Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

meeting.''way."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D."The Sunday Morning TragedyThe above is the heading of an article in The Watchman-Examiner (Baptist), which has the sub-title, "Not forsakingthe assembling of ourselves together." The writer, Rev. D. H.Miller, says:"All over this land of ours there is a tragedy which takesplace every Sunday morning. The tragedy is that the Lord'sDay comes and goes and somehow God and h's people donot get together. This tragedy has many ramifications.First, there is the fact that a great proportion of our members do not come to church. And it is not just the fact thatthey do not come, but that they have no intention of comingworse still, that some of them plan deliberately not tocome, plan deliberately Sunday after Sunday to do things thatcarry them away from the Christian church. This is not aBaptist problem at all. Do you know that we ministers actually think we are doing better than average if we can getan attendance of one third of our membership on each Sunday.And may I say that some of us do try desperately hard toovercome this situation. But we fail ! We advertise. We invite.Sometimes we scold. We seek to lure our people with goodmusic and snappy sermons and appealing programs, but theaverage remains about the same. The fact remains that sixtysixper cent of our people do not even expose themselves to aservice of Christian worship more than about twice a year.Even Christmas and Easter do not mean anythingfor they have fallen so out of the habit of goingto them,to churchthat they do not even know how to worship when they do getthere."Mr. Miller continues:The Service a Mere Program"Here is another, and this one happens right in the church.I refer to the minister who has no conception at all of worship. He gets his people together each Lord's day, but he hasno idea of worshipThe service is not worshipevents strungand his people have no idea of worship.at all. It is just a program oftogether a sort of socialized good time areligious pep meeting in which the people sing and are led inprayer and listen to the church, and such. It is a folksy service. It is a people-centeredFaithful Preaching"Then there is a tragedywhich sometimes occurs in thepulpit,"says the above writer: "Our neighbor .... said whenspeakingof the hazards of the pulpit: 'A man must decidewhether he is going to preach the gospel fearlessly or merelythe kind of message acceptable to all who hear him. If hedoes the former, he is apt to be in trouble with some oeople.But if he does the latter, he is in trouble with God.' Howright he is. And he might have added: 'If you are going to bein trouble with anyone, it had better not be with God.' Thepreacher is in a ticklish spot. He is paid by the people whosesins he is supposed to correct. But if he is a wise and goodman, he will never forget that both he and theytained by God. . . ."Some preachers never hit the mark. Theyare susdeliver nicelittle homilies, but they do not disturb the sins and prejudicesof the people, and theynever get down to brass tacks withissues that are live and vital. They put upstraw men andknock them down, but they let moral or economic or racialissues red hot stare them right in the face, and they very274adroitly walk around them. The church is not a little smugsocial club of choice people. It is supposed to be a dynamicgroup of humble and redeemed sinners going out with Christafter those who have lost theirDrive Against DrinkSurprising as it may be, the Communist paper, Pravda,has called on its party and social organizations to organize"a realstruggle"against drunkenness. It stated that manyparty and trade union organizations were neglecting to campaign against drunkenness. The paper further affirmed thisis "alien to the spirit of the Sovietpeople."Let us hope thatthis is true and that Russia, with all its perversions and vices,may lead in a temperance movement.Student Missionary ConventionFrom December 27 to January 1, it is expected that 1,600students will gather in the Fourth International Student Missionary Convention at the University of Illinois, Urbana, 111.These students will come from Bible institutes, universitiesand seminaries in the United States, Canada and foreigncountries. The Convention is being sponsored jointly by Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, Foreign Missions Fellowship,and the Nurses Christian Fellowship. The theme will be,"Changing World, Changeless Christ."Dr. Ockenga Remains in BostonWe recently reported, that which was announced elsewhere, that Dr. H. J. Ockenga was to leave Park Street Churchin Boston to become active president of Fuller TheologicalSeminary in California. However, the Park Street Churchrefused to accept his resignation and the people of New England desired that he remain there and he has decided to yieldto their request. During his pastorate in Boston his congregation has increased its budget from $20,000 to $400,000 annually. The church supports upwards of 100 missionaries inmany lands. Prof. E. J. Carnell has been appointed presidentof Fuller Seminary.(Continued on page 281)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street. Newton, Knnsas orthrouffh its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka. Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine. Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen. D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll. D.D.Remo I. Robb. D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdcarMrs. Ross Latime*Subscription rates: $2.50 per year: Overseas. $3.00: Single Copies10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons. B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland. Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton. Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS