Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1904-04-22
THE cHRfsrrAN nNDHAvoR
II the Movement a Spent Force ?
Reasons Showing why II Is Not

Denver declared IN speech IN
Philadelphia not long ago that he
regarded the Christian Endeavor
movement as "speut force" It
had over emphasized the spectaou.
lar in religion, and, now that the
inevitable reaction has come, the
orga nization is found lacking III
vitality, and, the speaker implied,
its end is within the range of present
vision.
The Presbyterian Barner pitts
burg) comes to the defense of thc
Christian Endeavor movement in an
editorial which is cordially indoFsea
by The Christian Endeavor worl I
(Boston) and which we reprint ae
follows:
During the first ten years eiI
Christian Eudeavor it was mag
mficent outburst Of youthful enthu
siasm. II swept over our church
and some other churches in grea
waves, practically submerging oppo
sition, swallowing up hesitation,
and rising to Hoodtide. Banners,
badges, and conventions were its
symbols and means. The life OF
youth, long dormant or restrained
in the church, found itsely suddenly
freed and had to express itself iubi.
lantly, as the disciples flung then
palm branches on the road and the
children cheered when Jesus made
his triumphal entry into Jerusalem
The beginning of great movement
is usually attended with such ar
outburst of enthusiasm. Christiani
ty itse If leaped into full life at
Pentecost, when thousands were
intoxicated with the Spirit The
Reformation filled whole century
with splendid enthusiasm. Tho
Wesleyan movement in England
was a sudden fire of fervency. The
birth of a political party that has
great idea for its principle is an
outburst of enthusiasm and express
es itself in banners, badges, and
conventions But after this initial
period of youthful fervency and
fireworks a movement usually settles
down to quiet, steady work. The
mountain stream is more noisy and
picturesque and spectacular as il
comes dashing and foaming down
it's rocky declivities, but when it
strikes the plain it quiets down to
the steady work of feeding the
meadows and turning mills and
bearing commerce. Such a stream
is not "a spent force because it no
longer leaps down the mountainside
rather, its true work begins at the
plain.
I'VE think Christian Endeavor,
instead of being spent, has only
reached the plain. It's days of
youthful spectacular dash and dis
play are over. II has decked itself
with badges and marched under its
oanners'and had its great conven
tions flooding the largest cities now
it is settling down to more quiet but
not less useful work. For the first
ten years these youthful hosts
mounted up with wings as eagles !;
for the next ten years they ran and
we're not weary; now they have
reached the point where they are to
walk aud not faint Walking is less
conspicuous and exciting than fly
ing, but it lasts longer and in the
emo will go farther. Christian
Endeavor is young people organized
in worship and work. No doubt
they we're worshiping and working
IN the church before the Endeavor
movement came, as they still are in
many churches where the Endeavor
Society has not been accepted.
Christian Endeavor is not an iuspir-
ed movement enioined upon us by
authority. But it has proved itself
an effective means of getting the
young people to work. It binds
them down 30 acts OF worship, and
Is gives them definite means and
opportunities Of service.
Having got through with the
youthful period Of enthusiasm, Of
banners badges, and conventions,
Christian Eudeavor must now settle
down to quiet. steady service. It
bears about the same relation to
worship and work as the Sabbath.
school bears to the study Of Gods
Word, and it has a permanent
place in the life and work Of the
church. At first the church and
Christian Endeavor hardly knew
how 70 regard each other. The
church was somewhat suspicious Of
/ Christian Endeavor as an intruder
and usurper, and Christian En-
deavor WIS somewhat impatient Of
the church as imposing restrictive
control. But all this has passed.
and the church is now exercising
Irightful rnle over tine Endearor