The Washington times., 1902-02-24
SERMON ON hide AND
SEEK IN RELIGION"
DR.. Albertson Urges Chris
tianS to Stand Forth.
ADAM AND EVE HID THEMSEL YES
Jesus Pictured n Man without n
Religion, who Had God and Was
Willing to Let His Light Search
Through and Through Him.

Rev. DIR. Ralph Albertson. a former
Congregational minister. preached at
Peoples Church. 423 G Street northwest,
yesterday morning on Hide and Seek in
Religion"
His sermon was an appeal for his hear
ers to cease to hide behind the forms,
conventions. idols. and symbols which
have come to be the largest part OF So
called religious worship, and dare to stand
forth in the light of Gods presence.
Hide and seek" he said, lis one of the
oldest human games. 1t is likely that the
| children of the cave dweIlers played it.
1t illustrates a tendency which is as old
as the human gace. In the book of
Genesis we are told how Adam and Eve
hid themselves from God after they had
disobeyed his commands.
Such alIegories as these which fasten
themselves upon the human memory
should receive attention from us because
they contain an inna:e sense of truth. 1t
is this sense which has guided man in the
selection of those of the ancient allie
gOries which are preserved in literature.
Adam and Eve Hid Themselves.
Where We have this thought of man
hiding himself from God it is in the
earliest stages of humanity. In the story
of Adam and Eve the consciousness of
God had made itself felt on the human
soul, and the man and woman hid them
selves from him.
There are two ways of acting under
the consciousness of the presence of God.
There is the hide and seek way; which is
the weak way: the way OF childishness,
cowardliness. and self-deception. There
Is another way. which is that of the man
who is not afraid to stand before God
without artificiality or concealment. That
the early man should hide-5hould put
something between himself and God-we
can understand. He had not grown into
that courage which should have enabled
him to look God in the face.
In the presence Of the consciousness
| of God those whom We designate as
heathens hid themselves behind fetiches,
idols. forms, and ceremonies. Men got
where they could be shielded from the
direct rays of the light of his pres';lce
behind totempoles, fetiches, and the like.
The Jews hid from God behind their
forms and ceremonies"
Jesus n Mnn without n Religion.
Speaking of Christ's disregard for the
formal religion of the Jews Mr.. Albert
son said
Jesus was pre- eminently a man without
| religion. He had no temple. he fol-
| lowed no forms of worship. He did not
need to care for these things. He had
| God and was willing to let his light
search through AMI through him. He was
not afraid to stand before God without
artificfaljty In Christ's presence men
felt that the voice of God was very neal
them.
What did the world do with Christ? II
| hid itself behind manufactured Jesus
| Behind his blood. his cross, his Resurrec-
tioa. The real Christ became opscured
| by forms and ceremonies that mean lit
| tie
Rev. Albertson made it clear that he
did not mean to deCry any symbol oil
help that might be a real aid. He sait
that the result of this attitude Of the
soul in hiding from God had been mixed
| standard of morals. a divorce between re-
| ligiOn and integrity.
Bade His Hearers stand Forth.
| He bade his hearers stand forth from
under the cover of all forms and con
ventions whatsoever and let the light o
Gods presence search them through anC
| through. He said:
| Dare to search for the truth, Dare
to welcome the presence OF God. ever
though it make you feel mean and hum
BILE"
| In closing he said:
| fr hot har nh
| honest shame is better than sham honor
| Our great curse Is fear. Fear is degrade
tlon. We must learn to overcome feai
without killing reverence. Dare to face
| God. Dare to know and be known. Dare
| TO eNpress the real thIng that Won are"