The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-11-14
AT THE BAPTIST CHURCH

Although there were some special
features at the other churches. when
the second bell rang a the Baptist
church Sunday morning there was a
large congregation present, and those
who were on hand certainly heard an
exposition of what constituted a warm
church by Pastor Chapman that not
only held their closest attention but
furnished the subject on which pretty
near the whole congregation was talk
ing on their way home from church.
Before the sermon. however. he made
a few comments on the association held
at Spar during the past week Also
he spoke of the needs Of the home for
aged ministers. and proposed that on
Sunday, the 26th, special Offering be
taken for that worthy object, and it
behooves the members of the church
not to forget their pocketbooks when
| they attend the service that day, as
there are few lines of church work
that appeal with more direct sympathy
| to the human heart than that of a min
| lister Of Gods word who thru misfor-
| tune or Inadequate salary finds him
| self in his old age with nothing laid by
on which to live till the Master calls,
so don't forget either the date or your
purse.
Mr.. Chapman had advertised his
topic as "a Warm Church" OF course
he didn't allude to physical conditions,
as Brother Atkins electric fans attend
to that part of the work and although
the thermometer may be soaring like
one Of Wright's biplanes, yet those
| fans do the work so thoroughly that
it is not only a duty but solid comfort
/ -;t IN, ha jr1n TOW
selected by the speaker was from the
| first few verses of Rev. >, and in eX
position of the same he said that a
warm church was one in which was to
| be found the most love, work and pa
| tience That unless church within
itself was governed by love among the
| members. patience with the frailities
| of each other, and a living, moving ac-
| tiyity in all works belonging to the
| church. then was that church cold.
| which was only another name for being
dead. Strangers quickly realize when
they visit church for the first time
| whether 1t is a warm a cold church.
That it takes something besides artistic
decorations and classical music to
make a live or warm church and when
there is an evident want of spiritual
warmth in the worship. strangers will
not care to visit again.
| In speaking of worship he said that
every part of the service was worship;
| that the song, the prayer. the reading
of Gods word were fully much a
part of the worship the sermon.
and that was a warm church in which
all the congregation united in taking
part He told of visiting in Spurgeon's
TIA bernacle in London. and when he
with a party Of other Americans was
| shown to seat we'll up In front the
occupant of the pew came and well
| coined them. furnished them with books
| and did all in her power to prove that
| that church was a warm proposition
and further than that he noticed that
| the whole audience were evidently
taking part in the service, even the
ushers a they showed people to seats
held their books in their hands and
did their share Of the singing. All of
which proved that that tabernacle was
a warm church.
He told of a train running through
Georgia, when passenger asked an
other what they raised in that part OF
the United States. The man spoken to
said he didn't know. but a stranger
spoke up and said. Friend. I will tell
you what they raise down here in old
Georgia. They raise men and women.
The pastor thought that the great
need of Florida churches was men and
women. and to that end that the
churches might be all warm churches
the members should get out among the
shut-n and not only show their in
tereSt for them by their presence. but
should tell TO them the parts Of the
service and points Of the sermon which
pleased them while taking part in the
sa me.
At the close Of the sermon the pas
tor was sincerely thanked and congrat-
ulated by the audience present for the
beautiful and eloquent discourse he had
given them. Two new members were
received into the church fellowship.