Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1906-02-03
CHURCH COLUMN.
By j. G. shetland.
POWER.

An electric ight-plant has ''power
house" A trolley system has q
"power plant" A church ought to
be service of power in a community.
Is it always the case? A man might
answer the question by saying eyes,
there is power in our church. We
have large number of cultured peo-
pie and that gives our church great
influence" But influence is not al
ways power. Influence is good as
far as it goes, but it is as different
from spiritual power as cistern
spout is from Niagura. A church may
have much personal responsibility
and large social influence and be a
very weak church. Money is not al
ways power. Consecrated dollars
may be nimble messengers but the
riches of the Oil trust poured into
Wales could not have brought such
great revival as the people of that
country enjoyed last year, could not
have brought 100000 people to christ
as was the result of the Torrey trip
around the world.
Fire was raging in great city.
Every fire engine rushed to the scene
of the conflagration. The chief
climbed to the highest point of want
age. The hose was laid. The stream
was up. The splendid fire fighting
apparatus was ready. The city wait
ed. The chief put the trumpet to his
lips. He gave the command tPut on
the power" They opened the
throttles and waited. When the
stream OF water came there was not
enough to Cripple from the nozzles.
The fire burned on unhindered. How
much that was like some church work.
The organization is made complete.
But the committees don't commit.
The decision days don't decide. The
/ workers don't work. All for lack of
the power of the Holy Spirit. Why
has the church no power? Take a
specimen case. A young man has
been member of the church for
years. He is never at the prayer
meeting but is at the dance. He
does not read the gospel much but he
does play cards very much. His
name is on the church book but to
set him to work in effort to lead any
one to Christ would be farce. The
only people who can use his inf1u-
ence to further their cause is the
kind who sheer and say of him ga
pretty christian" What power
would hundred such members add
to the church? But when the Holy
Spirit shows him the hollowness Of
such a life, when he confesses his
faults and asks the prayers of christ
ians, when he has testimony to give
of the power of Christ to cleanse a
life, when he is busy feeding the
hungry, and going about doing good,
he is pointed out to strangers as a
man who ''is power for good in our
community" Of course the church
to which be belongs has more power.
| When his creed has been energized
by the Spirit, his life has a new power.
| When church has the baptism of the
Holy Ghost and of fire, it's spire will
shine above a throbbing prayer meet
| ing.
/ The Spirit filled man is a power.
Such a man does not have to be
wound up and set going by his pastor.
Nor does he have to wait till his ward
/ Or precinct has been subdivided by
committee. Nor does he have to be
| told which side of the street to
go on. He is like his Saviour, he goes
about doing good.
The revival meetings at the Con-
gregational church have increased in
interest this week and quite num-
Der have begun christian life. 1t
has been a union meeting this week
as the M. E. church has been busily
engaged with the Congregational and
the two work together in delightful
/ bo oyox ora5 with IL