The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1900-12-07
The OLD PASTOR AND THE NEW.
"A Northern Laynan Points Out the
Difference Between the Two

"A Northern L'yman," writing to
the Western r cord, says;
II have read what Northern
Pastor has had to say, with much
interest. His words are undoubUed-
Nv true. He might have drawn a
still darker picture of the stare of
aft airs in mtuy of our Northern
churches, in the cities especially. [
have no fault to find with him nor
with other 'er5 who have
written along tie same line.
"Rut | wish To tell til; IN that the
greater part OF the blame lies at
their door. And wi TO tell them
$50 in such kindly way that they
will feel my motive is the glory OF
God in the advancement OF the
\Uhrist's Kingdom, and no p lous
g1esire to critici-e them.
The city pastors in the North
1raVe ceased entirely to be pas ors.
They do no pastoral work. They
have ceased pastoral visiting, hav-
ing turued that work into social
visiting, When my pastor goes to
any home am off in my office, the
children are at school and lie sees
my wife and grown daughter. He
does absolutely no pastoral WORK
with them. He converses with them
like the cultivated and genial
gentleman, ch he ia, but Just as
any other caller would do. They
talk of the weather, of the latest
book, of the sickness of some friend.
of the news from China, etc. There
is no gossip and no Islander. The
conversation is intellectual and most
entertaining, bat there is no spirit
,uality in it.
when he talks, as he usually
does, about the church, it is alto.
gether of the secularilies of the
~church He speaks Of this society
cor the other, of the plan the ladies
have on foot for raising money, of
dhe voice of the soprano, etc, e'c.
HE is full of pl ms for work" as he
calls it, III work generally being to
raise on Y by some device, more
or less r.. sewor thy-generally less.
In my latuer's home, and from the
blessed pastor of my boyhood, L
heard 70 hing of raising money.
Money ~-aa seldom mentioned, and
when it W =, was taught to deny
myself and give, not to beg other
kpeople to give or tn plan how L COIL
raise money from their pockets.
when | meet my pastor l find
him a most delightful companion.
He talks to me- upon the same sub
iects as he does to my wife and
daughter, with the addition of lit
ltle politics, as we both belong to the
same party, and there is no danger
-of friction, and an occasional in
oquiry into some case In court which
j have on hand.
But of the souls of myself and
family ne knows no more than the
Judge on the bench before whom
plead. He does not know our temp
rtations AMI our spiritual experiences
He does not know nor care, 1t would
seem, whether | have family pray
,ers, and whether [ am training my
,children lin tire nnrture and admoni
ition of the Lord. When he meets
tthecohlldren of the family, he talks
sehtheir studies, their teachers, theil
games. He tells them most enter
VSaining stories. But he does not in
ouire about their cateohism learn
ing, nor their memorizing of Scrip
ture, nor OF the condition OF thei
souls. His ida seems to be to maxi
them like MIN personally. Ant
they do. THERE'S ae one who is ,
greater favorite with them. Bu
that heds the shepherd OF these lit
tile ones aud must give an accoun
tunto God for their souls, neve
seems to occur to Aim We have NJ
pastor; we have Instead a mos
genial and dehgbtfat acquaintance
whom we all admire as such. Blu
so far as our souls <e concerned, b.
passes by on the other side.
my partner and are middl
aged, hard. headed business men
too much wrapped up In our profes
sion for our souls good. but som
times as we sit In che cleaning, W
talk Of the pastors af our boyhooI