Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-11-21
PROBLEMS IN RURAL DISTRICTS
Continued from page p

meaning of the text. 1t is the world
wide commission and an invitation to
the kindreds of the earth For this
reason we are Christian devotees. Let
me tell you a quaint, strange expert
ence which your brother had shortly
after coming west as a missionary. /
tell you this because of its simplicity.
and because we pick up a few precious
gems every now and then on our mis-
sionary trips. We were sitting in the
lobby of the country inn and noticed
by the clock that it was time to 90
and say the service of the church. On
gathering up my coat and vestments
l started for the place of worship On
leaving, and / may say at this time /
was a stranger to all thatcrowded lob
by and was very embarrassing for
me to invite them to church. for there
are times when every clergyman feels
how delicate q mater il is to com
pei them to come in but on leaving
I said; Gentlemen. if you don't have
anything of importance this evening
j wish to extend an invitation to Won.
one and all to come to church" TO
my great surprise and astonishment.
almost every man in the lobby attend
ed the service On coming back TO the
hotel / saw a frigid and austere look
ing man. from whom YOU would never
expect a response. He spoke up and
said, "Parson, when YOU invited us
fellows to the service tonight [ saw
your invitation was TO the world" Oh
this wonderful concept of the Christ.
Go We into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature"
Yea, the truth is spoken in all so
briefly when we say the catholicity or
the universtlity of the Christian reli-
gion appeals to men and women in al
most every walk of life. They are glad
TO know that in the clause For God so
loved the World that they have a part
and an inheritance bequeathed to them
by high heaven.
Here is the best Illustration or what
have been trying to show: On going
to one of my western missions 1 touno
a little mouse colored church on the
corner. The man who had bought that
church was my friend and brother.
When the bishop sent this man TO the
town he had but a handful of church
people. However, our brother went
out into the highways and hedges and
compelled them to come in, but he saw
in a minutes SINE that he was very
much like one crying from the house,
top, Come to the marriage feast for !
all things are now ready" But when |
the guests rushed in they found their |
host without a wedding garment on /
So our brother must needs buy or |
build church in which to house these |
people, and he did. He readily saw
that the country tributary to the viii |
lage was rich enough to feed a popula-
ton of from Is 600 to 20 COO ror my
brothers, if you were to climb the ex- /
allied heights adjacent to the town of 7
which [ speak while your eye is not
dim or your natural force abated, and
see this promised land, even to the
uttermost sea. you would instantly
that Moses made a mistake
inthe' geographical survey of the lana
that flows with milk and honey. With
this thought and vision he set to work
and repairing the walls of Je-
and they made fun of the pro-
position and the undertaking in the
cynical remark of those who could not
annoy effect or discourage Nehemith
but laughed at his undertaking and
said that a fox could knock it down if
Il should run up against it were mis-
aiken. For since our brother planted
he church in the section of the state
referred to there has been an increase
n population and an increase in COM
nunicants.
What is the great problem in the ru-
al district? Answer: Simply a man
ri fol do
certain kind of skill: a man with the
deal of the christian propaganda
edged in his heart and mind. (True
he ideal of the church as some have
aid. shall always be in advance of
ISL But the problem of the rural dis
riot finds an answer in a certain kind
+ man, with a certain kind of grace,
man infatuated with the ideal of the
hurch, and the ideal of the church in
he church in summary is: GO We out
lto the highways"
What kind of Il man? In answer to
our inquiry First a man with re-
gion, and lots of it.
Second a man with the rarest thing
n earth--a little common sense
Third, a man with the charming
tanners of a parish priest.
Fourth, a man that can preach the
ospel without an apology. man that
an teach and preach from the house
Ups what the church teaches and be-
ewes. without putting an interroga-
on point after any of the teachings
the apostolic church.
Fifth. a man that knows the chief
.quisites laid down in our Lords cur
culum of efficiency in the ministry, !
amely to be wise a serpent and as
lrmless as a dove. but here is where :
-ery clergyman reads Meme, meme,
excl Uphrasin."
Sixth,a man that has this promise Z
dden in the archives of his mind and
ritten on his heart by the finger of {
ID, "They that wait upon the Lord :
all renew their strength; they shall :
cunt up with wings as eagles; they s
all run and not be weary; they shall
l md ,cf int -