Show y 4 r.- r. l Between 1 j Y You u o-u and Me vIe i Common sense is t the e most I uncommon kind of sense i iJ L Dy Dv HAROLD BELL DELL WRIGHT J e ee e e Speaking of Christianity Christianity M MODERN Very well we will talk about Christianity if you ou like Ilke But I 1 dont don't understand what you mean b by modern Christianity Fatherhood motherhood birth childhood old age death pain Joy sorrow sorrow are are these modern or behind the tunes times In this age we have ha built hullt railroads across the valleys plains and hills with fire and water we drive our locomotives over o the face of ot the earth and our steamships across the theseas theseas theseas seas but an art the prairies mountains and oceans modern Would you ou say suy that fire Ore and water wlter are modern beranse be- be rause ranse lately latey we have hn learned how to use steam 1 I Because we light our dungeons streets homes churches and then theaters tel's with electric lamps is ekey electricity elec modern Is there un anything lhing out of date or down to date or up to date In a n flash of lightning Is It the latest latest lat lat lat- e est t fashion In sunshine that we use In making motion pictures Are the stars modern because we have evolved a aLIck aLick aLick Lick a observatory tor What nonsense There Is no sued such thing as ns modern modem Christianity Christianity Chris Chris- Christianity Is nothing more nothing less than the time ten teaching ching of Jesus and the truths which Jesus taught were old when time began We may have modern mod era ern church architecture but n a modern Christianity Chrls Is as unthinkable as a u modern ocean or a n new fashioned mountain range or a down date sun Truth fruth is neither old nor new It simply sim t ply ly is it is-it It ma may or ma may not he be Truth Is not nat Invented or evolved ol It may be discovered brought blought to light and emphasized It may be lost In a n amaze amaze maze of nonessentials rediscovered ered and re Truth always 3 hn has been heen Is now no and always will he be the same unchanging unchangeable and ancl eternal truth The things which Je Jesus us said are ure not true because he said them he said them because they were true The truths which Jesus taught would he be just as true had Jesus never nc lived d. d He Ie did not evolve or ur invent the truths of Christianity Christianity- He lle merely uncovered uncO them Man Inn ManIs InnIs Is always covering up the truth God Is always uncovering it And between n you and rue me these thes truths which Jesus brought into the light are almost buried d again under tinder There Is s no such thing l ae as I modern Christianity Christian Christianity t 4 ity Is nothing more nothing It less than the teaching of Jesus Jesu and I the truths which JE Jesus SUS taught I were old when time began As I 1 see it It the Church Is the I dish In which our spiritual f food Is served ed lIun Hunger er may he be satisfied satisfied sat sat- t without nil all the trappings Y I of the modern dinner table I II III The world does not care what wiant we know If we full fall to apply that t knowledge I f I I While the Church lurch holds truths that are divine the Church hureh 14 II it i 4 self Is ver very human in its man t o f t ners and methods T f TI I T f The flue truths of Christianity are Jre 11 J I. I vital living J arid and they f are applicable Inside as fiS well as S T Ti outside the Church ChUlch hu ch f i i i N the accumulated rubbish of laws s and forms and cere cere- monies No u. Christianity is not lIot modern but bui modern In preachers preacher are mire To change the tile style of o- o preaching without changing the good J parsons parson's message that that is the problem To Io build modern modem churches s sand and Install modern machinery and amid still deliver delite cr time the ime old Christianity of 01 the sirie pulpit and time the II way wayside wayside side sanctuary is is-as is as you Oll may mH have lIun somewhat notice noticed somewhat Om OUI doc doe lots tors of divinity ten have n e made marle ft It too easy euy for us to lo confuse Ih the church with wl Christianity Now t wait 1111 a U minute don't dont get gel excited ex cx- cited wait ull until you lU aim understand exact ex exactly act ly what whal I 1 mean We dont don't en eat cUI t out oui elutes at ut dinner do we Because e eI I food is commonly served senell on plates planes no 1111 noone noone one one ever mistakes takes fur for beef heer steak When drinks a n cupful of 01 tea one oue does nut not lIell's necessarily a ril drink k I the h cup cop You rou might drink drilli water from a U glass cut goblet a n silver t a 11 atin atin tin bucket a n gouid 1111 dipper a u canteen or best of all nil lie lint aunt and drink from flom froma fromn n a spring The n liter Is the tile thin thing A golden gulden cup though It were fashioned and carved cur by hy Cellini himself never r satisfied a U roans mans thirst t. t As I 1 see ice It It the tile church Is the dish dishon on which our spiritual food Is served eel It Is the cup lUP from which we wc e drink th 1111 In water uter of t truth nil Ii Hunger lr 11 may iii be lie sit SIll sat I d without all nil the trappings of nl the Ill modern dinner table Thirst IH be ht slaked 11 without a n ne e vessel fm from iun which to drink Made Inele no Ill Life I Is nut not In III Ih the tha table amide furniture Life Is InI in inthe I the Ill food fond and drink We IVe were talking wl about keeping up with Life I ild that man Illan must conform conform con form to the tile changes which Life us ns II It goes Co forward 1 I. I demands but lUI I that ihm through lull all our changes we awe roust must roc rec always 1 time the unchangeable elements ele ele- ments of our being Well I he the world old truths the laws law III and principles plit of Life which h leans lesus 11 9 to o men can un never change But Dut between neen you and me this over organ n- n complicated Intricate and Incomprehensible Incomprehensible i Institution which we call the church must change or cease to exist The These e are the days of doln doing things In this n age e the thought must find expression expression expression ex ex- in the teed deed or die The world does not care what we know If It we fall fail to apply that knowledge One great grent question confronts saint and sin sin- sinner sinner ner alike e What do you yon do The fhe Christianity of Je Jews Jesus us lies mol mol- Bering derIn In the dust and gloom of past i centuries bound hound by the grave clothes of what has has always been and ond what what the I fathers sn We do not need deed a n new religion We need only to break brenk open the tomb of ot ecclesiastical tradition I and set Christianity free tree Our generation generation gener gener- atlon demands that we take Christianity Christi Christl- anity out of the storehouse of speculative speculative thou thought ht and set It to work wol In Inthe inthe the fields of er e everyday duy life Because the world Is older than thun It was yesterday It refuses to be longer amused h by the priestly playthings g of its religious childhood The to toys s 's of I ordinance creed and ritual must be he laid aside as men lay aside the trumpets trump trump- ets and drums drum of their school days The rime church must gel get off ofT the parade ground round and onto the firing ine line This day demands a n work worle not merely n a belief The time was when the church could wrap Itself In a u fog of ot theological dogma and because It could not be seen clearly In the mist he be credited J b by the common folk with like God m mystery That was long long ago The common folk foll of education has driven away awny the fog and ande we e can canall all nearly all nearly all see nil see clearly that while the church holds truths that are divine divine di die vine the church itself is very human In Its manners and methods We no longer accept every fellow who wears a gown own as ns a n preacher or think every man mun with n a shaven face facea a u pl priest est The church that In these days tries to lift Itse Itself f by Its own ritualistic straps boot to the top of some ecclesiastical ecclesiastical ec ec- mountain from flom which to thunder the message of Jesus wins wlm only the attention of the few who still mistake mental g gymnastics for Christianity We are learning that It ItIs ItIs itis Is just as much Gods God's work to dig a setter as ns It Is to talk for thirty thinly minutes min min- minutes utes about something no one under under- stand stands Neither dues docs a n man respect his neighbors neighbor's religion until he sees how howit it works When some church member thanks God Gud through his nose for the eternal salvation of his own soul and out of a n full purse gives a nickel to save the hungry I and sick In his tits own neighborhood the rest of the time congregation congregation congre congre- gation atlon look to see If their own pocket pocket- hoo hooks ks u are re sn safe fee Make Blake no mistake the time truths of Christianity are vital living truths truths- and they are applicable ible Inside as well us as outside the church ai c. c cl 1928 by the Bell Dell Syndicate Inc Ine |