The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-25
WHY THE PEWS ARE EMPTY.
REV. DR. JORDAN DISCUSSES THE
REASONS AT LENGTH.

LaDhess inc beSSttInG Sin of
Church Members and Largely Re-
spOnsibIe for Their Lax Atten-
dance-GrOss immortality Another
Cause-SkeDticism ia the Pulpit
Not Conducive to Respect for Re-
IigiOn Nor Likely to Increase
Church Attendance.
The subject of Rev. John D. Jordan's
discourse at the First Baptist Church last
night was why the Pews Are Empty"
DR.. Jordan's text was from the parable
of the supper to which those who were in
vited declared their inability to attend
the words being And they all with enc
consent began TO make excuse"
DR.. Jordan did not discuss the excuses
of those who do not attend church. but
first gave his attention to the explana-
tions offered by the ministers TO account
for empty pews and then considered some
of the many, reasons why church members
slight their church. DR.. Jordan said that
he was a little late in taking up the dis.
cussion as other pastors had already ex-
pressed their views. but he had been fire.
quently requested TO preach upon
il and had intended doing so
for some time. There has been
a great deal said of late about
the vacant pews," he said. 81 am max
ing no complaint. Our congregations have
been good, but they might have been bet
ter. 1t is undoubtedly true that more peo-
pie should go 10 church in Savannah than
now making practice of doing So"
Many reasons have been advanced he
said, why people do not attend church.
One reason offered is that there are now
so many people who hold that one church
is as good as another and are therefore
not regular in their attendance upon any.
Another reason alleged is that too much
stress is laid on being member of some
particular church, leading to a narrow and
false idea. No church has a monopoly on
the pathway of glory, he said, and the
cause of Christ is not advanced by adher-
ence to such views. Between these two ex-
IRENE ideas there lies the happy medium
of rendering ones full duty TO ones
church without contempt of others
DR.. Jordan gave a number of reasons
which occurred to him as accounting in
part for the lack of interest in church at
tendance. There is a prevailing idea with
many people he said, that by joining a GER
tain church they can get in with some par
ticular set or get better social standing.
This is vicious idea. II is an admission
of doubtful standing on the part of those
who take such a step and any church
which encourages such accessions deserves
10 have empty pews. Another trouble is
that many persons join the church with
out any true conception of the religion
which they profess or of their duty to the
church. Many others also join without be-
ing able TO give any good reason why they
attach themselves to the particular denom-
ination which they select.
Love of riches and the eager crashing
after gain have been said with good rea-
son to be responsible for this lack of
church interest. AT the same time, Dr.
Jordan said that he had found that the
busy man makes the officer of the church
and Is the best man to place upon a COM
mittee Those who have but little work
of their own to do are often the hardest
10 get to do anything AT the same time
tnls absorption in business and the eager
pursuit of wealth is responsible for many
an empty pew. The pursuit of pleasure
ana the prevailing tendency to seek a
good time" have much to do with keep
ing people away from church.
Laziness, the genuine old-fashioned, in.
born and constitutional laziness, said Dr.
Jordan, Is one of the chief difficulties in
the matter Of church attendance To
overcome this natural tendency to lazi-
ness Is problem for preacher and pew.
a little more sleep, little more slum-
Der, a little more folding of the hands to
rest is the main trouble with the average
chureh member on Sunday morning The
TACT mat they have been up late Satur-
uay night or that they have worked hard
all the week is made an excuse for neg
iect OF church duty. The excuse is not
an acceptable one. There are six days IN
winch to labor and worry over business
affairs, and one in which to worship God
Ihere is no better way TO rest than by 60
ing up to the house of God and forgetting
the humdrum and monotony of work in
the service of the Lord
cross immortality on the part of church
members is one of the reasons for their
non-attendance upon church." said Or.
JORDAN. Many members stay away from
church because their lives are so grossly
immoral that they do not find congenial
company among those who frequent the
churches. The religious atmosphere and
the moral and intellectual food which they
receive al church, are not such as they
IKE. This is largely the case with the I'M
converted"
Another reason why people stay away
from church is the too skeptical preaching
which is frequently to be heard. This
higher criticism, rending the word of God
ana casting suspicion upon 1t, is not cal
oulated to encourage attendance upon the
mousse of the Lord, If the preacher throws
away one-half of the Bible, the skeptical
sinner will throw away the other half,
ana then he has no Bible left upon which
70 base his faith. Cold formaity and life
less ritualism also account for the lack
OF interest in church worship. 1t has no
NE, no lifting up. no drawing near to
God. The observance of special days and
seasons not provided for in the word of
God, must also be taken into account.
People get an idea that by rendering spe-
cial service at Christmas, Easter and other
tunes, they may atone for their indiffer-
ence at other times. Sectarianism, the
nghting of each other among the churches,
does not tend 10 encourage respect for re-
hglon. The preachers do not always preach
the word of God. Too often they preach
traditions of their churches rather than
the laws of Cod
These are some of the various reasons
which account for the lack Of interest in
church worship" said DR.. Jordan. 1T
would be a lengthy list to enumerate them