The Newtown bee., 1906-04-06
TOWN TOPICS.
LITTLE SERMONS.
A THEATRE PARTY IN LENTI-BY o. O.
WRIGHT.

A THEATRE PARTY IN LENT<-BY o. o.
WRIGHT.
Rom. IA :: p. Happy is he that cond demneth
not himself in that thing which he alioweth."
The writer is not stickler for
forms, ceremonies, nor literal ObServ-
ances of days and seasons; but when
the Church people, Catholic and Prot
for nearly two centuries the inhabft-
ants have been taught to reverence
the great religious seasons OF the
Christian Year, deliberately plan a
theatre party in Lent, and canvass the
community to sell tickets, and charter
a special train to bring them home, 1t
seems like a challenge to ones sense
of duty, and to ones feeling of honor
toward our Lord and Master; at least
to express surprise, disappointment
and grief, that such a thing should
happen.
lam aware of St Paul's words: zone
man esteemeth one day above another;
another esteemeth every day alike.
Let every man be fully persuaded in
his own mind" 1t is a matter of con-
science, to be sure. To those who do
not see anything in Lent to observe,
going to place of amusement, In such
wise is, perhaps, no occasion of offence,
unless it may be in the sense Of unfit
ness and inconsistency on the part of
those who are under the social and
moral obligations of their Churches
not to do such things. Every recur.
renee of this season brings us the jokes
and jeers of the world because OF the
tend to practice self-denial in the
Lords name; and in one sense what
ever offends one body of Christian peO-
pie should be offensive to every true
follower of Christ; for we are all of
the same household of the Faith.
The greatest thing we have, ana the
most sacred, is our religion. And If
we are not true to our own highest
ideal, what failure we do make of it!
II the light in US be darkness how
great indeed is the spiritual night in
life! The best we have is our faith,
hope, and love in Christ; and that we
have in the Church, whatever we may
call ourselves, for there is but one
Lord. Lent is the season in which the
great majority of the Christians in the
world commemorate the temptation
and humiliation of Christ, in the forty
days Of fasting and prayer. The spirit
of Lent is self-denial, following the
example of our Master and Saviour; to
deny ones self is the essential princi-
pie of the moral life which makes the
true follower of the Son of Man. This
is fundamental. We have his word for
it: "If any man will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me-"
Not only that, we deny ourselves for
the sake of others as we'll as for our
own moral discipline We are parts
of the whole in our religion as in every
thing else. "FOr none Of US liveth to
himself, land no man dieth to himself"
Therefore it seems to me, that for
every good reason we are bound to con-
slider the highest moral and spiritual
welfare of all, in every line of conduct
which directly touches the social con-
ditions of the community. am not
writing In censorious spirit; l be-
Gospel, which makes US free. l am
not opposed to theatre-gOing under
proper conditions; l too would gladly
honor our talented friend in his chosen
profession, in season not pre-Occupied
with more serious matters. The spirit
of enterprise which could induce 14O
persons to enlist in such pleasure
trip, at such a time, is in itself COM
mendable; but to seek self-gratificati tion
when the spirit of the hour is self
sacrifice; to deny the highest spiritual
ideal for the sake of any lower standard
of conduct; to honor man when the
call of duty is to honor God; and that
too in times such as these when all
thoughtful devoted Christians are be-
ginning to honor each other in the
honoring of our Lord.-in His fasting
and temptation, as in His cross and
passion, death and resurrectiOn,-iS,t to
say the least, unfortunate and dis
heartening.
1t is not a mere matter of taste,
opinion, nor prejudice, but serious
question, ,sinvolving the deepest prin-
ctples and highest concerns Of life. AS
the Editor of the Outlook. says in one
of bis excellent Lenten meditations on
the Temptation Of Jesus: ITO crave
the higher and accept the lower is not
only to take evil for good, but to
awake at the end in the bitter humili-
alton which not only acknowledges de-
feat but knows that it has been duped,
blinded, and cheated, and that the
gold which shone afar is but dust
heap when the end is reached.
Among the multitudeS who have lost
their way in the world none are fur
ther from the path of honor, peace,
and victory than they who have mis-
taken the kingdoms of the world for
the kingdoms Of holiness and
have fallen down before the evil spirit
instead of worshiping the most high
GodD