Newport daily independent. (Newport, Ark.) 1901-1929, 1914-07-25
ST. PAUL's CHURCH.
Parish Home 3O7 Hazel Street
VALUE RECEIVED.

The good people of Newport spend
thousands of dollars annually for re-
IIigious works. 1t is safe to say that
only a small proportion of that a.
mount is properly invested in the
culture of Christianity. For Relig-
ion is not necessarily Christianity.
Religion is an experience. Christian
Iity is q life, Religion generally lasts
about an hour on Sunday, and costs
less than the motion picture show
for a whole weeks supply from some
preacher. Christianity starts in Sun
day morning and continues to in
fluence life all week and its price is
not to be measured in dollars and
cents. Religion generally stays in
the church, afraid of getting out and
forming associations because of the
corruption in the world. Chmstiani-
ty keeps the church doors open all
week and invites the corrupting in
fluences to come in and clean up.
Now, Christ said, s'Lay up for your
selves treasures in heaven" BY "lay
up" he meant "invest", for He con-
demned the man who hid away a tai
emf and brought his master no in
terest. The annual offering of the
people of Newport has represented
the invested treasures of those in
search of heavenly goods and in
most instances we believe that those
who gave are practical enough to
want "His Kingdom to come on earth.
as it is in heaven. Results have
been hoped for and looked for HERE.
as well as HEREAFTER.
And results have come-on SUN
DAY. The pastors have been support
ed Z days a week, current expenses
have been paid for 365 days a year,
and the church buildings have stood
the weather, with the necessarily at
tendant repairs, day and night for
decade. And the congregations
have grown, the pastors have preach
ed, and the churches have been put
to effective use-on SUNDAYS.
The other six days of the week all
have been going about their business
or recreation, leaving their religion
in charge of the preacher. Business
men who would not under any cir
cumstanaes close their offices, banks
or stores all the week, except for
one day, have failed to mix enough
common sense with their religion to
make them insist on having Gods
business transacted with equal con-
stancy to their own. And the preach
er, either through sheer laZiness or
else lack of vision, has gone on max
ing Sunday School boys instead of
Every Day Men, until most of US have
| formed the erroneous impression that
our work and our pleasures are most
/ o1ok, do +n LnIl
| because all that we are CERTAIN of
ever having travelled upon the other
road has been in one day journeys
In particular, we do not pay much at
Itention to our religion, or to the laws
of our church when they interfere
with the activities of the other six
days.
! Why is it that most of us think
that Christianity is system of statu-
tory limitations and restrictions?
Christ did not so make it. 1t is not
necessary. according to His teach
| ings, for us to become fossils or wear
an undertaker's face the whole week
round in order to convince the world
that we are converted from heathen-
| ism. If our Sunday religion prevents
us from playing a social game of
pool on Monday, attending the movies
on Tuesday, going to dance on Wed
nesdays, taking part in bridge par
ty Thursday and so on through the
week, then it is advisable for us to
break away from our prejudices and
hunt up some Every Day Christiani-
ty that we can make part of every
interest of our life. And if we can
ennoble our pleasures by associating
them with Christ in the work of
His church, and make Him a com
panion in all our recreations and a
| ns rtner in OLE business. we have