The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-21
M E N, w o M EN
 "A N D T HIN c s

] l am a Baptist all right, but there is a fire and fervor about the Meth odists which warns the cookies of my | heart, and so I have been to the re- ce ptions rendered the visiting ecclesi- astics and sat on the front pews at the i services and said amen! as big and as loud as Fred Jackson or any of l my other Methodist brethren.
 l I know that there is an effort to bring together the Northern and South ern Methodists, and I am a great one | for unity among the brethren, pro- vded they can .unite without sacrifice ing religious principles; but having lived 1 both in the north and in the west, | while realizing the great power and usefulness of the northern wing of Methodism, I hope that the evangelistic fervor of Southern Methodism will not be lost in the union.
 More and more there is a tendency | among the great denominations to adopt business methods in the church enterprises, and it is all right, pro- vided that in systematizing the vari- ous organizations through which the work of the church is done, there is not put too much dependence on ma chinery and too little value on the work of the Holy Spirit. I have seen alarming tendencies in the recent past to trustify and syndicate religion. I realize fully the necessity to use l ordinary business prudence in the I management of the connectional affairs l in great church like the Methodists and was pleased when announcement 1 was made that the great leaders in Southern Methodism were coming here 1 to map out and better correlate the work committed to their hands. It's l a good thing to have bishops who are great executives, but in my mind | it is a better thing to have bishops who are Holy men because led by the ! Holy Spirit. Of course. when the two meet in one bishop, then the church | is fortunate indeed.
 
 1 1 have said this much because in | hearing the addresses and sermons of the visiting bishops I have been care full to try and catch the keynote of their public utterances. I was glad to find that while keen1y alive to the growing needs and wonderful oppor- tunities for expansion in every de- partment of church life, and while
 making provision to care for them in
 business way, there was deep un- dernote of spirituality, a dependence ! on the Holy Spirit.
 1 had the privilege of hearing Bishop
 Muzon on Sunday morning at the Woodlawn church. It was the first
 time I had worshipped with the con gregation since the North Alabama conference met with the Woodlawn
 saints. The church building is hand some without and commodious with
 in It is truly the meeting place of a fine body of men and women, and | 1 congratulate my good friend, pr. D. Simpson. on having such a people | to serve as do them on having such a 1 Pastor I have seen him work as pre- siding elder, as college president and l as pastor, and he is tower of strength 1 in the conference to which he belongs. 
 l left home in a drizzling rain and ] walked through to the Tidewater car hne. Avondale park was deserted The plumage of the fine birds were drooped. the rare species of cattle were stand ing stolidly, while the wilder animals had hid themselves away in their holes or houses. Miss Fancy the pet ele- phant, was hid from view in her pri- vate home. It was hard to think of the park as the gathering place of thousands of happy, shouting boys and girls in the spring and summertime l l came out of the cold and gloom Of the mud bespattered streets into the | warmth and brightness of the church within. Spying Ross Smith I went over and sat by him. I was a bit early and enjoyed watching the congregation 1 gather. for many of them were friends 1 of long standing. It's funny how you know man in one capacity for years withou. ever realizing that he may
 have gifts with which you are wholly I unfamiliar. I thought of this as pr. l R.i F. Lovelady stood up to lead the ! cnoir of more than 30 voices, and he
 led well.
 ] I think that the church should have the very best music. I have always | relt that much attention should be | given to the musical part of the ser wee. l am glad that more and more nere in Birmingham that the various denominations are really treating mu-
 SIC in sympathetic way. Every great 1 p-pe organ installed is to me a matter ,of joy and pride. and this city can now boast of some of the finest in
 the south. I was glad to find that
 the Woodlawn. church had a fine in | strument and talented organist. like musical instruments in a choir. like quartets. I like great chorus choirs; I like congrega tional i singing The Woodlawn church, un- der the direction of pr. Lovelady. com
 pines fine quartet, an excellent chorus and good congregational sing
 ing It may be little worldly to admit that I can't help sizing m church service. The music may be good and the sermon bad, or vice versa And when this is the case there IS something lacking; but when both 1 are good 1t is a joy to be present The service at the Woodawn church or sunday morning was not only delight
 but spiritually refreshing. It Mas a
 rerfect church service.
 In saying this I mean that not on,,
 was the music good. but the anthen, and the hymns were selected in a man
 ner to fit into both the prayer ana the sermon. The charge is often mads by those churches much given to ritu.1 i that the services of many or tbn de.
 nominations are too bare. This may De true in some instances. but n,
 sunday morning, simply speaking from
 an aestnetic standpoint. the service
 was rich Tn every way without being
 ornamental or stereotyped. It ;s i'm. | nan