Show lf MODERN PULPIT DECORUM 11 There is such an improvement in pulpit decorum in these later later- years ears V i Not long ago a minister was supposed 1 to go to the sacre sacred desk with all the I lugubrious air of a martyr at the stake Such a thing as a smile on j the the pr preachers preacher's acher's face would have horrified hor hor- t. t rifled the llie members And if ho said t something intended in end d t to be lightsome ig or amusing Well WeB Well no telling what 1 1 J Jt i t would have happened but ever o every one would expect tho the roof to fall faU Rev Reverend renel Doctor Doctor Short bort of First Methodist church Illustrates the newer and better nile rule HP lie brings to hl his service service ser ser- cr vice In the pulpit all the char charm of or that p profession or which has most s' s suc c ll auditors the auditors tho actors actors ac ac- ac tors If Mr i Short thinks of a pleasant pleas pleas- ant nut little thing he lie says it And Anel his people Hople laugh right out if Ir they want to It Jl Is no broach of or the tho better belter modem modern mod moel em ern decorum It is a no r recognition of or th Uw the worlds world's moving It shows that all nil pastor and people people are are In accord anti and that they hoy know they Y ar are aro in fn n a world already far flir too serious and theirs It Is to Ic lighten the gloom over tI they y can cart For Jor example On Sunday morning Mr Short announced that a new lot lotof lotof lotof of music have havo to lo be he bought hought and ho lie had rt devised a way lie He would borrow herrow hot her row the tho money from Sister Blank Blank- naming an au excellent woman of the tile church an 1 then along in April he he with the or organist anti and the tho quartet would give an entertainment The quartet t would sing In the organist would pIa play and he the lIe the pastor pastor- would talk Ard not one of th them m would appear on the stage until five hundred d tickets had been sol sold at twenty five cents each And you come cried the preacher preach preach- er to the tile congregation You come and if you rou dont don't have more fun than you yell over ever dirt did at your mother laws funeral ma may name aint Short An And the house greeted the pledge ge with high goo good humor It is so much more helpful than GInn the nM It fits one for n a sermon sermon- which yesterday morning happened to tobe tobo tobo bo be on the divinity of or Christ necessarily sarny more mOle or less Jess dry It so establishes lishes the fact that the minister is a good fellow And that is tho the heath bond which the world nowadays requires There is far ar too much solemnity Inthe in inthe the time pulpit People dont don't care to listen to a succession of oC all their lives They The like now and then the merry quip anti and the tho lightsome jest jest jest- like that of or tho the mother in It invests invests in in- in vests the Jho pulpit with so much of at at- Later while speaking of tho miracles mira mira- cles des h by which the divinity di of Christ was established Mr Sh Short rt somewhat annoyed by the clatter of children coming into the tue Sunday school room ahead of time exclaimed If someone some someone one ono would make those children be quiet it would be a miracle And again the people people- laughed TJ They ey saw the humor of it And Anti the tho basso asso got up lip from tho choir and went out to the silencing of the children It is iE isalt jill nIl y very welcome welcome the thor the proper intro oC tio of levity It so EO lightens the serious shadows that are piled plied upon the thc Bible and the hymn books People greatly enjoyed Mr Jr Shorts Short's lightsome pleasantry |