The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1922-08-03
DRIFTING BACK TO CHURCH
BY LEGAL ASSISTANCE
(Bv w. +. Martini

a hlSn OHlclai OF the LOrO lay
Alliance is credited with saying, eve
believe that if we take away a mans
motor car, his golf sticks, his Sunday
newspaper, his horses, his pleasure
steamhips, amusement houses, and
parks, and prohibit him from playing
outdoor games or witnessing field
sponts, he naturally will drift back to
church"
When one reads such language, he
is led to wonder what conception the
author of the above words has of the
motives which should inspire church
attendance. Not only this, but he is
led to view with feeling little short
of amazement the methods by which
it is sought to obtain such results.
The writer of this article just now
opened a most revered book, and
found on a certain page words like
these: "Come unto Me, all We that
labor and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest. Take My yoke upon
you, and learn of Me; for I am meek
and lOwly in heart; and We shall find
rest unto your souls. For My yoke is
easy, and My burden is light" How
sweet are the sentiments here ex-
pressed! What hope and courage
have they brought to struggling souls!
Jesus, the young Galilean, appealed
to the heart-longing of many men.
No vestige of force is used, but an
appeal is made to the soul.
Then again, the blessings of the
spiritual life are not for the drift
ers." Men drift" to destruction.
Should the program of the Lords Day
Alliance be followed to its conclusion,
the world would not drift to God or
the church, but toward the Inquisi-
ton, and into the darkness of unbe-
lief. Men are not brought to God by
q process of elimination The early
Christians did not drift to church be-
cause they had nothing else to do and
no other place to go. At the risk of
their lives they stole away to the cata-
combs, and in those secret places they
sang their songs and offered their
=
into the theaters or madly cheered the
gladiatOrs who butchered each other
in the arena. This the early Chris
tians did to satisfy the longing of
their souls. These ancient people felt
that in so doing they were drawing
nearer to God. They were not drift
ers. They felt the impulse of the
divine invitation, and, confding in
its Author, sought to partake of its
promised sweets.
Ringing in their ears were these
other words of the Master: ''He that
| taketh not his cross, and followeth
after Me, is not worthy of Me-" They
did not drift into connection with
| God. 1t is written of Matthew, the
disciple, that she arose, and followed
Him." The lOngings for home and
rcompanionship wrung from the prod
igal the cry, ''I will arise and go to
my father" Before this he was a
drifter. Drifting and boredom-en-
nui-go hand in hand. They are each
and both sign TO decay. What is
! 4ASON~0 ID NAS0AAIy5 me- SIIOuS puT-
pose. 81 will no let Thee go, except
Thou bless me-" is the language of
one who prevails.
1t sometimes seems that the world
is ready, yes, waiting, for men with
message, men whose lips have been
touched with fire from the altar; men
who can stir the jaded imagination
/ and awaken a longing for things
divine. All religious enactments ever
written or to be written by any civil
or ecclesiastical body or bodies or
councils, cannot accomplish the de-
sired end.
Let the Heaven-inspired apostles
speak, and men may recognize in
them the voice of the Galilean, and
hearing, may cast away the pleasures
and allurements of the world, and
arise and come to Jesus Liberty.