The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-12-23
THE SORT OF SERMON I LIKE
BY N. ID. Cochran 5

1t has just dawned that when wrote some
time ago that don't to church, didn't exactly tell
the truth 1 haven't been inside of any church for
many years. and generally stick around home on Sun
days reading the newspapers and such books inter
est me. But on Mondays l go to church in the sense
that read full page Of sermons every Monday morn
ing.
So instead of sitting one church and hearing but
one sermon l attend many churches of different
denominations and get all the good there is in numer-
Gus sermons. In this way 1 attend Methodist,
Presbyterian Baptist, Lutheran Unitarian Congrega-
tional, Episcopal Catholic and other churches. II
sermon is stupid the preacher pays attention
to the form than the substance of religion I can
pass him UP and hunt out sermon by some preacher
who talks to his congregation in plain United States
instead of talking down them from hazy cloud
which he has perched
I have made this discovery-that 1 don't like SER
mons where the preacher attacks other denomina
ton than his own L can read him when he boosts
but not when he knocks. 1 read with enjoyment
that deals with the Christianity of Christ and
is tolerant of other denominations and that recognizes
the fact that if all men brothers under the
fatherhood Of Cod 1t doesn't make any difference what
the creed happens to be of the church where they
ship.
I to quote from one sermon that I enjoyed
reading. 1t preached by Rev. DIR. Frank Oliver
Hall at the Universais Church of the Divine Pater-
nifty, New York City. Discussing Christmas giving,
DR.. Hall criticised a statement made of Christ,
He gave gifts to men," and said:
"A strange statement to make concerning one who
said Of Himself, Foxes have holes and birds of the
and have nests but the Son of Man hath not where
TO lay ms head What had He to give? Where is the
university which He established? Where is library
that He Donated the hospital named after Him
he gave 1t? Where the great books He wrote,
works of art he produced. the symphonies He com
posed? How absurd it to say Of Him, He gave
gifts unto men, What did He give?
He gave us the inspiration of a heroic and Low.
ing personality. We admire certain gentlemen, and
love some We have for instance a of personal
affection for Lincoln. But where one man loves Lin
coin, ten thousand would die Jesus Christ Men
go to theN ends Of the earth His command and this
twenty centuries after His death There is nothing like
it in history.
He the only conception of God that is
really worth worshipng. The God of the Greeks was
the Thunder the God OF the Jews was the King the
Lawgver, the Executioner the God of Hindus sits
indifferent, gazing the world The God of Jesus
our God, is Father, a Companion, Friend.
He gave men ideal of life. The ordinary
standard then, and now, is He is the greatest who
gets the most Jesus taught by precept and life
that he is the greatest who best That idea
is revolutionizng society He gave a mighty hope
OF something good to He brought life and i'm
mortality to light, that may learn to approach
our end like who wraps the drapery of his couch
about him and lies down to pleasant Dreams"
can understand that So anybody else who
reads it. No college education needed to get its
meaning. There is hatred for anybody in it. It
breathes the spirit of Christianity as want to believe
Il is. And it exactly the same thing to all
Christians no matter what particular denominational
brand, tag or label they happen to