Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-10-28
BE MIRTHFUL, SAYS PASTOR.
Or. McLaufIln Advocates Abandoning
Mourning In the Pulpit.


Rev. w. H. McGlauf1in, pastor OF the
Universalist church of this city, has just
delivered an address before the Univer-
salist conference now in session in Buff
falo. The papers of that city devote two
columns to the sermon.
The burden Of the address was that min
listers of the gospel should discard the
clergy's conventional solemn visage and
smile, If they want to, and recreate as
other men.
The following excerpt from a report Of
the address by The Buffalo Express gives
a fair idea of how striking was the adj
dress:
Should a minister play pool7
Certainly.
And golf?
To be sure.
These and a lot of questions Of equal
pertinence were answered in an address
that was brimful of public interest and
humor delivered by the Rev. w. II. Nc
Glaufiin before the Universalist confer
ence in session at the Church of the
Messiah yesterday morning. Mr.. McGlauf-
lin, by his remarks yesterday, proved
himself to be a broadminded minister;
one who believes that 1t is not necessary
to walk around with solemn face, cast
ing gloom upon every sort of amusement,
in order to lead people in the right path.
He thinks that ministers should have
recreation, the same as any other per-
sons.
Man." as Mr.. McGlaufin says, 'fs the
only animal that laughs. He may misuse
this distinguished trait, but he may also
employ it and his mirth be as religious
as his mourning"
The morning session, at which Mr.. Nc
Glauflin spoke, was presided over by the
Rev. Henry L. Garfield DID. The song
service was led by the Rev. o. M. Hilton
and then came Mr.. McGlaufiin's address,
which he termed THE Minister'S Diver
sions." He said:
THAT the minister. like all other men,
needs diversion, is apparent. AS all work
and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so
all duty and no diversion makes the Rev.
John a dull dominic.
1.-THE pastinhe is essential to the preach
ing time. The creation OF good within
the parish goes step by step with the
recreation whick is good within the pas
tors experience.
Diversion is to duty what wit is to
wisdom-it brightens, cheers and attracts.
Laughter lightens labor and that Is its
excuse for being, and reason enough why
the muscles of merriment are in the
face; why the sense of humor Is in the
brain and the thrill of joy in the heart.
Man is the only animal that laughs.
He may misuse his distinguished trait
as also any other, but he may rightly
employ 1t and his mirth be as religious
as his mourning. The command that we
shall weep with those who weep, exhorts
to rejoice with those VINO rejoice, and 1t
puts the rejoicing first. All rejoicing is
in the direction of diversion. God places
a fun-loving element in the soul and then
arranges affairs so as to call it forth into
expression.
''The minister's diversions may be nu-
merous-more so today than in the past,
perhaps. because he now stands, not so
much over his people, as with them-not
their arbitrary rector, so much as their
friendly director. Together they may
choose amusement from the catalogue
that runs from a to lizard To follow
the pattern of the child's picture-book
and perhaps illustrate the title of this
address, also:
"A stands for angling, B Is bicycling, c
suggests circus and d is for dancing; E
is for euchre. F means football, G is for
golf, H hunting in fall; is for idleness,
when weary the day, points to journeys
near home or away; K flies kite, l. lott
ers round, M money makes, n is nom
sense MD sound; o is the opera, P's pic
MICS bring, Q is for quoits r is rowing in
spring; S goes out swimming, theatres
names, V enjoys vaulting, U umpires the
game; w goes walking for needed diver
sion. X joins phonetics and stands for x
cursion, is the yacht club with all Its
well wishers, Y zeal-less parsons who
play upon zithers.
(which of all the catalogue shall a
minister choose and may he do aI that
the laymen wisely does 1t is not diff
cult to divide the sheep from the goats,
but not so easy to choose among the
sheep themselves. For of two sheep that
appear equally we'll, one is seen to have
Welded profit and the other loss. after
the shearing time and the wool is
weighed.