A DANGER

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 111, 6 November 1935, Page 7

A DANGER

FUNCTION OF CHURCH

DIVERSITY OF INTERESTS

The opinion that the Church was in danger of interesting herself and "using up her energies in too mauy departments of human life was expressed by the Rev. H. H. Barton. M.A., :he Moderator, at the opening of th; General Assembly of the Presbyteria-.i Church last night. . The Church had her own function to discharge and her own testimony to deliver, said Mr. Barton. It sometimes seemed as if instead of concentrating their energies upon their supreme task and confining them to o,ie great channel, which should be deep and wide and strong, ■ they were in danger of scattering them into many channels, which every now and then showed a tendency to dry up. Every now and again some theme came to the forefront in human life and society. Impatient theorists, who fondly imagined that they had arrived at a solution of some of the most difficult problems of the day, were aggrieved at the Church because she did not cast in her lot with them and throw the weight of her influence in support of a programme which they might or might not understand, and which, in any case, was outside their scope to deal with. "MISDIRECTED ENERGY." "I confess that for myself I feel that much of the splendid energy and keenness which certain religious leaders devote to some aspects of the economic problem seem to be misdirected," continued Mr. Barton. "They would accomplish far more in the long run for the accomplishment of the end we all have in view: if they realised that, however important it is that Christian m^n with expert knowledge and practical gifts and experience should endeavour to solve these problems, it is our more important task as a Church, while sympathising with such efforts,-to address ourselves to what all recognise as the crux of the problem—the man himself. We recall the Old Testament story of the man who lost his prisoner whom he was ordered to keep at the peril of his own life: "As thy servant was busy here'and there he was gone." '' Christian ministers and officebearers have the same rights as other citizens'fo interest themselves in such problems as I have referred to; but as a Church and in our capacity as religious leaders we are wise to concentrate upon the.task which has been entrusted to us. Our main task, whatever subsidiary duties may be placed upon us, is to pryach Christ as the great Physician, and by His grace and the power of His Spirit to change hearts. LIGHT AND BRAKES. "In this world as we know it there has been a tremendous development of the material powers and attractions of life. Compared with our immediate ancestors, we are in this respect centuries ahead. They travelled the secure roads of life with horse and gig, and in the darkest night the flickering light of candles sufficed, no brakes were needed, and the driver might nod off to sleep and yet be brought, safely, to his own gate. But we rightly demand that our high-powered cars should have efficient lights and brakes and that the driver should be capable and attentive to his task. Our modern civilisation requires more, not less of the light that only Christ can give, of the-ihward discipline which can lay its arresting'laand upon hyman;passidn vigilanqe'lT§hicli.'bids;,men Watch and pray lesti they enter, into temptation. The subtle."danger is-that we, too, who are called-upbrito1 be watchmen upon the towers of Zion, should be so mastered by the material that instead of devoting ourselves to our supreme spiritual task we may become more and more absorbed by their material accompaniments. It may be our lofty intention and our noble purpose to spiritualise the world; let us beware that the world does not rob us of our spirituality."