Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-07-19
CHURCH ATTENDANCE

does not feel the need of assembling
with Gods people as often as posi-
BILE. 1t affords powerful stimulus
to Christian living. | heard a man
make this telling testimony at a
Rescue Mission in Trenton, N. j.:
I'm coming here to these meetings
because | feel that a continual mix
ing with Gods people will greatly
help in keeping my heart warm. We
are very much like embers. It's very
much easier to keep them warm to-
gether. Separate one and it grows
cold, put it back into the furnace
with the others and soon it is glow
ing again"
~ Your failure to regularly at
tend the divine services is weaken
ing the forces of righteousness in
your city. Let me explain. Poor
attendance dampens enthusiasm. It's
even pretty hard for a handful of
bleachers to get up much enthusiasm
over a ball game. Our church SER
vices would be lots more enthusiast
and telling if we had a full attend
ance. We would be helped more
The world would be more impressed
and come oftener. Do you realize
that there are very few nowadays
outside the church membership who
attend the services? Well, it's a
fact! And here's one reason. The
crowd draws the outsider, empty
seats for which every able-bodied
non-attendant member is response
bic is keeping these away. Neither
do | blame the outsider, for if the
service isn't worth while for the
member what can it have for them.
Members, maybe, you can't do much
public work because of timility; you
can come and fill pew for the glory
of God.
(3) Failure to attend regularly
is nothing short of robbing your
children of heritage that is prop
erly theirs by rights. Your fore
fathers came here because they de-
sired to worship God as they chose,
and they attended faithfully. AS the
generations have come and gone,
there has been gradual letting up
until many families have bequeathed
to their children nothing other than
an Unborn desire to stay away from
the church service. Many parents,
realizing that the influence is good
send their children to Sunday school
and church, while they are satisfied
to stay away. Parents, you may
think your child safe with your
authority holding it at Sunday school
while it is young, but beware; there's
coming time when parental author
ity gives way to parental example.
Where's your child going to be
found then?
az If church members don't at
tend regularly, how else is the pulpit
to have the desired influence and
power? The wise pastor plans to
carry his people over certain great
Bible teachings each year. How are
they to be we'll balanced in the
Christian teachings, if they get only
few? The teacher at school can
do little good when the pupil is ir-
regular in attendance. There are
bound to be weak spots in the course.
So it is with us who are trying 20
teach the important things in the
Word of God And yet we have to
work under a so per cent. handicap
in this particular almost all the
time. There are subjects which l
have preached upon which will not
touch again for many months, and
yet in many of these cases, the ones
especially in need along these lines
were not present. Common sense
argues regular attendance, lest in
growing in grace, as we are expected
to do, we grow lopsided on some
points.
Is Finally, Gods Word COM
mands regular attendance. Heb.
1925. His Word is our final rule
and authority until He comes in the
heavens. What are we that we
should question its wisdom?
"Our's not to ask the reason why