Do We Mean What We Say

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 81, 5 April 1941, Page 2 (Supplement)

Do We Mean What We Say

By Rec. C. W. Chdndler

DO we mean what we say? This question is asked in all seriousness of those who "profess and call themselves Christians." We are seldom prepared to take ' God nt His word. Probably this \ is because we have grown so used ; in our business dealings to place * our reliance upon something more substantial any anybody's word, that when it comes to dealing with the Almighty we prefer to j have something up our sleeves in j case He lets us down. 1 F<>r in-fanco. Hamilton Fyfc, well known nil l :- !iH't Street, lied a "Letter i«> | ilu» Kdiinr" published in the "Spectator" l recently, wherein ho referred to the ! iruMo wiili wliirli tin , average eoiijrrcjra- i 11• <■ 11 will sine ""-utliiii-iit i< Thine arm i tilonc. :il)il mil" defence i- -;il'e." and ill- , ii. ili'i iln'ir chosen represent i ■ I si\c- in Parliament. will sanction llii' i\ |"ii!ili) in" hi" mi in.'i n v millions mi armaments. ' ' I Is It Honest? Acknow i In , need fur the annain. Ml-, why >in- words tlmt imply that -j ii i- ill '.".1 ;i l> 'iii- Mi- tru-t': It',-, not i iii'iii-i-i. It wiuil.l In' lift tor far w> altor I il.it SI - •" • 11 < 1 \el-e 1,) load. '■StlflllMVllt ~ ill , . 1 our iinii- ;il<>nc. iiinl our defence i- ', sun , ." Ii would lie ni'iir.-r the truth, for , if wo hail in do without one or tho .illicr. 1 lc.ir \\v shmild ,-h,.,>-,. t,, ,)„ J vvitlumt (Jinl. thai i< a> a nation. More -, ili.ui i. net- 1 haw n.-kc'd my conjrn'-at i,.n i" unlit that \or.-i- ahojrotlior. j • lu-t now Sunday parados for tliv Jl.'iiii" (.imiil arc und.T di.-cHc-sioii in ,

various plaeof:. T should like to see all member* "f that organisation -who liolieve in the Lord Jesus Christ with all their hearts take a stand for the full and pro|*er observance of the Sabbatli. I think that (Jod would honour such a witness.

Ministers.' associations in various places* have mildly protected, but in the fftco »f the»e protests the Home Ouard in Auckland at least lias voted unlidly il'f ot-her way. Now the commander of the Home (Juard in Hamilton lias made a pronouncement to the effect that all parades in future will bo on Sunday. Ho said lie did not think that men would !>o willing to prjve up thrir sports fixtures nn Saturday*. He's probaldy liuht. Sport—Or God 1),».s this moan that of these men lw>lio\e in >]~>rl more than in Cod? It looks like it. True, ].e sn:_ r cv-ts tiiiit a short sen iii« l.e hold before they parade. Ho \ U i<. in fai-t. urranped fo'r Mich a s,.,vi (T tl , ]„, ]„,;,)_ ]f ovorv Honie Cuanl-iiuMi in my parish who hcto my church were williii" to coiiK- o\ fry Sunday to a service at S a.m. I w-.iild h ■ ■ far l<vs u, say about lhe matter, iiltli--.- h even then I rilnmld ii.it Ik- at all oat; :bout the rightih">s of the situation, for ] firmly believe that tho full and proper obseivauee of the Sabbath is vital at this time if we sincerely desire the Lord of the Sabbath to help us. As it is. t dmilit whether in eent "f the members of the Home (Juard bother \ery much alxmt churchy,i njr ;„ <my i-ase. vxecpt perlitip. on State n-.-a-.-ioiis. It is iK-ciuiM- this is s o •>:-1 the world that we arc *s, war at all. This is profoundly true. Mind you. T admire these men for their 7,, '>!- T have nothing |~,t ,],., ijjj,],,.*! praise fo r the way that they are dninir what appears to them to Iv'their man:test, patriotic ,l, nv _ X ote. h«,we\i>r. the po-ition as here ..inline,!. The men will not forpn tlieir Saturday"* sports <i\tures. but they will forf-o the Sabbath in order to lit themselves, if ealled uiion 1o defend the privil.'ges of ..ur "Christian Civilisation." v hirh '.'ii per cent of them do n,.t <;l re eiinu-jli about to defend by worship and prayer.

In a : few days' tiptfQ* ffia world trill be conunemwitßf ij*s scenes of Our Lord's Pusi*. l*i be following step by step 'd fot from Olivet to Calvary. Tins Smin be Palm Sunday.. ,We sbD fe thinking of the jeerinp mris s ing "Crucify Him, 3, "GnrensMi '"Let Him be crucified. 8 . We shall be reading of lot l> 1 buffeted by the soldier*, udai Some of us will even be eras' wore that crown of thonsfirß. ,1 was for me He hung and »4«i4 And then, in commemontie (?! final triumph over death on Ek»3 we have set aside the first dirifii week, as His day—the Lori's 4j>i Do we mean what ire sij! Do we mean what we sit *is sin ? . ""We love the phce, 0 God,fe Thine honour dwells; He jcysS al)odc all earthly joy excels? &« full well that we which "we love so well' tt J? iiiterval>. how can we man S«4« when we sing them! .:"-. : ;! /esns on O«eai Sb«t^'^ If Jesu* descended .Auckland l>y way of Upper *ae? en route to the Queen's wkirf,a® t-hout "Hosanna," end streir «! ninnts in the way. or-slioßM«* and jeer at this Visionary «»-; imt ui>on an ass, but ' m *™£\ liuniblei>t known mode of iww sl motion? fa I rather think we don't alter much throngh the m Savs J. E. M. Joad in te j* Throujrh the War Mind, T««£ of the crowds of modem and large, morally That of the crowds of ..rof.Teni^lerninSSAJ),^ thdew. it is through Him «« The Father for \*tory. s Hut then, do we man «*., when we gather in <f ovory National D.T of 25 J, ,; <M rto bless our canse,*to»B^ we are .nntcmplatin? ".j ,t?.a«l«.f ourownirh«««J :, little training for home Mv little hark amounts to f p ;.f like a small dog ,vhool of a four-ton truck, p>^. i,,.,. All the same, Tve W «*,/, ~;,„„, a, nobody i. ggrf suit, except r erha P sU V,f, ir ifisS' <1.,y excursion trains and att»i w li\- worry?