The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-05
PEOPLE AND THE CHURCH.
Reasons why Some DO Not Attend
Services.

Rev, Allen B. Philputt, pastor of the Cen
trail Christian Church, preached last night
on the subject why Some People do not
Attend Church--a Nonchurch-goers Rea-
sons Considered" The text was Matthew
XII, 15-"He that hath ears to hear let him
hear" The pastor said in part:
Christians are commanded not TO for
sake the assembling of themselves togeth-
err but there is no such command to the
unconverted The church is instructed,
rather, TO go to them. The meeting house
is merely convenience built by Christian
people, not for themselves alone but for the
accommodation of the multitudes. great
many people, not members, do attend
church and profess themselves benefited
by IT. A large per cent. of these in course
OF time became members and learn to love
their church and sacrifice for it. They feel
that it is a great influence for good in the
community, a great benefit to themselves
and TO their families. And deeper down in
their hearts they feel also that eternal in
tereSts are bound up with those duties and
aspirations for which the church stands. A
great majority of the best people in any
community would account the extinction Of
churches q great disaster.
Many there are, and some of them esti-
mable people, who do not attend church.
a few, comparatively, will openly stand up
for nonchurch going and are glad to throw
their influence against it. The church
builds comfortable houses of worship,
warns them, provides preaching and music,
lieveS 1t is for mems temporal and eternal
interests to hear what is taught there. There
is no compulsion about it-and ii would
seem a tribe ungraciouS to meet such an
invitation with a wagging of the head In
the parable of the wedding feast the declin-
attons were couched in courteous language
no one said that he preferred his own
shoulder of mutton and bottle of sour wine
to the viands of the great supper. How
ever, 1t is not amiss to hear the honest
thought of people about religion and in q
matter-of-fact world like this we must not
be too sensitive to criticism.
In sense the church is dateless Her
message Is one for all generations and for
all peoples. She is not a weather-vane to
shift with every passing breeze. She must
proclaim the truth. Her methods may be
and ought to be adapted to the times. Life
If one tries to live it Alright, Is deep and
difficult thing. Sin lies in wait like a SER
pent, it turks on the corners of the streets.
results are registered in body and soul. 1t
inheres in all the relations of life For a
man to find his true best self and live that
before angels and men is no light matter.
The gospel is a revelation of divine love.
Sin is a broken relation with God, a stray
ing from God. The object of christianity
The preacher must be forgiven if he some
times fails to be as entertaining as
matinee or as sweet voiced as a sacred
concert
I'm a communication to the Indianapolis
Journal of last Wednesday signed w. W
the writer says there are two main reasons
large. First other places offer greater at
fractions and, second, they do not believe
attending church is essential to salvation.
AS to the first, l would say, that in the
sense here used the church can hardly offer
Attractions In the early ages she could
promise self-denials, prosecutions, exiles and
martyrdoms, and thousands focked to
her standards and to-day, for
those who are willing to dig
down below the well-beaten path of con-
ventional goodness, there can be found
heroisms, sufferings and glorious service.
But as to making her worship entertaining
she has already gone quite far enough in
that direction. Her value is not measured
by the success with which she drums up re-
lgious crowds. Let me turn the other side
ing on men to hear the message of the
church? Jesus said: He that hath ears to
hear let him hear A man ought to use
his senses. The penalty for not doing SO is
death. Darwin lived to regret the total loss
of his appreciation Of music and the beauti-
when Jenny Lind appeared in Castle Gar
den. He took a friend to hear her. She
swayed the vast multitudes as If by magic
IT was one of the greatest triumphs in all
the annals of song, yet his friend went to
sleep. In many to-day the spiritual facul-
ties are fast becoming atrophied through
disuse. The church believes that her mis-
sion is to point men to the way of eternal
life. She offers the goodly fellowship Of
those who share a like faith she represents
large and well-approved channels of benevo-
fence, and seeks to carry out the Masters
will. While we do not affirm that church
going per Sc will save anyone we do believe
the church to be divine institution and to
represent those things which are essential
to salvation. We believe, furthermore. that
and his God he will rot stumble at church
going"