RELIGION AND BUSINESS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21449, 15 April 1935, Page 6

RELIGION AND BUSINESS

NO REAL SEPARATION DISCERNED

REV. A. C. WATSON'S SERMON

''There is no essential difference between the minister and the business man; both may or may not be doing God's work," said the Rev. A. C. Watson, preaching at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church yesterday morning at the memorial service to the late Mr Wliliam Mackay. "The greatest men are those who have not distinguished between spiritual and secular work but have joined the two and made them one. Every lawful occupation may be a divine calling." Mr Watson introduced his sermon

r with a reading from the sixth chapl ter of the Acts of the Apostles, where the account of the choosing 1 of the seven deacons is given, amongst whom was Stephen, a man described as being "full of faith, wisdom, and grace." ■ To these deacons had been enj trusted the task of organising the business of the church, said Mr Watson; but both they and the ' apostles were spiritual men. It was

a narrow interpretation of the word spiritual which caused spiritual and secular work to be separated, and this separation was a legacy from ' the middle ages. Religion in all Activities "Each community needs above everything else truly spiritual men," Mr Watson continued. "It is a good thing to have parks and gardens, to have clean streets and splendid buildings, it is a fine thing to have successful business houses and a well-run municipality, and we all desire these things, but the one certain necessity is a community of spiritual men and women. We neacl people in every walk of life who are impelled by two great thoughts, 'God gave me this job,' 'Go ahead and do it.' •'God io in charge of this world; each one of us is part of His purpose and from each God. a willing and ready response. The man who lives in accordance with this faith is a man of true devotion of spirit. Without it life would be a thing 'full of sound and fury signifying nothing'.' "How a man fulfils his faith depends on the circumstances of his life or the occupation he follows. He may build better houses, he may run a more efficient business or a better newspaper, he may preach better sermons, or carry out any calling in a better way. But whatever his occupation there are certain qualities revealed by the spiritual man. Qualities Needed "The first is honesty: no country or city is safe, however perfect its form of government, if there are men who are scamping their tasks. The second quality is loyalty, as shown in the strong conviction of the man who believes in and lives by truth and purity. Whenever we have such men we find that their influence spreads inevitably and irresistibly. was recently said that a newspaper dissipates its influence by continually exerting it. This is precisely the task and function of the Christian church. Our task is to train men and women-within our congregations to go out into the full life of the community, and there quietly and continuously to live and work, not as in the sight, men but as in the sight of God."