The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-15
Why | Go to Church
ny PRESIDENT w. A. HARPER,
Zion College, n. c.

Recently / was asked to tell In five
minutes why l 20 to church. / am
glad ] was requested to discuss this
question rather than the more usual
one why men do not go to church.
/ go to church for many reasons
all Of them sound ones to me.
First, my Master did 1t was his
custom to attend the synagogue and
temple services regularly, though
there were many things that occurred
in both which His soul abhorred--
which leads me to say that no man
has the right to absent himself from
divine worship because connected with
1t are things which he would prefer
changed 1t Is his privilege to work
prayerfully for the changes desired.
but his duty is to be regular in his
attendance. Since Christ Is to US an
must 30 to church in view of His
practice. If am Christian, IT Is
my duty to go to church. II l am
not q Christian, it is certainly to my
advantage and best interest to do SO.
Secondly. I so to church because I
enjoy 1t. My experience agrees with
that of the Psalmist, when he said,
II was glad when they said unto me.
Let US go into the house Of the Lord, .
and when / have come there. and
share the fellowship Of my brethren
and friends l feel az Peter did at the
TRANSPORTATION, when he said. Lord,
it is good for us to be here" Yes,
enjoy going to church. There is no
experience Of my life more enjoyable
to me than going to church to worship
and the joy OF it grows with passing
years, enjoy every feature Of the
service---the music, the announce
ments--somehow announcements at
divine services are different from 9TH
ers--the prayers, the scripture read
ing, the sermon, the offer1ng--yes, the
offering, too. because it given me the
coveted opportunity to show in a
small way my appreciation for the JOY
the service brings my heart.
Thirdly, go to church because it
does for me and my life what nothing
else can. \ read a great many books
and hear a great many lectures and
addresses. ! attend a great many re-
ligious gatherings for the discussion OF
religious themes. go to Sunday
school and try to teach. All these
things enjoy. all OF them do me good;
all Of them help me. I would re-
luctantly part with any of them. But
they are not TO be compared with the
uplift that comes to my heart and
the Inspiration that stirs my soul dur
ing the regular church service. A ser
mon read in the quiet of home does
not touch the vital part of me as does
the sacred. solemn service of the sane
tuary At the hour appointed for divine
worship. / have never attended such
service and gone away without real
ixing that I was a better man than
when l came. Some may say this Ia q
psych biological matter. but my expert
ence teaches me 1t Ia spiritual. My
life 10 poor enough a. ii is. but 1t
would be much poorer were the sacred
privilege Of attendance on divine wor-
ship denied me- My life 10 weak Al
best. but it's weakness would result In
speedy disaster. unless the strength the
church gives should emboldsn 1t to I'M
dertake the daily duties that confront
1t. My life - imperfect, God knows
but its imperfections without the
cleansing power of this church and its
worship would be manifoldiy greater.
simply cannot do without the church
in my life.
And, finally, l 60 to church because
1T gives me foretaste Of heaven. Al
church all the sordid things OF life
melt away and tho Spirit Of God plays
Joyously in the heart. There Ia sweet
grateful absence of all cares and an
kettles. 1t Is true the reyeldtor tells
us there will be no temple In heaven
and there will be no need of one. FOL
heaven itself In q temple. and only
the holy and sacred associations OF
the church and OF the life engendered
by the church can have part there. In
such an atmosphere, the atmosphere
OF heaven. OF hope and consolation
and Joy the peace that paaseth al
understanding enters the life and
brings II close to God.
For these reasons ! am happy to
be privileged to 60 to church