The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1900-08-10
why Go to Churchs

"A Wrltor IN Ine the LADIES
Home Journal of June, 1899, asks
the question, "What is the good
of going to church, which he
says is question very often
asked by young men, in different
spirits and with varying motives.
AS he says in almost every case
an honest doubt is expressed as
to the real efficacy of church-go-
ing, the writer sent the question
to seven Of the leaders in the
different religious denominations
to send their answers as direct
as possible to the question. We
purpose giving one Of these
answers each week as presented
by these leaders of religious
thought.
The following was from William
Lawrence the Episcopal bishop
of Massachusetts:
What is the good of going to
church?
First to catch sight of the highest
ideals.
In business, politics, and all active
life the tendency is-it has to be-to
to let ones self down from the high
est standards to innocent or harmful
compromise. s'Take what you can
get;" "don't be quixotic, epractical:"
''succeed with high standards if you
can, if can't succeed with out them
The pressure is heavy for six days.
The atmosphere in the worlds valley
without down draught from Heaven
becomes malarial. On the seventh
day why not strike into the purer atmos-
phere of the ideal? Christ stands as
the ideal of humanity. The Church
is His body. One comes into
touch with Him. He sounds the
heroic note. At church man hears
the bugle call to the ideal.
Second. In these days OF competi-
tion when men are thicker than
positions, the struggle for existence
is keen. In spite of himself man be-
comes self-centered, looking out for
number one: defending his family
| against his competitor in trade or
labor market. Give this spirit full
| rein and democracy il doomed. Pub
| lie spirit is wanted in trade, politics
| and society. The church is the nurs-
cry of public spirit. None OF us
| liveth to HIMSELF is the Gospel note.
Glove thy nei. aor as thyself' is the
| law of Christ. Every one members
one of another" rings in the ears OF
| the Sunday worshiper as on Monday
| he goes down town.
| Third. A man who for years lives
| in the interests of business, the daily
paper and small talk, loses power Of
imagination and becomes limited
| in thought. His world is not big
enough. Association with great
characters and noble literature will
open his life to greater things than he
had ever before dreamed OF. An
hour in church brings man into
touch with the greatest characters
and noblest literatrre. The poems OF
the Old Testament, the ringing notes
of the Prophets, the symphonies OF the
/ Gospels, all suggestive Of the myster-
les of God and of man, kindle the
magination. The worshiper comes
forth larger, humber, more interest
/ ing and a better man. kipling's
sRecessional. caused the heartstrings
of all English-speaking people TO
vibrate. 1t was simply an echo OF the
Prophets, and because it was such,
was great.
Fourth. Men die: institutions live.
A man who wants to extend his in
| fiuence into time will d. well to join
an institution. The Church has for
nineteen centuries stood for righteous
ness, purity, charity and faith in God
and man. Such an institution has a
right to the support. by their sympathy
and presence, Of all men who look for
higher type OF manhood in the
! twentieth century.
WILLIAM LAWRENCE.