RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Evening Star, Issue 20422, 1 March 1930, Page 26

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

[By Forward.}

To-day well lived makes every yesterday 'a dream of happiness, and every to-morrow a vision of hope. OTAGO SCHOOL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. Inquiries are being made as to the opening of the school, it has been found necessary to make the opening date a few weeks later this year, consequently lectures will begin at tjie end of March. As in previous years the work of. the school rails into three main divisions Biblical, departmental, and general. The Biblical lectures comprise • New Testament liteiature and religion, 1 Old Testament history and religion, and a new course, intended primarily lor senior students, prophets of the Old testament. . : The departmental courses will cater for Bible class leaders and potential leaders, and also for Sunday school teachers in the intermediate, junior, and primary departments. The general group of lectures will contain twoof the most important fundamental subjects—namely, principles of religious education, and organisation and administration of religious education. There will bo two attractive short courses—music and worship, and the use of art in religious education. A series of lectures on religious education in State schools will also b© given. The ‘ School Calendar,’ giving complete details of the year’s work, will shortly be available. “ Forward ’ will gladly undertake to send a copy to anyone who desires it. THE IDEALS OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. The following address was delivered by Mr A. T. M’Naughton, M.A., director of Otago School of Religious Education, before the quarterly meeting of the Methodist Sunday School Union, which was held in the St. Kilda Sunday School on February 10; 1 hop© I do not seem to belittle the practical side of leadership in our religious education work, but I do wish to stress the fact that the ideal is a necessity if the busyness is to bo purposeful and God-directed. Ideals must always uplift and. guide our bustling, practical activities. This is essentially a materialistic age, whoso motto might well be “the things which are seen are eternal, but the things which are not seen are temporal.” C. J. Dennis puts the matter very concisely in his of Gosh.’ A boy is sent to school,

Where the fust thing taught is the Golden Rule. “Do unto others,” the teacher said, And then he stopped and scratched his head. “ You may look up the rest in a book,” said he, “At present it doesn’t occur to me, But do it, whatever it happens to be. And now,” said the teacher, “ the day’s task brings Consideration of practical things. If a man makes a profit of sixteen • pounds On two week’s takings from three milk rounds, How many—?” I am heartily in favour of the very best in equipment, buildings, programmes. training, and methods, but let us not think that these things alone will Christianise the children and young people of to-day. GROWING PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IN CHRIST. Mr J, L. Pa,ton, speaking before the Teachers’ Christian Union, at Swanwick, 1919, said: “He who gives must be constantly a receiver. We need strength, not only for our own life, but for others who draw their strength from or rather through us.” Therefore wo see that the and most important ideal is an over-widen-inir personal knowledge of God in Jesus Christ. This knowledge will, of course, have for its foundation tho Bible, literature, art, music, but these will be enriched by the companionship of Christ in all the heights and depths of life. We can all think of different people who + oak up work ns leaders or teachers while they were fired with the ideals of Christianity. But the vision faded, because they lost touch with, and knowledge of, the Master Teacher. Some rf them drop out of the work at this stage, and perhaps it is as well. Others, for the sake of appearance, or long-formed habit, continue to go through the form of teaching. But what they do on Sunday may be more than undone by their business or home life during the week. KNOWLEDGE OF .THOSE WE LEAD OR TEACH.

Paul says “ Wo are ambassadors for Christ.” An ambassador has to be well posted in the latest information about tho country which ho represents. but he also needs to appreciate the strength and weakness, potentialities, and limitations of the people among whom he carries on his embassy. So, while we have a duty to keep open our lines of communication with God, we must be constantly on the alert to explore that undiscovered country, the nature of those whom it is our task to teach. . Both out of doors and in their homes wo should be studying their individual characteristics and needs. In all those duties, most progress will be made by tho leader who gives himself, not playing the social superior, sitting above the salt, but giving as friend to friend. This makes leadership costly, but so is everything that is worth while. TRAINING FOR THE TASK. Other things being equal, a trained worker will bo far more efficient than one who is untrained. Tho training will naturally fall into three parts—what? who? and how?—i.e., a study of tho material which we shall teach, research into tho four-fold characteristics of those with whom we deal, and a practical inquiry into tho art and craft of leadership. As we scan our teaching material, let us beware of teaching any mixture of truth and error, and blend of history and fable. COURAGE TO PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST. There was a time when religious educators recognised only the spiritual side of those with whom they had to do. There is, at present, a danger of a reaction that will, in some places, almost crowd out the spiritual altogether. In how many Sunday schools and Bible classes are tho Sunday sessions a bore, to be endured with a view to the hope that is set before them in the shape of a Friday night club, a monthly social, or a holiday camp? It is our business to give them the right sense of proportion, and it may take a good deal of courage for n s to do so.

FAITH. Lastly, the leader needs faith, in human nature and in God. in your*, people’s work there has to bo a great deal of sowing in faith. We dare not look for immediate results, but must content ourselves with waiting. Wo shall not bo able to trust our boys and girls unless -wo trust God. If we, the sowers, have kept faith with Him by giving of our best, surely we can depend on Him to bring, in His own good time, the rich increase.