Sociables Run Mad by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 28, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 21.

Sociables Run Mad.

By Editor

PARLOR THEATRICALS.

THE young people of the Christian Church gave a social last Friday evening at the residence of —, where about fifty persons were present. A very interesting programme was presented, which afforded a good deal of enjoyment. The farce was from the pen of —, and brought forth round after round of applause, and was very well received by the whole audience, each member taking the part allotted to them in a manner at once creditable to themselves and the organization they represent.

These socials are becoming very popular, and will no doubt continue so during the season.—Ex.

We omit names, as our object is to strike at an evil which is not confined to any one community. The invasion of the church by the world is one of the most threatening evils of the present time. The church is in danger of being deluged with worldliness in various forms. What possible connection is there between Christian piety and sociability on one hand, and the performance of a farce, after the style of the theater? Has spiritual brotherhood become so entirely nominal that members of the church cannot be drawn into each other's society by the charms of Christian affection and sympathy, but must be allured by the promise of a low species of worldly amusement? There is an admonition in the apostolic writings to Christians to "teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." There is also this piece of advice: "Is any merry? let him sing psalms." But who would gather, from either the letter or the spirit of apostolic teaching, that Christians are to teach and admonish one another in the performance of farces and other parlor theatricals? It smacks of carnality and worldliness, and not of spirituality and heavenliness. Prayer, praise, and holy living do not grow in the soil that produces such fruits. Where the church finds its life in fun and frolic, religion is apt to sink into mere formalism and hypocrisy. We earnestly protest against all such degradations of the spirit and aims of Christian life. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, not farce and comedy and melodrama in the spirit of the world. Sociability in the church is a good thing, but social gatherings such as the Bible describes are quite another thing from such worldly merry-makings as described above, calling "forth round after round of applause." "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels." Mal. 3 : 16, 17.—Christian Standard.