The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1921-06-02

OVO4A 0SNOAAIpAIouVNs AVuA0VAAAO
Journal.
Off Hand Thoughts from Eearl-
vile Leader.
Two Earlville laymen were dis
cussing the other day the reasons
whymore people do not attend
church, and incidentally were CIV
ing their own experiences. One
said that for q long time he did
not go to church because he could
not get interested in what the
preacher said and could get more
pleasure and benefit by reading q
book or magazine at home. holding
to the idea that church attendance
with no interest in the sermon, is
worse than staying at home, UNI
less. possibly, his actiom might in
fuence some one else to stay a.
way. Both agreed that many
times they had gone to church and
spent the time figuring out some
business problem, being entirely
oblivious to what the minister
was saying. One admitted that he
had many times attended church
and gone home ready for nap, if
indeed, he did not sleep through
the service. Both these men are
regular church attendants now,
and working members in their or
CARNATIONS, so this cannot be ia
ken as knocking" the preachers.
Maybe they have had an awaken
ing, and them again perhaps the
preachers Of today are much more
interesting and tactful than those
of yesterday. This question we
will not attempt to discuss. But
this writer remembers one form
er Earlville pastor who OCCASION
ally bluntly informed us that we
were not living up to our duties
as citizen, because we did not
regularly spend an hour or an
hour and a half Sunday morning
listening to man who could a.
rouse in us no interest either in
himself or the subject he was talk
ing about. Many people do not
go to church because they have
not been educated to go, or be-
cause they have not allowed them
selves to get interested in really
good sermons. They never give
the preacher, no matter how elo-
quent he may be, an opportunity
to interest them. They get into
a rut and it is hard to pry them
out. They allow pleasure to oc-
cupy their time, and in many ca
SEES it is frivolous pleasure. 9th
err people do not go to church be-
cause they are too lazy to get
ready on Sunday morning. Others
have imbibed some doctrine in
early life and because they can
not hear that particular doctrine
or creed expounded, stay at home
with the some times mistaken
idea that nothing good can come
out of any other belief than
theirs. They boast that they are
rock-ribbed lists" Of some sort or
other and make sport of all other
beliefs. Most preachers are a.
verse to sensational or out-of-the-
ordinary methods, and yet they
all want to do the greatest good
to the greatest number. We be-
lieve and for years have advocated
that an afternoon service in .
downtown theatre, even In so
small place as Earlville, with
good music and a brief and snappy
sermon, would be the means Of in
ducing more people eventually to
attend regular services, than amy
thing else that could be staged,
and there need be no sensational
ism about it. If you cannot get
the people to go two or three
blocks to the church, bring the
service to them for q time and
give them opportunity to hear the
word Of God expounded with the
minimum Of effort on their part.
After listening q timey they might
get interested. Very few mem will
deny that the church is an infiu-I
ence for good. Few would want
to live in q country entirely de-
void of churches and yet many
take no interest, personal or 9TH
erwise, in them.
Get an all-ound knowledge OF
your chosen occupation young
man; otherwise you can never
hope to make . conspicuous sue
cess Of any one phase Of It. i you
are 4 clerk ia . general store and
are assigned to the grocery de-
partment, attend strictly to your
duties but spend your spare time
in learning about the other d g,
partments. Few employers Will