Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-29
The International Sunday School Les
son for May is "PauI's First Mis-
sionary Journey-Cyprhus." Acts
1912.
THE EXTENDED LIFE.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
One explanation given for the pres"
ent amazing interest of laymen in the
missionary cause is that they are not
content with small life, circumscrib-
ed by the bounds of their own secular
business. The spirit of the times I'M
pels them to seek a cosmopolitan in
fiuence. There has been preached the
doctrine of the strenuous life and the
doctrine Of the simple life. Now moro
popular than either, we hear the doc
trine of the extended life.
This twentieth century mood chords
with the spirit of the early Christian
church. Restless and outreachinS, the
first disciples sought to bear their
message as widely as they could They
early caught vision of a church life
which was one, whether expressed at
home or abroad They who abode by
the stuff should share in the honor
and reward equally with those who
went forth to fight. The missionary
enterprise was the church's enterprise
and not the peculiar undertaking OF
the missionary himself. This appears
plainly in the story recorded III the
Book of Acts, and it depicts the nor
NAL condition for church.
Won and Winning.
The first formal and organized mis-
sionary expedition Of the Christian
church is related in this lesson. Sig
nificantly. the story begins with =
statement of the condition of the
church at Antioch, which had become
a center of Christian activity, though
it in itself was the result Of nnssior'
airy endeavor 1t may yet again hap
pen, as it happened in those early
days and often since, that the new
centers created by aggressive extern
sion work became in turn the main
headquarters of Christian power and
influence. Antioch had strong church
with prophets and teachers. 1t was
a representative company of believers,
numbering both the high and the
humble On it's roll were sucn dis
tinguished names as Saul and Barna-
has and Simeon and Lucius, and the
fosterbrother of Herod the Tetrarch
The last named indicates how one
man may follow folly and his brother
seek wisdom.
The Antioch church was, at home
strong in the missionary spirit. This
| is the big concern of present day
Christendom Once Christians prayed
| for open doors in the pagan world
Now there are more open doors than
the church is willing to enter. The one
great problem of Christian extension
today is the problem of the home
church: her interest in the broader
work. her devotion and her spirit of
sacrifice. One may read many signs
that the providential awakening of the
nonC Christian world, and the wide
flung doors of opportunity, are being
| followed by widespread moving
upon the hearts Of Christian people by
the Spirit of God, so that the con.
seriousness of Christendom Is being
aroused to the meaning of these new
| times.
A few days ago there met In
| Toronto the first National Missionary
Congress ever assembled anywhere
Fortv-two hundred strong men, repre-
senting every part Of the Dominion
and every walk in life came together
to consider what is Canada's duty as n
nation toward the evangelization OF
the whole world. A similar congress
Is projected for the United States, to
be held in st. Louis next March. Such
| facts as these deserve to be written
in the same category with the annals
of the missionary movement that be
gan at the. Antioch church.
Some Sent Men.
No more important task ever en-
cages church's thought than the
selection Of her missionaries. II used
to be somewhat causual matter
Whoever was moved to offer himself
was accepted for foreign service. To
day the great denominations are more
particular In the choice of their for
eign ambassadors than are the great
nations. The churches can better af
ford to place in their biggest methro
politan pulpits second rate men than
they can afford to send such men to
the non-C Christian world. The Autoich
church had a wholesome sense Of the
gravity Of it's undertaking when II
obeyed the call to set apart Barnabas
and Saul for foreign service.
Out of the heart of this strong and
strategic church were plucked it's two
leading members, that they might &C
forth on q mission. 1t was call Of
God. Then, as now, the call came tc
the picked men. Only such are quail
fled for missionary service This is
no mere career where men may find
a life work and an interesting occu
patton. 1t is a mission reserved only
for those who have felt the constrain
ing impulse of the Divine Spirit.
That Saul should become a mission
airy was written in his very character
He had the imperial vision and the
Of the American home and to the re
sponsibility of the American citizen.
I shall recur to this topic In more