The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-09
Appeal For a Lenten Revival
Issued by Central Commit
tee, Composed of Leading
Religious Workers of the
Country, Ministers and
Laymen.
Special to The Globe.

| mas just issued an appeal for ma
tlonal Lenten gospel campaign, ad-
dressed to the Christian ministers and
| leaders of America. The committee in
| this appeal, says:
Pursuant to the avowed purpose and
| work of this committee of promoting
a national gospel awakening, through
existing organizations and agencies"
| Tor the spiritual, moral and social
| rescue OF the unSaVed millions of our
beloved country, we send you, in the
| name of our divine Lord, this our
| fourth appeal for your prayerful, prac-
| tlcal and simultaneous cooperation
| with US, and with all others who may
De likewise engaged in the great move
| ment Tor which this committee stands.
We are encouraged to issue this call
! just at the present time by the fact
| that the manifest blessing of the Head
of the Church has rested upon the past
| efforts of the committee in the way Of
inspiration and education" Those
| who receive this appeal will see rea-
| son to thank God that in various move
ments in the line of aggressive evan
| gelism, local and national, our sugges-
| lions and plans have been adopted and
carried out, and have helped, with the
blessing of God, to quicken the con-
| seriousness of evangelisttc opportl1ni-
ties and responsibilities in the minis
! tiers and members Of various branches
/ OF the Christian church. Everyone who
! loves the Lord Jesus will be glad to
| join in thanking God for the present
| awakened interest, and in praying that
| it may lead to the fulfiIlment Of the
undoubted obligation of the churches
| for the full and final execution in
/ this generation, of the great commits
sion given by the risen Lord. We
| therefore invite your prayerful atten-
ton to the suggestions following:
National Lenten Gospel Campaign.
The Lenten season has of late years,
! owing to the special emphasis placed
! upon it by some branches of the
church, and the resulting temporary
staying of the tide of worldliness and
! frivolity at that time, proved peculiar
| ly favorable to the promotion of reli-
! giouS interest. Hs connection with
| the death and resurrection Of our
Lord increasingly recognized in all
| branches Of the church, would seem
| the quickening of Christians for spir-
itual life and service.
| We therefore respectfully suggest a
| plan for making the most of this Lent
1 en- opportunity this year for the fur
| therance Of the spiritual advance for
which the present crisis so urgently
| calls.
Day of Humiliation and Prayer
Would not every minister or leader
pare for and initiate this movement by
making Feb. 20, 1903, known as ash
| Wednesday," a special day of humilia-
| ton and prayer? Let him invite his
| people to join in confession and in
humiliation in view Of past sins and
shortcomings and in supplication and
| intercession before God, on the basis
| of Luke xi., 1-13, for the blessings of
which the churches stand in such per-
| fshing need.
That the praying may not be Of
| that general and Indefinite kind that
never brings answer, the committee
enumerates some Of the things for
| which there is pressing call for prayer:
1. For return to absolute faith in
the Bible as the inspired: authoritative
| churches their only credentials and mes
sage; ana Tor an 1mmed1at tie revival of
earnest and, systematic study of that
Word in order to learn what God would
nave US do In the present condition.
2. For. a. quickened sense of the sin
less condition without Jesus Christ
8. For a new vision of the greatness,
suft1ciency and efficacy of the atonement
man.
4: For an overwhelming sense of the
obligation and responsibility, on the part
of every disciple Of Christ for witnessing
to the lost Soul-and to all lost souls he
can reach-of the saving power Of Christ.
and urging the immediate acceptance Of
5. For mighty outpouring of. and en-
duement of the Holy Spirit that the
be equipped to, do her God-appointed
work in sharing the mission of the master
IN seeking and saving the lost.
We think 1t would be well that on
that day the church doors should be
thrown open from morning until the
close of the evening service, and that
the Christian community be urged to
come in silence to the house of God, at
any convenient hour, and there in gen
uine travail of soul, pray for a national
and universal revival of the religion of
Christ.
Observance of the Rest of Lent.
We beg to suggest that, following
the Day Of Prayer, and continuing un-
til April 10th, every Christian minis
ter, in his own church or in co-opera-
ton with the ministers Of neighboring
sister churches, undertake the work of
personal, positive evangelism among
the unsaved. Let evangelstic sermons
be preached, let special gospel music
be sung, let there be discreet and en-
terprising advertising done through the
public press, circulars, cards, and bill
boards so that the attention of the en-
tire church shall be focused upon the
supreme work of winning men to
Christ. Let the gospel work be car
ried out In the cottages and shops and
halls of the community until every soul
shall receive the hearty personal offer |
of Christ as personal Savior.
We suggest that during a part or the !
whole Of this period Sunday and week. |
night evangelistic services be held in |
the individual churches and in groups I
of churches, in theaters, music halls, |
opera houses, and other public meeting !
places where non church going peo- |
pie may be reached by the Gospel of |
Christ
In order further to emphasize public |
ly the intense desire of Christians to /
reach and make welcome the nom |
church going people, we would suggest !
that all church buildings be open to |
the public each day, from morning I'M
til the close of services at night, during |
the Lenten season. |
Let every possible effort be made to I
prove to the nom Christian public that |
extraordinary sacrifice of effort, time /
and money is being made by Christians /
everywhere to lead men to a saving |
knowledge of God in Christ Jesus.
We earnestly invite and appeal for
the active cooperation Of officers and /
members of all young peoples societies I
carrying out this plan.
May we not ask the religious and sec
ular press to lend its influential sup |
port and cooperation in the movement, /
in making public this appeal, with a /
plan of campaign, and to further the |
beneficent work which it aims to ac- I
compliSh?
May we not ask every ministerial as
ISOLATION, and other similar organiza- |
lions of clergymen and laymen, to take
this matter energetically in hand at |
each local point, and let the coming |
month of March witness, in Gods t