large/4379/acres_of_diamonds_1008_librivox_64kb_mp3/acresofdiamonds_08_conwell_64kb_75
large/4379/acres_of_diamonds_1008_librivox_64kb_mp3/acresofdiamonds_08_conwell_64kb
English
4379
The cross lighted by electricity, to shine down over the baptismal pool, the little stream of water cascading gently down the steps of the pool during the baptismal rite, the roses floating in the pool and his gift of one of them to each of the baptized as he or she left the water  all such things did seem, long ago, so unconventional. THE CROSS LIGHTED BY ELECTRICITY TO SHINE DOWN OVER THE BAPTISMAL POOL THE LITTLE STREAM OF WATER CASCADING GENTLY DOWN THE STEPS OF THE POOL DURING THE BAPTISMAL RITE THE FLOWERS FLOATING IN THE POOL AND HIS GIFT OF ONE OF THEM TO EACH OF THE BAPTIZED AS HERE SHE LEFT THE WATER ALL THINGS DID SEEM LONG AGO SO UNCONVENTIONAL
ituted some beautiful and unusual customs, and one can see how narrow and hasty criticisms charged him, long ago, with sensationalism--charges long since forgotten except through the hurt still felt by Dr. Conwell himself. “They used to charge me with making a circus of the church--as if it were possible for me to make a circus of the church!” And his tone was one of grieved amazement after all these years. But he was original and he was popular, and therefore there were misunderstanding and jealousy. His Easter services, for example, years ago, became widely talked of and eagerly anticipated because each sermon would be wrought around some fine symbol; and he would hold in his hand, in the pulpit, the blue robin’s egg, or the white dove, or the stem of lilies, or whatever he had chosen as the particular symbol for the particular sermon, and that symbol would give him the central thought for his discourse, accented as it would be by the actual symbol itself in view of the congregation.  THINGS IN HIS CHURCH INSTITUTED SOME BEAUTIFUL AND UNUSUAL CUSTOMS AND ONE CAN SEE HOW NARROW AND HASTY CRITICISM CHARGED HIM LONG AGO WITH SENSATIONALISM CHARGES LONG SINCE FORGOTTEN EXCEPT THROUGH THE HURT STILL FELT BY DOCTOR CONWELL HIMSELF THEY USED TO CHARGE ME WITH MAKING A CIRCUS OF THE CHURCH AS IF IT WERE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO MAKE A CIRCUS OF THE CHURCH AND HIS TONE WAS ONE THAT GRIEVED AMUSEMENT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS BUT HE WAS ORIGINAL AND HE WAS POPULAR AND THEREFORE THERE WERE MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND JEALOUSY HIS EASTER SERVICES FOR EXAMPLE YEARS AGO BECAME WIDELY TALKED OF AND EAGERLY ANTICIPATED BECAUSE EACH SERMON WOULD BE WROUGHT AROUND SOME FINE SYMBOL AND HE WOULD HOLD IN HIS HAND IN THE PULPIT A BLUE ROBIN'S EGG OR A WHITE DOVE OR A STEM OF LILIES OR WHATEVER HE HAD CHOSEN AS THE PARTICULAR SYMBOL FOR THE PARTICULAR SERMON AND THAT SYMBOL WOULD GIVE HIM THE CENTRAL THOUGHT OF HIS DISCOURSE ACCENTED AS IT WOULD BE BY THE ACTUAL SYMBOL ITSELF IN VIEW OF THE CONGREGATION
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