courses as "The World: A Field for Christian Service," "The Problems of Youth in Social Life," "The Books of Ruth and James," a series prepared by Sidney A. Weston, Ph.D., of the Pilgrim Press, and "Athletes of the Bible," by Brink and Smith (Association Press), and other similar courses, have in them the service appeal, and afford opportunity for discussion. "There are four chief instruments of education,” says McKinley-"impression, instruction, association, and self-expression. These answer in a general way to the four principal forms of religious exercise, worship, discipleship, fellowship, and service: and from the use to be made of these instruments to promote the religious adjustments of the soul to God, the primary principles governing the agencies and methods of religious work for youth may be deduced." 995 When the Sunday school becomes the Bible school, with its carefully planned and graded departments, with its services of worship, then a new respect will be shown by the older boys and a loyalty, not even dreamed of, will be evidenced. McKinley, "Educational Evangelism,” p. 227. CHAPTER XIII THE CHURCH, THE PREACHER, THE SERMON, THE BOY A PARABLE "Two men went up into the Temple of God. One went to listen to the music critically, as he would listen at a concert, and to see if the preacher would be able to say some new thing that day. The other went to worship God, and the music seemed to him fitted to help the soul rise as on eagle's wings; and the simple word of the preacher seemed to him the word of God coming from the Father through a brother's heart. And all the week God seemed nearer to him because of that hour in the Father's House."-FROM A CHURCH Calendar. "Morbus Sabbaticus, or Sunday sickness," described by an unknown author, "is a disease peculiar to the male portion of the community. The symptoms vary, but it never interferes with the appetite. It never lasts more than twentyfour hours. No physician is ever called. It always proves fatal in the end-to the soul. It is becoming fearfully prevalent, and is destroying thousands every year. "The attack comes on suddenly every Sunday; no symptoms are felt on Saturday night; the patient sleeps well and wakes feeling well; eats a hearty breakfast, but about church time the attack comes on and continues until services are over for the morning. Then the patient feels easy and eats a hearty dinner. In the afternoon he feels much better and is able to take a walk or a motor ride, and read the Sunday papers; he eats a substantial supper, but about church time he has another attack and stays at home. He wakes up Monday morning refreshed and able to go to work, and does not have any symptoms of the disease until the following Sunday." The spread of this peculiar disease "Morbus Sabbaticus"-has been so prevalent that the Church has become alarmed and has instituted a campaign to stamp it out, known as the "Goto-Church" Sunday; also stereopticon pictures, moving pictures, religious dramas, augmented music, and other devices of drawing power, have been used with varying effect, the patient rallying for a time only to relapse into a state of innocuous lassitude. Easter and Christmas are hypodermic injections, stimulating church attendance for the day only. There comes a time in the treatment of chronic cases when heroic measures must be resorted to if the life of the patient is to be saved. A thorough diagnosis is made of the patient and the disease. After consultation between the attending physicians a decision is reached. This decision may mean to operate or to send the patient away for a change of environment, or the use of auto-suggestion to release the patient from the power of hallucination. This analogy between physician and patient may not be absolutely the same as between Church and people, yet there is a similarity, for today there exist too many churchless boys and boyless churches. There was a time when parents not only attended church but took the children with them, when the family pew was occupied by the family, when the Sabbath was looked forward to as a day of worship and rest, when the preparation for the Sabbath began on Saturday by the doing of many things on that day which would free the Sabbath from even household cares, in order that the spirit of rest might envelop the home. According to the figures of H. K. Carroll, the seating capacity of the Protestant Churches in the United States in 1910 was 40,082,237, while the total communicant membership was 14,229,940. This leaves room for 25,852,297 additional men, women, and children who may care to attend worship on Sunday without disturbing the communicants." The average increase since 1913, for all religious bodies, great and small, Christian and non-Christian, is 2 per cent.2 1 Carroll, "The Religious Forces of the United States," p. 393. "Churchmen Afield," Boston Transcript, February 13, 1914. In order to find out why the older boys don't go to church, 243 older boys were questioned. These boys were Sunday school attendants in some 70 cities and towns. The replies and the number giving them were as follows: 49 "Services not interesting." 23 "Don't understand the sermons.' 13 "Appeal of other influences." 12 "Companions don't go." 12 "Don't feel the need." 7 "Don't get up early enough." 6 "Not encouraged to go." 6 "Parents don't go with them." 3 "Too tired." 3 "Only for women." 2 "Sunday school enough." 2 "Preacher not friendly." 2 "Stay home and read." 2 "Rather be out of doors." 1 "Unable to sit still." 1 "For old people." MY |