The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-23
CHURCH WITH NO HOME
FIRST PREsBYTERIAN CONGREGA-
TIoN NET Al HIGH SCHOOL.
Rev. VI. l.. Eaines Described the Pain
of Breaking Away from Old
Associations.

The first services of it's congregation since
the sismantling of the First Presbyterian
Church began were held in the assembly
hall OF the High School building yesterday
morning. The sermon preached by the
Rev VI. L. Haines was also his first since
ne returned from his vacation. Although
the hall was not so commodious and con-
venient as the church. there was a good
attendance both at Sunday school and the
morning service. The Rev. Mr.. Haines
used for mis- subject The Church OF To-
day" taking his text from Ephesians V. %:
Christ also loved the church and gave
himself for it," He said. in part:
The faces are familiar. but the sur
roundings OF our worship this Sabbath day
are strange We all knew week before last
that we had lost our church home, but 1
venture to say the realization of that loss
has com To many of Us this morning al
most as a shock. II is not without some
pangs OF sincere regret. some heartache,
that we pass out from the building that for
more than a third OF a century has been
so closely associated with our worship. L
confess that when yesterday / went down
the street and looked upOn the stately old
building and founC IL already Invested of
its furnishings, the pulpit and pews and
organ removed and the process of dis
mantling begun i could not permit myself
20 hnger long. but moved on, carrying
within a pain of heart over the separation
from the familiar sanctuary. We shall
not longer drew water from the old wells.
How ofts n il Is that we do not clearly
realize what our relationships In life TO
places. as well as to persons. are to us until
we lose them. What one says of a house
that through years of varied experiences
has become a home is frrp Of a church obi
fee. You may build more splendid habi-
tatlons. I'LL your rooms with paintings
and with sculptures-yOu cannot buy with
gold the old associations. L pray God that
We may carry with US into our new home
all enncbling and inspiring in our mem
cries or the experiences of the years that
are gone. As we bid farewell to the old
church home and turn our faces away
II seems as though a thousand recol-
The past years rise before our minds in
vision. There come back TO us the faces
of friends we honored and the dear ones
We loved, with whom we wOrshiped in
that earthly sanctuary before God called
them one by one TO the worship of a church
triumphant All these memories and WIS.,
ions somehow thrOng upon US now. re-
mind US wildly how God causes the lines
TO ran 20 US as a people I'm pleasant places
and gave TO US indeed a gOOdly heritage.
A BUNDLE OF RELATIONSHIPS.
But while we have lost our church build
ing, We have not lost our church. The
real church. as We all know. is not the
edi1ce. but I'm the company OF believing
men and women Joined together i'm the
sacred bonds of the gospel. Life is a bundle
of relationships. The church is but one
OF those Institutional relationships which
go To make up our life. We are as Amer
leans in relation with the Nation. and we
say that we do well from time To time To-
remind ourselves of the privileges and re-
sponsibilities which our national citizenship
involves. We are citizens i'm relation with
&. air CITY. WnGFH the GnnHfffnnE of life
as a whole, in a material. and intellectual
and social. and spiritual way, are equaled
by but few cities in the land. We are mem
bers OF different organizations and SOcfe-
ties In the realm OF business. and educa-
ton, and philanthropy and art, and social
refreshment But our associates in the in
stitution OF the church are in certain WAYS
closer and richer than any of those / have
mentioned-gOvernment or city. or the lit
erary and social organizations. Next to
the divine institution of the family the
divine institution of the church of God
furnishes an association that has in il the
largest and richest and most precious pos
sibilities for our personal we'll being. That
this Is true viii, L am confident. be made
more clear to Us If We look at certain things
which the church OF to-day. even i'm its i'm
perfect form. is lifted 10 do for US and does
do TO a degree for all. rich or poor. edu-
Gated or ignorant who make a light use
OF its privileges.
w may doubt whether on this continent
or In any land Of the world a more i'm
pressive manifestation was ever made of
the real hold the Christian churcbeS have
- "1R HANNA l0EN
Thursday. when the wheels OF trade. all
throughout this Nation. stopped. when
sanctuaries or all denominations were nlIed
with ~uncOunted thousands of genuine wOr-
shippers. bowed in mingled reverence and
sorrow before the God and Father of orr
land. and yet seeking in every sorrow Ia
rise up into the spirit OF the martvred
President and TO say. as he said. with resig-
nation. His Will, not ours, be done IL is
such times OF crises that the value of re-
ligiOn and the institutions of religion come
perhaps more clearly To revealment.
We have special reason 10 value the
church also because. In a way superior to
all other institutions OF earth. il is con-
stituted TO bring Us into fraternal fellow
ship with all our feIlOw-men the world
around. Through its Worship the church is
constituted TO bring US into fellowship with
God above US. Through the truth II en-
phasizes most IL Is constituted 10 bring us
Into relations OF brotherhood with cur fell
low-immortals. for the church teaches that
all men are the children OF the one in the
Father. and that all have sinned and that
all who Will receive IL are included in the
redemption provided by the worlds Re
deemer.