PULPIT MESSAGES

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 167, 11 April 1932, Page 10

PULPIT MESSAGES

Wellington Churches “BE NOT ANXIOUS” Christians’ Opportunity PRESENT-DAY CONDITIONS “Be not anxious for the morrow,” was the text of a sermon preached by Canon Percival James at the halfhour service in St. Paul’s Pro-Cathe-dral yesterday. . Every loyal citizen, he said, must feel a' serious and thoughtful concern about the present economic condition of the country and the state of its industries. But prudent concern, and courageous and constructive thought were utterly different from that personal worry against which our Lord warped us—worry that paralyses resolve and undermines energy.

“Of course there are many among us whose affairs are causing '■ them grave concern,” said the Canon. “Nothing is further from my intention than to say one unsympathe-

tic word about them. But there are many others who keep brooding over their personal losses, or what they are afraid they ma ? v lose, forgetting the rich blessings they enjoy in this

goodly heritage which God has given us. Let them put to themselves one question: In what other country would I prefer to live just now?

Unemployment Relief. “Ev.ery thoughtful man is troubled about the unemployed and their dependants, and desires at least to ameliorate their lot in the coming winter. Though there is a present lack of work and money in New Zealand, it still remains a. land flowing with milk and honey—with sufficient food, clothing, fuel and other necessaries of life for all its inhabitants. And everyone should have these things, if the funds yielded by the heavily-increased unemployment relief tax are prudently administered. To dissipate this fund in wild-cat schemes would be a criminal folly, which would bring swift and certain disaster. If unemployment relief is wisely administered, the Christian man will pay ; his tax cheerfully. Nor will he impoverish his character by making this tax the excuse for ceasing to exercise Christian charity. “At this time of trial and opportunity we need to recapture the spirit of the magnificent pioneers of settlement in this country. That spirit is described by neither of our ‘favourite words, “optimism” or “pessimism.” What is called optimism is largely an artificial attitude of mind, a reckless and irrational temper, in which (says Dean Inge) ‘a man will imagine that he can buy from a Jew and sell to a Scot, and make a profit.’ He is a poor creature who must thus whistle to keep his courage up, and try to make himself believe what he would like to be true, ignoring the actual facts of the situation. The Line of Least Resistance. “But Christian hope is no further removed from such feeble optimism than it is from sombre pessimism. To. be sure, pessimism in Thomas Hardy’s sense of ‘reckoning what to do in the worst possible circumstances’ is an exercise not only unobjectionable, but even at times wise and salutary. I wish that the word “depression” had not been so generally used to describe world-wide economic conditions. It has a bad psychological effect. The easy thing, the line of least resistance, is to yield to anxiety and depression just now; and any poor whining wretch can do that. Probably the optimist and the pessimist is the same person. He is one thing when things go well, and the other when they go ill. His habit is to follow the line of least resistance. “Because the bright outlook is not easy now, here is the opportunity of the Christian to rise above the troubles of this present time and to look up to God. Christian hope does not ignore the facts. But the Christian says: ‘Good it is to be alive now, just because the times are so difficult.’ The perplexities, the uncertainties, even the hardships of. to-day will test us of what stuff we are. The man who is found ready to share cheerfully in the common sacrifice for the common cause will help and save his country.” IS PRAYER PRACTICAL? A Spiritual Highway

“Is Prayer Practical?’’ was the subject ou which the Rev. Harry Johnson preached in the Cambridge Terrace Congregational Church last evening. His text was Matt, vi, 6, “Jesus said, Pray to thy Father which is in “Prayer is of universal interest," said the preacher. "People are found all over this planet who think of prayer as a working instrument. The daring adventurer into Tibet hears the peasants wailing their peti- ' tions. The wanderer into darkest Africa witnesses the savage east bis offering by the sacred tree with a mumbled request. Travellers from Eastern lands speak of prayer wheels and

prayer flags. And archeologists working among the ruins of ancient civilisations find many prayers carved on stone. We therefore assert man as man has a praying instint.

A Hard Doctrine. “The efficacy of prayer is a hard doctrine to 'many people. They may believe in a personal God, and yet stumble over this teaching. Sincere men have asked, ‘Can God over-ride a law of nature to answer man’s pleading?' Why not? Man is doing so daily. In a hundred ways ije manipulates natural laws, without violating them. By a law of nature water flows to the lowest level; man by pressure makes it flow uphill. By a law of nature bodies heavier than air should fall to the ground: man by introducing motor-power lifts an aeroplane from the earth and drives it at will through the air. In both cases man overrides natural law without violating it, and if. he can do this, why question the

power of Almighty God to do the.same? “Recently we heard the remark ‘Prayer has no similarity with ordinary experience; in prayer you think you get. by asking; in daily life you only receive by working.’ This critic was mistaken, for in ordinary life presenting petitions and looking for answers is the daily lot. The infant’s wail is asking attention of its mother. The child’s inquisitiveness: Whence this? Why that is a prayer for instruction. The business advertisement is a petition for your patronage. This can similarly be shown in a thousand directions. The praying man is therefore carrying into the realm of the spiritual what he daily does in the sphere of the natural. Thus if. ordinary life is practical, the prayer life must be practical too. Personal Testimony. “We turn from abstract discussion to personal testimony. We open the great book of human experience and find an affirmative answer to our question. Men and women declare they were at the end of their resources; they prayed for help, and in a way they could not have dreamed possible help came. Reliable witnesses say prayer has healed the sick, brought deliverance to the prisoner, protection to those in dire peril. Has softened flinty hearts, bridled the raging passions of men, and changed the fortunes of the day. Right down from the age of the patriarchs to our own there is a great line of testimony to the efficacy of prayer. “We need not depend upon old records. The proof that prayer is practical is available to-day, in praying. He who prays discovers it educates. Nothing more clearly impresses upon the soul the sense of man’s divine origin and relationship. It is to him a spiritual highway, for it loads directly into the presence of a Father God. The praying man finds it purifies. We have a dual nature, therefore conflicting elements are within. But on our knees unworthy desires are cast aside, unlawful ambitions are modified, and questionable longings are purified. Prayer strengthens him who practises it. Tennyson wrote. ‘We kneel how weak, we rise how full of power.’ This that the Laureate penned tens of thousands will endorse. The practice of prayer furnishes ready answers to all objections against the theory of prayer. Prayer is practical, for— Prayer makes the darkened clouds withdraw : Prayer climbs the ladder .Tacob saw, Gives exercise to faith and love, Brings every blessing from above."