The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tired Church Members, by Anna Warner

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Title: Tired Church Members

Author: Anna Warner

Release Date: August 29, 2007 [EBook #22422]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TIRED CHURCH MEMBERS ***

Produced by Al Haines

TIRED CHURCH MEMBERS.

BY

ANNA WARNER,

AUTHOR OF THE "FOURTH WATCH," "THE OTHER SHORE," ETC.

"So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink
water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned
unto me, saith the Lord."--Amos iv. 8.

"Choked with cares and riches and pleasures
of this life."--Luke viii. 14.

NEW YORK

HURST & COMPANY

PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1889,

By ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS

Copyright, 1891,

By HURST & COMPANY.

CONTENTS.

TIRED CHURCH MEMBERS
MUSIC
DANCING
THEATRES
GAMES
WHAT LEFT?

TIRED CHURCH MEMBERS

I suppose one never goes heartily into any bit of Bible study, without
finding more than one counted upon. And so for me, searching out this
subject of Christian amusements some curious things have come to light.
As for instance, how very little the Bible says about them at all. It
was hard to find catchwords under which to look. "Amusement"? there is
no such word among all the many spoken by God to men. "Recreation"?--nor
that either; and "game" is not in all the book, and "rest" is something
so wide of the mark (in the Bible sense, I mean) that you must leave it
out altogether. And "pastime"? ah, the very thought is an alien.

"This I say, brethren, that the time is short." [1]

Redeem it, buy it up, use it while you may,--such is the Bible
stand-point. It flies all too quickly without your help.

"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle." [2]

"Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear." [3]

Not in frolic. So you can see that I was puzzled. However, by patiently
putting words together, noting carefully the blanks as well, some things
become pretty plain; and the vexed question of Christian amusements is
answered clearly enough for those who are willing to know. But as we go
on searching