Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-10-02
WORSHIP AND ITS WORTH.

/ will speak unto taee.-Ezek. 2: l.
The measure of the worth of any
worship must be in the increasing
worth of the worshiper. If we would
glorify the Creator, the best way will
be by making His creation more glo-
| rious God is not made more by max
| ing man less. True religion in every
way will inspire and lead men to larger
| living.
We have had enough of the religion
/ that thought of man as utterly de
PRAYED. that cnose to describe him as
vile worm of the dust, and that ex-
pressed it's highest wish in the prayer,
30, to be nothing, nothing" Man was
made to be something, and religion is
to help him to be something greater,
nobler, fairer than he ever mas
dreamed.
When a man has told the Almighty
| that he is only vile worm OF the
dust. his gratuitous information has
branded him as a hypocrite, for while
he may have accurately described him
| self, he would be the first to resent
our acceptance of his own estimate,
while at the same time he mas no right
to utter such libel on the race.
Worship is a reaching up toward
the worth while, that which Is worthy
! and inspiring Every endeavor for bet
ter. purer larger and more ideal liv-
ing is an act Of worship. Every pros
| tration in the dust, save in sincere con-
| fession of past failure and with speedy
rising to new endeavor, Is an ofense
against the love that has destined us
| for greatness.
The divine call to man is to stand
I'D and strive for the highest levels or
| life. Make the most of yourself, for
manhood has been given that we might
make it mean yet more. The godly
life is the life that grows IN good
illness, in godliness The reality of the
sense of the infinite may be meas
ured by the earnestness of our endeav-
or to attain to the beauty Of that life
in our own.
No man ever strives after such full
life without realizing how 1t both ne
cessitates and develops the spirit Of
humility, how, as one seeks after fair
er living, all the foulness and unwortn-
mess stands revealed. Yet we have to
learn to leave these things behind, to
cast off the old garments of weakness
i and wandering, and put on new glory
day by day.
Because man is the son of the Most
High ne is not afraid Of his Fathers
| face. and he never has found anything
too high for him. He is most like his
Father as he reaches out after the life
that is great and good and noble. TIL.
| children of the Most High are known
| everywhere as those who seek the high
| est life.
1t is the spirit Of God that makes
men aspire. Think no glory Of char
acter too great for you Look on life
| as simply heavens way of setting the
upward path before us, look on it's
every discipline as a call to true wor-
| climb somehow nearer to the face of
the infinite goodness.
/ would rather trust the honor Of
| the man who is conscious Of being an
| erect animal than that of the one who
| interprets his religion in terms of self
abnegation the latter is liable to live
! up to his own specifications If we
would have men upright in their ways
we must aid them to be upright in
| their worship.
This world needs men who will stand
up on their feet; who are not afraid dS
| being individuals, who can be counted
and who can be counted on. That was
the glory of that goodly life lived long
ago in Judea and Galilee; it counted
| as an individual life. 1t was q life
that stood up and has cried to all our
! lives ever since, Stand up, look up,
| lift up."
Men have seen the divine in that
| life because il lifted itself toward the
divine. 1t has become worthy of wor-
| ship because 1t constantly worshiped
| by becoming more worthy. 1t has lift
ed lives because 1t has gone on rising
to higher Levels So if any life would
| truly worship, it must realize it's own
dignity, its own glorious destiny, and,
standing upright, strive out and up for
| fullness OF living.