The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-01
Sunday Sermon.
CDR. Lyman Abbott.)

Ministers often discuss why people
do not go to church, but it would be
more to the point to discuss why they
do go to church. / look across the
ocean to Europe and see crowds of
people kneeling at the altar rail, while
a white robed priest in language unin-
telligible to his congregation is repeat
ing a prayer which seems to uplift and
cheer crowds about him. Again I look
across another sea and behold Dwight
Moody, abrupt, unlearned and murder
ing the queens English at every word,
yet holding the closest attention of
vast concourse of people. Again. / see
Phillips Brooks. refined cultured. the
best example of a Christian gentle
man. who does not use Moody and
Sankey hymns to draw the attention
of his hearers, but whom crowds every
where gather to hear.
The strangest and perhaps the sad
dest sight of all is to see the crowds
flocking to the Christian Science heal.
ers with their superstittions. Yet these
people, one and ALL are seeking for a
living power, for all men are seeking God
Men do not go to church to hear the
music, for better music can be found
at the concert halls; men do not go to
church because of the club attractions,
for there are more entertaining clubs
elsewhere. Men do not go to church
to listen to an Oratorical address, for
, there are few orators fifty-two times
q year. There is only one person who
is more mistaken than the members of
the congregation who expect to listen
to an grafton every Sunday, and he
is the minister who hopes to be an
orator twice day every Sunday
through the year.
The papers tell us that the ministers
of the present day must shorten their
sermons; that the churches must have
good circulating Libraries; that good
music must be provided; free stereop-
tican lectures must be given and smok-
ingroom for the men members of the
church must open out of the veStry, il
we would bring people into the church.
Let us have the circulating libraries.
Let us have the lectures, but Jet us
not forget that it is not these things
that the people want. People do not
go to church to while away an hour.
They go because they want to know
about God and an invisible world. VIVA:
they are seeking is a life of love and
peace You ministers must give it to
them, must show them the way or you
have no business in the pulpit.
The four questions every intelligent
man is asking himself today are: "Wha,
is MANI" "What is God?" What is the
relationship between them?" How can
bring about that rela tionship?
What we want to believe is that Je-
sus is here as truly as He was in Ca,
Al To ic Twin
among us, that He is as certainly with
disciples in Palestine.
Thank God, we are not brutes, bur
men. and can believe in something We
can neither taste nor smell. | some
times wonder If I really believe in the
incarnation, if the church ever truly
believed in it, and / often doubt both.
Yet it is easier to believe God could
have done such a thing than that man
could have imagined it. AS | grow
older, 1 disbelieve more and mora in
mere doctrinal discussions. They may
be bone for the future, but / dis
| like to enter into them.
| You must be preachers of religion,
not teachers Of theology. Religion is
| life, but theology is no more religion,
| than botany is flowers. If you go to a
doctor you don't wish him to recite a
page from the text book he studied
| while in the medical school. You want
him to cure your aches and pains. II
one of us should come down to break
| fast in the morning and find instead
| of the eggs, coffee and rolls which We
are wont to expect. page from some
we'll known cook book, it would offer us
| but cold comfort
| You will never win the world by any
! old or new theology. Men and women
will come to you hungry for the food
| of life and you must furnish them
| with faith, hope and love.