French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1918-10-03
REVERENCE IN GODS HOUSE
(From Biblical Recorder)

Some time ago we had occasion to
speak of the spirit of i~rreverence that
seems to pervade our country at this
time. All who have observed with any
sort of care must be impressed with
the irreyerent u~tterances from the pull
pit and in the press.
Now, however, we desire to call at
tention to a lack of reverence that is
not due to the war, but was in exis-
tence long before the war began. Peo-
pie often gather in the house of God
before time for the service to begin,
and engage in conversation and laugh
ter up to the moment that the preach
er arises in the pulpit to announce the
first hymn. or the organist strikes the
first note of the voluntary. AS soon as
the benediction is pronounced there is
the hum of voices and the ring of
laughter. The service, consisting of
reading, songs, prayer and sermon, is
sandwiched in between the converse
ton and levity which precedes and
follows it.
That this detracts from the spirit of
worship, cannot be doubted. To en-
gage in levitous conversation up to
the moment the service begins is no:
the best means for preparing for wo3~
ship, an dtO take up some light topic
for discussion Immediately upon the
conclusion ofthe service, has a tend
ency to destroy any impression that
!nay have been made.
Baptists are perhaps, more given to
this conduct, which appears to be
lacking in reverence, than any other
denomination. This is due, we think,
to the aversion of our people to ritual
ism and formality of worship. We be-
lieVe in the freedom of the Spirit, and
are anxious to avoid anything that
might interfere with that freedom. Ali
this is proper, but reverence in wor-
ship is not incompatible with the free
dom of the Spirit, and we can be from
formality without being levitous.
AuOIICI L41uS WuASI1 III Ou4 JPN
ion, has much to do with the appar-
ent lack of reverence which we are
here discussing, is the habit which
some preachers have of using the pull
pit as a place of cheap jokes. This is
done in order to catch the crowd"
but we do not believe it is necessary
for that purpose. LeVity in the pulpit
is thought by some to be an effective
protest against formality; but we can
be free from formality without swing
ing so far away as to engage in buff
oonery. The writer has always re-
garded the preaching of the gospel as
serious business, and believes that the
effect of a sermon is often weakened,
if not destroyed, by joking in the
pulpit.
In commenting on DR. Hubert POte-
ats article on modern hymns, the ed
kitor of the Western Recorder attri-
butes the lack of reverence in u wor-
ship in part at least, to modem rag
time" music, and to the cheap with
cisms Of many gospel singers III con-
Quoting the song service il meetings.
We heard recently of Il service in
a large Baptist church in the South in
which the congregation broke oIt in
vigorous applause at the co ,clusion IF
a song.
These things do not comport with
our idea of the stately dignity that
should characterize the worship Of Je-
hovah. We have been led nto this
train of thought by conversation with
a very accomplished lady who had
been reared in a. church in which
there was much ~rftualism in the SER
vice. While she was compelled, for
conscience sake, to abandon that
church because of it's false teachings,
and while she believes that the pecu-
liar doctrines of our denomination a1e
more in accord with the teachings of