The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1920-06-11
why GO TO CHURCH?

WHI uU III UnUkUn.
EDITOR SENTINEL go to
church once on Sunday. Is that
all that is necessary? If so, of
what use are the other servicesT
Why do | attend church at all? u
Just to hear the sermon and slip
away unheedful of that2 Have !
completed my duty by merely en-
tering the church once week
WIN l receive harm by going or
be doubly strengthened and more
abundantly able to serve? VIII
help the church grow If ! stay
away? Can | best help those
about me by placing my influence
elsewhere? Am ! leaving the
work to few and Sinking my
duty? Can / answer these ques-
tions with clean conscience!
A READER
The above communication came to
hand last week from one of our sub
scribers and we were not certain
whether the writer was seeking In
formation or offering preachment
Considering the letter in good faith
we Would venture that attendance al
the church more than once each Sun
day depends upon whether the COR
respondent has other duties of para
mount importance. MNe than on
service each Sunday, we suppose, il
for others who cannot all attend a
one time. "Why do / attend churcl
at all 2" asks the correspondent. W.
don't know why the correspondent doe
but the primary purpose is the worship
of God in company with your fellow
men, to give your mind an opportunit,,
: to rest from the ordinary cares OF life
to brush off the dust of the world
, !, and to gain inspiration for better wor
as a child of the Heavenly Father. |
it very much to say chang you" t
God once week? Whether you will b
helped depends great deal upon you
: purpose in going to- church.
Z If it is right for you to stay away
why is it not right for all to sta
away? If they did where would tn
church be, when you wanted to bur
a your little child? How would you lik
: your own child to come to speak
you and especially think about you
4 love and kindness only as hard duty
: The ministers, themselves, can be-
advance the main reasons for churc
attendance. Each local pastor wa
given copy of the above letter an
/ requested to answer the question
:. therein contained. Rev. v. S. Gooda
,, responded with the following con
= ment.
Recently the above questions can
q to my desk, with the request that the
:, be answered through the columns
the Sentinel.
It is evident at a glance that
! group of questions like that cannot
answered in the space that mar
h thousand words. would occupy, if thu
: were to be answered fully. 1t is all
n evident that any satisfactory answ
: must be such, as the last question i
sists, that one may have a clear CO.
science about the matter that will,
/ is hoped, be satisfying and helpful.
"a The question as to how often Of
10 should 60 to church on Sunday is !
le easy one to answer, but we are incl
j. ed to think the one who voiced Il
question has answered it. If o.
even questions the need of more tn;
- one service on Sunday he has the1
4 by declared that he feels the need
. more. But there is yet another side
= the matter. 1t may be that one servi
3 Sunday is enough to meet t
I spiritual and social needs
= the evening worship, but the two fur
/. ish the needed opportunity for a
!. Most people the writer has met, ho'
= ever, are not in danger of getting t
: much spirituality if they attend t,
or more religious services on Sunda
\ and our suggestion is that you do n
, stop with one until you are fully Sc
4 isfied that that one gives you all t
Y spiritual energy and inspiration v
= can hold. We trust this has answer
: the first three or four questions.
I The question as to whether or n
= one will receive harm from attendil
3 religious service, or will be strengt
ened, is a peculiar one to be asked.
= is an old adage that one gets out Of
; thing just what he puts into it. If y
will accept that general statement t
= answer can be given easily. If y
!. go to church to bring discord, to qua
rel, to find fault, to block the whe,
: of spiritual progress, you will 6
. just that out of the service, and Y
will receive harm, but SO would y
: receive harm from staying at hol
= with that sort Of attitude, or from 6
!. ing to town, or to the house of
, friend. If, however, you grant tn
3 you go to church for what the chur
4 has to give, food for the soul, you W
y be strengthened, and you will be b.
= ter able to serve humanity. T
: question as to whether or not you W
I help the church goes along with th'
= If you go to help the church you W
3 help it, but if you go to hinder it, or
! criticize it, you had indeed better st
= away. But what you need, if the Il
4 ter thing is true, is not SO much
stay from the church, as it is to 6
q O. .. o. q. .. q. .. q. q. ~ - ~