John Wesley, Jr.: The Story of an ExperimentBrummitt, Dan B. (Dan Brearley)
Religion
John Wesley, Jr.: The Story of an Experiment
Brummitt, Dan B. (Dan Brearley)
Christian fiction; Methodists -- Fiction
16. The churches of Delafield believe that all matters of social
concern--work, wages, housing, health, amusement, and morals--are
part of every church's business. Therefore they will not
cease to urge their members always to deal with these matters as
Christian citizens, not merely as Christians.
17. Every child and young person in Delafield ought to be in
the day school on weekdays, and in Sunday school on Sunday.
Delafield discourages needless absence from one as much as
from the other.
18. Delafield wants the best possible teachers teaching in all
her schools. She insists on trained teachers on week days, and
needs them on Sundays. Therefore she believes that teacher-training
is part of every church's duty to Delafield.
"There's one thing about all this that bothers me," said J.W. when they
had finished the final draft of the Every Day Doctrines, "not that it's
the only one; but some of these Doctrines stand small chance of being
put into practice until the church people are willing to spend more
money on such work. It can't be done on the present income of the
churches, or by the usual money-raising methods."
"That's a fact," Joe Carbrook agreed. "I'd already made up my mind that
the Carbrooks would have to dig a little deeper, and so must everybody
else who cares."
"Yes, but how to get everybody else to care; that's the trouble," J.W.
persisted. "Dad's one of the stewards, you know, and they find it no
easy job to collect even what the church needs now. They have a deficit
to worry with every year, almost."
Marcia Dayne was the only other member of the "Let's Know Delafield"
group who happened to be present at this last meeting. She had been
waiting for a chance to speak. "I'm surprised at you two," she said.
"Don't you know the only really workable financial way out?"
"Well, not exactly," J.W. admitted. "I suppose if we could only get
people to care more, they would give more. It's a matter of letting them
know the need and all that, I guess. For instance--"
Marcia was not ready for his "for instances." "John Wesley, Jr.," she
interrupted with mock severity, "as a thinker you have shone at times
with a good deal more brilliance than that. If you had said it just the
other way 'round you would have been nearer right. People _will_ give if
they care, of course, but it is even more certain that they will care if
they give. The thing we need is to show them how to give."
Joe Carbrook broke into an incredulous laugh. "In other words, my fair
Marcia, you want Christians to give before they care what it is they are
giving to, or even know about it. Don't you think our church will be a
long time financing the Every Day Doctrines on that system?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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