The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-30
BRIGHTEN CHURCHES
SOClABlLITY A REQUISITE
SAYS PASTOR ROSE.
Referring to Criticism, Says Churches,
as a Whole, Welcome Strangers.
Expresses His Views.

The Roy. Or. Henry r. Rose, pastor
Of the Church of the Redeemer. spoke
yesterda morning on cold Churches and
Cold Strangers taking as his text
Hebrews xiii, ,; Forget not to show love
unto strangers, for thereby have some
entertained angels unawares.'
Tbe pastor declared that coldness was
shown in some churches 10 strangers, and
the fact caused them TO discontinue at
tending such places Of worship. 10 90
the work laid ont for them the churches
must be friendly TO strangers and extend
the hand Of warm welcome TO the way
farers, said the minister. He spoke OF
an article In q woman magazine Which
told OF a woman who dressed in a modest
manner and visited q number Of churches
in large cities and who presented statistles
leading 10 IN unfavorable conclusion on the
score Of hospitality. The pastor admitted
the weakness of pride Ia a number OF IN
stances. but warmly defended the
churches as a whole, saying tbae toey
were extending a welcome to all VINO
came within their sacred portals. Pastor
Iscsc said.
The latest attack upon the churches
enlanates from the Ladies Home ~Iourual.
II employed a woman to dress in very
ordinary clothes ana 90 fo the churches
OF the large cities and see what SORT OF .
welcome she would get. Ont of l2 enurcnes
SO AHf NteliFu Only LNtAAA~ lAAC HnAA ~
attention whatever to her. Seventy-three
Of them absolutely ignored her, sue trlea
New York. Brooklyn. Cleveland, Cnlcasoi
st. Louis and Cincinnati, and II was every
where the same-the social mitten. Ine
Inference we are left to draw from her
treatment is that the churches of onf lalq
have no use for people In poor clothing anu
no real welcome Tor strangers. Inc eulloi
oil this magazine may be tfying 10 90 me
churches a service. but he Is doing them
an injustice by leaving any such impress
sion on tire public mind.
'Firsf. there are churches which PLAINLY
tell their CONGREGATIONS aud the puplt
that they do not exist for sociability, but
for worship. The Roman Catholic churcn
has always taken this position. the Epls.
copal church Is also taking il. Jney Want
people TO come il, no matter now they nay
be dressed, and occupy any seat they please
and worship God In the beauty Of holiness,
Second. those churches which believe
both IN worship ana sociability admit tndt
in many instances they are TO blame lue
inhoapitality TO strangers; but In most IN
stances they hold that the strangers are 70
blame. II a stranger comes to u cnurch
often enough and shows Il desire 10 make
IL his or her church home, there are very
Few churches that viii not meet lnal
stranger more than half way. Nevertheless
i believe thai our elurches are TOO neglect
full OF strangers. The ushers do not greet
them cordially enough; the pewholders do
not interest themselves in their comfort
as they might. The church is a meeting
house, and it should stand for sociability
as well as worship. The more sociable d
church is. other things being equal, the
larger will be its congregations, for man Is
essentially a social being. Cold churches
make cold strangers, and cold strangers
make cold churches. 1t is an evil that
works both ways. If you would make
friends In Il church show yourself friendly.
II a church shows itself friendly 1t VIII
make friends. A great deal Of the singing
of our city churches is mummery; you
can't understand a word, and there is
nothing In the selections that appeal to the
hAarf The DthaT Qervfppa are tOO Dftaf1
conducted In a ~lifeless. perfunctory fashion,
Leaving the effect of deadness on the
stranger. We must brighten up our
churches and sing the songs that reach
the heart and speak the word that will
set the soul on fire.
'All criticisms of the church; all these
crazy demands for taxing the churches
proceed on the assumption that the churches
are not doing anything to Justify their ex-
istence. Never forget thet these churches
are forever fninlstering to the higher life
OF the people. TIL ay are spiritual and
moral power houses. They constantly gem
crate and distribute light on Ilfe's hardest
problems and darkest paths; comfort to
sad and anxious humanity; courage TO the
gloomy and cast down; and virtue to the
teeming millions Of our towns and cities.
One of the critics of the church asks:
Would any priest ever preach or pray If
someone did not hoe? / reply: Would any
one ever hoe If some priest did not preach
or pray? II there had never been any
churches, I believe that humanity would
IAAAA bt ~ q pau VI HhNd60V WuCIt ~
began. If there were no churches today
life and property would not be safe: morals
would not be pure and civilization would
not endure. Any man who attacks the
church Is seeking to undermine an insti-
tuition that is really doing humanity an in
calculable service. 1t has its faults; it has
committed its crimes; it is committing its
plumbers, but with all of its shortcomings
1t is the best friend mankind has on earth
today. Churches are moral and religious
powerhouses. and although they stand
closed a great deal Of the time and minister
to a small proportion of the population
when they are open, they are, neverthe-
less, so vitality connected with all that Is
going on in orr civilization for the better
ment of humanity that the man who would
abolish them or undermine them has yet
to learn the A b @ OF common sense and
the first principles of true patriotism. 1t
Ia because j love the church that / join
hands with those who are sincerely trying
10 improve its theology and every other
feature connected with it, it Is because /
believe in the church and know what 1t has
done and is doing for our race that |
feel sad TO have a prominent magazine put
itself on the side of its misrepresenters or
hear otherwise thoughtful citizens adverse
Is criticislng ii. The church, God knows,
has enough to contend with in these days
without being made to defend itself against
half-truths and innuendoes from those it
deemed it friends