DURHAM STREET.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11580, 11 May 1903, Page 5

DURHAM STREET.

The Rev. W. Baumber, at the Durham street- Wtsleyan Church, took as his text I'.-alm xcv., 6, 7, which he stated to be a call to worship, address**! to every man. Ax Christians we were not released from •his religious obligation. Our Lord and Hi.-, di.s-Jplts had set the example, and v.- wi-;e instructed "not to forsake the asstiiibliii,; of ouiselves together," for this purpose. Our church worship was an acknowledgment of God, our praise of His gontitie.s.s, our prayer of our dependence, ur.d our homage the expression of our desire to be better. "Worship.'' it had been .said, "is tho means by which the empty human soul approaches God in order to be filled with His fulness, and then go away rejoicing, to live for Him in the strength thus obtained." To-day even some professed Christians disparaged public worship as if religion must flourish equally well without it. Attendance at one service was by many thought to satisfy every requirement. In days of persecution men who knew it.-* value had risks-d their lives rather than be deprived of public worship, and without it the ahurclrwould soon die out of the land. A comparison between a census of church attendants in London and suburb!* now being made by the "Daily News,' and another taken by the "British Weekly," in 1886, showed that a considerable decrease 'had come about with regard to many of the churches. The attendance at the great mission centres was full of encouragement. In Christchurch, taking all the churches into consideration, the attendance was better to-day than it had ever been, and the religious life was healthier. It was only too true, however, that a very large proportion of the community, especially men, was outside the churches, and the question, "Why do not men go to church?" was one deserving careful attention. The Home papers and the Melbourne "Argus" had dealt with the question, and in the Christchurch "Presj" there had been a number of letters recently. Now the church wanted the men, and if there were good reasons why they stayed away it ought to know them. On the part, of ministers and church officials there would be the greatest readiness to remove any real obstacle. It was evident, however, that many of the reasons given were simply excuses. One man wanted a more ornate service, more eloquent preaching. His thought, evidently, was entertainment. Another wanted a plain service —evangelistic, but teaching was needed as well as exhortation. This man wanted to be taken notice of, and that one to be let alone. One wanted the preacher to deal with social questions, and another insisted that he should avoid such entirely. If all could but realise that they went, to church to unite in God's worship, many of these excuses would never be advanced. There were, however, other reasons which deserved attention. For instance, it seemed to be taken for granted, firstly, that the church and her ministers had to some extent got out of sympathy with the needs and aspirations of the people, and secondly, that the churches had become too respectable, and did not want working men. It was also affirmed that Christianity was taught too much as a scheme of salvation or a system of worship, and not as a rule of conduct in every day life. There were, however, reasons which lay deeper than any of these. There were men in every community who were opposed to Christianity. Others were too much engrossed with material things, too devoted to pleasure, or too much given to indulgence in certain sins, and Christianity was of necessity opposed to their mode of life. Some people, conscious that they were not living Christian lives, thought that church-going would be an hypocrisy, forgetting that, j? they desired to be better men, the very place for them was in the House of God. There were also those who sympathised with Christianity, bub did not understand its claims, and there was a great mass of spiritual indifference. What was to be done? The children must be encouraged to attend church. Attention should be paid to family worship, so that the worshipping instinct might be cultivated. In some way or other the men must be made to feel tliat the church was interested in them—that she wanted them, for their own sakes and for Christ's sake. Lastly, a bold and systematic attack must be made by tho whole Christian church on tho indifference of the people.