The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-23
Ry wtLLIAM T. ELLIS.


BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
7bi. is the day of dinners in reli
zion. Some cynical observers are
eov,ne, that the principal movement
of the laymen seems to be upon the
+at1as They get up a dinner for
every occasion. The chief religious
function of some leading laymen APP
pears to be to attend banquets ana
endorse good works by SOMEBODY
else More or less criticism of. tins
sort will not hurt and will probably
help the laymen; for they see, more
clearly than anybody else, the tend
ency of our busy times to substitute
resolutions by men got together lot
dinners for active. steady SHIRT
sleeves industry at the business OF the
kingdom.
There is a good precedent for the
fashion of giving laymens dinners.
1T was at the call of Matthew the
wealthiest of the disciples of the
Lord, that a great public dinner was
given in honor of Jesus. And Jesus
openly approved it. There IS q print
tive value on q common meal FOR
aees men got together about the
same camp fire, and shared the same
food even as they do today IN parts
of Asia. Men know one another pet
ter after they have eaten together:
Real Fellowship has been promoted
by the hundreds of laymens ON
ners given throughout the land dur
ing the past few years Now as IN
old Capernaum, they attract puphc
attention to the cause of the Guest
of Honor.
Men, Meals and Religion.
An old heresy, which exists more
widely in the popular thinking than
in books or speech, contencs that re-
IiGion belongs to the humble places
the cottage than in the palace. and
that it is irreligious to wear evening
clothes. The implication that Cnrls-
tianity is second-rate thing mas
been responsible for turning many
strong and successful men from II
So it is good to see the leading Dusl-
ness men of a city gathered ABOUT
the tables of the best hotel CONSIDER
ing the things that make for the
progress of Christ's kingdom among
men.
Religion is the best thing, and 1t |
claims the best people. There are
no social lines in the kingdom OF
heaven but it is important to let |
the world. which values these things, /
know that the leaders Of earth are
disciples in the kingdom. And the
Master needs all classes and kinds or |
men, to put his new spirit into them
all. The criticism has been widely |
and unjustly made, that Wall street |
is running the Men and Religion |
Movement. If some of the great fnan- |
ciers of the country are eager to serve |
God and the WOTlQ LAllS
agency let us rejoice; and pray that |
they may themselves learn all the
truth that this movement has faith |
fully preached. Let us not, in any |
pettiness of pride. refrain from trying ,
to win the biggest of men, by this |
worlds standards, into the company !
of discipleship. The Master needs |
their largeneSs of vision, their mod
ernity, their skill in doing great tasks.
The church should take the men VINO
can take city.
Worldly wisdom is not going to
transform this world, but worldly
wisdom may be the handmaiden of
the Spirit of God, who alone will
a little group of men, most of them
very wealthy, met in the Union
league, New York, as a Men and Re
ligion committee. It was suggestive
to see the host, one of New York's
leading citizens. say grace as natur-
ally as in his own home. Jesus the
working man, was once glad to be
guest at a great feast made in His
honor by a business man whose repu-
tation had been decidedly shady We
may we'll beware of falling into the /
snobbery of the poor as well as into |
the snobbery of the rich. The broth |
erhood of Jesus touches life at all
levels.
The Rout of Gloom.
Fashions change in faith, as men
enter into a fuller understanding of
the mind of God. The Puritan did !
not see much joy in religion. To |
him the escape from eternal doom !
was such a serious business that he |
acted as though it were sinful to be |
glad. We know better now. Our |
faith today is attuned to the note of |
Joy. Some shallow thinking persons
are trying to make a complete creed |
out of mere optimism; which is car
rying a truth to absurd lengths. But |
hope, and not fear; joy, and not sor-
row; cheerfulness, and not gloom, are
the vogue among Christians today. |
Religion is advertised by its sunny
friends.
The gloom-guard got after Jesus
They disapproved of his going to a /
banquet, especially with a miscel-
laneous crowd. Their program of re-
ligion was the ascetic one of John |
the Baptist and the Pharisees But
this sunny, wholesome, normal Man, |
who was also Gods completest pos
sible expression of himself, spoke an !
unequivocal word for the social side
of life. He declared that there is
a time for feasting, as well as a time
for fasting. The Teacher who had
hallowed the wedding feast at Cana
sanctified the joys of life, as well as
its duties. Indeed, joy itself may be
q duty. The Guest at the publicans
feast has a message to our time con-
corning well-rounded living.
The Financier's New Job.
There is prosperous business man
in Philadelphia who has given up the
making of an income, in order to de-
vote all his time to furthering the
cause of missions. He thinks he has
been promoted. Certainly he is in the
gOodly fellowship of the Apostle Mat
thew. That is what he did. A pros
porous member of a despised class
of tax collectors, Matthew was one
day sitting at the receipt of custom
in his office, we would say nova
days-in the thriving city of Caper-
naum- What thoughts filled his mind