Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-11
POPULAR SABBATH
DIVERSIONS BARRED
Pastor Condemns Crowds, Ex-
element and Other Elements
of Sunday Observance
DAY or MEDITATION, He SAYS
Declares One Church Service and
Communion in Solitude
Is Proper
DAY or MEDITATION, He SAYS

Hilarity, spectacular display and
amusement on the Sabbath were yes
tetrday denounced by the Rev. e. stan
ton Hodgin of the First Unitarian
church in a sermon in which he treat
ed, particularly, the opportunity and
temptations of the established Sunday
holiday.
Substantially Mr. Hodgin condemns
the man who, toiling six days a week,
"casts himself t.drift on Sunday as so
many persons do. entering the day
without a thought or purpose as TO
how it is to be used"
The beaches, auto rides, carriage
drives, sports Of all kinds and all forms
of a strenuous Sunday are tabooed.
According to Mr.. Hodgin's view, man
must attend church once during the
day to observe the Sabbath properly
the SOCIAL religious side," he calls it.
In addition, Mr.. Hodgin suggests that
he who would nourish his soul properly
should pass part of the day in the out
of doors, meditating IN solitude, far
from the crowds and excitement. He
particularly deplores these features of
the Sabbath.
The pastor said in part:
1.-THE only way Sunday or any other
day can be made a day of exaltation
and recreation is to decide definitely in
our highest moments what is the best
use to which it can be put and then
to adhere rigidly to that decision. This
is the only way 1t can be made a day
of rest.
SELF-INDULGENCE BARRED
SUNDAY should be made a day of
self-mastery and not a day of self-in-
diligence 1t is rising out of and above
ones ordinary self, not falling below
it, that sends one back to his work
with renewed energy and the glow of
life upon him. Casting oneself adrift
on Sunday, as so many people do; en-
tering the day without any thought
or purpose as to how it Is to be used,
leads very easily to the worst possible
abuse of Sunday. It is the open door
to a day of positive dissipation, to
surrender of the higher to the lower
nature. To many people Sunday, instead
of being an ascent to the heights, a day
OF physical, mental and spiritual ex-
altation; instead of being a day OF
true renewal of moral and spiritual
life, means a descent into the depths;
means degeneration, dissipation and
loss of character. his dos not neces
sarily mean through the indulgence of
positive vices, but the demoralizing
effect of habits of selfish purposeless-
ness which Sunday often helps fasten
upon us.
''I am not in favor of a strenuous
Sunday of any kind. The old custom
of having many religious services on
Sunday which people felt it a duty to
attend was reducing the day to the
same rush and strain and hurry and
grind of other days. 1t leaves no place
for quiet meditation and assimilation.
However, do not see how anything
can take the place of one religious ser
vice for beneficial effects to the nor
NAL life We are strengthened and
reinforced by coming together In the
cause of righteousness, having ones
thoughts directed to higher themes,
and our emotions purified by noble
music. These have a regenerating et-
feet and a power to bring us out or
ourselves and up to the heights as
nothing else can. In addition to this,
not little time can be proftably spent
in Gods out of doors. Not in crowds
not in hilarity and spectacular display
and amusement. We have too much
excitement, too much living in the SEN
sations constantly We want to get as
far away from this as possible.
WOULD NOURISH SOUL
''It should be a day in which the soul
gathers poise and strength from Ma
ture's serenity and tranquility. The
soul is not nourished and fed by ex-
citement and spectacle. The soul
gathers strength and nourishment by
quiet communion with Nature and Ma
ture's God That there are sermons
in stones and books in running brooks
we all know. Our deepest religious ex-
periences often come to us while alone
in Natures solitude. 1t was in the
woods that man first worshiped-tirst
felt himself in the presence of God,
and. looking out upon the universe,
discovered that It was divine. 1t is in
such ways that man cultivates his in
dividual religious nature.
"But this individual side, important
as it is, is not all sufficient Equally
important is the social religious side,
which finds expression by our meeting
our fellows on high planes and finding
God in our together aspiring. The ages
have proved the need Of the church to
supply this want. In these two ways,
by finding divinity in Nature and in
human nature, can Our Sunday be put
to its highest use, so that man will
return to his labor filled with the ex-
ultant feeling, Gods in his heaven;
alls we'll with tho world