The Title of the Lecture
We must strike a nice balance between dulness and sensationalism. " The promises made to Abraham " may well contain material of vital importance, but who in the world (literally) is to know it? " Strange Fire " (a youthful lapse on the part of the present writer) may be a religious lecture, but it is over-well disguised. There are titles of a good, plain, matter-of-fact type which have their meaning on their face and provide the background of our advertising matter. Subjects like, The Bible: the Word of God ; Baptism : the only entrance to the Way of Life (just a trifle more enterprising than some similar titles) ; The Kingdom of God and the like, may not tickle the ear of the uninstructed stranger, but they will tell the steady learner what we are to talk about. The common question-type, judged often to be tedious by our brethren because they have heard them often, is similarly acceptable: What must I do to be saved? What must I do to inherit eternal life? combine this quality with another-that of Scripture quotation. Many titles rightly take a powerful Scripture text as their source, as Our Common Salvation; The Way, the Truth and the Life; Jesus Christ and Him Crucified: A King shall reign in Righteousness.'11 There is a much wider scope than we usually indulge.

Current topics can be usefully exploited without unbecoming blatancy. The time of the Atlantic Charter, hopefully compounded by Mr. Churchill and President Roosevelt, was aptly utilized in the special effort subject, Gods World Charter for the United Nations, a subject which suffers, perhaps, from the danger that the lecturer may talk pure politics, but which gives him an excellent opportunity of talking pure religion. Why doesn't God stop the War? was a more precarious experiment on the same lines, but in its treatment, which related War to its causes and honestly denounced upon our generation the promise of God's culminating judgments, was abundantly vindicated.

A personal appeal in the lecture-title (it must be prominent in the lecture in any case) is a good thing. " When Jesus Comes-Will you be glad to see Him?" was such an effort (a variant on a National Effort title); " How long halt ye between two opinions?" drove the Truth's chariot into the midst of the vast crowd which marks time in opinion's market places: "Repent ye"12 tried to reproduce the common call to their generation of John and Jesus, Peter and Paul.

Those are suggestions only, and doubtless not the best. The general rules are: (1) do not be too afraid of the fact that your brethren and sisters have heard the title before; (2) nevertheless, other things being equal, choose a title from the fresh air rather than from the stuffiness of a much used lecture room; (3) let the title be a dignified call to listen to the things of God.