The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-06
M E N, w o N E N
 A ND T H IN G s

ITeat IS the power or charm' ana those who have it are blessed of the Gods. The man or the woman who has 1t finds favor in the eyes of all, for it is simply irresistible. | Perhaps better term for man is personality. and yet every winsome man hes certain modicum of femin- inc charm, and it by no means lessens his virility. but it does add just that indefinable thing which makes him win hearts.
 got to thinking along these lines on Sunday when pr. Henry M. Ed monds, fresh and bronzed from his European trip, stood up in his pulpit to face his congregation at the morn ing service of the Independent Pres byterian church, which worships in Temple Emanu- Fl.
 You could sense that the great crowd in the pews below him were sending up to him message of cor dial sympathy on his return and that from him flowed subtle influence which at once harmonized with the friendly atmosphere beneath. It was just the mlieu that every actor, ora tor and preacher craves when he has a message to "get across"
 I do not try to explain 1t, but am content with merely stating that here was hearty rapproachement be- tween the pulpit and the pew which evidenced the fact that pr. Edmonds had lost none of his old-time power of swaying audiences and that, rec ognizing that his hearers were in tune, he felt no uneasiness for fear of being unable to strike the right keynote. And he did.
 
 There I sat, Baptist preacher. on the salert to listen to the deliverance of man who hadn't the slightest air of the priest about him, either in manner or garb, but even looked less like a minister than a busy layman, who in sack suit had dropped in to have a straightforward heart to heart talk with his fellows about matters of high and holy import stripped of any theological bias. Around me were Methodists, Presbyterians, Bap lists, a few Catholics and quite a few Jews.
 
 Nt i.,ta tad of tempting to enter into the perits of the more stately and ceremonial wor ship of some of the churches in com parison with the simpler way of others, but I could not help thinking that I was taking part in a very sim pie, yet appropriate service, which, free from the pomp of ritual, yet at the same time was in every sense rev erent and appropriate in house set apart for prayer and praise.
 The choir was fine, the congrega- tional singing good, the organist ex- cellent, the responsive reading appro- priate, the Scripture lesson solemniz- ing. and the sermonette to the Chill dren interesting. instructive and in- spring. The talk, while intensely in- formative and at times dwelling on questions of high morality could not be chased as a sermon from the old standpoint, nor was 1t intended to be. It had no text, divisions and heads
 f1 a ,at,- tals," but so far as I am concerned it suited me.
 I am saying this because I over heard some one say, Tt wasn't ser mon, it was just a talk" the intima- ton being that there was religious element left out. It is not necessary for me to defend Dr. Edmonds' pulpit methods, but am sorry for any one who heard his opening prayer, which 1t than a half dozen ordinary ortho- dox doctrine, or even vangelistic sermons, who was not stirred by 1t. It lifted me out of myself into a spiritual WOrlu III WHlcn Gou was real, Jesus divine person, and the Holy Spirit true comforter. If I could pray like Dr. Edmonds I would be willing for the undiscerning 10 speak of my sermons as talk"
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 All I can say is that the man or woman who went away from the service without having been anything more than entertained is impervious to the appeal of man whose whole public address is saturated with the eternal Bible truths, and whose pri- vate life is in keeping with his public professions. I say it not because he needs it at my hands, but because l have been helped by association with him, that Henry M. Edmonds' influ- ence for good comes from the fact that he is a truly religious man, and not because he has charm. l hail his return with personal pleasure. and I know his presence means good to Bir- mingham.
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