The Daily Missoulian., 1914-07-26
One Step Toward Union

northwestern Christian Advocate)
UNCONVENTIONAL union is a theme
pleasant to consider and many are the
voices raised in speech prophetic of
the remuneration of unessential creed
and show of ritualism, when all
churches shall yield their peculiar ten
cts for the sake of the larger and
universal body. We not only hear
such voices on every hand, but the
times are not without serious and
honest attempt to at least approach
this great desideratum. Let no one
be beguiled into the belief that all this
Is to be accomplished in day. One
of the saddest and most discouraging
elements of human progress we have
TO encounter is the fact that the deed
hes so far behind the vision of duty
And in no process of evolution or re-
form is this disparity more pronounce
ed than in the field of religious life
as manifested in denominations, There
are many who are fascinated and
charmed by the picture of that glad
day, but the moment the proposition
is made to here and now, and with Our
own little sect, make practical over
changes and from the background. as
a pallmpsest, there emerge insuper-
able difficulties, and the whole thing
is off.
Denominational roots still strike
deep and seize fast hold of the rocks
of century old creeds. We are con-
WINGED, however, that federation and
ultimate union are not all a dream.
There are phases of the problem that
are clothed with practicability. One
OF these, in particular, impresses us
with such convincing force that we
are assured in our own mind 1t can
and probably will within the next dec
ade be demonstrated successfully The
beginning of the great denomination
al confluence will doubtless be effect
ed in the Sunday school. AS has
been lntimated, the moment you try
the theory on a lifelong Methodist or
Baptist you find, to your astonTshment
and grief that it won't work. Those
who hope to effect UNCONVENTIONAL
union must plant the seed in the heart
and mind of the child.
The peculiar status Of the Sunday
school today is such that with the next
decade the denominations, through the
agency of this department, may quiet
ly and almost unconsciously be drawn
very near each other. 1t will be gen.
orally conceded that the Sunday
school is at the unfolding hour. In
deed the petals have been opening
for the past decade or two. For a
hundred years or more it has been
utilizing but tithe of it's possibilities.
But the leaders in Sunday school
work have caught larger vision.
New and modern educational ideas
are flowing into the organization. The
whole thing is expanding. The old
idea of one lesson for all, from the
tot to the patriarch, taught by any
one who was willing, whether qualified
Or not. and the whole school sitting
In babble of voices, is fast becoming
obsolete. Not only has the Interna-
tional Sunday School association
adopted the graded system, but diff
ferent denominations have begun to
WORK out this particular expression in
their own schools. The development of
the different grades into kindergarten.
primary, intermediate, adult and
Bible departments, with separate les
son helps and equipment for each. re-
quires permanent, new and larger
quarters for proper utilization. A few
churches are fairly we'll constructed
and furnished to meet the present
day demand, but, as a rule, the church
building as we have it today is Woe
fully ll-adapted to house an expand
ing Sunday school. But the forward
movement in Sunday school work Is
SO vital that it must result in reform
in church school construction. We
may confidently expect to see a large
amount of Sunday school building in
the next decade-bcilding either as