YOUTH AND CHRIST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22505, 24 August 1936, Page 12

YOUTH AND CHRIST

AUCKLAND CAMPAIGN SECOND WEEK COMMENCED LARGE CONGREGATIONS The beginning of the second week of tho "Youth for Christ" campaign in Auckland yesterday was notable for the largo congregations at many of the numerous services in city and suburban churches. About 400 attended a rally at St. Matthew's Church yesterday afternoon, when Archbishop Averill spoke on the text, "He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem," taken from St. Luke, chapter 0, verso 51. His Graco said that constituted one of Christ's greatest decisions; He knew that the Cross was waiting for Him, and tho decision was not easy. But it was right. Christ did not go about lamenting His fate, the archbishop added. His was a lite of unselfishness and strength. "Do not think of Christ as the sort ol anaemic being you see in pictures and stained glass windows," His Grace said. "That is all wrong. He was a strong Son of God. Are we afraid of following such u Heror 1 Are we afraid of a scratch from the Cross in following Hunf" To follow Christ was tho greatest adventure possible, and tho real Christian was the happiest person in the world. Perils of Modern Youth "There is nothing smug about our approach to you to-night," said the Bev. A. C. Nelson at the Beresford Street Congregational Church last evening when addressing the younger peoplo present on tho subject "Perils of Modern youth." If older people were apt co bo disappointed in the youth of the day the corrective was to think of their own early life and to marvel at the grace oi "God for making such decent lellows of them. Because of its inexperience youth was particularly exposed to danger, Mr. Nelson said. The peril was made even greater through the new freedom that youth owned to-day. There were a variety of confusing material and intellectual issues conlronting youth which sought a way of lite through them. That way was only to be found through Christ. Meaning ol Christian Life The Bev. E. D. Patchett, chairman of the Methodist Church in Auckland, took as his subject "felling the City" when speaking at the Epsom Methodist Church last night. During the past week youth had been telling to youth what the Christian life meant to those who had experienced it, Mr. Patchett said. They had been telling it, not only in the churches and halls, but also in the factories and business houses during lunch hours. That kind of unofficial witness-bearing was essentially a Scriptural method, said Mr. Patchett. In it the essential unity of believers was clearly seen; Christ became central and Church differences lay far oil' on tho circumference. "The Strange Ingratitude of Christless .Religion" was the title of the sermon delivered by tho Bev. W. Bower Black to a large congregation in St. David's Presbyterian Church yesterday morning. He traced the richindebtedness of the community to the influence of Christ, and appealed for a frank acknowledgment oi that debt in dedicated lives. Neutrality Impossible The impossibility of neutrality in the face of the claims of Christ was the theme developed by Mr. Black at the evening service. "He that is not with Me is against Me" was the text chosen. Many peoplo went through life indifferent to spiritual things, he said, but not j to choose in reality meant a decision against Christ. It was impossible to adopt the attitude of Pilate, who prpfossed to wash his hands of the whole affair. Thinking and talking about the Kingdom of God was not Christianity, which demanded a definite act of will. The Anglican Church section of the campaign will function in the separate parishes this week, and meetings will be held by tho different churches, or groups of churches. Meetings also will ho held at many of the Presbyterian churches, and combined gatherings will take place at central churches. The Methodist, Baptist and Congregational churches will continue their activity. Inter-denominational gatherings will be held at the Beresford Street Congregational Church, the Pitt Street Methodist Church and tho Baptist Tabernacle to-morrow, Wednesday and Thursday respectively. The lunch-hour meetings at the Lewis Eady Hall will be continued each day, clergymen being the speakers at all gatherings. The speakers for to-dav are the Bev. E. T. Olds and tho Bev. Bay Dudley, of Wanganui.