The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-26
SIX MONTHS AT WESLEY.
SERVICES YESTERDAY A RESUME
OF HALF A YEARS WORK.

Praise the Innuences-He Coma
Drends TO Make Music in the
Churches Most Excellent.
The morning service at Wesley Monu-
mental Church yesterday was in the form
of resume OF the work by the church
during the first six months of the year.
The object of the service was to impart
information concerning the work, to awak-
en- new interest to quicken zeal, to seek
spiritual blessing i'm the study of truth
and duty, and to draw the membership
Of the church together in social fellow
ship.
Rev. E. F. Cook, the pastor, made a
report on the general work of the church,
and on what he had attended to person.
ally. Not a single service has been omit
ted, and the attendance has been good.
The membership of the church has been
increased considerably, there being some
additions every Sabbath. The collections
taken for mission work and the Orphans
Home have been good.
Mr.. R. b. Reppard, superintendent of
the Sunday school, in a short talk, Stress
ed the Importance of this branch of church
work, calling attention to the fact that
50 per cent Of the increase to the church
came from the Sunday school. He made
a favorable report of the work done 50
far this year, and urged the need of
more commodous Sunday school room.
Prof. M. NJ. Parks, president of the Ep-
worth League, told of its work through
the three departments of religious work,
charity and help, and literary and social
entertainment. Each Of these departments
is in a fiourlshing condition and doing
good work.
The work of the women in the church
was reported by Miss Lottie Mcdonald.
The Woman's Foreign Missionary Society
Is the banner society of the South Geor-
gia conference, having done more in this
field than any other.
The Home Missionary Society, the char
ity and help association and the Parson-
age Aid Society have all done good work
in their respective fields. After these re-
ports there followed a number of short
talks on the different phases of church
work.
Mr. R. l.. M. Parks spoke on Church
Sociabiiity'' and emphasized the necessity
of welcoming new members and strangers
giving them cordial greeting and making
them feel at home.
Mr. S. b. Adams spoke of "The Steward
and the Church Member" their relations
to the church work, the pastor and TO
each other.
Mr. s. w. Bowen. treasurer of the
church, then made his report as to the re-
ceipts and disbursements of funds during
the past half year. and asked the menu
bers not to neglect the church's needs dur
ing the summer quarter.
The music by the choir with which
these reports and talks we're interspersed
was unusually good. and the entire SER
vice was deeply interesting and profitable
to ALL
\ feature of the meeting was the paper
by Mr. w. B. Stubbs on Church Music"
lie was, in part, as follows:
Inc purpose of church music is the
same as that which inspires the sermon
and the prayer-to bring souls to Christ
and to build up souls in Christ. To tell
the Gospel good news in poetry and
song.
IF God saw fit to send a choir from
heaven to help an angel tell the first
Gospel message, surely we ought to give
the preacher the very best that earth af-
fords to aid him in telling the story of
the cross. beautiful thought set to
music in poetic form will live in memory
long after the preachers words have been
buried by the hand of time
MANY of our grandest and sweetest
songs and hymns were born of the desire
to make men better. Handlers messiah"
so moved the London audience, including
The King, that when the grand chorus
broke forth with THE Lord God omnipo-
tent reigneth,' all rose 10 their
feet and stood while IL was
sung, and when nobIeman
cohplimented the author for furnishing
the people such fine entertainment, he
said, II am disappointed if I only enter
tained them; desired to make them bet
ter"
"The songs we sing are simply praise, or
prayer, or thanksgiving, or experience set
to music. Our plan is the Bible plan, cur
aim is Davids aim. and prayer Let The
people praise Thee, Oh, God; let all the
people praise Thee" To realize this ideal
David thought best to have the best train
ed singers and musicians to lead the PEG.
pie; how else can progress be hoped for
any more in our day than in David's time
We do not need less choir, my brethren,
but more of the Holy Spirit on and in the
choir: but can not the same be said of the
pulpit? To sing with the spirit and with
the understanding is the ideal that Paul
set before us and that we do not realize 1t
may sometimes be the fault of the choir
But sometimes | fear that Ii is because the
grand words from Gods own book, which
the choir is singing, are not familiar TO
the people who ought to be responding by
singing in their hearts and making melody
unto the Lord. Two preachers are said
to have carried on a conversation in
church while the choir sang, THE Lord
Is In His Holy Temple Let All the Earth
Keep Silence Before Him." Can we say
they were so heavenly that they did not
need the admonition?
In order for the pastor and the music
committee TO realize their aim In making
our church music what II should be we
need and ask three things from the
church for the choir and the music:
First, Pay for 1t. We all feel more in
terest in thing when we have invested
some of our time or money in 1t. The
board of stewards took upon themselves
a burden of about 500 more this year at
the request Of the music committee, and
after doing this we are giving but meagre
compensation for the service rendered by
our leaders in music. / love and admire
the. spirit Of one who win give time and
consecrate voice TO The service of the
church. but few are able 10 do this
praise the choir and you viii help them
and yourself and the cause. do not mean
flatter them, but II you have been lifted
10 to nobler resolution or higher aspira-
ton by the music, say so and tell them so,
and 1t will encourage them and make them
long to do you ana others good.
80 may we come nearer 10 singing with
the spirit and the understanding Praise
Cod and the choir nv resolving with Paul