want. Not such a very long felt one, per-
haps. but one which Is steadily growing.
The chances are that It would find
its way to the shelves of almost every
ministerial library in New York-provided
it's advice was guaranteed to bring sue
cess. ChurchgoinR Is on the decrease and,
aui. q naturally the ministers realize the fact
mo-" keenly than any one else does. But the
people who don't go to church realize 1t, too.
They used to be made to feel that they were o.
tracised by a certain portion of the community.
They feel this no longer. There are too many Of
them. One can't ostracize everybody. There
even seems to be a falling off in the desire to re-
gard them as beyond hope of redemption. Stay
ing at home on Sunday is not looked upon now
adays as one of the cardinal sins. That was the
reply made to q SUN reporter tho other day
when he asked one Of tho army of absentees
why he didn't go TO church.
After all. there isn't any eleventh command
ment, is there ?" said the stay away. Thou
shalt remember the Sabbath day to 60 to
church might have been put in the Decalogue;
but. you see. 1t wasn't! II 1t had been put
that way we couldn't have followed the latter
part. in my opinion. at any rate, without taking
another day for a day of rest. Why do you
call the churchgoers' Sunday a day OF rest p I
know the whole programme. Get up In the
morning and have breakfast: spend an hour in
dressing, for II is the day for putting on new
suits and all that sort Of thing; take q long
street car ride or walk to church; get a head
ache from the bad air or q cold from the
draught or a backache from the seats: perhaps
you hear q good sermon; yesl but you could
have read something much more uplifting and
inspiring at home. You have left the children
there because they cannot sit through the SER
vice, and they are to 60 to Sunday school In the
afternoon.
" You get home Just in time for dinner, which
has to be rushed a little 50 that the children
won't be late; Maybe you 60 youTselfto sunday
and have a glimpse OF them on the way. Then
they go into their classes to pinch each other and
fldgeting class. Or perhaps you enter tho Bible
class and get into q heated argument on some
hour you are tired and nervous. you hate your
sell and your neighbor. TOO, You reach homo
otter a little walk. 1t is otter = o'clock. Yog
sister. or some inevitable relative on Sunday. so
you take this time for that duty. From o to 9
comes the Sunday night supper. which your
wife prepares because the servants are allowed
To 90 up ss at Gn %,aRe again Fo1 ready for ss the S'e cRfistyis sn
Endeavor meeting, and after that comes the
szsn'n sss ss sS \ Y0n W yifs 9 yoa ', sss ho at sG the
Is sleepy, herself; You say, Vel. must se5
t9-RiShtI SO of You go to bed and that's the end
rather be a cyclist and literally scorch along the
hot and dusty streets. with at least the prospect
and the hone OF n healthy nights rest Mt the and
of the day, than pass such a day OF rest"
But you needn't go from one extreme TO the
other. Why can't you 60 TO church at least once
during the day.
"Because OF one thing this Sunday. and
another thing last Sunday. and something else
has no varlety2 I've almost as many reasons as
here are o Sun ;n X In the first place Sunday
s%Ses%,s came came On on M Mo a,SSas p I tSin * | fs Should Mfdk hea AZ
a sermon every week. ! IKE a good sermon,
when Il coincides with = good
preacher. which isn't as often as one could wish.
But anybody that has done any sort OF brain
work all the week long is in no condition to go
unless. OF course. he absolutely wants
to, But after my Sunday rest and change, why.
comes. wouldn't like anything better than an
hour and a half OF the quiet and the music and
f nes. s9 OF PFs sIi Mosls The 5. hp qsno ssd i9 a5 e %Jgn rdi%,
nervous on sunday, No, things ought to be
You mean that You would like a holiday
for recreation and then you would
."Oh, put It that way il You preferl It's ali
The same thing! suppose should go to
that / enjoyed hearing. Ii is ali right to say
that you ought TO 20 to church to show respect
Il Go Of 9 TSs to The pr'sssSSfH Gk hat ssks a d mInI,,.t
Is tedious, Irritating, fatiguing. ! am not bound
0yG any m iSw OF GCd 70 e. @ and ,slt w under sGe him
splre me and help me II SO far away that IL tires
and takes hnlf OF my one home day, on
which the Lord did mo to rest, to go
TO hear aim. l think 1t is my duty to stay
But don't you do other things that tire you
e Perhaps | do sometimes, but not often. For
instance | work all week with my ~6Taln.suc6
hing and worthy 10 be praised you see have
everything about a church serviceD in
park. III get all tired out physically, so much
he better ! sleep like a top. forget to add
and compare signatures: have
-ested in the very best way for me. Perhaps the
may prefer to sit down by the window and loaf
ana invite his soul That's probably what he
, ,Sy' Letter asg r ~ ne dSei 5is w 6Sv Inr IT, 81 tse eed issst
don't think u would hurt him "a. 20 TO church
,nce ~ a while, but | reckon he'll have 70 work
going would do the whole job.
Now. you take a shop girl. or a seam
>ssPsr. or q s's host |" o" o, is%!'; wo Fl 09 Peo-
pie. iOu don't need to think twice To see
Why they don't go 10 church. People say, but
'nh can surely AFFORD to, give an hour ont of
y hat the facts call for il a half OF your one free
lay, and no ono has proved that II Is given to
ne Lord any more than the same time at home,
ll tie park, or In the country would be. And
QUIZ mud plenty who think as do, that tho
Jay Al home or under the trees Rad sky Is quite
Is 'ana1le ~ being devotional"
hnt 90 you think the people who go on TO
There, there stick to the question! You
Ell me why people don't 90 to church. You
lldnt ask me. whether | thought a man ought
q, 20 20 church or 20 10 n cnrulsAl or a comedy
which wouldn't DO half bad or a race, or a
irlse hght. Aud ] didn't start out BY saying
lev You'd 81 g soiss any q o SsS SSala was~ sis sSR,