If we neglect to follow him as he beckons us, I believe we shall neglect
the one opportunity of Calvary Church to put itself in the position of
the Church of the crucified Lamb of God, who did not please Himself, who
came to minister to others, who would certainly approve of any steps His
Church on earth in this age might honestly make to reach men and love
them, and become to them the helper and savior and life-giver which the
great Head of the Church truly intended we should be. I leave this plan,
which I have proposed, before you, for your Christian thought and
prayer. And may the Holy Spirit guide us all into all the truth. Amen."

If Philip had deliberately planned to create a sensation, he could not
have done anything more radical to bring it about. If he had stood on
the platform and fired a gun into the audience, it would not have
startled the members of Calvary Church more than this calm proposal to
them that they move their building a mile away from its aristocratic
surroundings. Nothing that he had said in his previous sermons had
provoked such a spirit of opposition. This time the church was roused.
Feelings of astonishment, indignation, and alarm agitated the members of
Calvary Church. Some of them gathered about Philip at the close of the
service.

"It will not be possible to do this thing you propose, Brother Strong,"
said one of the deacons, a leading member and a man who had defended
Philip once or twice against public criticism.

"Why not?" asked Philip, simply. He was exhausted with his effort that
morning, but felt that a crisis of some sort had been precipitated by
his message, and so he welcomed this show of interest which his sermon
had aroused.