The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-05
vIRGINIANs WEEKLY SERMON
The Spiritual Side of Things

, We were dead. This is life" to know
thee" We are 10 cultivate the spiritual
aspects OF coma mon HE.
Then consider the matter of wor-
ship. All my readers are familiar
with the common tendency 10 dwell
( in the outsides of things when we
presume ~ worship the Eternal God
X We could listen 10 the members OF
congregation as they retire from
the sanctuary after Sunday ser
vice, ~e should find that a large pro-
portion Of them were concerning
themselves with The letter to the tx
nertng VI the Spirit. Some would
SPEAK al the rendering of THE anthem
aud never mention the message OF
God. others would speak about the
oratnry OF the sermon and never hint
at the sacred message from the Eler-
mai Father Others might criticise
the grammar and be Needless 0f the
wind thai 'bioWeth whore 1t IiSteth -
We So frequently regard oar worship
as a matter Of words of OF attitudes
and forms. Now the I,ord would fas-
ten our eyes on the spiritual aspects
81 worship. II is not thai lie despises
the ministry OF forms. or that He
! wishes Us to contine the form TO
something unfinished and ugly Tie
desires strength and beauty in
mis- sanctuary" But He teaches that
q beautiful form may he a minister
OF death unless il il possesSed hy tha
ivitaiizing spirit uf life, And 81 lIe
would lead us to dwell on the upper
side OF worShil,~~the sbEr{tDal sjt.
the higher sph.ro whore M. s,,,t hs,I,f
/ communion with the Eternal He
! would have us listen to the anthem
rom The inside, catching a liner music
wot,1d ba,.a NO tts.I'. ''p
from, th. t,,s.,i, - 9ei Hio'i
,yhnse 90 -. ~ - Wv A"'|@
sb,.t,,aa H. - "S FA
49,. -. - 'tN" sh',sNh' re Moutd
40, rom the ihSlae' spirit
fI'nt .p,'tI, my EN- aftassed hE the
! A. ~, 10y a'lo" Ing ourselves to ne him
oefed oS any posture. but seeking the
SUI place "hert We meet Him face
- iaee' Ahd SO We are 10 emphasize.
not tue beauty Of music. but the beau
! y oi holiness. not the amount Of the
glft, but the spirit of the giVer FOR
the gift without the giyer is bare"
Ny son, give me thine hsarf
! And then there is the spiritual side
III work, ihere liz nothing more com
mon than the habit Of living in the
ohfsfaes Of dahH labor. We come to
I regard our ordinary time exclusively
as means or employment, and
machinery by which we earn our daily
/ pF@ad. Ana Just because we SO tive in
the oatsldes OF work, IL is often ex-
uenei% ~earyiug and oppressive If
| We tted on the spiritual side Of our
Gazing We should IND Il summer realm
ana clearer, hne air, For how does the
| i%Fd teach AS 10 regard ~ We are to
regard ii as means of grace, Il min
/ feG@ 'hY which We are. not only TO
earn our daily bread but through which
gbs l. II =
is to be helpfneet, not only for en-
| richlng the purse, bat for enrlching
character. The great test when the
DAYS work is done is not the work IL
self bat the condition Of the worker
What Is he like at the close Of the
DAY lf he has been living on the
mere outsides of labor he may have
enlarged his bank account while he
himself has hetpm" smaller man. II
ne has been living on the spiritual side
~ TABOR. then, even though his purse
should reveal a disappointing day. in
the eyes of heaven he has been sue
cessful and has enlarged his inheri-
lance,
Look again at the spiritual side ar
nature MANY or us rarely got he-
. Yaud the realm NJ th. senses Apd 81 >
realm is not one to be despised WonN
derfullv gracious is the ,niniHtrv ~
song and color and perfumo hnt wa
limit the. purpose. OF the Aln1irhtp ~
we only seek our Satisfaction ia ,by,st
cal delights. New worlds come INFO
view when we seek the st,irtt,,at stdeq
of our natural SURROUNDINGS IT must
have been mighty exper,ence IN walk
down a country lane with John R1sl,in
but what must have been the exncr-
fence to move among the wonders ana
beauties Of creation in the company Of
Jesus Christ, What revelations must
have come TO these who walked with
HIM through the corutleld ar anon 9
the lilies on the mountain sIopp ar
stood with Him on the shore by n
breaking wave! Everything was like
an envelope. and He opened II ~ find
the message. And even though We are.
far from being experts in The eractuus
IA. w4., all haNp satsas yssAv2Vs- IN fs.ei4
phering the hidden gianitiVance If
Gods world And II is AN art that
grows bv exercise. Let as ronfrou. tne
ffprfuF IA ueh fhprn resreas ..