for the varied tasks of the large plant. If this time be filled chiefly with the rendering of reports and the issuing of instructions, the great opportunity for inspiration and fellowship has been irretrievably lost. In college Association work, "cabinet" meetings and gatherings of personal workers furnish an ideal opportunity for fellowship in worship before the discussion of business. In schools, both public and private, the leader of the Christian Association or Club should give more time to devotions with the members than is often now the case. Societies, clubs, and guilds in churches often neglect the devotional for the "practical" at their meetings. Bible and mission study circles find that one fourth of the time spent in worship gives meaning and value to the remaining three fourths. The common testimony of delegates is that the heart of a conference is the period when all the plans are united into an acceptable offering and laid at the throne of God for Him to dispose of as He wills. In such united worship the presence of the Holy Spirit is invoked to preside over the conference. Frequently the conduct of a "campaign" brings together in daily session a group of executive or personal workers who should spend much of the time in prayer. Often in dormitories either early morning or vesper services are held, to the conduct of which much thought should be given. In military camps it is customary to hold "good-night services" in the Association

buildings. These services partake of the nature of family prayers, and should be planned on the basis of such intimacy. Indeed, if the object of weekly prayer meetings in churches is simple devotion, this manual will have suggestions for their conduct. It may also apply to noon-day or other services becoming so common in all churches during the Lenten

season.

It is necessary clearly to understand the nature of the group to which the suggestions in this manual best apply. It is small in size and there exists a sense of intimacy between the members, either because they are co-workers, meeting frequently, or because the circumstances of the meeting give the sense of fellowship. All understand that the business in hand is worship, not the acquiring of information. In most cases the training of the members of the group is such that they can carry through a well planned service briefly and heartily. In such an atmosphere a service can be rendered which is neither liturgical nor non-liturgical, but something between the barrenness of the non-liturgical and the formalism of the liturgical. Printed forms of service are not necessary, yet the group should be able to follow their leader intelligently by whatever path he leads them. This presupposes on the part of both leader and worshipers a knowledge of the A B C's of worship. Consequently the first portion of this manual is a discussion of the elements of

worship, giving the rationale of each. Thus, with an appreciation of the share each element can have in the whole, the leader can construct a service, consistent and satisfying, selecting what suits his purpose. The second part is a discussion of types of services, so that the leader can adapt or invent a form of service which suits the occasion and meets the needs of the worshipers.

Such leadership requires willingness to spend much time in preparation. The failure of the leader adequately to prepare accounts more for the unsatisfying nature of many meetings than any other single cause. Because the meetings are brief, in most cases fifteen minutes in length, the difficulties of preparation are increased. Every element of worship which enters into them must be weighed carefully to determine its contribution to the whole, and the subject matter of Scripture, prayer, and hymns should be unified. Worthy of careful observance by every leader is the advice given in the Presbyterian "Book of Common Worship": "It is recommended that the Minister make faithful preparation in his own heart and mind to lead the People with forethought and much care, in order not only to avoid injudicious length, but also that the prayer may be framed to express his own thought and feeling, and may also be suited to the occasion or the special need of the congregation." If this is a

7 P. viii.

proper demand to make of the minister, it should be made even more strongly of the layman, who has never been trained, as has the other, in the conduct of public worship.

No matter how brief the service, it is worthy of the most careful and painstaking preparation. It is not fair to those to whom may be assigned some part in it that they should be called upon unexpectedly, with no knowledge of the significance of their contribution. Part of the leader's preparation should consist in his seeing them and conferring concerning his plan. Considering the inspiration of a deeply devotional service to one perplexed or overburdened with daily tasks, the time spent in preparation should not be grudged. Worship fundamentally is coming into the presence of God. An ignorant and careless shepherd cannot lead those hungry for spiritual food in the green pastures of true worship.

Occasions arise, of course, when a man without previous notice is obliged to lead others in worship. Under such circumstances his own spiritual life is severely tested. If he has lived near to Christ, this forced self-revelation will be an inspiration to his fellow worshipers, and his confident faith will be a benediction. But, while such exceptions must be borne in mind, this manual presupposes services conducted more or less regularly, with ample notice to each leader of his turn to lead. To count on the inspiration of the moment or the momentum of past

spiritual experiences is, under these circumstances, to trifle with the souls of others and to grieve the Holy Spirit.

Owing to the constant reference in what follows to the matter given in Part III, the reader is advised to familiarize himself with that section before proceeding further. An effort has there been made to arrange in convenient form such material as might be useful in devotional services. It should be borne in mind that this "apparatus" of worship is merely by way of suggestion and not an end in itself. It should be used according to the principle that liturgical forms are supplementary to the extempore utterance of devotion and in this relation impart order and reverence to a worship that is fundamentally spontaneous.