SOCIAL GATHERINGS by Adolphus Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 13, 1869

SOCIAL GATHERINGS.

By Adolphus Smith

Of all social gatherings on earth, the prayer and conference meeting, may, perhaps, be regarded as the most important; and it should by no means be esteemed the least desirable. Yet, if we were to judge from the somber aspect of the apartments where many of these meetings are held, the dull lights, the bowed forms, and gloomy, cheerless, countenances of the worshipers, going through their stated duties with sighs and groans, as if it were an irksome task, we should conclude it one of the dullest places in the world. Such worshipers often wonder that sinners cannot see a beauty in the truth, that friends should manifest indifference, and even children turn away with evident distaste from the tedious sameness of their formal testimonies. Such persons are to the assembly of the saints, as icebergs to the ocean, befogging themselves and all around, endangering the safety of many a heavenly mariner, and sometimes resulting in disastrous shipwreck.

Such persons remind me of a Methodist lady, who, from week to week, bore about the same testimony, always expressing her unworthiness, and want of consecration, to the no small annoyance of the leader of the class, who, at length resolved to test the truthfulness of her words. Accordingly at the conclusion of one of her usual testimonies, “I am unworthy, I am not what I ought to be;” &c., he replied, “So all your neighbors say.” Said she, “I’m just as good as they are, or you either.”

The cause of this insipid devotion, is evidently want of consecration to God; absence of secret piety. Making all allowance for ill health, and inclement weather, much of the dullness of social meetings may be attributed to want of taste in the room where they are held, and in the costume and attitude of the worshipers.

Let a few persons assemble for worship in a large and dimly-lighted church, and their exercises will afford as little cheer to the earth-worn, heaven-bound pilgrim as would a few drops of water in a great grimy bucket to the thirsty traveler. The full crystal goblet would afford greater refreshment.

Better to build vestry rooms, with walls of virgin whiteness, amply lighted, than to allow the expansion of a great church to rarify the moral and social atmosphere of an audience meeting with the King of kings. Better for a large church to divide up into bands, with an appointed leader, to meet at different times and places, than that, in general assemblies, many should take no part in the exercises, or cease to attend at all, thus hanging as heavy clogs upon the skirts of those who are trying to be “good and faithful servants” of their Lord.

When people call evenings upon their neighbors, some slight change of costume is usually made, the guests are invited to the best room, which is usually amply lighted, and good cheer is maintained throughout. And yet the evening prayer-meeting is sometimes almost the reverse of this, except as to the time of its being held. Ought these things to be so? Can God be pleased with less respect than we show toward our neighbors and friends? It is not that we should never be “in heaviness because of manifold temptation.” Not that we should never speak of trials. But these should be exceptions and not the general rule. We should speak of battles won, of victories gained, and not reiterate the story of self-condemnation. “If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” ADOLPHUS SMITH.

Lamont, Mich.