Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-14
DR.. KL0ss' FAREWELL SERMON.
Uttered as He Leaves for u
Wider Field.

Wider Field.
Rev. DR.. Charles l.. Kloss, for the pas
seven years pastor Of the Southwest Tab
ernacle Congregational church, preache,
his farewell sermon last night. This morn
ing he will leave with his family for Wei
ster Grove, Mo-, where he is to enter upol
his duties as pastor of the First Congre
gational church at that place. Choosing To-
his text II. Cor. 1911. he among othel
things said:
Nearly all salutations are reduced pray
ers. Good-by is God be with you, and 1
ought not to be difficult for Christians t
say, but sometimes it is, and / confess t.
you, that after seven years of ministry
in this field of rare opportunity. sharing
with you the trials and triumphs Of oul
common faith. it is more difficult to say
than 1 had imagined.
Now it is not my purpose to review the
past seven years of my ministry here. but
rather to r~e-emphasiZe the things for which
We have commended, and for which this pull.
pit and platform have, stood. Every church
and every ministry has its own particular
character. Though of the same denomina-
ton. and with general aims identical, yet
each church hewS out it's lines in char
acteristic fashion.
This church has not made much of a
creed. expressed in theological terms. Our
published creed might be Il well-nigh per-
feet example of Christian doctrine and yet
people would not be attracted to a better
life; We might print welcome" and All
there might be a total absence of the
friends hand. The creed of a church is
of its members. If these members pay
their debts. refuse to lie. or wink at a lie
for a dollar or a thousand dollars, are in
fiexibly honest and sincere. and represent
to some degree at least in their business
the spirit of Jesus, the church to which
they belong will be a hive Of real energy
The best evangelist Is a church united
and at work on the Christian programme.
That eliminates the haphazard and reduces
a church's business to a science-'the
according to Christ Our creed has been
ethical and practical as expressed best in
the words of Ian Maclaren: II believe in
the Fatherhood of God. I believe in the
words of Jesus. I believe in the clean
heart. 1 believe in the service of love.
believe In the unworthy life. 1 believe in
the beatitudes. promise to trust God.
and follow Christ, to forgive my enemies
and seek after h righteousness of God"
This church has ever believed in and stood
for liberty Of opinion. 1t has not attacked
any other faith or denomination. Life is
too short to quibble about differences in
ritual and modes of baptism and forms of
administration. Truth is many-sided and
few people are large enough of vision to
see all sides. Indeed. ar eminent special
list has determined that most people who
differ with you are more or less insane.
This is a convenient discovery to theolog-
zeal controversialists. Salvation is a big
word. and a church's work is not defined
simply by the number of souls saved
but as we'll by the subtle influences which
modify environment. 1t seems as II all
over the world at present there was a con-
spiracy to hurry in the kingdom. The dis
coveries and inventions, press and school.
are saving agencies. All questions of mans
relation to mar are religious questions. in
clided in the scope of the gospel. What
principles should govern men in their BUSH
ness: how they should act as buyer and
seller. proprietor and tenant, employer and
employee: questions of food, sanitation and
government are religious matters. Chris
tianity is not a circumstance in life: it is
the very life. But. above all. men are to
be brought not to theories and conditions.
but to Christ who is the Way, the
Truth and the Life"
At the close of the service the congrega-
ton gathered about their late pastor and
babe him Godspeed along his journey.