Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-08
IN RELIGIOUS WORLD
BY William T. Ellis
DOES THE CHURCH COUNTY

The International Sunday School Les
son for December 10 Is "Faithful Un
to Death."-ReveIation, chapters
and 3.
Many persons today have no time
for the church and they are brainy,
moral and philosophical persons, too.
That unpalatable fact is commonly
lodged by church folk. Undeniably
though, there is a large group of social
reformers who do not take the church
! into their thinking. They do worse
than oppose it; they ignore it. Now
| what shall the open minded Christian
say to this condition?
The question is pertinent in the light
of the present Sunday school lesson,
which deals with the seven churches
of Asia-for, although only three
churches are indicated In the assigned
passage, the study would be lop-sided
unless 1t considered all seven. These
were seven city churches, established
In the great centers of Asia Minor, in
the seats of Roman power and culture.
The wonderful achievements Of the
new gospel are apparent from the
Of one man, the Apostle John, who
stood by theCross Of the crucified and
apparently defeated Founder of the
Church, the brotherhood has become a
real power in all the imperial centers
Of Rome's dominions. So fully matur-
ed has the church grown to be that we
find John now warning it against dan
ger and decline. Certainly the Chris
tian church was not negligible guam
tity in the first century of the Chris
tian era.
The Church Before the City.
= This author, who was translating
messages straight from heaven, did
not write to the seven cities In Asia.
Any worldly-wise author would have
done SO, as any statesman. Great and
proud cities were these, beautified by
the art Of Rome and Greece-Ephesus
Philadelphia, Laodicea. Every one
was a city Of distinction. factor in
the life of that Roman province known
as Asia, now called Anatolio. The stu
dent of history finds wealth of inter
esting material in the mere facts Of
the rise and progress of these seats
of dominion.
Yet the inspired writer addressed
these centers as churches. To him the
body Of believers was more than the
marble theaters, the statue-adorned
forums, the temples or the other great
works OF architecture. Not word do
we find in this book about the dignif1ed
names associated with these cities,
some Of whom ignored and despised
the little community of Christians.
These little groups were the one essen.
tial and abiding force from Johns
standpoint. The church in Ephesus
meant more to him than the city Of
Ephesus itself, for these groups of be-
levers were representative of per-
manent and ever increasing spiritual
force and the kingdom that outlasted
the sway of the Caesars.
That is why living church is the
most important force in any city. 1t
represents eternal values. It's work
is done with and upon human spirits.
In a sense comprehensive to mere
church lives in and for two worlds. It
is not merely an international corpora
ton, but also universal corporation,
WIFI lLS LARGEST u0SIluy III Iuo WOTlO
which lies beyond the present life All
it's most important transactions and
trafficking Of life have to do with the
things which are eternal.
Why Watch the Church?
Herein is the big blunder Of the
men who are not interested in the
church and who are formulating pro-
grams for the ameliorating Of the
worlds evil conditions without con-
sideration Of the Christian church. De-
spite all her shortcomings and the ma
terial mindedness of many of her lead
ers, the church is shaping life funda.
mentally and for both time and eter.
nifty. She alone has adequate motives
to bring to bear upon human nature.
No other program but hers undertakes
to make over the essential character
of mankind.
So the person who goes into church
work sets his hand to the biggest task
of all. He is serving the world in the
ways that count most, because he Is
building for eternity The highest ex.
preston Of human capacity is found
in the man who is working most
potently in and through and for the
church.