JOTTINGS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14275, 10 February 1912, Page 11

JOTTINGS.

js , - ennday. February 11th, is the uni'U I"** 1 day of prayer for student work: I *™?*» »re asked for God's blessing on ■j- «>e T»ork of Student Christian Assor 2J!?rfi o, * the world, more : - X i - Vm i pl - ace - s * llerc the influence »eU, such as China and the Near East. ' ffiS* ,, . 1S - "? ked oa teljalf of the • W« S J] ,o^^ 6 . bleated their KS th™» ? lsslon "y volunteers, ■ o«u those who have sailed and those - ' 55SS?«?'f ail 1 > I the &M. It a!S . W tW •P e « al ,P»yw be offeree! 1 ttriS^ 5 llll.te.reste41 l l l. te . reste 4 for the work of wnoojs in Australasia. ! i*v' traT ?|]inil secretary of Rational \oung Women's Christian ASSooatiou, amved in .Sydney by ' -*525 f" im P° rta »t projects in ; 'ML* « ° f yM W womon ' about which tfcTiSS^ I, *! *«" b ?' with % Siril f T?: tra,mn ? wntro for socro- ■ eroS; t of providing n

porienco to test their ability for secretaryship of the Young Women's Christian. Association, leads to a movement in this direction being set on foot by the Australasian National Association. Miss. Barnes is to visit Sew Zealand before she returns to America.

a rocont intervirw Dr. Cli.iprnan .said:—"This one thin;* is true, that tho Prosbytorian Church throughout tho world, especially in the l"niU"J iStati-s. Canada) and Australia, and 1 think possibly Ireland also, shows a more hopeful state of affairs to-day than almost any other denomination. Why? Ilcrauso our Church baa been committed to evangelism We believe in it: we support it; we encourage the holding'of meetings; we get into touch with- every movement that fcriH'S n'on'j. Evangelism is the hope of the Church. The Presbyterian Church in tho United States of America controls more wealth than any other denomination, and oiir. men of wealth are standing by groat movements, and are ready to support them."

What is the .attitude of evangelical i«iievers to the theatre, and. what ought it to ho? Is it at the present time consistent with itself and with ronlity? (asks the Sydney "(Jongrogationalist"). "Presumably the Salvationists may he taken as typical of the pooplo who hold that the theatre is worldly, and as such to bo shunned by }:iM>pte who claim to bo converted. But tho"procnedings at many of their great demonstrations arc histrionic. People are dressed up to represent different characters, and there is, in fact, a play, <*r a .scene of a play, and acting—in j>oint of fact, everything that makes a play except words. Is it the words, then, thnt make the performance sinful? That, would bo line casuistry indeed. Vr'hen we come to speak of plays without words w-a naturally think of the cinematograph shows that are co popular. Many who draw the line at the theatre consider the moving-picturo play to lw correct. Hut there could be no moving-picture show without actors. Fromthe immense number of the plays without words now being presented, we should thitnk that nothing during the course of the century has so stimulated tho art of acting as tho cinematograph. Is it right to see the actors and artresses in the cinematograph picture, and wrong to see them'on the rfta'go? If so, why??'. Tho Sydney ''Congregationalist" devotes conic space to the discussion of "Itevivals and Ilevivalism." It cays: —"One thing is certain —that in missions, as now conducted, tho attendants are mostly churchgoers, and of tho churchgoers most are church members. We do not say thnt this is necessarily a bad thing. Some churchgoers are far from the kingdom of heaven;' and some, church members not too near it. They may need 'revival,' or something even more radical. But is there no such thing as steady progress.in the Christian life? Is the ideal of the Christian life that of languors succ<*sded by spurts and spasms? Docs not tho Christian singer's prayer for 'a calmly even zeal , represent a better ideal? Another.thing certain is that a good deal of the interest shown by somo modern churchgoers in 'revival' services is purely selfish. In the last ChapmanAloxander mission, some who had had a full diet of meetings were implored to leave the town hall and make room for the waiting, crowd outside: but they stuck to-their seats, and had to bo driven out'of -the town hall. Of course, there is no more religion in this chase after ecclesiastical sensations than there j is.Jn; epino; .people's chass after;theatri*i cal sensations. Thoso who think;' tho first holy and the second unholy are in. much need'of a mission. But ifc would be a -mission of enlightenment which they would not relish."