MEN AND THE CHURCH

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21123, 26 March 1934, Page 12

MEN AND THE CHURCH

WHY THEY DO ATTEND | .... ... | DISCUSSION AT ST. LUKE'S | . i The increasing interest taken in the weekly discussions on the relation of man to the church, which have been held for the last six weeks at St. Luke's schoolroom, was shown last evening by the attendance of nearly 40 men at the last of the series, when a debate was held on "Why Men Do Go to Church." The Rev. O. W. Williams pre- j sided. ] Opening the debate, Mr Williams j said that previously only the negative j side of the question had been out- . lined, but the positive nature of the j evening's subject would give a sag- , gestive value to the deoate. j I The Vicar's Viewpoint j "it is surprising to me that some people consider that many of us go to church to get something of a mono- j tarv value out of it." saio the \ en. | Archdeacon F. N. Taylor. "There is | nothing that way, but thank God there | is a tremendous lot in other ways. 1 '! Archdeacon Taylor then quoted from I Bishop Butler, of Durham, who wrote 200 veni's ago that many people spoke of Christianity as a religion that had been proved to be false and must be .. swept away because it interfered with the pleasures of the world. The same had been said in St. Luke's schoolroom, and would still be said 200 vears hence. Those who bad tried Christianity had found it corresponding to reality, really fulfilling the spiritual needs—true in every sense of the word, he continued. "Vvc go to church because we believe in it, not merely to j hear something—a sermon, as many folk erroneously consider the principal reason for church attendance. "We go to church to worship God. to get into communion with our I Maker, to pay Him homage. Somehow I or other there is the presence of God: j it is true that lie is to be found en i the hills and everywhere, but our Jin- i ite minds need a focus, and God has condescended to bring Himself down to our finite minds. It is God tabernacling among men. Churchgoers knowthat God is not hiding Himself, but has a trysting place where He meets those He loves. And you cannot gel j this knowledge any other way." "God is Real A man who said that he had held ; various positions in more than one denomination admitted that Ins lirst | reasons for attending church veiv • compulsion, then for fellowship with I other boys and girls', and as he grow j older to seel: aid against the templa- i t ions with which he found bimseif con- j fronted. It helped, hiu still he was ! slipping, oven though he remained 1 certain m his mind that the power- to; save him was there. : "P.ut then I met a man who realiv lived hi ; Chrb! lanily, and ho pui it to me to make tile real to. ', loo," he went en "Now t know that the oiily thiugs tint are wrong with ow are ail my own fault. In so Jar a. i have ; r) ed anything sincerely and hone. !h . it wok", I know that ( 'hri 1 i . real. In the held.--, on ||v. lulls I di) wnrsh.p Him anywhere, but never so much ;i , in church. There God i , ;is real to me as any of yu'.l m tin-; room !ha'\; why yon can't stop m -e:e.; io church." Mr J. N. H. Poo,- ;;,„, , • .-:,.,.;• ! searching through other tanhs lie had J founu in lc-eeariiatmu ll u; only <-■;- j nianalion wtiy children 'hould be b..ru : blind and deformed: tins wa-. merely! atonement for previou ; misdeed-,. Only ; m this religion h,ui ] u - toued exolana- i lion to all question-, but tins also m - ■ eluded living according !o mo tea-'ii-i mgs of Clu-i:'. '" ! Church wor.-hin gave lion .; po-it-: u.il uplift which' helped a - ~,. i ti,,- j straim: of commercial life. r\p!;,me,l ! anoliie.- speaker. J n chuieji was loiti.l i the real presence «i God. a feeling of! oneness with one's fellow rii'-n wham ' gave a feeling of oneness with Cod L ; was a real reservoir of sln-nglh whore j everyone could till up and go out and I fio them job.: to the be.-' el' th"m ability. "Hohiud egch man'.; rnmf Mmrealisation o! a Divine l.eaeg." v, a 11 io I loisiii a Ivauci.d by another : peatmr. In propo-gig a vote ~f than!;., to Archdeacon Taylor. Mr William.. ::ud that, something v.oDh while had Iven achieved. Replying. Archdeacon Ta ■. lor raid that he had received letter, irem concerning the dgeiis ;on-. II wa - hoped to enptiuu" conference.- of a Miniiar nature after an inter, ~1.