Norwich bulletin., 1922-08-12
SUNDAY MORNING TALK
1VorIdliness In the Church.

Worldliness in the church, or the church in the world. These two ideas are confused in many minds, resulting in two mistaken forms of religious life. On the one side are those who imagine that to be in the world, even though working for Christ and avoiding contamination from the sins of the world, is to be world ly, and hence we have ascentrics, her mits and monkish recluses. who with draw as much as possible from all con- tact with men, trying to devote them selves to personal purity, and living lives of religious selfshness, and for the most part uselessness to the world
 The opposite class are possessed by the thought that to win the world we must join with it in all its pleasures and frtvolities. So far from making divid-- ing line between themselves and the world, they seem to think that the secret of success is to wipe out so much as DOS sible any mark of distinction between them. The church is not to win the world by heroic call to duty and self sacrifice but it is to coax and wheedle 1t by various attractions It is to be- come rival of the world on the en- tertainment line, and success by hold ing out better inducements to the pleas ure seeking soul, We all know the re- suits of such a policy Instead of the Christian winning the world. the world has seduced the Christian He has fear ed to frighten the soul which he sought to win by the seeming vigor and auster- ity of the Christian life, he has sought to show that there is really just as much gaiety in the one life as in the other. and the end has been that going into the world he has become of it. and the life which he is presenting is not | CIric 10 avoided both of these mistakes He did not shun the world, but mingled freely with it's life. He was accused by the ascetics of his day of being a gluten and drunkard. because he did not practice their lasts and penances and set at table with the hated tax gatherers and with sinners. He was much amone the flower classes.' He came in con. tact with social outcasts Yet never by word or act did he ever candone oi excuse much less adopt any of theil questionable customs. His life amons them was one of stainless purity | was impossible for the aue-stricken null titude not to see that while going free. i ly among them, he was yet separated from them by the immeasurable distance which divides the evil from the divinely pure and good He did not seek to vii them by setting them a low and easy standard of living, but by setting so higf and difficult a mark of duty that mel should strive after it for centuries with out reaching it. Yet should gradual! rise toward it and keep their gaze fxet upon that noble goal. Many turned away and walked no more with hin i when they learned the king of Kingdom which he preached; but he did no
 on that account lower his high ideal The rich young man turned away sor
 rowful. but he did not go after hin
 and try to ease his conscience, as si many with perverted conscience ar
 soother today.
 Christ's prayer for his disciples "
 should echo for ourselves. Not that "
 should be kept apart from the world
 but that we should be kept from evi That the church should be in the world
 permeating with the divinely given truth
 every class and condition of men. toe
 often it falls into the mistake It with
 draws itself from men among whom
 ought to be daily walking and talking
 It suffers worldly motives to corrupt tn
 pure springs of action. It should ad
 vance to take the world for Christ whe
 the hosts of evil are stronges and mos
 active but it should fight only with it
 divinely-given weapon and should cloth
 itself only in the armor of righteous
 ness. "Let your light so shine befor
 men, that they may see your good work
 and glorify your Father which is heaven, Matt. 5, 16."