The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-10-18
HOWtO Conserve The Religious
Life Of The City of Richmond
~ LEVI 7. PENNINGTON.

~ LEVI r. PENNINGTON.
II Is not strange that the "conserv.
alton movement" should have reached
this body; and this question is as
much more important than the con-
servation movement of Roosevelt and
Pinchot as spiritual things are more
important than coal and forests and
water power. The religious life of
any community is it's most valuable
asset. even though commercial clubs
and Improvement societies may not
recognize the fact And the conserva-
ton OF this religious life is matter
Of vast moment to any community.
How may the religious life of the
community be conserved? Well in the
first place. as any other possession is
conserved, by avoiding waste, by see-
ing to II that the religious life is not
dissipated.
How the church of God in the world
has failed here. time out of mind!
What volumes of religious life have
been wasted in INSTRUMENTATION
rivalry! The Methodist proselytes
from the Quaker. and the Quaker
makes reprisal on the Congregation.
alist. and he in turn reaches over -
the Presbyterian or the Baptist or
the Lutheran. and enriches himself at
their expense. And none seem to
realize that we are all. IL worthy the
name of Christians, but workers in
the vineyard Of the Lord. and that II
we could tear from its place one Of
His plants and make 1t grow in the
part of the. vineyard that we are tend
ing. there would be no real gain to
the Master Of the vineyard. whereas
the tearing up and transplanting Of
the vine cannot fail of doing it, and
therefore the vineyard, real harm. II
the religious life of this or any other
community Is to be conserved, the
leaders of the church of God. under
whatever name. must put aside all
thought of one denomination profiting
at the expense of another. and all
must labor for the common cause In
terdenominational rivalry is a terri
BILE dissipater of religious life.
Worldliness Is another great cause
Of the loss Of spiritual life. When a
body Is charged with electricity it is
necessary II 1t is to retain that
charge. that Is should be insulated
And II we are to hold our spiritual life
we must be spiritually insulated from
the kingdom of evil. The teachings
of the entire word are that we are not
to be Of the world. even though for
long time we are to be in the world.
We are to come out from among the
world and be separte. for God desires
a peculiar people. a people from His
own possession, because like Himself.
How the religious life of the church
has been dissipated by worldliness!
The dance. the card table. the theater.
the billiard room. the Sunday spin in
the auto at the expense Of the church
service. the use Of tobacco. careless
ness in speech, these things and 9TH
ers of like character break down the
moral and spiritual insulation Of the
church. and the electrical charge OF
spiritual power is dissipated. And
not only do these things break the
spiritual insulation but eventually
they cut the wire that connects with
the great power house. and the moral
and spiritual life are gone. Some
times the church. Samson-like. does
not recognize this loss of power. but
says. II will arise and shake myself.
as at other times" only to find that
the Lord has departed.
This great leak Of worldliness must
be stopped. II the spiritual life and
power of the church is to be conserv.
ed. And we who are ministers must
stand to the truth, and far on the
safe side. II we are to be true "con.
servationists." Worldliness does not
come upon the church at once. Like
Israel OF old, we begin to desire to be
like the nations round about. In
speech. in dress, in business attitude
in amusements. in one thing after an.
other we become, contrary to the
word. "conformed to this world till
II God Himself knows that we are
not of the world, certainly the world
does not recognize 1t. Worldliness on
the part of the church must be pre-
vented II We are not to lose our re
ligious life.
Again. wrong emphasis is a great
dissipataer or religious life. The ap
prevail of men. good as it is: is often
exalted, till 1t becomes a god, and the
religious life dies as loyalty to Jesus
Christ 10 replaced by desire for the
approval Of men. The club replaces
the church; the secret order. with Its
aims that are good in part, takes
the place Of the church. the best or
ganization in the world: the moral life
10 emphasized above the religious
which being greater includes the NOR
al; money 10 made the thing to be de
sired. and the dollar is placed SO close
to the eye that 1t shuts out the light
Of the sun and all the stars. Wrong
emphasis. and the spiritual life IL
wasted.
Another great source Of waste In
religious life 10 the failure in on,
work with the children. The child 1,
naturally religious and the Man o.
Gahlee understood the child hear,
when He said, "Of such is the king
dom Of heaven" The church OF God
however. in spite of the Quaker
"birthright membership" and the in
FAINT baptism Of other nominations
has failed to conserve the religious
life of the young, to such an extern
that even among ministers those car