The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1905-12-13

ticular church, but to the general
progress of Christ's cause. Some
times the union service is advisable,
and sometimes it is best that the
churches hold their special meetings
separately. Each pastor and his
people must be judged as to when
it is advisable and how it is advisable
to hold special meetings. The laity
should also participate in the council
which is to determine the plain of
campaign. Often it is well that the
prayer meeting be turned into
free conference about the Kings
business.
One problem of the local church
or churches is to fix the attention OF
the community upon the subject OF
religion. Christianity has facts and
logic enough to warrant its claims
and win the confidence of thoughtful
men, if the latter can only be COM
PEELED to reflect upon them. And
wicked men have enough suscepti-
bility to religious appeal to bring
results, if only they can be compelled
to face and duly consider the appeal.
The trouble is that our highly COM
pick civilization, distracting inter
ests and exhausting activities leave
men too little chance and Indictment
to consider religious matters. Secular
interests monopolize the attention of
the people. Christian workers must
conspire to break this monopoly.
Whenever a pastor Of exceptional
power and earnestness succeeds in
riveting the attention of his church
and Of the community upon the
claims of religion for thirty days
there is asrevival that wins converts
and permanently strengthens the
church. The professional evangelist
considers that if he can not so man
age his campaign in a community as
to monopolize its attention for two
or three weeks, his effort will be
comparatively fruitless. Some evan
gelists have record of uninterrupt-
ed successes because they refuse to
operate in a city so large that they
can not hope to arrest and hold the
attention of the people. Evangelist
Chapman solved the problem of
religious attention in large city by
bringing such a large corps of
preachers and singers with him that
the multitudes are compelled to give
attention
Now, one question is, can you
compel attention to the cause of
Christ in your city, town or neigh
borhood? Can you preach well
enough? Can you sing well enough?
Can you throw all your Christian
congregations together in meeting
big enough, in services vital, en-
thusiastic and influential enough to
command the attention of the COM
munity? Can you do it by calling in
brother pastors? Can you do it by
calling in the aid of the professional
evangelist?
1t may be that the pastor and his
little prayer meeting company can
not work this problem out, and can
not devise aEplan or run meeting
that promises to engross the atten-
ton of the community. Now, these
have right to claim the help of all
their Christian brothers and sisters.
The question then is, can the Chris
tan merchants and bankers and
editors and lawyers and doctors and
school teachers, by concert of action,
in carefully planned campaign,
compel general, attention to the
cause of religion? The pastors have
a right to say: ''You men who
dominate business and political life,
you women who dominate social life,
you people who make the standards
and mold the opinions of the public,
you long-headed and resourceful
men who know how to advertise
your own business and influence the
thought and actions of men, come
and help us organize heart-warm-
ing, conscience-awakening, mind
convincing campaign for Christ"
And if this appeal of the pastors to
to the laity rings with deep determi-
nation and awful earnestness, l