The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-03-06

our efficiency by such scattering of our ef-
tort? Could we do better and more perma-
nent work with fewer organizations, and if we
could, why do we not do SO? As a matter of
TACT we do not need so many churches. Here
IN the city proper we could well get along with
three churches, and the suburbs could be sup
phed readily from these centres and be sfii-
lated with them. The religious life of the
community could be unified then, and l am
sure be far more effective in it's service. I'm
possible, some one saysl And say, surely i'm
possible as long as we care more about par
ticular organization particular doctrine,
than we do about the Kingdom of God and its
advancement But set it down here that the
Time is surely coming when here, as elsewhere,
there will be fewer organizations and more
effective work accomplished in the church. 1t
must be a matter of education-a broadening
OF our religious sympathies and interests,
I Withdrawing of present day emphasis upon
non essentials in many quarters. For, after all.
many of US are nearer together than we realize
and only matters that not fundamental to
the spread of the Kingdom of God keep us in
our separate ways Some day we will be large
enough in our hearts and minds to set these
things aside and unite our divided energies for
the greater glory of the Kingdom of our Lord
The next very apparent thing in local religi-
Gus conditions is that this is not church going
community Seven eighths of the people of
this city are not to be found in it's twelve
places of worship on Sunday. most careful
estimate sased on figures received from the
different churches and places where worship
is conducted shows average of less than six
hundred people in these places at the Sunday
services. To be sure it is not always the same
six hundred, but that only goes to prove
further that among the people who do 90
to church there is no marked regularity of
purpose; that for many it is apparently
as easy remain away as it is to
go to church. Perhaps if all the peo-
pie who do plan to attend the church services
were more regular in their attendance, the
proportion would be increased materially. But
here is the fact of the case, that every Sunday
in the year finds seven eighths of the people
away from religious services and only one
eighth gathered for united worship to God.
Naturally one may ask why this is So The
VI SPTl.
Gus question to ask themselves than this why
is it that every Sunday we fail to reach seven
eighths of the people. How much of it is due
to a failure the part of the many to appre-
clate the real meaning of the day of rest, that
recreation means to re-cr ate, not to change
ones activity in such way as to be as physi-
caily exhausted at the end of Sabbath day as
at the end of working day. How much of it
Is due to a failure of the church to indentify
Itself closely with the life of the times, and to
reveal itself not alone place where prayer
Is wont to be made but as an institution pro-
foundly concerned with all that pertains to a
mans life? How much of it is due to its fall
ure to clothe its thought in the language of to-
day and to the effort to bind people to tradi-
tions they feel are outgrown? And how murh
of 1T IS due to the sheer and utter Indifference
to the claim of Jesus Kingdom upon their
lives, upon the part of the many so much out
of touch with His church? These are all
quest tions that need to be met and answered as
we stand before situation today that finds
seven-elghths of our people out of touch with
re!1glous servlces every Sabbath of the wear
1t is true this is a condition which prevails
elsewhere in American cities, but our question
TODAY is why it confronts US and how shall we
remedy it? Among the people who do attend
church services the largest maj Jrity are fe-
males. We hear much today about mems
movement in the church. Certainly it has had
no influence on local religious cond tions Men
are IN the minority in the most gigantic move
ment on the earth. We have not single in
dustry in the community that employs as many
people as are solemnly pledged to maintain the .
work OF the church in the city. 1t is the great
est business in the community, for it stands
fer the success of those things upon which
the continued prosperity of the business world
rests. For if you let the moral and religious
life of a people ebb. you laying bare the
Hats upon which commercial enterprises must
be stranded. You cannot float commercial ac-
tivity long, either honestly or successf fully, on
an ebb tide of spiritual life among a people
Now, why is it, in these days when men are
getting together to boom things here that
lhs great business of the religious life must
be eft SO overwhelmingly in the hands Of
women to be carried forward. Why can We
not boom" the religious life as we'll as COM
merolal enterprises? Why cannot men link
thems elves with the church, be known as
church members, and stand together to create
larger sentiment for the kingdom of God
among their fellows. Surely, in the nine diff.
ferent faiths represented in the twelve or
CARNATIONS in his city there is room some-
where for man to have all the intellectual
freedom and all the form or lack of form he
deems essential for him to worship and to
serve God. The church, through its glorious
history manifestly ordained of God to
lead the work of His Kingdom in the
world, surely ought to have the full and active
support of every man who has the best inter-
ests of the community at heart. I cannot see
anywhere better "boom" that could possibly
come to this fair city of ours than an inflow
of vigorous manly life into the business of its
churches and a getting together of the men of
all the churches in an effort to do for their
business what is being attempted and accom-
pllshed in the other business enterprises of
the city. do not spend time discussing why
men have been uninterested, because they
know the reasons as we'll if not better than