Omaha daily bee., 1915-09-17

out Of the world hit him with q cradle
not a crtitoh.
When Jesus returned from the mount
the sorrowing father ran 90 him with hi,
boy, crying. II thou canst do anything
have compassion on us and help U.s. ]
brought my son 10 thy disciples, and they
could not cast the devil outI''
Church Members worst.
That 'if'' implies a doubt Failure on
the part Of those disciples 10 keep In
touch with Jesus, so they could have
power 10 cast out devils led the poor old
father to doubt the power Of Jesus.
The divine philosophy, as demonstrated
by thousands Of church members, breeds
more infidels than all the Paines, Park
ers and Ingersolls combined.
As a principle increases In its meaning
II decreases in the number that should
adhere 20 that principle.
/ said TO a minister one time: How
many members have your"
y He said: Eight hundred and seventy
two; but there are 27s do not count"
l asked; ''out Of the number you do
not count how many are helping in the
meetings, singing In the choir. ushering
OF doing personal work7'
Others DO the Work.
Tears flowed down his cheeks ss no
said THE largest number l have been
able TO muster any one night was TWEEN
ty-eight. and II my life depended on my
making tho number fifty, would dlei"
There we wers wearing out our lives
trying to bring that God-forsaken. whis-
key-soaked, gambling-cursed. hariot-
blighted town TO its knees. and the church
calmly looking on.
sometimes doubt whether the church
needs the new members one-hAlf as much
as IL needs tho old bunch made over
Judging by the way multitudes in the
church live, you would think they mag
ined they have a through ticket TO
heaven in a Pullman palace car. and had
left orders for the porter 70 wake them
up when they head In the yards Of the
New Jerusalem. II that's the case you
will be doomed 20 disappointment. for
you will be sidetracked with a hot box.
| II / had a hundred tongues and every
tongue speaking a different language In
a different key at the same time 1 could
not do justice to the splendid chaos that
the world-loving, dancing. card-playing.
whisky-gvzzling. gin-fizzling. novel-read-
ing crowd in the church brings to the
cause OF Christ.
There IL but one voice from faithful
preacher and worker about the church.
and that Is .'she II Sick" but we say It
IN such vainless. delicate terms that she
seems 70 enjoy her invalidlty. About
four out OF five who have their names
on our church records are doing nothing
to bring the world TO Christ and the
church is not one whit better for their
presence.
One Of the great dangers. a. see Il.
IL assimilation 20 the world; the neglect
OF the poor; substitution Of forms for
The facts OF godliness: a hirelng min,
istry, all summed up means a fashion
able church. with religion left out.
shout "Amen."
Formerly Methodists attended class
meetings and gave testimony; now the
class meeting has become thing OF the
past Shouts Of praise used to be heard.
Now such demonstrations are considered
unidentified asa
Occasionally some cody old sister. who
Il . sort of connecting link between the
old and the new. pipes up in a weak.
negative falsetto, apologetic kind Of a
voice and saysi
amen, Brother sundayi"
don't expect one of these ossified.
| potrified, widowed, dyed-in-thc wool.
stamped-on-the-cori, blown-in-the-bot
horizontal, perpendicular Presbyterian or
Episcopalians to shout "Ameni' but II
would do you good 10 loosen up. Many
OF your are hide-bound.
Poor Crowd 60 Work with.
Jesus will never unfold His revelations
20 you when you are lined up In front
OF bar drinking or when you are at a
base ball game on the Sabbath or living
In ain.
Jesus ala not ask the members OF the
frat group. near the edge OF the gar.
den 10 pray. Perhaps they would have
refused.
Every minister knows there are GER
tain members OF HIS church that no
never thinks Of asking to lead In prayer
In fact. they never darken prayer
meeting door. II Q card party takes place
on prayer meeting night they are at the
party. Yot we wonder why this old sin
blighted world Il not on her knees. / am
amaEed that God "a doing az well a. He
II. with the crowd he has TO work with.
Please pardon n personal reference.
was born and bred. not In old Kentucky,
although my sreat-Grandmother was born
IN Lexington. but in old Iowa I was
r7ibe OF the rubes; . hayseed Of tho hay
seeds.
have creased my hair with goose
grease. I have blacked my boots with
stove backing. have wiped my face on
gunny sack towel I have eaten with my
knife. have drank coffee out OF my
saucer. have said dome IT," when /
should have said ''did IT, came" when
1 should have said come" "seen." when |
should have said saw"
am q graduated from the university |
Of poverty and hard knocks. and have |
taken POSTGRADUATE courses Ny auto
biography could DO summed up IN one line |
from ''Grsy's Eiegy;'' tho short and
simple annals OF the poor"
Ny father enlisted four months before |
I was born. He went 70 the front with
Company T. Twenty-thtrd Iowa infantry.
but he never came back. He died and
was buried II Camp Patterson, NO.
I have battled my way since was
Al 4 III -. -.