The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-03-23
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9 TloNAL WORSHIP. G
q BY Rev, a. S. A!lsG. 9
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ssasSeeGsG

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No person keeping up with the re
ligious trend Of today can fail to dis
cover that perhaps one of the greatest
triumphs of christianity is within the
church itself. l have been watching
this transformitory work for the past
twenty years. The various sects OF
Christendom are getting nearer and
nearer together; many sects, that
twenty years ago would hardly speak
across the sectarian divide without
| sounding the martial note, are today
extending the right hand of christian
| fellowship, and seeking closer ties in
worship and work. This is, as it
should be. God wills it so. | wish to
mention two or three reasons why
christians of various creeds should
often worship together.
The UNITY of the Church demands
it. For as the body is one, and hath
may members. and all the members of
the body, being many, are one body;
so also is Christ"
There is but one christian church.
because there is but one Christ All
members of this church are brothers
and sisters of one great family-the
bride of Christ. There can be but one
great sustaining, aggressive principle,
the principle of love. There is one
common guide book, the Word of God.
We should then meet together to share
each others vision of Christ, to catch
each others heart throb of love, and
to improve by each others method of
interpreting the Word of God.
Charity Of opinion demands it. No
man knows all truth. No sect has a
corner on it. What is truth" is still
open to investigation. Religious toll
GRAFTON is therefore a necessity, grow
ing out of this condition of things. at
is folly to demand a unity of creed in
world where none is wise but Cod
and no one good but Cod Intoler-
ance is the outcome of egotism. Egot-
ism is ignorance on dress parade
Truth is infinite because God is in.
finite. Hence there can be a multi
Jude Of view points without destruc
lon to the truth viewed Yet no two
iiHerent view points give an identical
Vision. INSTRUMENTATION worship
S the sharing Of visions from these
several view points. Charity Of opin
on lsts her voice for such worship
| Most Of our towns are hearing and
lecliag the voice Each great branct
>. lie church is a necessity, for while
ecl takes the whole book, still eacl
| lnderscore sco Vv points. Thii
fast should only beget a holy rivalry
suit no bitterness.
The Calvlnistic branch under-scorei
the sovereignty Of Cod the Armlnian
mans free agency, the Episcopal tn
importance Of order and solemn cere
mony, the Baptist the necessity of OF
finances, the Congregational the indi
Jidual responsibility of its members
he Methodist holy enthusiasm. Thes
: all are important truths. ! thank Coz
for them. And pray his blessings VI
on them. The Church Stewardship
demands it. Each generation of chris
: tians is q connecting link between
preceding and succeeding generation
AS each is thus the inheritor of it
predecessor it becomes the stewart o
It's successor This generation of be
5 levers has fallen heir to all proceed
ing ages, and should not only han
: down its glorious inheritance untal
2 nished, but magnified and beautified
God has blessed us as he has no othe
? people in all the past history of tn
world We enjoy the rich legacy o
] both civil and religious liberty. TIL
light we enjoy should not be put ur
: der a bushel AS christian peopl
| we ought to show the appreciation @
r our stewardship by worshipping ofte
/. together, by working together, an
2 not tarnish the legacy by contention
: by criticism, by isolation. The churc
will then be a unified body, the worl
: will behold its power and be blessed
2 and God glorified.