The Effects of External Conditions Upon Worship
By HENRY F. BROWN
The Christian religion is a purifying power to body, mind, and spirit. Neatness and cleanliness are imperative at all times, but we “should have special care to appear before God upon the Sabbath in a manner which would show that we respect the Creator, who has sanctified and placed special honors upon that day. All should be cleanly in person, neat and orderly in dress, for they are to appear before a jealous God, who is offended at uncleanness and disorder, and who marks every token of disrespect.”6 Those who are careless about their personal appearance are almost certain to be equally careless about small sins and imperfections of character. But when the soul has been purified of its defilement, the believer immediately sets about to cleanse the body. He is impressed that the temple of God must be made a fit dwelling for the Holy Spirit. Filthy habits are discarded, and the once careless in dress becomes clean, neat, and orderly in appearance. The church, to properly represent the worship of God, must also be neat and clean. It may be an inexpensive and unassuming house, but it should be well cared for. It would be better to reduce expenses in other ways than to let the house of God go without a fresh coat of paint. The inside of the house, however, should receive even greater care, for those who assemble to worship cannot properly do so if the floor is so dirty that they cannot kneel before God without soiling their garments. The decorum in the church depends largely upon the conditions found within. The janitor should be as conscientious about his duties as the minister is about his. Probably no other one person can do more to assist in making the worship of God what it should be than the one who has been chosen to care for his house. In addition to keeping the church clean and neat and orderly, he should also see that it is properly ventilated. When we remember that one person renders unfit for use a barrel of air at each breath, it is evident that there must be a constant supply of fresh air in order to keep the minds of the worshipers clear and perceptive. The earnest appeals of the minister to arouse God’s people and to warn sinners are in vain as long as the minds of the hearers are benumbed by the effects of impure air.