Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-07-16
CHURCH OF THE FUTURE,
BY George L. Lorimer

| In precariouS state, or when there
is sense of insecurity in business, the
first thing to do is TO find ont the ex-
tent of the damage. Know your prob
lem and then you may do something
for its solution. Don't walk up and
down the deck calling out that the YES
sells all right when YOU can tell by the
water line she's Slowly sinking.
We have tried to state the true con.
dition Of things religiously in cities,
and we have pointed out the disturbing
and disquieting features as they are.
But we are no alarmists. | have not
the least idea that the ship will sink
or that the Lords army will be defeat
ed. l have confidence in God and the
| future. But he works by means and
not without them, and If we let things
drift we shall surely go on the rocks.
What we need to do is with all cour-
age and confidence undertake to rem
edy the evils that exist and arrest the
tendencies which every serious thinker
recognizes.
What shall we attempt? The pro-
phet in our text exhorts us not to build
with untempered mortar, but to do
thoroughly what we set out to per-
form. Superficial remedies will not
meet the needs of the hour. More
robes for the clergy, vestments for
choirs, stereopticons for preachers, or
chestras for worship and similar APP
planes will not change the situation.
There are churches where these things
| let
minimized to the vanishing point, both
in length and in strength, and where
the congregations Notwithstanding are
meager and the spiritual gains imper-
ceptible.
Such details are purely a matter of
taste or of ecclesiastical tradition 1t
was not the surplice that made Phillips
Brooks a spiritual force, and the lack
of Genevian gown did not impair the
pulpit power Of Sturgeon. And the
people are too intelligent to be drawn
to church by the rustic of silk or the
cleaning of lawn. and they are not
likely to stay away because the minis
ter prefers to wear an ordinary frock
coat. No; the efficiency Of clergy and
churches, believe me, is not an affair
of dress or of special rites and cere-
monies.
We know that in the physical world
a great deal depends on atmosphere.
If the air is close, impure, overheated,
we suffer. SO also, the dominant spirit
of a church goes far toward her real
influence for good. Let doubt. cheer
lessness and general depression pre-
vail, and let the members be cold, stiff
and exclusive, and naturally the out
side public will be repealed. Why car
ry our perpleXities, sorrows and trials
into an atmosphere surcharged with
superciliousness, apathy and gloom?
But let the representatives of religion
be bright, joyous and by their manner
make the stranger feel that he is vel
come and that religion is really worth
having, and the sanctuaries will be
thronged.
Remember the world progresses not
by the extraordinary but the ordinary;
not by coup de theater, but by the
natural and commonplace. The resus-
citation of evangelical religion in Amer
lea does not really call for scenic dis
plays, frenetic eXtravagances, fantas-
tic, erratic or erOtic beliefs. but sim
ply for the realization of the generous,
warm-hearted, sympathetic and broth
erly spirit which it processes to in
culcate.
The church has real mission. She
ought to bring God and man closer 70.
gether, and man with man into fellow
ship. so that justice and righteousness
may prevail. Never has she taken her
self seriously and brought things to
pass without crowding her pews and
blessing the whole community.
But she can never meet the new age
with small churches open about six or
seven hours in the week. Fifty years
from now the drawing room and sun
day houses of worship will belong to
the past. There will come in their
stead a new order of things. The pre-
dominant type will be something like
this: a massive building. large enough
to be hospitable and where pew rents
| will be so reasonable that persons OF
modest means can enjoy the best, ana
social determinations cease, and where
to all The church room itself will he
dignlfied, simple, CHEEKY, ana will be
open every day in the week for rest
and prayer, and with competent per
sons in attendance to give counsel or
show sympathy for those who may
need help. Sunday services will com
Iuand the best in the way of music ana
scholarship, and yet the music will not
degenerate into concerts or the scholar
ship into pedantry and dullness. The
afternoon will be given up TO children
for social instruction, aided by the
s,ereopucon and singing, and where
the lectures sell deal with natural as
well as revealed religion.
There will be a church house In con-
nection with the church itseh. and