J.F. Cowan:
1. Two-Minute Introductory Essays. - A very good way to get the theme of the meeting before the congregation in a fresh way, especially if the minister has invariably introduced it by a little sermon, is to arrange for a number of two-minute essays. Get the writers to promise to time their essays beforehand, and keep them strictly within the two-minute limit. From three to five such essays may be used, each on a different phase of the subject.
Let the leader announce the general subject, and the sub-topics. Let each essayist announce his sub-topic before he begins to read. For example, suppose that the prayer-meeting theme is, "Faithfulness to Duty:' Get a young business man to write an essay on, "The Christian business man's ideal of faithfulness." Get some wise mother to write on, "The housewife's ideal of faithfulness." Secure some public official who will tell what"' A faithful Christian office-holder is." If there are students old enough, have one describe, "The faithful Christian student," etc.
These essays are designed solely to open the subject for prayer and discussion, and not to be so exhaustive as to close it. Even if the essays fail of the main purpose, the sub-topics cannot help being suggestive, and the fact of having enlisted so many new voices in the meeting will be a distinct gain.
2. A Banner Prayer Meeting. - Any prayer-meeting theme which deals with the conflict between good and evil may be treated in the following manner:-Hang in the front of the room a black banner, to represent the cause of evil, and a white banner with a red cross in the center to stand for the cause of righteousness. These may be four feet by two and a half.
Make a number of similar smaller paper flags, say four inches long by two and a half wide. Distribute these among those whom you select to take the leading parts. Write on each of the black banners, in white, the name of one of the forces of evil against which the church must wage war; as, intemperance, money-greed, racial prejudice, lust, bad literature, false religions, etc.
Each one holding a banner will tell in a minute how the evil force that his banner represents works injury in society.
Eph. 6:10-18 may be read as a Scripture lesson. Let the hymns be in keeping - "Onward, Christian soldiers!" "The son of God goes forth to war," "Yield not to temptation," "Am I a soldier of the cross?" Luther's battle hymn.
On the white banners write the names of the forces in this conflict that make for righteousness:- the gospel, Christian song, prayer, good literature, the Sunday-school, the temperance forces, evangelism, etc. Treat them in the same way as the others.
As each force, on either side, is presented in this way, let a printed slip containing the force spoken of, or the smaller banner, be pinned to the large banner in front to which it belongs. Be sure to close with a hopeful, optimistic ring, in a song, or prayer, or word of exhortation, or prophecy.
3. A Biographical Prayer-Meeting. - Such a theme as, "Gaining by losing" (Mark 10:28-30), lends itself readily to the biographical plan. Distribute among picked members (not picked for their readiness to talk, but sometimes for the opposite reason) the names of such Biblical characters as: Peter, Matthew, Zacchaeus, Stephen, the Samaritan woman, the Philippian slave girl, Paul, Nicodemus, etc. Ask those to whom they are assigned to tell what they lost and what they gained by accepting Christ. It should be done very briefly. Better limit each to a certain number of words-fifty-and ask them to write their thoughts out and count the words.
Sing some such hymn as "All for Jesus," or, "Take my life and let it be."
Have a series of prayers for the kind of consecration that was exemplified by the characters just discussed.
Next take some of the great characters prominent in the reforms of the world: as, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Frances Willard, Wilberforce, Cromwell, Garrison, etc., and have them subjected to the same test.
Sing, "The battle hymn of the Republic," or, "Stand up, stand up for Jesus."
Have another season of prayers, asking that no one present may hesitate to make the same choice for righteousness and humanity.
Then take half a dozen great missionaries:- Carey, Mackay, Whitman, Paton, Hannington, Livingstone, and Grenfell, and ask the same question of them, the answer coming from those selected and prepared.
The leader may make the application strong and pointed, and such a review of the chief witnesses for Christ can but be inspiring.
4. The "Slip" Method. - For such a theme as, "How to grow strong" (Judges 16:20-30), this method may be profitable: Write on half a dozen slips of paper the following request: "Please come to the meeting next week prepared to name one thing that will help a person to grow spiritually strong, and tell how it is to be obtained."
On six other slips of paper write a request that six things be mentioned that weaken the soul, and suggestions for eliminating them from the life.
At the opening,of the meeting, let the leader sketch very briefly the Bible story of Samson. The ten verses of Scripture might be put on ten slips of paper (or references to them) for ten other persons to read prior to this.
Sing in opening, one hymn on strength through the word of God, one on strength through prayer, and one on strength through the Holy Spirit.
Then call for the twelve contributions, alternating between the two lists. Arrange with each participant beforehand as to the length of his remarks-a limit of a minute would be proper.
After the twelve invited have expressed themselves, invite any present to add to what has been set forth, and always, in any planned meeting, leave perfect freedom and time for participation for any who do not care to fall in with the plan, but prefer to take part in a more general way.
5. An "Observation" Meeting. - Have an announcement made at the previous meeting that each attendant is requested to keep his eyes open during the week and observe how Christianity actually is practiced. Each one should come prepared to tell one instance which he has observed of Christian principles reduced to actual practice. Emphasize the fact, in the announcement, that the deed observed and reported need not necessarily be anything great-a single helpful word, a thoughtful act, an unselfish kindness, an unusual courtesy prompted by Christian feeling, a letter expressing some Christian regard, a straightforward business dealing in the midst of temptation to stretch the truth or gain an end by deceit, a public policy that cost the doer something-only it should be something that was personally observed, and not something read or learned by hearsay.
A good Scripture lesson for this meeting is 1 John 3:14-18. Sing "Scatter seeds of kindness", "Let the lower lights be burning", "Blest be the tie that binds", "Pass it on", etc.
The leader should "load up" with instances of brotherly kindness, fidelity to duty, conscientious work, unselfish seeking for God's glory, and if there is any disposition to carp or tell instances of the inconsistencies of man, he should keep the meeting on the right track by drawing on his fund of incidents.
6. A Question-and-Answer Meeting. - Have a request made at the previous meeting that each one who comes next week prepare a question in writing. The theme may be the church covenant or vow, the church confession of faith, the organization of the local church and the work of its various departments and committees, the history of the denomination, the authorship, authenticity, time of writing, and evidences of inspiration of the books of the Bible, special work for slum boys and girls, or any subject that lends itself to the question-box method.
It is better to request that the questions be sent by mail, or be brought in person to the leader as early in the week as possible, so that he may have time to refer the questions to others who will look up the answers, or to look up the answers himself. Preferably, there should be a large committee on answering the questions.
One of this committee may be selected to read the questions, calling upon those who have agreed to answer. Nothing is more calculated to stir up an interest in the entire community over the prayer-meeting than this method. Seasons of prayer should be held over some of the most perplexing questions.
This question-box should not take so much time that there will not be room for spontaneous testimonies and prayers that are suggested by none of the questions.
7. An "In His Steps" Meeting. - Let the leader draw on the blackboard or a large sheet of paper an enlarged facsimile of the cover-page design of Mr. Sheldon's well-known book, "In His Steps." [which introduced the acronym WWJD - "What would Jesus do?"] The number of steps may be increased so as to give more room for the play of the mental activities of those who take part.
Read as the opening Scripture, Col. 2:6,7; Gal. 5:16-26.
Sing such hymns as "Trust and obey", "Anywhere with Jesus", "One more day's work for Jesus," "Nearer, my God, to Thee."
Have suitable extracts read from the book - paragraphs that illustrate the title.
Assign beforehand the steps to some who are willing to tell briefly, in a practical way, each of one step that we may take with Him. For example, one may tell how to walk with Him in the beginning of the day, by spending a few moments alone with Him and His word. Another may tell how a step can be taken with Him by speaking a personal word for Him to another on the way to business. A third may suggest that it would be a step taken with Jesus to deny one's self something during the day and give the saving to missions, and still another might think of making up some difference with one with whom we had quarrelled, etc.
Each of these suggestions should be written in one of the steps on the blackboard, until each step has been used. Nothing should be written that is not exemplified in the life of our Lord, and the leader should be ready with a number of instances to fill in any steps that may be left after all have spoken who will.
8. An Evening With Paul. - It may as well be an evening with John, or with James, or with Moses, or David, The same plan will answer for all.
A plan followed by C. M. Southgate, of Auburndale, Mass., was as follows: He divided the blackboard into four columns. Over the first he wrote, "Paul's Qualifications," over the second, "Paul's Opportunities," over the third, "Paul's Achievements," and over the fourth, "Paul's Rewards." He asked the congregation to suggest what should be written under each of these heads, and soon had the columns filled. As he proceeded, the pastor underscored those features of Paul's life that we might hope to imitate.
An interesting feature of an evening with Paul, or any other Bible writer, would be a rapid-fire of favorite quotations, by the congregation, from the writings of the author used as the subject.
Another capital feature would be the announcement of hymns that had been suggested or inspired by some of his writings. These might be sung, as far as possible.
Still another profitable exercise would be making a list of books that have been written upon the Scriptures of this author. Possibly the minister might profitably spend half a day preparing such a list, which might, in turn, set many of his congregation to reading religious books, especially if he emphasized the most attractive, and passed quickly over the dry, theological works.
9. A "Confession-Box" Meeting. - Let the theme be, "Tempted in all points like as we are", and the Scripture reading, Heb. 4:11-16. Have it read by six different persons, a verse each.
Ask, the week before, that each one bring a written, unsigned testimony regarding definite temptations out of which Christ has helped those confessing. These should be read in the meeting.
Make the opening song service one on temptation.
Arrange with persons representing different callings in life (mechanic, housewife, teacher, public official, etc.), to write on their papers of the temptations peculiar to their callings.
The leader, in his opening talk, should present Christ's temptations and the purpose of them as related to ours.
Opportunity should be given in the meeting for those having friends exposed to special temptation, to present them, anonymously if preferred, for the prayers of those assembled.
The Bible promises to the tempted should be looked up and placed in the hands of a number of persons, to be quoted in the meeting at the most effective time.
If there is a good reader among the prayer-meeting attendants, it would be well to have Mrs. Sangster's beautiful poem, "Overcometh", recited.
10. A "Halleluia" Meeting. - Let the theme be "Christianity compared with other religions." Read, Acts 17:22-31.
A number of the charts in Dorchester's "The Problem of Religious Progress," may be enlarged, making the scale a foot for an inch. For example, use a large square marked into smaller squares to show the relative numerical standing of Christianity and other religions. Color the squares that represent Christianity one color, Islam, another color, Buddhism another, etc. Another chart that should be used is that showing the gain of Christianity by centuries.
To compare the social life of Christendom and the rest of the world, have some women appointed to contrast the condition of woman in Turkey, and China, and America. Have several older children prepared to read or recite something showing the different lots of the children in heathen and Christian lands.
Let the Sunday-school teachers make the comparison between the religious teachings of Christianity and other religions, on the blackboard. Under the head "Christianity," let one write the Beatitudes," "the Golden Rule," the "Suffer little children," etc. Under other heads let others write the distinguishing teachings of other religions: religious caste, crocodile worship, foot-binding, fetichism, polygamy, human sacrifices, etc.
After each division of this comparison, sing some of the most triumphant hymns in the song books, and have prayers of thanksgiving.
The leader should see that the tone of the meeting is jubilant, full of praise, and it should be clinched with some earnest expression of our obligation to pass the benefits of Christianity on to the others.
11. A First Voters' Service. - For this service read Acts 22:25-28; Rom. 13:1-8. Sing patriotic hymns: "America," "The battle hymn of the Republic," "The star spangled banner," "Onward, Christian soldiers," etc.
The object should be to gather in the church on this evening as many as possible of those who will cast their first ballot at the next election, and to give to their induction into citizenship something of religious impressiveness and sacredness. They should be sent special invitations, and the meeting might be given a decidedly patriotic tinge by inviting also the G. A. R. post, if there is one, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and any other patriotic order.
There may be several brief addresses covering such points as
(1) What American citizenship has cost.
(2) Some menaces to our free institutions.
(3) Some qualifications needed in citizens.
(4) Some improvements needed in exercising the elective franchise.
Between each of these have prayers and songs. Do not make it too heavy, and follow the more formal exercises with a social and light refreshments.
Many a young voter who proves careless or venal in exercising his high privilege, might get a higher ideal of citizenship from such a meeting, rightly conducted.
12. A "My Own Bible" Meeting. - Few Christians realize the great blessing of personal ownership of the Bible, as compared with the days when few owned Bibles. One requisite of this meeting should be that each bring and use his own Bible. Use as the Scripture lesson, 2 Tim. 3:14-17.
If possible, have a large Bible, with an antiquated look, chained to the desk, as a reminder of the time when the Word of God was chained, to the laity. The leader should briefly allude to that time, and tell of some of the difficulties that men underwent, and some of the fabulous prices they paid to get Bibles.
Ask each one to tell of one form of help his own Bible is to him.
A Sunday-school teacher may speak of the various helps in the back of the Bible, and how they aid in preparing the lesson.
Another may be prepared to tell of the marginal readings, and how they throw light on the texts.
Still another may refer to the references on the margin, and their usefulness in studying the Bible.
Another may exhibit a Bible with a thumb index, and tell how it has saved time, and so helped to a more intimate knowledge of the Word.
In this way various features of "My own Bible" may be dwelt upon, that all do not, perhaps, appreciate as much as they might. Have songs and prayers between these features, and close with an earnest plea for a larger and more intelligent use of the Bible, indicating some ways in which it is needed in your community.
Chapter 21. Plans for special days
[This chapter contains outdated specifics.]
By John F. Cowan, New York, 1906
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By John F. Cowan, New York, 1906
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