Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-06-16
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
The Minister
A spire suggests a place Of
By DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain Of the United States Senate

INV
Chaplain Of the u
A spire suggests q place Of
worship. Under a spire Is
usually a pulpit, where eternal
truth is proclaimed by one who
undertakes to speak for God
and about God and q Cod
filled life. The awesome task
to which such a person is set
apart is often referred to as
a sacred calling" st. Paul
raises the query as to how
without the Living Word the
message Of the Most High
could be communicated to
those who are lost. This Is how
he frames the question, How
are they to hear without a
preacher and how can men
preach unless they are sent?"
Then Immediately he bursts
forth into a rhapsody concern
ing those who are thus sent,
How beautiful are the feet
Of those who preach good It'd
ings."
Recently in a solemn ordina-
ton service I saw more than.
two-score young ministers
commissioned with the au-
thority Of their church to per-
form certain sacred functions.
AS. black-gowned, they took
the VOWS Of their holy office,
a quick calculation estimated
that that kneeling. bowed
group represented an aggre-
gate Of more than 300 years
Of academic training beyond
secondary schools leading up
to that high hour. With dedi-
Gated powers, in the glory Of
their youth these thus-or-
dained 60 forth to serve a per-
picked, fear-haunted, hungry
hearted generation which, even
in its push-button, jet-pro-
PEELED, gadget regulated,
pleaSure-mad, rock-and-roll
setting. out Of the futility and
emptiness Of it all, cry out
for spiritual satisfactions.
Certainly, in all the ages since
Jesus Of Nazareth came
preaching. admonishing his
followers. go preach" never
was the work Of what is
usually called the ministry
more difficult. more challeng-
ing or more rewarding.
Dearth Of Preachers
Once q year, on a Sunday
morning. the rector of a large
Western church talks to his
great congregation about the
call Of the ministry. Quite re-
Gently. in that annual mes
sage, assuming there were
some in that listening crowd
who. perhaps, were thinking of
that calling as q possibility
for the investment of their
own lives, he referred to the
desperate dearth Of preachers
to shepherd our expanding
population. But the wonderful
thing. he declared, is that the
combination Of discipline and
comparative poverty involved
is challenging some of the
choicest spirits Of the age to
give up the most brilliant
prospects from the worlds
point of view and enter the
service Of the church. He
stated that he could give quite
a list Of such instances which
had come within his personal
experience. He cited the case
of a lawyer who had given UP
a most fourishing practice, a
local government off1cer head
ed for a brilliant career, a
journalist who was earning
twice as much q week as he
would ever get per month. a
candidate for the ministry who
he himself had just examined
who was giving up a success
. full practice in a particular
field of medicine young
man fully aware Of what he
is about to do and of what
from a material and financial
point Of view he is turning
from.
Now this preacher appeal
ing for recruits. offering Moth
ing to entice them, said bluntly,
IF you hear the call and heed
it as a private individual with
a private life you will be vir-
tually annihilated. You will
have no regular hours when
you will be on or of duty. You
will be a minister "a hours a
day, seven days a week. You
will know despair and bitter
disappointment, Illustration
and agony Of spirit. You will
know loneliness and WEAKNESS
and you will be called uponto
feed the souls of others with
the bread of life when your
own soul seems starved to
DEATH" Then he flung out
this reminder Of what it takes
to really enter the ministry:
You will need the strength of
an OK. the endurance Of a ma
chine, the patience Of Job, the
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