| Show TIlI OP ChURCHES Modern churches are arc looking In every cery direction for something whereby Lt secure their existence They are fIOre ly Iy threatened anti and tried Indifference Is filling the ship that Is tossed about among the breakers ot of Infidelity and higher criticism he compass or of re rave lation gone sone and the helm hehn In the tho feeble hands ot of hirelings Many experiments are oro tried for tor the he purpose or of lug Ing an Institution In which In Interest interest terest Is waning To Io make the church n a concert halt hail hailand and lecture room hM has been n tried but not with entire satisfaction The drum and tambourine tic not noL reach all The rhe bazaar social gathering have no permanent charms Churches are being deserted They are oro unable to compete with the tho popular farce or the tho circus Among ho new Ideas put forth Is this that the must ho bo abandoned 1 Churches having places ot of worshIp In close proximity to one OM an another other must join In partnership about the tho preaching and th the finances Says a Presbyterian paper In pla place ot of the system prevailing mong us toon today we would sUggest Q a grouping of churches and a 11 partner partnership ship o of th their lr ministers In a town ton where there are tour four or five Pros byte nan churches or tn in Q a section ot of n a large Jarge city like Ne Novt York where there thero are th the same Mme number thew churches might enter Into Inlo n a definite union or o ministry ot or finance of at everything Thus In that town or In that section or of time city there thero would be 00 simply lImply one church with various buildings In which to 10 carry carn on Its operations The results Qt of such a change e could not but bul be highly beneficial to the cause ot of Ion In other words the tho churches are arc b be becoming comIng tired or of their pastors The They want n a change anti the they promise thorn them sies great results from such Q a change DId riot not Paul speak about Q a QI I time when professed Christ inns lans would clamor for teachers willing to teed feed them according to their own prescription It Is variety that thatIs Is needed the they think Ant And so po the tho church services should be on tIme the pattern ot of n a vaudeville performance The Fhe ministers In a district might form torm forma a stock company anti and jointly fill the tho pUlpits In the district Time The programs might consist or of solos solo re recitation duets exhortations anthems read lug etc atc according to taste with such sueh other variations as might bo be suggested from time to time Many modern churches would be less coon ollen to the charge ot of simulation tion were they mana managed ed more In uc ac accordance with time the variety show The der deplorable condition which the Uta churches tall fail to grapple with is ID well known and antl sometimes out Thus nt at the tho Methodist conlO s at St StLouis Louis last month Rev W W V King ICing not hesitate to say that he doubted whether h th r some omo AmerIcan cities would compare favorably to ancient lie pointed out that the church can never fulfill Its mission as long as It permits n a social system that thaI literally compels and clerks In fri stores to live lives of impurity lIe He t further showed that the tho churches Were to blame blam for tor forthe the condition that makes It almost Im impossible to ot a Ile decent man elected to an any office or to get sel any legislation without a 11 liberal use ot of money In view or of such uch an arraignment if f modern churches what Is ie the object to tobe tobe be gained by IntroducIng greater variety In the pulpits What Is n needed ell Is III 1 a thorough shaking up rut na b by an earthquake The religious world needs to be made to realise thAt 00 now ul also I the ax Is laid unto the root ot of the trees therefore fore eWI every tree which brInK bring oth eth not forth good fuit Is hewn and cast Into the fire firc Not NOl till tho churches and their leaders realize that th they h In 10 Z d are aro neither cold nor hot bot but lukewarm anti In additIon wretched miserable ble poor blind will viii they turn to toDo God Do have havo for forsaken aken and buy of him gold white raIment and A church that no teal remedy against t the social corn cont mercial and evils ot of the nile age Is as useless ns as the salt sail of the earth that has l lost st Its savor avor It Is good for nothIng |
