The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-09-27

Tinkling Cymbal sing." q "Dr. Sound
ing DrAae sproachr
'Something % the answer 10 the
question why people do not % TO
church may b. found In the fact that
the church people themselyes, peeech-
err included. al too frequently faH 70
have clearly le1ned In tha1r Ovn
maids the RAJ reaDon for church ~
tendance. We keep ding16ntt4k q
our members to attend church. It b
their duty. W say. ana thsy have NO
right to consider thomselves members
in eood standing and not attend the
services OF the church. or. II our d.
gestion happens to BE- better. We may
be less abrupt In the matter. We may
tell them how much We miss them. ana
how much good IL will do them to
come. and bow they will come to en-
Joy It when they get used to i again.
To the people outside the church We
recommend the services. The singing
Ii good. the sermons are short and
the entire service 10 brief and pithy.
We are sure they will enjoy meeting
the pAople-they are 90 friendly and
aociable.
/. Nov ali this, may be well enough.
but where In Il all II any appealing
reason why people should 60 to
church! What 10 1t all for. What
actual claim has the church on their
interest and time?
"Of course the pastor knows why
the people should 60 to church He
can usually find It printed In big let
tiers on the sign In front Of his church.
But he too frequently fails to give 1t
proper emphasis in his words and in
his manner. We 90 to church to wor-
ship God. There should be the cordial
friendliness. Of course. And the social
side Of the church life should be look
ed after, But that can all be attended
to without serving tea to the ladies
and cigars to the men at the close OF
the service in payment for their con-
senting to be bored by the formal part
Of the meeting.
Here in the church meeting IL
where men and women acknowledge
the worthiness of God Here is where
we actually meet with Jesus Christ,
If we may still claim His promise to
the two or more who come together In
His name. Here is where we turn to
satisfy that pious longing that ought
to be as real in the heart Of every
Christian az 1t was in the heart of the
Psalmist when he exclaimed, my soul
lonseth. yea, even fainteth for the
courts of the Lord: my heart and my
flesh cry out for the living Cod
(s4:0. ee5.e. a.~- r - Z
Now when We have 1t clearly in
mind that the center of the meeting
is God and that the purpose Of the
meeting is to worship God. we do not
feel SO much confusion over the ques.
ton why people do not 60 to church.
The answer is the simplest in the
world. 1t is the same that would give
II asked why do not eat mackerel.
I do not have any appetite for 1t. 1t
may be all right, but l do not care
for 1t. The people do not go to church
because their hearts and souls do not
cry out for the living God, they do
not have any appetite for worship.
The demand today is to give the
people what they want and then they
will go to church. That means to give
that what they have an appetite for.
We can meet that demand to a GER
tain extent. eNNeseani make the services
bright, cheerful and interesting; but
essentially 1t is worship, and all that
we can put into 1t will not attract
people regularly three times or twice.
or even once q week II they have no
taste for worship.
The alarming fact that confronts
US is not that the non-church people
do not attend church, but that the
church people themselves in such
large numbers have SO little desire for
worship. II there 10 nothing In church
going that the saints consider worth
while, how can we expect it to have
any appeal for the sinner? Why should
the world go? What is there in the
attitude of the average church mem
Der towards the services of the church
that would commend it to his non
church. going neighbor? He is usually
found consulting his own personal pleas
ure in the matter. this average church
member, his likes and dislikes. And
whether he is praising or fault-finding,
the object of his interest is too often
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