Evening star., 1909-08-22

VVY TIAT would the fans who
VI attend the Sunday base ball
kAS games in some large cities
w say TO a proposition to open
the proceedings with prayer?
The idea is startling, but DR.. Bruce
Barton almost compdsses 1t In
nuopgsitiun he advances in re-
cent issue Of the Home Herald. II is ad-
dressed mainly 10 preachers and offered
as a substitute TO the annual crop of
sermons nu SUNDAY base ball that viii
bc uttered. ltc SAYS, as in previous years,
without the conviction that tigey are to do
any rrat good. and viii be read with II
sense ol tire fut.lIty of tie whole propa-
gaudd IN Barton, p!cturiug in imagi-
ration Inc Sunday crowd, has thought,
"WiIslt 3u audience. what u magnificent
audience. and All wastcd,' He suggests
that half d dozen OF the leading pastors
III New York and an equal number in
Chicago and Boston aud the other large
cities where leagu" games are played,
should 80 to the pres dents Of the base
ball g}uuS and say something like this:
See here, you have the people at your
parks whom We want to reach. They
need us. When they know for what we
have come they viii welcome us. There
is always an interval Of a few minutes
after the teams have unbent In practice
and before the game starts. Let us have
those few minutes. Advertise the fact
that you have let lis have it, if you Will.
our churches VIII join together and fur
uish q hand which viii play sacred music
while the practice goes on. And during
that interval q half dozen of us who are
known in the citN, who are big and
strong and have good vo-ces, viii rise i'll
different paris - the stand and talk for
tHFtC minutes on the love of God. We
viii be short and careful not to delay
the game, but We want - reach the peo-
pie
The humor Of the situation does not
pass DR. Barton. who rises above it.
however, to picture tie results. Thus:
1t is unique, I gdmit--StartIing. even.
We should be hnrrihed at first to see
flaming POSTERS announcing Cubs VS..
Giants prs Jones. Smith, Rabbi Gold
stein ana Father Murphy will speak
but looked IL from tIe viewpoint of Him
who came 10 save that which was lost.
- Far AS We can gam His viewpoint, 1t
does not seem 10 me irreyerent. j can
imagine the sstIuo crowd rs the practice
went on. sitting while tile band pa yed
What Il Friend We Have in Jesus and
then bending forward, with much cram
ing ii urCks and here and there a
snickcr, as, away down in front "A man
arose 10 speak. httle man would
spell il. Ii would have 10 lie some one
big. like Rev. Dr. Charles parkhurst, or
Eey. Er. Frank Gunsaulus. oT Rev. DR..
John Balcom Shaw, or Rev. DIR. Robert
Burdottc."
Br Barton gives a sample of the kind
Of sermon, short and simple, that these
clergymen might present, at the end Of
which the band might be called upon to
lead the crowd in singing Jesus. Lover
Of NV Soul" lie goes on:
at seems TO me that even a base ball
crowd would respond. I can believe that
the whole company would rise and stand
revcrently. hats in hand. during the play
ing of that hymn. The sermon would
hc short, hurried, perhaps, and there
vouId be many TO sccff. But II there
he any virtue in the simple presenta-
ton Of the message, IL street-preaGhing
and evangelism have any justification,