Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-23
MEN SHOULD GO
TO CHURCH, Is
SERMON TOPIC
Indifference Blamed for Abb
sence of WelI-Intentioned
Rank and File.

hank ana f1Ie.
The reasons why men should attend
church were outlined III the Sunday
evening sermon Of the Rev. George
M%ecklenburg of the First Methodist
Episcopal church, who in answering
the question Should Smith Attend
Church? z" described the typical person
who is not averse but Indifferent to re-
ligion and the church. AS the church
represents the n permanent moral
authority on earth. in the opinion or
the pastor, he contends that everyone
should go to church. His ext and
sermon follow:
lothian entered not iato the
temple of the Lord.-ii Chr0n.
PIP.
Who is Smith? He is a multitude
who do not attend church. He is often
n successful business man. a good hus-
band. He COLTS on Sunday. He sup
ports the church. He is not opposed
to religion. He says the church is a
good thing. He is just indifferent. He
intends to attend church. But he does
not.
What is the matter with Smith? The
hldltCI Will cIltLi 10 ihotS
than our complacent civilization would
think. Smith is the victim of an ap-
paling spiritual inertia. 1t is a dis
ease. All his life forces are turning
into the physical and sensual. The
soul is becoming starved and trophled.
He jokes about his condition. He says
his religion is in the hands of his wife.
He is a great camouflagers but deep
down he knows he is losing out and
missing the real purpose of life.
Says Business Responsible
This appalling condition of spiritual
drouth has been brought on by many
causes. One cause is the terrible rush
and stress of modern business. His
energy is sapped. He has no life left
for religion.
Then lurking sin is destroying
Smiths spiritual life oftentimes. One
would be shocked to know the skele-
tons in the homes of seemingly re
spectacle people of the average Ameri-
can community. Some of our c%ongenial,
respectable non-church-going Smiths
are beasts and sensualists in their pri-
vate life.
The practical materialism of our age
destroys more spiritual life than any
other cause Our conscience is domi-
nantly commercial. The result is the
cold, bloody. s~oulless industrial life of
our day. This has made an atmos-
phere in which the soul of Smith is
smothered and he does not feel the
hunger for spiritual food. SO he stays
away from church.
Should Smith go To church? Yes.
but there may be need Of a great
shock TO bring him back to spiritual
consciousness. Like Paul on the road
to Damascus he needs to be knocked
down. 1t may be a financial disaster,
a death in the family. a revival meet
ing or the earnest solicitation of a
friend that will bring Smith back to
God.
Smith needs the church, Every man
and oma needs the church. Not
that the church has not faults. Every
thing Smith has accused the church
of is perhaps true. But the church
is the only institution today that gives
warmth and hope and love to life.
Church Is Brotherhood
Science is cold. Business is cold.
1t Is heartless competition. The
church is a brotherhood. 1t is O
fellowship. It is an institution plac-
ing high value IN every single indi-
vidual.
We cannot live Of bread alone. Deep
down in some crypt of every soul il
a hunger that cannot be satisfied by
earth stuff. Smith needs to go to
church to get away from the ever
lasting din of commercialism and have
his soul fed.
The church is the voice Of God in
the world. IT is the one permanent
moral authority on earth. Nations
come and nations go; civilizations wax
and civilizations wane; but the church
goes on forever. In the chaotic flux
element ia his life. In fact / chal-
lenge the worthwhileness of Smiths
life if he has only work and a bit of
sensual pleasure in it.
/ know that Smith is not altogether
blame. The church is to blame:
our whole civilization is to blame.
When Smith comes to himself be does
not want to disbelieye in immortality. |
Even though he breaks the command
ments he does not want them abolish !
ed. He does not want Christianity
q myth. Smith has q soul and
needs attention.
No matter how good Smith may be.
he is ignoring the church, breaking
the Sabbath and setting an example
of indifference to the moral forces of
the city. he makes q dtfecL cOntflDu-
ton to the corruption of our nation.
Evil Forces Revolt |
The forces of evil are revolving |
against the very foundation principles
Of our CIVILIZATION. Smiths home is at
stake. His nation is at stake. Chris |
tian civilization is at stake. And Smith
who does not attend church is on the
side of unri~ghteousness in that he is
it hard for the moral forces
to do their work.
There are TOO many serious moral
problems on for Smith to stay away
from church.