RECREATION ON SUNDAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20420, 23 November 1929, Page 12

RECREATION ON SUNDAY.

EARLY CHURCH SERVICES.

CANON JAMES' PROPOSAL.

SPORTS CLOTHES PERMITTED.

GOLF CLUBS AND RACQUETS.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] •WELLINGTON, Friday.

The vicar of St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Canon Percival James, announces that a spocial early morning service will be held every Sunday during the summer months, at 9.30 a.m. It is hoped to see included in the congregation at this special service many who have formed the habit of spending much of their Sunday in openair recreation. The hour has been chosen so that they may come to church first. Holiday attire will not bo considered out of place, and golf clubs, tennis racquets and such impedimenta may be safely left at the church entrance with the verger. The services will begin early next month.

"We mean to make this experiment," said Canon James. "Of course, our invitation may find little response, although this has not been the experience elsewhere. After all, there is nothing particularly sacred about the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sunday. We have no right to say to a person, 'Thou shalt worship then, and then only,' and complain if he .does not come.

"The hour of 11 o'clock was most suitable for people at the period in which it became the customary hour of morning service. It is still suitable for a large section, and wp shall continue that service. But it is quite unreasonable today in New Zealand to expect others to come at 11 a.m.

Mothers Able to Attend. "Take the housekeeper, the mother of the family. She has to prepare the midday dinner, a very important occasion, often the only mid-day meal |>f the week which is shared by all the family. How can she prepare the dinner if she is in church from 11 a.m. to 12.15 p.m., or even later 1

"Then, take those who wish to spend a fine Sunday in open-air recreation. To ask them to attend at 11 o'clock service is to deprive them of their Sunday. I am not going to discuss now the difficult question of Sunday recreation. But I ask this: What right have we to assume that none of those who spend Sunday in openair recreations wishes to come to church as well ? On the contrary, I believe that many of these people have a real religion, and that they are not unready to be church-goers if we give them a reasonable opportunity. I believe that they would be glad to begin their Sunday aright with its primary duty and privilege, and would be much happier and perhaps better for it. Because of this faith in them I am making the experiment. They shall not - starve their spiritual nature if we can help it. " The special service will have certain advantages. It is additional to the regular Prayer Book service, which will all be continued at the former times. Consequently much freedom will be possible in framing these special services.

Services to be Short. " I hope that they will be ' popular ' in the right sense of the term. That is, I hope that they will meet* the real spiritual needs of that large class of the people who have not been able to understand or appreciate religion as it has been presented to them. " Then, again, these services will be short, not much longer than half-an-hour. For many people our - services are too long. They are unable to concentrate for so long, and they become discouraged and lose interest. Especially for some people, our sermons are too long, although this may seem incredible to us preachers. At this service there will be seven-minute sermons, never more than ten minutes. Nevertheless, we shall try to deal directly with the questions that are exercising the minds of people to-day. I hope to have the help of my brother clergymen as preachers, as they may bo disengaged at that hour. In particular, I hope that ' sportsmen * will not feel it necessary to don their ' Sunday best' for this service, but will come in the comfortable flannels in which they mean to spend the rest of this ' day of joy and gladness,' the only day on which some men can wear rational dress. Of the ladies' attire I may not venture to speak."