The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-05-23

maintains at n heavy cost calls Billy
Sunday to come and hold a series of
services II confesses to all the world
the impotency Of its own ministers,
It's own church. It's own religious of-
forts.
| have been compelled to hear
much of a sermon recently preached
from a Tulsa pulpit by supply
clergyman. The date OF the dis
course and the pulpit from which 1t
was delivered shall be namolcss.
But the enthusiams created by that
sermon has leavened a considerable
portion of the whole. My attention
was called TO II in the first instance
by a gentleman not at all noted for
his religious activities or church in
terest. lie is a successful business
man and a church member. II so
happened that found myself in his
company during the luncheon hour
on the Monday following And !
was shocked into alert attention by
his calm and devout statement.
The Force of Faith
II attended chSrch yesterday and
beard n very unusual sermon For
once. at least. I folt myself close to
God; actually experienced the
spiritual uplift"
A statement amazing enough at an
informal luncheon OF business men.
So | inquired the nature of the SER
mon and discovered that 1t was
nothing but a simple, honest present
ment OF the power OF God without
IFS and ands There was no aCadem-
ic discussion of the proof concerning
the divinity OF Christ, his mission
on earth or anything OF that sort.
II was a sermon direct to the heart
and not to the head And ii regis
tered and registered big
ID was, as / discovered from other
sources, for | heard much OF this
sermon nothing more than the story
told at mothers knee; the holding
aloft OF that candle Of faith which
attended her deathbed; the positive,
unqucstioning asservation of the
power OF faith in God to accomplish
things in this world NOW. And the
speaker inspired confidence and ac-
ceptance because his mind was filled
with assurance that IT was and is
true.
And heard men say that such
sermons OF spiritual appeal, free
and clean from worldly matters or
worldly references; standing firmly,
like the unshakable rock, on the
promises Of God, disregarding logic
and science alike. was the thing that
"oulu III tne CHurCneS 10 the doors
at every service.
And ! believe II as firmly as be
lieve in the redemptive power OF
God. ] cannot understand how any
one could dispute a fact so evident
The World is hungry for Christian
ity. But Il wants a christianity that
registers. 1t wants the old fashioned
religion because religion. or chris
tianity, II II is worth whilo at all, has
not changed in any respect since the
days OF Jesus Christ and his great
exemplar, tho Apostle Paul.
For myself, when | attend church
| want TO be preached to, not
preached at l want the appeal to
be TO the heart, not to the head. For
the moment the church appeals TO
the head the cause is lost ! don't
want to hear the pulpit argue the
cause OF Christ. want 10 hear the
pulpit assert the cause Of Christ in
precisely the same way that you
assert the existence of the Arkansas
river or the Rocky mountains. And
then ] want the occupant OF that
pulpit TO be man of God at all
times whether l am or not. want
10 see In him the suggestion OF
Christ In all things, ] want him to
inspire emulation, not to force It by
ltbiSldtiNe enaclnentS.
don't think tho minister should
be a business agent of the church.
And | am quite sure that when he
concerns himself with building a
church and extending it's social in
fluences he is compromising with
the full possibilities OF his high call
ing Clubs, sports, social attain
men ts-these are not an essential
part of the minister's activities, and
where the notion sprang from have
often wondered. High-powered mo-
tor cars, huge salsries--all the lux
uries of the world-these are not
productive OF the religious spirit.
The Appeal Must BE Spiritual
The reply is that the laborer is
worthy of his hire. That is true
according to worldly standards. But
there rings back the challenge OF the
first churchman himself, accom-
panied by the actual practice OF
those who walked with him for a
time and later preached his gospel
throughout the nations OF she early
world. What OF those? II seems
To me that the correct office of the
church is TO impress men Of their
needs, not cater to their wants.
And II the ministry of Jesus