Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-07-01
CHURCH OF rHE FUTURE.
BY George {. LorImer


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
I or that the Lords army will be defeat
| ed. | have confidence in God and the
| future. But he works by means and
| not without them, and il we let things
drift we shall surely 20 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 ap-
planes will not change the situation.
There are churches where these things
exist and where preaching has been
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 suTplice that made Phillips
Brooks a spiritual force, and the lack
of a Genevian gown did not impair the
pulpit power of Sturgeon. And the
people are too intelligent to he 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
great deal depends on atmosphere.
If the air is close, impure, overheated
we suffer. So also, the dominant spirit
of church goes far toward her real
influence for good Let doubt. cheer
lessness and general depression pre-
vail, 3nd 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side public will be repealed.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 sancruaries will be-
thronged.
Remember the world progresses not
by the extraordinary but the ordinary:
not by a 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 a real mission. She
ought to bring God and man closer to-
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
steld a new order of things. The pre-
dominant type will be something like
this: \ massive building. large enough |
20 be hospitable and where pew rents |
Will lie so rea sonabIe that persons of |
modest means can enjoy the best. and |
social Determinations cease. and where |
also many pews can be free and open |
to all. The church room itself will be !
dignified. simple, CHEEKY. and 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 I
nand the best in the way of music and |
scholarship. and yet the music viii 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 /
stereOpticon and singing. and where /
the lectures shall deal with natural as |
we'll as revealed religion.
There will be a church house In con-
nection with the church itself and
not, as now it generally is, away IN
some squalid and dark neighhorhoOd, /
and in it there viii be guild rooms for
young women. with every comfort and
similar rooms for young men. and ey-
cry evening in the social hall some
form OF entertainment or means Of in
struction. This kind Of cathedral
church, not of in the slums. but in
the best neighborhoods. would 20 far
toward removing the impression that
religion is aloof from our common life.
and would deepen the interest Of all 1
classes in its progress
While in this way religion bufids m