The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1919-07-03
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Especially Prepared For Readers Of
The Republican.

! The Republican.
Sunday, July 6.
The Church. Acts 2:37-42; Eph. Al
16; l Thes. 5:11-15.
Christ also. loved the church, and
gave himself up for it. Eph. 5:25.
U. S. WRIGHT.
WHAT is THE CHURCH?
The church is the moral force of
the community whether that be the
crossroads, the town, city, nation
or world. (organized to bring in The
Kingdom.) All men breathe the air
that encircles the earth and are sus-
tanned thereby but not until it is con-
fined under pressure in an air brake
is it utilizable in the big problems
of transportation. So all men have
religious ideas but not until these
are organized can they be harnessed
to the moral needs of the world If
these are organized about the teach
ings of Mrs. Eddy we have the
Christian Science church; if about
the teachings Mohammed, the Mos
lem church if about the teachings of
Jesus, the Christian church. There
can be no church without organiza-
ton as there can be no large ac-
complishment otherwise. Not the
name but the fact is essential and
the church as we know it were blotted
out the moral forces would organize
themselves under another name and
carry on the moral purposes neces-
sary to the life of the world. In
Religious Education in the Church, H.
F. Cope makes this statement, "Here
is the ultimate purpose of the church:
Godlike men and women in world
of Gods will Here is the programme
of the church: To reach all men in
all the lives to the end that this
purpose may be realized. Here is
| the process of the church: Develop
ing in men this Godlike life according
to the laws of that life" 1t is under
the compelling pressure of such a
purpose that organization comes.
The allied machinery which crashed
thru the Hindenburg Line came under
compulsion not under pleasure All
the resources must be utilized for the
need of definite purpose and the
close-knit organization emerged
Realizing the need of a new moral
order has given US the church with
its ever deepening purpose expressed
in program and presently embrace
all Professionalism.
THE BEGINNINGS OF THE
CHURCH.
Christ had gathered the materials
for the new organization which
should be founded upon His own life
and work. There were the trained
Apostolic leaders. There must have
been some record of names since
numbers were so accurately known.
There was the initiatory rite of
baptism and the binding fellowship
of the Lords Supper. The mere
machinery seems to have been ready
for the gift of promised power from
the Maker of the machine. That
made Pentecost immortal. Upon
that waiting group there fell the i'm
pulse of the Spirit that transformed
it into mass of glowing conviction
throbbing with eager life The idea
held by it were suddenly vitalized
and each member became witness
to the possession by both word and
work. 1t was the counterpart of the
creation in which God built the body
by whatever process one chooses to
think and then breathing into it,
MAN became a living soul" So
Christ builded the body, the church,
and breathed into it the breath of
life that makes it a living thing
always connected with the living
Christ, its passion and its heart. Or
as Paul pictures it, Christ is the
head while the church is His wonder
full living body.
THE SPIRIT OF THE CHURCH.
There began to be manifest glad
comradeship among these followers
added to the growing body in Jeru-
salem. Thousands from the provin-
ces were stranded in the city as they
tarried under the impulse of the new
experience and to all these doors were
opened and purses shared. For no
one counted his property his own
but trust to be used for God. Some
sold house or land and brought the
proceeds but it was an entirely vol
untary act, special gift to meet a
special need. 1t was not communism
but stewardship. They were part
ners of the Eternal God and their
lives must be worthy of that part
nership. Not strange that signs and
wonders should berecorded. Worship
was a continuous joy. Meals together