Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-05-08
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THE EXPRESSION OF RELIGION.

THE EXPRESSION OF RELIGION.
By Henry F. Cope.
And whosoever shall give to drink
unto one of these little ones cup of
cold water only in the name Of dis
c1ple, verify | say unto you, he shall
in nowise lose his reward"-Matt x,
A.
The greatest present need in religion
is the discovery and use of adequate
nethods Of practical expression Of our
beliefs and emotions. There are more
than sufficient forms and means of oral
expression; we need to know how we
may put into work and service the
ideals, aspirations, passions, concep-
lions and convictions that make ones
religion.
No healthy being can be content to sit
and listen to sermons forever. Many
turn from the church and the organized
forms Of religion because these too
often simply seem to be arrangements
! for satisfying the desire for better
things here by listening to fowery de-
scriptions Of a fairer world and an
ideally adjusted social order somewhere
else.
Feelings move the world but the life
! of feeling alone soon becomes a living
falsehood. The finer the emotions that
are Sedulously nurtured and then de-
MED their normal expression, the great
er the damage to the life. This life of
ours needs fine feelings deeply stirred,
but only that we may be moved to do
the things of which we dream and right
the wrongs over which we weep.
A man feels this strongly in religion.
He Is conscious of the worlds sin and
sorrow he knows it's imperfections and
his own; he is moved to righteous in
dignation against social abuses and
enormities he is stirred to longing af-
ter lofty, spiritual ideals; but unless
he is already atrophied by emotions I'M
expressed he is crying. What can we
do about these things?
1t often seems that all that is being
done, as definite expression of religious
ideals, to bring about better conditions
|
done outside the church. The churches
furnish the stimulus and leave to juve-
nile courts mothers congresses, child
| labor leagues, to the many OrganiZa-
tons that care for the helpless and de-
| fenseless these things that the great
Master Himself began to do amongst
| men.
All these movements for the better
ment OF our neighbOrs and our race are
! good and it is not much use our talking
about our religion unless we are doing
| our part along with all those who seek
| to wipe away needless tears and redeem
humanity from darkness, who feed the
hungry and clothe the destitute. No
| man needs to worry over his spiritual
life if he is moved by the spirit of sac
rificing love for his fellows, if he is Civ
ing himself thus to them.
Yet sometimes we feel that such
| means are too formal for the full, free
| living out of the religious life. We
can only touch these great problems
| occasionally and in spots; whatever we
may do through organizations, there
! still remains much of our faith without
adequate expression. Do we not here
need to learn of him who taught men
| so well the religious life?
The best way to put our religion into
our lives is to live his kind of a life, to
| be Just what the man of Nazareth was
| to men, friend to every one whom he
met. Full, free, living friendship is the
best avenue for the expression Of the
! best in any of u.s. and the faith that
/ does not make a man a friend amongst
men is not the faith of the great friend
of sinners.
Our world needs friends. Folks need
| more than movements, organizations,
and impersOnal machinery for their re-
lief they need folks, eyes that look into
theirs hands that touch theirs lips that
| frame simple words of kindness, hearts
that go out to their own and, fusing in
the fire of sympathy, lift their hearts
and raise their eyes to better things,
to hope and cheer and happiness.
How simple it all is, how sufficient,
Just to be true, helpful friend to ev-
cry other one, to look on him, not with
the critics eye, but with friendships
eve of faith; to lift him, not officially
but with brothers tenderness and
strength, just to go about amongst men
with the strength, cheer, sympathy and
helpfulness of the friendship that lifts
and ennobles
CANTANKEROUS GOODNESS.
BY Rev. Charles F. Aked, D. D.
Let not then your good be evil spoken
of--RomanS Il :16
Too much of the goodness of this
world is cantankerous goodness.
1t is a rule of universal applica-
bility. full of universal fruitfulness If
you are going to do thing, do it.