El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-11-27

forward to the inviting fields that are
ripe already for the harvest.
Recently their appeared two novels
dealing with the mission of the church
Both were critical of the churches
present methods and program, and
both were widely read. The first,
The Calling of Dan Mathews ap-
peared about four years ago and in Il
the hero, a minister becoming aware
of the larger ministry of religion, felt
compelled to leave the church and
work through other agencies. In the
second, The Inside of the Cup the
hero, also minister, awakening to the
wider ministry of religion, resolved
to remain in the church and in the
pulpit and use them both for the ser
vice of the world. There is a grow
quate to the task assigned her and
that she will perform it.
Better Conception of God.
This new Keeling has its basis in
the new and better conception of God
which has become general in recent
yet II is not new It is of the very
substance Of the Old Testament scrip
lures, and voiced particularly by the
prophet jeremiah in the saying:
,TIhou, y Lord, art IN the midst OF US
Moreover, It is manifestly the concep-
ton which Jesus had, and which He
disclosed not only in His general atti-
tude Of familiar fellowship with the
Il
ing Ny Father Worketh until now
and I work
1T is the conception of God as i'm
minent in contrast to the conception Of
Him as transcendent, or If We use the
word of the brilliant French philosO-
pher of our own time. Henri Bergsen,
we would say 'vitaHstic' rather than
absent and unrelated to the world.
1T would be interesting to trace
the influence Of this modern concep-
7.7n rTr-rre4
For one thing, it has put behind US the
old controversy between science and
religion. Fifty years ago, as someone
has said; There was bitter struggle
on The theologian called the SCENT
list blasphemer, and the scientist
called the theOlOgian and idiot But
the smoke OF the battle has cleared
away and we are now aware that each
IS indebted to the other and all of Us
are indebted to both for this newer,
richer, grander and more intimate
ana helpful conception of God More
over, with this has come new feel
ing for humanity, new desire to be
helpful, to so rlinister-that the like
ness Of man to God may appear. Hence
there has arisen the whole social pro-
gram that IS at once so big and so
inviting. Christian doctrines and dog
mas are receding into their natural,
normal place in the thought and life
of the church.
we are not surrendering our con-
to override and suppress our natural
human sympathies, our desire to be
ministers OF mercy and love to fol-
low human beings We are tracing
again the lives which tell US of the
life Of our Lord and we are seeing in
them as never before the evidences Of
MS broad sympathies, his keen appre-
citation or human problems and his de-
sire TO help US in their complete So 9.
luton AS the result of all of this we
are thinking of the mission Of the
church IN terms OF the leaven. which
IS to leaTen the whole lump. rather than
IN terms Of the ark into which a few
are to be gathered while others are
left to perish With this fresh vision
Of our Lords spirit and passion, the
scattered forces Of his church are
uniting.
The old controversial spirit is CIV
ing place to the irenic spirit and the
great irenicOn Is the advance of the
kingdom Of God. The churches are
gradually coming to think OF them
selves as partners and comrades in
stead of opponents and rivals Union
meetings are being held, union cam
patgns are being conducted for mis-
SONS ana social betterment; Union
enterprises Of every sort are being set
on foot until the tide Of union senti-
ment rising higher and higher is be-
coming irresistible and 1t will sweep
US all in.
A New Day Coming.
I've cannot praise our Father
enough fer the new day that is COM
ing for the forward look of the |
church. for the truer conception we
are getting Of Him, for the larger Wis !
ion of duty and privilege that Is
coming to US, for the better feeling
toward all men that is pervading the |
hearts of His people. For the wider |
and richer fellowship we are having
IN Christian service, for the saner |
emphasis that is being placed upon |
the fundamentals of our faith and for |
the splendid courage and faith that is /
manifest in all our plans and pro- /
grams. Surely God is in the midst Of /
us and He is leading US on 10 great
er and still greater victories.
should Recall Individual BIesafnee
It is fitting also that we should I
recall our individual blessings. But /
how shall speak of these2 They 1
cannot be cataloged or summarized /
save by each one for himself or her I
self. Perhaps the best service I can /
render is to give some hint of how we /
may recognize and use the blessings /
that are given US. We may be very /
easily deceived and count as blessings /
only the pleasanter experiences. Per-
maps the greatest boon that can ever /
come to US IS the ability to perfectly /
estimate these experiences and so i
use them as to make life satisfying 4
and significant
1t would be a calamity for every 1
day to be clear and cloudIess IF
would be a disaster for life to have /
no sorrows, no hardships no prob 1
lens to meet and solve. But how i
shall We meet these experiences? This !
Is the problem Of philosophy. Long I
ago the wise men who gathered about i
the patriarch Job in his affIiction pre- /
sented a solution. They said: Curse 1
God and die Job had different phil 1
osOphy. he said: Though he sIav 1
me yet viii I trust him. Modern !
are dealing with the
same problem.
Rudolph Eueken. the brilliant Ger
man Of our own day. is saying that 4
the satisfying life must have a firm I
basis, spiritual anchorage; It must 4
have Initiative. the power to originate /
ana create. and it must be released (
from sordid motives That is & deem
" significant program. The poets also 4
have tried to tell US how to meet life's /
perplexing problems. its seeming de- /
feats.
There is something very delightful I
in the familiar lines of Robert Louis /
Stevenson. which read:
Under the wide and starry sky
Dig the grave and let me lie,
Glad did 7 live and gladly die
And ] laid me down with A will"
Not until we have learned to meet ;
LIES problems, its hardships, its seem
ing defeats. with a will are we able