Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-29
PREACHERS AND SYMPATHY.
Are the Clergymen Of Today Lacking
in That Essential QualityP

From the New York Press.
"Show me ten preachers" said a woman
the other day, who have even a suggestion
of sympathy pathos in their voices, or
WHO read the service with any degree OF
impressiveness, to say nothing of common
intelligence and l will show you ten
churches filled every Sunday to the doors,
and filed with no ephemeral crowd. but
with congr->-;a atoms that are interested and
in thorough accord with their respective
ministers" Surely she is right. So much
for just bit of intelligence just one touch
of human sympathy.
Il am wrought up on this subject" con-
tinued the woman, because 1 have just
now returned from the funeral of dear
| friend held In one of the so-called fashion
able churches. Good Lord deliver US. If
you could have heard the beautiful service
of the dead sing songed and drolled out by
the rector you would agree with me that
he mistook his calling. AS to sympathy and
pathoS-they did not enter into the reading
at all There was no impresSivenesS not
| even an infection; just cold. mechanical.
meaningless mutteT1ng of words which, II
spoken with tenderness and feeling, would
affect the most hardened sinner and lift
| the most sordid mind to thoughts of heav
en-. Those words were meant to allay grief
and bring comfort to the afflicted but as
read today they caused pain. II school
| boy of ten should read those words of ST.
Paul as I heard them read at that funeral,
| he would be classed as hopeless dullard.
Il went to that funeral softened with
sorrow by the loss of my friend, and filed
with tender sentiments of sympathy for
those near and dear to her, and / came
away completely out of sorts with the
world and every one in 1t, and thinking
l would rather be buried as dog than
have any such heartless sounds uttered
over my poor body. So much for the lack
of a little human sympathy"
f.il ,t Il -aY,.
preaching. Make believe you have been
called. Open your mouth and cut loose
The reason why there is wordfu of
poverty stricken ''ministers' is that the
vast majority who occupy pulpits are not
worth their salt. They get their SALT but
the congregation begrudges it. Only the
cloth saves the preacher of this descrip-
ton. One Of the oldest phases Of human
nautre Is its acquiescenee in matters of
the church. Here We will say is congre-
cation of 2G0 indneed Of preacher. One
comes an ignOranus6 and Is accepted at a
salary of $500 atHeaf.i He Is a good fellow,
tells risky stories, plays tennis beautifully,
and all that; but in the pulpit he is num-
mer But no matter how insane his ser
mons, how repulsive his voice, how vacuous
his prayers. how needless and perfunctory
his readings, the women. God bless their
dear soulst take. him up and provide for
him and his famflys4oa
The free-thinking and skepucsm of the
age are due principally to poor preaching.
You will find ititorhe the case in the ma
jority of churches. that the congregation
are far more Intelligent than the preacher.
therefore, he should make up in goodness,
sympathy, helpfhiness. hopefulness, cheer
fitness, moral purposes and spiritual guild
ance what he LACKS in mere mental equip
ment The Sunday newspaper has been
blamed by the pulpit generally for empty
ing the pews. or course. 1t is go much bet
ter than the entertainment afforded by
the average preacher that members of the
congregation cannot help staying at home
to read it, The preacher who cannot fill
his church by preaching might do worse
than read the best things from the papers
to his flock But few persons take all the
pa pers; let the preacher do So clip what is
most entertaining and Instructive In each
concerning politics. art, music. business.
commerce. etc. and call the ola podrida
| sermon That would be effective.