SUNDAY OBSERVANCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 29 July 1941, Page 4

SUNDAY OBSERVANCE

APPEAL TO CHURCHMEN PREVKNTING I NNECESSARY ENCROACHMENTS An appeal to all churchmen in the diocese to safeguard the great, institution of Sunday from all unnecessary encroachments was made by the Bishop of Nelson, the Rt. Rev. P. W. Stephenson. in his charge to Synod yesterday. “I am glad to acknowledge my appreciation of the action of the Nelson City Council, which after it had agreed to allow Sunday night pictures for patri- ; otic purposes, reversed its decision after | representations had been made to it by a strong deputation concerned with the preservation of Sunday as a day of rest and worship,” said the Bishop. "I believe this action of a Council of such standing as Nelson had its effect on I governing bodies of other municipalities, and I am sure that, on reflection, l it has brought satisfaction to those who responded to the representations made. "Here again I appeal to all Synodsrnen and to the Church throughout the i diocese to safeguard this great institution of Sunday from all unnecessary encroachments. Wc are sometimes asked what has the Church to say about the war. To me the answer is simple. The Church proclaims the good news of God in Jesus Christ but the majority of people even in the so-called Christian j countries will have none of it. They [would run the world in their way, not in God’s way. The disregard of Sunday for worship and rest is just a symptom of this prevailing temper- The result is disaster and tragedy. A nation that would really seek God and desire His sways in all its life would soon find itself with a message and a power that would t be as salt to the corruption in the world. One of our own soldiers in I Egypt expressed it thus: “I believe we shall win when our people at home j practise prayer more earnestly. I think God is waiting for our nation to go down on its knees in true humility.” To that I would add that effective prayer , must come from a life that accepts God’s way of salvation in Christ, and j God’s will for all thought and action. May we all seek by His grace to measure up to this standard.”