World of Religion

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22444, 13 June 1936, Page 7 (Supplement)

World of Religion

AT tbo closo of tho recent discussion in tho Morning Post, London, on " Tho Empty Pew," referred to in this column Inst week, tho Rev. W. H. Elliott, vicar of St Michael's, Chester Square, surveyed the correspondence and estimated its value as a criticism of tho Church. We may to-day review his comments. -He speaks well of the general tone of the discussion —" nearly all tho letters represent fair comment and charitable feeling." There is, ho says, a little " parson-baiting," but that is a very ancient sport and ho contents himself with a warning against condemning a class for tho failure ol a few of its members.

He makes a point of tho fact that many of Iho complaints cancel each I other out. Some demand sermons dealing with social and international questions, others inveigh vigorously against what they call politics in the pulpit. Some clamour for " tho good, oldfashioned interpretation of the Bible," others aro just as emphatic that it is this very interpretation that is emptying tho churches. High Church and Low Church each claim that they have the secret of filling tho pews, and so on. Preaching About Sin 0110 thing all this makes clear. It is impossible to dovise a church that will pleaso everybody. No 0110 form of worship anil 110 0110 modo of teaching can hope to make a universal appeal. Tho critics, however, seem to forget that almost every typo is provided for bv tho groat variety of churches with their differing styles of ministry. Ho who really wishes to attend church can surely find a placo to his liking. The vicar iias much to say about tho modern dislike of frank preaching about sin. Ho regards much of it as a quibble about words. None, he says, can deny that there is something " foul and nauseous " in human nature. Tho evidence is to bo found in the pages of tho daily press, in our widely-read modern fiction, in almost every cinema film. There is a disease that " gets into a personality and degrades it below tho level of the beast," and it is not tho invention of the Bible and tho priest. Education affords 110 root cure for this malady. " Wo have seen too much of cleverness to trust it overmuch." What else but religion can go deep enough to transform an erring, selfish man? " Answer mo that," cries the vicar, " and you may yet save civilisation." Clash of Many Rivalries It is inevitable that we should hear something about the difficulties for tho pulpit created by our distracting times. We are being ushered into a new world with alarming snood and the clash of, many rivalries. Ihe catastrophe of 1914 shook the whole fabric of our civilisation and begot an age restless and impatient, critical of all that the past had handed down to it, restive under authority, desperately afraid of not being up-to-date. The effect upon religion has been profound and at no point is it nlore evident than in the matter of church-going. But, says the vicar, a new sincerity is beginning j to show itself. Those who attend worship do so from a leal sense of duty and privilege. Tho old constraints have disappeared, but a love of God's House remains in thousands of hearts. And further, this very correspondence shows that a wide circle of non-churchgoers is thinking about religion and " out of honest thinking will come the truth sooner or later." The real enemy of religion is not modern thought, but modern thoughtlessness, and men everywhere to-day are being compelled to face tho great roalitios. So lot the pulpit take courage. A new day is at hand.

Christlanity'p Rial Strength

The vicar is at oiic with those correspondents who maintain that the Christian religion is often badly served by its advocates. Its real strength and challenge are seldom effectively seen, venture has gone out of it and it has become ordinary. It has taken on too much the colour of the world and lost its differentiation. " I find myself thinking quite often," says Mr. Elliott, " of the words of a distinguished Indian,

By PHILEMON

who said. ' When I road the Gospel of Christ, I feel that there is nothing that I would not do or sacrifice in His Name, but when I como to seo 3 T ou Christians hero in England, how tame and dull and insipid you ull are. Remember that it is a Church of England vicar, known to millions for his. famous broadcasting messages, who associates himself with these words. All this seems to open up another, larger question. In the present circumstances is it the first duty of the Church to fill her pews? Is there not an urgent call to bring religion homo to the hearts and homes of the people who are at present untouched by her ministry? Only when men's spiritual instincts aro awakened will they think seriously of church attendance. 'lhe first problem is how to reach tho outside masses.

Campaign Into New Areas Tho Chairnfan of the British Congregational Union recently suggested that chosen preachers should bo released from their churches for twelve months to conduct a campaign throughout England. And Dr. Sleep of the Christian World urge* that a number of ministers should make a summer campaign into new areas, giving their message wherever a few people congregate to listen, in village hall, or 011 village green, or in any open space in a town. Here is a supreme task, not for competing denominations, but for tho whole united Church in conference. It can bo accomplished only by that re-uniou of tho churches for which tho Archbishop of New Zealand recently pleaded with such force at tho Brougliton celebrations in Sydney. An interesting experiment is being tried in an Auckland suburban cliurcli where, though tho morning service is large, the attendance in the evening is less satisfactory. On a recent Sunday morning tho minister preached on the subject of Prayer, a series of typed suggestions for thought and discussion were distributed to the congregation, and in the evening after the devotional part of tho service, there was a free conversation 011 the subject. The attendance was largo and the interest keen. Young and old, nialo and female all took part in a helpful discussion during which many difficulties were mot. The experiment is to bo continued monthly during tho winter. Answers to Prayer Mr. Hugh Redwood's latest book " God in tho Everyday," contains a chapter of especiah interest on Prayer. Among a number of instances of answers to pra\er, he mentions a Saturday night in 1935 when he was in grave need and distress. Deeply disturbed ho retired to his room praying and so fell asleep. After a while ho awakened in a strange peace with the assurance that all was well. In this 'state ho heard the church clock strike two. Several weeks later he received a letter from South India asking whether 110 had been in special need on a certain Sunday morning. On that day a fow missionary friends assembled for prayer had felt an unaccountable concern for him. Turning up his private records, he discovered that they were gathered at the very hour when he had heard tho clock strike. The incident is not tho least suggestive of many which Mr. Redwood cites from his personal expo rience. New Missionary Work A new development and a sign of the revived earnestness of tho Church is the work of " News Teams " in some of tho Lancashire churches. These consist of parties of men and women, 11 umbering about six, who go from parish to parish as occasion serves, speaking in church halls and elsewhere. The Bishop of Manchester has recognised tho development and appointed an organiser for his diocese. Canon Peter Green finds that members of News Teams, who become missionaries to other places, are among tht most ardent workers in his own parish. A keen young layman said to him, " It is dull work just sitting and being preached to. It is wonderful how much more interest I take in my religion now that I am speaking to others."