The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-01-02
GOING TO CHURCH
An Eioqu ent Discussion OF the Adap-
tation of Christianity to Men and
the Demand of God for Wor-
ship from His Creatures.

Exalt himself, how poor a thing is
a MANI"
To tell you that God demands
worship from you would not, per-
haps, influence you. Men like to
feel that they are free. Even when
God, who gave man free will is con
Germ ed, yet will man protest. Be
cause there is God, religion ex-
lists. Religion is the bond which
unites man with God. God ere.
ated for you the beautiful world in
which we live, he gave to nature
what we call its forces, he ar
ranged the change of the seasons,
the movements of the planets, the
laws OF growth for the animal and
vegetable kingdom. He made laws
for all creation, and he made laws
for man, the king OF creation.
These things did not come by
chance. Man has not been able to
even feebly initiate God In His ere
atoms. These creations were-all ar
ranged by laws, which God the Gre.
ator made.
That same God created you. He
is your Father. He is kind, loving,
merciful. You need Him. You
may pray to Him, and he can and
will help you. He is your Best
Friend. If this Father has not been
as generous with you as yon think
He might be, do you blame Hint
Have you treated Him ms n dutiful
son should? Have you had any con-
fidence in Him? Have you asked
Him for anything? Have you
thanked Him for the little He has
given you? You are not accustomed
to giving favors to people who do
not ask for them, nor do you con-
tinue to be lavish with favOrs to
those who fail to thank you for
what you have done for them. That
is the beginning OF religion, to trust
God as IA good Father, to ask Him
TOR what you need, and thank Him
for what He has given. That is pray
er. Nou can do that at home? Yes,
you can. SO can you conceal from
your neighbor for the little favors
he bestows. But your neighbor ex-
poets YOU to 90 t. his homo and
thank him there. Gods home,
where public, external thanks is
made, Is Gods house, the house Of
prayer, the Church. Moreover, God
has always expected man To give
I Him external public worship. Adam
worshipped God with sacrifice. Abel,
Melchisedech, all the patriarchs of
the Old DispensatiOn, and Christ in
the New, offered sacrifice to God
the Father. God the Father asks
for worship. Christ preached the
necessity for public worship: "lf
any man confess Me before men
him will confess before My Faith
err"
Now, you are not urged to wOr-
ship, only because God ordains IL So
but because God created you for
for something better than this world.
, This world is good, but some day we
| shall be called out of it, and when
that call comes you will be happy to
say. that you have served God faith
. fully, while here. Your life will be
! made brighter by your religion
You will bear your burdens more
= cheerfully, and your joys will in
) crease. God will not ask you abou,
z your shabby clothes when you come
\ before Him on the day OF reckoning
4 He will not ask you whether som,
4 things or people in the congregation
e we're displeasing to you, but he viii
,. ask you, II you have been homes
( with him who created you, and diet
v for you"
" / am the Lord thy God. Thot
). shall not have strange Gods befor,
= Me-" Remember, Keep holy tn
d Sabbath" These are the laws o
h God. Keep them.
> Raise yourself above the CONNIE
n clay of which you are made. CIV
"a that immortal soul which vivifie
o your body an opportunity to hop
v beyond this sordid world, and in tn
g. the satisfaction of its cravings fo
n the eternal its reaching out for GJt
g 1t will exalt your own poor sell
(. and make of you the browning glor
ia OF Gods creation-The man VIII
70 serves God.
FATHER COLLINS