Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-10-08
Sunday School Lesson and
Young Peoples Meetings
What the Church Folks Are Thinking About
and Doing Religious News From Every
where.

| phenomenon of Japan can be ex-
planned only by the fact that the en-
peror is a deity, and that in very
true sense patriotism is religion. The
great temples and shrines of Japan,
which, for hundreds of years have
been places Of pilgrimage, have bound
the people together into national soil
darity, and have imbued them with
the sentiment that to live or die for
their emperor is the highest religious
duty and destiny. Even in Europe the
great cathedrals have been a power
full factor in conserving national
ideals and traditions. Where state
is sincerely Christian, all its institu-
tions are safe
Big Houses and Small Churches.
The truth still runs through mod
ern life which the old, Hebrew mon
arch saw clearly, that society is not
constructed in right proportions if the
individual is exalted above the gener
al body. 1t sounds quite like modern
political dogma, rather than a state
ment OF three thousand year old his
torical fact, to declare that public in
situations are more important than
private interests. Even the kings
house could not with propriety be
greater than the center of the peoples
worship, the temple of Jehovah.
Ruskin rightly asks, in the Seven
Lamps of Architecture, that in true
Christian community, the public build
ings for the use of all should be the
noblest, the most expensive, most
commanding in the town or city. This
&c ir,,r IN,
The capitols. the courthouses, the
churches. the schoolhouses. the
libraries. the hospitals, are the no.
blest. The question is not between
Gods house and ours. 9 . do not
understand the feeling which would
arch our own gates and pave our own
thresholds, and leave the church with
its narrow door and foot-worn sill;
the feeling which enriches our own
chambers with all manner Of costll-
ness, and endures the bare wall and
mean compass of the temple.
am no advocate for meanness of pri-
vate habitation #but / say this en-
phatically, that a tenth part of the ex-
pense which is sacrificed in domestic
vanities would. if collectively offered
and wisely employed, build marble
church for every town in England,
such church as would be a joy and
blessing even to pass near
By this same token, the Church is
Digger than any one man. The house
or God Is superior to the kings
palace. 1t is odious and irreligious to
have "one-man church such as is
not unknown in these latter days-a
church practically owned and run by
one man as he runs his mill or his
store. To talk about Smiths church"
or Jones church." is to render serl-
GUS indictment against both Smith
and Jones and the church. Be a mans
motive never so beneficial he does
wrong TO the spirit Of religion when
he exalts himself above the BODY Of
believers.
The Getting-Ready Man.
1t was praiseworthy in David to de.
sire great temple for Jehovah: but
the word came to him that he was not
TO build it. He was man of war,
with his hands deeply immersed in
blood. To the end Of his life he would
be. engrossed in military affairs, and
in kingdom building cares. He be-
longed to the preparation period His
lot it was-and this is the message
of the old story-to make ready the
material for the building, which his
son should rear. Thus are lives In
tertwined Nobody ever does a com
plete work. Some David prepares,
and some Solomon finishes. The cana
city for self-abnegation is an essential
quality of greatness. Rameses the
Great has been discovered to have
been very small mortal indeed, in
that he Systematically tried to steal