East Mississippi times. (Starkville, Miss.) 19??-1926, 1918-02-01
A SERMOMETTE
East Mississippi Times:
BY INGE RAMUS

o very upusual source to write {
few observations with regard to :
Church Work. as it seems to b,
applied in this day and time. l an
rather stunned at such a request
but ! guess it is perfectly legitimate
for every person ito express him
self with. regard to matters OF such
vital and universal intere { as those
involving the spiritual welfare Of
the human race. It is not my pur
pose to be critical, nor do l in-
tend my remarks as an arraignment
of the chnrch, or members of the
church, for the plans that seem to
be persued" In accomplishing the
spiritual uplift of a needy world;
but | shall try, in my humble way.
to express my concept ms Of the
plan adopted ard exempfifed in
thes lifes Of our Savior as COM
pared with the methods that seem
TO be adopted, locally. by those
who are regarded as our spiritual
leaders. Our present Sunday
School lessons teach with marvel-
GUS clearness, from week to week,
the wonderful benefience Of onr
Master while He was on earth the
feeding of the multitude, opening
the eyes Of 'ha blind, restoring the
man sick of palsy. cleansing the
lepars, and even raising the dead
but his hesliug touch laid upon
the rffli ted body Els rebuking
Of diseases that <gripped human
hotlits. it appears, were primarily
the opening up of an avenue by
which He could reach the soul and
hssf that or more iesdlv disease
than any that could possibly af-
H,ct the BODY. In truth, with all
His wonderful sympathy for the
physical and material welfare Of
men, His great purDose seemed to
be to teach the iusignifcance Of
bodily worth and welfare, as COM
pared with the inestimahle value
He placed upon the soul. With all
Loving care for the bodies Of men.
He snid Wherefore. if thy hand
or foot offend thee, cut them "ff
and cast them from thee" And
il thine eye offend thee, pluck, it
out and cast it from thee. Yet,
the modern so called spiritual
leaders seem SO prone to consider
his christian duty comprehended
in bodily ministratiops, rather
than using these as an approach
to the soul. Nor is this life oil of
it. but the aloofness with which
the churchran stands from the
sinner is one of the gravest grounds
upon which the impeachment of
his profession might be based. Il
would appear that our Lord sought
out the sinful. and associated with
them for the purpose OF pressing
home to them the truth Of His re-
deeming grace, yet. / apprehend
that there are many Of the elite In
the church today. pretending to
stand as expousnts Of this same re
deeming grace, who would have
become disgusted with the Master
and would have followed no more
after Him, had they caught Him
In conversation with the poo,
prostitute at Jacobs well. The
idea OF personal contact with the
sinful men with view Of leading
them into the kingdom appears
foreign TO the current idea o.
spiritual propagation. 1t would
I ,em that such scheme wonld b'
looked upon as discredit to th'
modern christian as q course which
II psrsued, would amount to al
impeachment Of christian dignit'
snd q hanseression Of rig Il m
sxclusiveuess rather than affnrdint
3 pla1 to irnpsrt light snl b ,ps
those ia. darkness and in b
shadows II death.
NAH tho resipeut oftbis propVuncs