The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-02-14
HIGHLANDS Church
TOSTART CAMPAIGN
FOR TOWER FUNDS
DR.. Hendrix Speaks on "The
Meaning of a Church Build
ing" at Morning Service.
Campaign to Start

Preparatory to the campaign for thu
raising of funds for the building o
the tower on Highlands Methods
church to place the chimes in, begin
ming tomorrow evening with suppel
at the church served by the Woman:
missionary society, DR.. w. y. Hendrix
morning. The Meaning OF a Church
bBuilding."
Dr. Hendrix preached to one of the
largest congregations he has had
text: And when Jacob awaked out OF
his sleep he said: Surely the Lord is
in this place, and knew it. And ne
took the stone that he had put for his
pillow and potlred oil upon it, and he
lcalled the name of the place Bethel
Genesis 2s:1S-19.
DR.. Hendrix said. in part:
One of the most helpful signs OF
the present day is that our people are
about to rediscover the true signifi-
canoe and meaning of the church
building Too seldom do we hear our
CHuTCu nOuScS SpOhSn OIL as 4 ne mousse
of God and too often when we 90
hear it, it sounds like cant on many
ears that hear it. No matter how ele-
giant the furnishings of the home, reo-
pie do not enjoy hospitality where She
master of the house is eclipsed by OBJ
|trusive servants
Probably the greatest and most fire.
quent disappointment that comes to the
churchgoer is just this, that he can
not get by the servants in the sanctu-
airy to commune with the Master in
His house. 1t seems more like the ser.
wants house than the dwelling place
of God. Occasionally a congregation
becomes vividly conscious of the d.
vince presence in their midst, stirring
up within US all noble thoughts and
heavenly inspirations. For awhile
our church becomes the hopse Of God,
and the gate OF heaven Would that
it were SO in every house of God, and
the gate of heaven Would that il
were so in every house of worship, in
every Sunday service
In this new age, we are making
new appraisals OF everything, and the
church has everything to hope for this
reason. We are going to put first
things first and however unpromis-
ing the prospect now seems, the house
of God must become the common name
for all of our church buildings. They
must be more than symbols pointing
upward to transcendent God; they
must provide truly a. dwelling place
for our Father, where He may gather
about himself in intimate fellowship
His believing children,
HOW ACCUMULATED
IN a vision. Jacob saw ladder
reaching up to heaven and whom he
.'awaked out of his sleep he said sure
ly the Lord is in this place. and I
knew it not Then he took the stone
that he had put for his pillow and set
1T up and poured oil upon the top of
lit. And he called the name of that
place Bethel, the house Of God
The purpose of the church Is and
always must be to bring living men
into conscious fellowship with the liv-
ing God. He longs for communion
with His children. and men need this
as truly as they need. food and shelter.
In providing building for hits pur-
pose, we are not merely adjoining a
community, nor simply establishing a
plant for the propagation OF a certain
type of religious opinion. We are in
viting the Eternal Father to become
resident among us. and providing a
means Of satisfying the profoundest
hunger Of our own immortal souls.
The soul of good man Is never SO
truly disclosed as in his home and
among the members of the family he
loves Just SO, there is revelation
of God which is peculiar to the sane
tuary. The capable and honest stu
dent of nature discovers behind all
phenomena a labor working to an
end The reverent student OF human
history discovers a. power that is not
ourselves which makes for righteous
ness But in the house OF God men
see the disclosure of an eternal world
comprehending love, and hasten 10
trust under the shelter OF His wings
Men never so truly understand and
appreciate each other, as in the
fellowship OF Gods house. Out
side we are lawyers. doctors, mer-
chants, laborers and capitalists; here
we stand before God stripped OF all
earthly distinction, 'robed In immor-
tally The lowliest become glorious
in the consciousness Of sins forgiven.
and the mightiest among us become
as little children entering the king
dom Of heaven. Here, ii anywhere,
the spell OF superficial and 4<rishing
Is broken. and we achieve
the consciousness that we are in Gods
sight only men who have sinnel and
come short in the glory Of God.
Without the Christian religion. the
social transcendence OF the classes be-
comes through the power 1t gives on
one hand and the envy that it creates
on the other, a. great danger to society.
Glass strife and social unrest envelop
the race today like miasmatic fogs in
swamp lands.
What challenge to the churches
to lay aside the petty reforms chat
often burden and distract us, and
make room in the workshop for conn
munion with God. Men who come
face to face with God on Sunday in
His house are not going to smite each
other on the week days. 1t Is OF little
value to keep church enterprises go-
ing; it IL indispensable to this genera
ton that in the churches the men and
women shall be made deeply con-
scious Of the presence Of God and that
IN our church membership mind and
love OF God becomes the ruling del
sire Of our hearts
Judgment must begin at the house
Of God. II any man have not the mind
Of Christ, he is none Of His"