The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1917-09-28
SUNDAY ADJUSTMENTS

Keep IL nOly. EX. AA. 8. line SaD
bath day was made for men, not mer
for the Sabbath" st. Mark ii. 27.
! AS matter of information ant
apart from our subject it may be
well to state that Sunday in place oi
Saturday is kept by Christians, on the
example of the apostles. Christian
gatherings were on the 1st day. But
whether the day be Jewish or Chris.
tian the purpose is the SAME, mans
profit and benefit. One day in seven
is dedicated to the Lord, and to mems
need and welfare. 1t is plain from
our Lords words the day is for man
largely, as books are for school chill
dren and homes for families.
Jews shocked his co-religionists by
a few actions on the sabbath. He
healed on several occasions, He pluck
ed wheat, all of which was contrary
to the correct Interpretation of the
law. But to critism He merely replied
His actions were consistent with the
day-men's great need and welfare.
From the texts selected, it is plain
our first consideration must be to make
Sunday sacred. 1t is holy day, not a
holiday. Like all other blessings, this
one has been treated sometimes with
neglect and sometimes with exaggera-
ton, with neglect when God is for
gotten, and with exaggeration when
the day is made bore. have known
farmer who spent his Sunday morn
ings mailing up fences, barn doors,
stalls, &C.; another one who always
managed so there would be indoor
work to do, plan the darkie wisely
interpreted as pushing the OK into the
pit Saturday night that he might pull
him out on the sabbath morning.
City people like summer picnics and
winter feasts. No day like the Sunday
for these. To the neglectful the day
is not holy. Yet it has been overstrip-
ped by others. Children were we'll
deprived Of all pleasure; not game, a
play, a whistle, a song, pleasure
walk was allowed. To many Sunday
must have been like "a hour funeral.
Now the safe, commonsense, Chris
tian way is never to be found in ex-
tremes. The world is suffering today
because of extremists in science, the
ology, government. The system al
ways in time works its own harm. The
puritanical way (extreme) killed it
self. Now we are in the opposite ex-
treme, and ] am convinced it will kill
itself, too-when we come to our right
mind.
The Christian and churchly way de-
manded of pious people is first and al
ways to keep the day holy, the recog-
nized form being public worship, that
is paying adoring respect to the
Heavenly Father, who has done so
great things for us. How God must be
grieved at the colossal disrespect
shown Him every Sunday. What
right would many people have to go
to Him for favor? They have neglect
ed Him all the days of their life, and
yet in an hour of helplessness will
call with pitiful voice.
A weak link in present day religion
is in expecting entertainment, and for
getting on-entertainment in
sermons, music, special subjects and
special speakers. A scripture says
"They shall keep to themselves teach
ers having itching ears"-a pretty
good description of some modern
church goers. A lady one hot day
said to her friend as she saw her get
ting ready to go to church 'I would
MT go to church in this heat to hear
any man preach" "Neither would l."
was the wise reply, "to hear a man
preach, but suppose you thought of
God and the church, and not yourself"
That made all the difference in the
world between right and wrong
notion of Sunday observance. And l
say to you, neither would l, though
go to church so often if l
were looking for entertainment only,
but if it is a question of paying re-
spect to God, just mere politeness due
from gentlemen and ladies, l cannot
keep away.
Now, what about Sunday amuse-
ments? Is there place for them
After plans have been made to pay
our pious respect to God, some clean
pastime is not inconsistent with our
profession. This should be within
bounds and reason. / signed the Pc
tition for the closing of movies in
Owosso, because l believe liberty has
run into license. There are people
pining because they cannot take in
everything that is thrown upon the
screens. 4 believe some are sad be-
cause there isn't morning reel to be
run off. Certainly they would like to
be in the two theatres at one time.
These people would shun an intoxi-
Gated person on the streets, while they
themselves are intoxicated with the
movie spirit. And the sad part of it all
Is, God is forgotten-remembering His
day and Him has no place in the
heart.
Though / signed the petition,
don't like to make people pious by law.
The product is poor. like to insist
on high standards, on something that