The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-18

Amid the clamorous and complex Or
CARNATIONS Of twentieth century
Christianity. it is profitable to discern
the figure Of the Leader wLo founded
no institution. established no society.
provided no endowment, bequeathed no
vested funds. and who had not so
much as meagre Oriental dwelling
that he could call his own.
AS one listens to the speech of pas
tors and church officers one sometimes
wonders If Church work" is not al
most synonymous with paying off the
MORTGAGE" or raising an endowment.
Many a preacher with a message has
had the life crushed out of him by the
perplexities and responsibilities of the
modern parish. Imagine the Great
Teacher, he of the simple. direct ways,
filling the place of one of the Twentieth
century pastors who has to be errand
boy, administrator. financial expert, So
cial ornament, professional mollif1er
and, incidentally, preacher to a large
city organization.
The church steeple-and all that It
representatives. doomed SO large that it
has obscured the preacher. The ques-
ton Of the church of tomorrow is, Shall
there be more machinery or more
message? More organization, or more
spiritual life? More salaried officials,
or more disciples?
Will some day be cast off, in weari-
ness and impatience the innumerable
rules and practices and customs that
have so far come to overlap vital re-
Hgion that many persons mistake them
for religion itself?
The method of the Master was sim
phcity itself He made followers and
pupils; gave them of his best; and
then depended upon them to carry on
his mission. His aim was to impose
his personality and message upon them,
so that they partook Of his very spirit
and motive. He left a living gospel,
but no rules or restrictions. He was
more willing to trust his followers than
are modern leaders who bear his name.
A good many persons nowadays are
growing impatient of professional
church leaders" For it Is perceived
that often these men are not leaders,
but restrainers; they have to be i'm
PEELED to progress by forces outside of
themselves. 1t always has been the
history Of Christianity that the more
it is institutionalized the less Is its
real efficiency.
That is the knight-errant idea of life.
1t is not uncommon today, although
many prefer the snug berth idea. Such
persons desire only to be well fixed';
they would rather hold an easy. paying
job than do great work. Others, wiser,
dread becoming fixed" and thus ceas-
ing to grow. They seek to go forth to
ever-enlarging endeavor and life. Thus
while their conditions vary, their pur-
pose remains the same. To have what
came to those earliest disciples, an
ideal motive, mission and Master, is to
achieve supreme liberty Of life. With
these progress and change are inevita-
BILE, although such a career is truly the
most consistent.
The tug and pull, the chickering's and
jealousies, the scheming and contriving,
that are caused by the efforts of the
actors on life's stage to get into the
limelight is tremendously rebuked by
the conduct of such great man as
John. Christ's coming meant his going.
Henceforth he must stand in the
shadow. Did he sulk and grow bitter:
Not he. The end was the only thing he
considered. Therefore he could cheer
fully say He must increase, I must
decrease"