Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-13
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH;
WHAT OF ITS FUTURE?


In an article on this subject, in a
recent issue of the Saturday Evening
Post, John d. Rockefeller, Jr.. has
some things to say which are worthy
OF the earnest consideration of Chris
tians and churchmen, whether they
accept his conclusions or not.
With the progress of the war, he
sees increasingly manifested on the
part Of thousands Of men and wamen
who do not know whether they are
Christians or not, spirit of sacrifice
and usefulness, charity and broth
erly love and beautiful humility,
even by the privileged and high-born
He adopts Donald Hankeys phrase
the Religion of the Inarticulate," as
characterizing this unconscious Chris
tian ministry. He then raises the
question of whether these people, re-
leased from the high tension of pres
ent conditions, will find in the church
as it exists today the leadership. the
guidance and the anchorage which
they need and have q right to expect"
He does not believe they will, for the
reason that "the church does not speak
their language; it does not understand
their needs; it does not sympathize ns
it should and must with their prob
lens" He then sets forth his idea OF
what the church Of the future must be.
In part as follows:
IF this be true, one Of three things
Is inevitable:
First, this urorganized spiritual
force, which is silently dominating
millions of lives, will not be conserv-
ed, but viii die. Such a thing is UNI
thinkable3 it cannot be; it must not
be. For so mighty a force, born Of
bIoodshed and suffering, if 1t can be
ho 1pfI1
more than repay the world in the days
to come for the sacrifice and loss OF
these awful years.
Second, the religion Of the mar
ticuaate will develop it's own church,
which will be the church of the future,
finding it's leaders among the laity;
and il this happens, as is not impossi-
BILE, 1t will be conclusive proof that the
church of today has failed.
Third, the church must have new
birth and be organized to meet this
marvellous opportunity and great hui
man need This last alternative is the
right, logical and natural solution of
the problem It must be realized, and
the responsibility therefor rests upon
each member of the Christian Church.
"T4et us picture for a moment what
this reborn church would be. 1t would
he called the Church of tht Living
God It's terms of admission would be
love for God. as He is revealed in
Christ and His living Spirit, and the
vital translation of this love into a
Christian life. Its atmosphere would
be one OF warmth, freedom and joy,
so sympathetically and distinctly man
fest as to attract and win into its
fellowship the followers of the religion
Of the inarticulate. 1t would pros
nounce ordinances, ritual, creed, all
nonsensical for admission into the
Kingdom of God or His Church. A life,
not a creed, would be it's test; what a
man does, not what he processes; what
he u.s. not what he has. It's object
would be to promote applied religion,
not theoretical religion. This would
involve its sympathetic interest in all
the great problems Of human life: in
social and moral problems; those of
industry and business; the civic and
educational problems; in all such as
touch the life of man.
Would that had the power to
bring TO your minds the vision as it
unfolds before me! I see all denomi-
national emphasis sat aside; see
cooperation, not competition. In the
large cities [ see great religious CEN
tiers. wisely k Gated, adequately equip
ped, strongly supported, and inspir-
ing their members to participate in all
community matters. In the smaller
places. instead of half dozen dying
churches. competing with each other,
see one or two strong churches, unit
ing the Christian life of the town:
great economy in plant, in money. in
service, in leadership; money enough
saved in this way to support adequate
ly home and foreign missions, I see
the church molding the thought of the
world as it has never done before
leading in all great movements. as it
should l see it literally establishing
the Kingdom of God on earth"
when Christ came into the world
He found the church loaded down with
ritual and Journalism. Every minut-
est detail Of daily life wis regulated
by religious enactment. In the eyes
of the church the most religious man
was not he who kave to poor who was
unselfish, meek and lowly but he who
kept most punctiliously every jot and
title of the law. The spirit of worship
had been displaced by empty form To
establish spiritual righteousness in the
world n h1liId ~, inf