Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07
n)iS8ion Of The Church.
of the
Metho


our churches the fault is with the men,
bers-God wants the seats filled with
throbbing human hearts-they can be got
ten, and when the rank and file of the
| membership of any church obeys the
Masters commission and goes after them,
they will come. This work cannot be done
by proxy. Some people think that when
they hire a minister their duty to God Is
done but personal duties can be filled by
! persons only-each one has his work to do.
The second element in this glorious work
is ITO save that which is lost" so the
true church of God is saving church, and
If it is to be a Saving church it must be
a praying church whose members know
how to bring their burdens their joys
their sorrows to God, and tell all lies
stories to Him. thus answering the call of
the soul to God for help, and as far as
possible answering their own prayers by
doing what is in their power God never
does anything we can do ourselves there
, are stones to be rolled away; there are
mands you to roll the stone and unbind
the bound-God never answered the prayer
of the ol6 s<aner that prayed that He
would feed the poor when his own corn
crib was bursting with grain and he would
not give nub5in to feed one. The saw
ing church is also a sacrificing church
ready to sacrifice money and manhood. A
man who has faith in Goodwill invest in
God A church truly consecrated will con-
secrate it's means, and the best that she
can consecrate is her manhood and her
womanhood-her ndividualty-herself, a
living. throbbing personality.
God does not want your money, my
friends, in the spirit of take this and do
what you please with it, but don't trouble
me any more this year about anything, He
wants you. Such a church also will know
how to use the one transforming power of
this and all past ages viz: the word of
God. 1t is this power which is the barrier
against the devastating tide of destruction
which is running our great cities-the word
of God
The third element in the mission of the
church is to save that which is lost-what
is lost-what an atmosphere clings about
that word "lost'-it causes the very heart
to leap in pity and terror. Think of two
and one half millions of children in the fac
tory and store life of our nation, and re-
the pressure of poverty. which is keeping
millions in ignorance, squalor and sin, and
speak the word lost" Each letter drips
with condensed horror. Can any Christian
slumber with such work as our century
calls upon him to do? The whole church
must be up and doing-not only the old
guard which is in every church on which
the pastor can depend but "All at it and
always at it. should be the motto for these
days Oh. the crime of it that so many
church members should be buried beneath
cushioned pews and gilded walls, buried
beneath stone and cement and glttering
spires. Buried so deep that they cannot
hear the trumpet call Of Gods humanity
for help
We close by putting before our reader
the sort of church which would go far
to carry out the ideals presented by Christ:
First, such a church would be a liberal
church-a stingy man could not stay in
it-there would be such hustle, stir, energy
and power, in short, so much life that it
would shadow the nerve of the narrow,
stingy soul, and he would silently steal
away.
Secondly such a church would be
united church, ever working for the king
dom. rather than the sect in the spirit Of
true Christian unity, and ever recognizing
that Gods work is in oneness Of spirit and
life.
Lastly such church would be a joyous
church-it would not be filled with mop
ing, shlvering, doubling Christians; the
true note Of a genuine religious life is
joy-and no work in life can give such
soul RECALLING joy as the work Of living
not for self, but for others, mot gain, but
good" is the note which always bring true
10y.
We may not be able to carve statue,
paint a picture write a poem or sing a
song-the realm Of philosophy and science
may not be open to our limited powers,
but there is one realm in which we can all
excel-that is in the living of one pure,
generous strong, brave life, and soulful
filling the mission upon which God has sent
us into the world or placed US in His
church.