River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-01-21
A LOST ART


which he does not speak, which has
in this country at least, become
far more lost art than any he does
mention; and that is the worship of
Almighty God. That il has for
Americans become largely lost art
needs no proof. Unbelievers do not
worship nor pretend to, and of pro-
Tossing Christians comparatively
few seem to have any adequate idea
of the duty, the privilege or the
grace of worship. Go, on a Monday,
to any one hundred persons around
you, who attended religious services
on Sunday, and ask them their rea-
son for so doing, and no doubt the
majority will tell you they went to
hear Mr.. So-and-so preach, never
dreaming apparently that there
should have been another and a
higher reason. Mr.. Green does not
go to church because he does not
like Mr., Whites preaching" and
Mrs. Green does not go because
they have such horrid singing"
Mrs. Brown does not go because SO
few have called on her." Mrs.
Grundy does not go because she is
mad at Mrs. Mills. Mr. Mills does
not go because he does not like the
minister. Mr.. Hill does not go be-
cause he is hard of hearing" His
son does not go because he does not
like preaching anyway; and his SON
in-law does not go because he says
he can read better sermons at home
in the magazine section of the Sun
day Gazoot. Your friend, Mr.. Next
door, tells you you must come and
"hear" their new minister. You
meet the minister himself, and he
invites you to come and hear him
preach. The Thompsonians are
building a new church. One of the
deacons said that all they wanted
church for was to see and hear in,
so they had theirs built after the
plan of the M etrop olita n Opera
House.
What does all this indicate? 1t
shows plainly enough that worship
has, for the great body of the Amer
lean people, become one Of the lost
arts. If the purpose of church-go-
ing be to hear a sermon. then these
men talk reasonably enough. If
the end of church-going be to see
and be seen, to hear Mr.. Eloquent
pray at you and preach to you, or
hear four people sing to you, or
hear one man play on the organ for
your entertainment, then it is
sensible thing for the Thompson
ians to build their church after the
plan of the Metropolitan Opera
House. But if that be not the true
purpose of church, then it is an
other matter. And, if the one great
purpose of churches and church-at-
tendance be the worship of AL
mighty God, then, whether Mrs.
Green likes the singing, or Mr..
Blank likes the preacher or preach
ing does not enter into the question
at all. They ought to go to church
and they ought to go there for the
worship of God. Whether they like
the music or preaching, their like
has nothing to do with the privilege
and the duty of joining in the pub
lie worship of Almighty God. That
is duty, bounden duty, resting
upon all Christian men; and alas for
our land if men do not come to
know it and act accordingly. We
say that "The heather, in his blind
ness, bows down to wood and
stone" But this much may be said
for him and it is a great deal-he
has clear and definite notion of
the privilege and duty of worship"
He believes in God of some sort,
in some one outside of him and be-
yond him, better or at least more
powerful than himself, and that to
Him he owes worship and adora-
ton. So il is that the pagan before
his idol or the Mob ammedan in his
mosque, is at least worshipper,
and that is a great deal more than
can be said of the average Ameri-
can. The heather before his god
stands and kneels; he falls down;
he prostrates himself in worship
and alteration. How often may
we look and look in vain, in many
Christian congregation for any tok-
en- that they worship anybody or
ANYTHING, unless it be the preacher,
or the organ, or the quartette.
Looking, hearing and seeing would
seem to be the great reason for their
meeting together. So they will sit
and sit through the whole service;
listen while one man talks or prays,
or while four people sing to them;
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