RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22712, 26 October 1935, Page 27

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

By Amplius,

“ I have in my heart a plant called Reverence, which needs watering about once a week.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes. TEACHERS’ COVENANT. We teachers and workers dedicate ourselves anew to the service of the Master Who has called us and Who has promised us His presence and His unfailing help. We bring our emptiness to His fulness, our ignorance to His wisdom, our weakness to His strength, our insufficiency to His abundant grace. To Him we now deliberately commit ourselves, our scholars and the work He has given us to do —asking Him to be with us and to make us at all times courageous, true and faithful. We agree: To pray privately, at least every Sunday, for our church and scaool, and for our particular part therein, anu to seek the spirit of consecration throughout. To make .early and conscientious preparation and consider as a first engagement the times appointed for the Sunday school session and, if possible, the training class.” BREAD UPON THE WATERS. "He was one of the finest men 1 ever knew. I have never forgotten some ot the things he told us, nor lost the influence of his personal example.” The tribute was paid by a man ui middle life, a citizen prominent and useful in his community, to a certain Sunday school teacher of his youth. Yet many could recall that this man, as a boy in the class, had been a problem for the teacher and the superintendent alike. In fact, he was a good deal of a terror. On many a Sunday noon, the teacher in question had gone home wondering whether he could do anything cither for or with Jim Bartlett. The lad had seemed full of mischief, and careless of all the teacher was trying to accomplish. Could it be, he asked himself, that any impression at all had been made by all the teaching and praying that had been expended on that restless class? Yet the years proved that an impression had been made. A grown man was now serving valiantly in the burden ami beat of the day,' largely, on bis own confession, because be remembered hours m the old church vestry long since demolished. Bread cast upon the turbulent waters of a boy's mind and heart had returned after many days, and the bread was sweet and good. One of the commonest sources of discouragement among teachers is a sort of feeling of futility in the main objects of their endeavour. Many pupils are thoughtless and unresponsive. They seem far more intent on chatter and tun than on anything in the lesson. Is it worth while, one asks himself, all tins expenditure of time and energy when those for whom we work to have so little sense of appreciation? It is by no means safe to assume that our labour is lost whenever we may see no immediate results from it. There is a strange, ability in the mind of youth to recehm truth, even when the outer appearance is only one of frivolity and even of complete indifference. The writer has before him at this minute a postcard bearing a friendly message—one of many received through the years —from a pupil who certainly gave slight evidence years ago of interest or loyalty. One is surprised at such testimony as to help received. Let us have more faith in our Christian message. God’s truth faithfully proclaimed does not return unto him void. It has a remarkable way of accomplishing, soon or late, the things that He pleases. We should be less often disheartened if we could remember that. Happy, enthusiastic Christian character makes its impression, whether we are always aware of it or not. In fact, it is better that one should not try to be aware of it. The teacher who honestly believes and rejoices in the thing bo teaches need not worry about his influence. As Professor William James counsels us in his fine little book, “ On Vital Reserves,” “ become the imitable thing, and you may then discharge your minds of all responsibility for the imitation.” It is the teacher’s prime duty and privilege to help toward a workable Christian philosophy of life and conduct the immature boys and girls he deals with. It may not seem to register at the moment. Other things may seem to fill the adolescent mind. Average young people have not lived very deeply yet, nor met the strains and stresses that older people know. But the time will surely come when they need religion, as they need nothing else, and then they will remember what some good friends have done to help them. Dean Sperry says that the best service a teacher can render is to help youth lay a good fire of sticks that the experiences of later life may be trusted to kindle into flame. Let no teacher conclude that either the truth of his works, or the contagion of his faithful Christian personality will ever be lost. “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.”— F. B. M‘A REVERENCE. The basis of reverence is appreciation of God. Appreciation here does not mean that sense of gratitude with which meaning it is so often used, but, rather, comnrehension. It is utterly impossible for any human being, in any reasonable measure, to appreciate God in this sense without the intensive reaction of reverence. It is impossible to command reverence. It is impossible to teach it or to impress it by instruction, excepting as that instruction interprets God so as to make possible due appreciation. Reverence, like character, “is caught rather than taught.” The belief that “ the _ manifest Presence of God makes holy,” is as old as the “ Burning Bush.” Life is full of incidents and experiences that suggest God, but the reaction is not always reverence. It may be terror or awe or wholesome respect which are akin to reverence, but lower in the scale. A reverent atmosphere in the school session must be created and controlled. Contributing to this, through the foresight of those in charge, is the prepared programme which means a studied programme, a programme with unity, and a programme with despatch hut without Incident to success are the following elements:— 1. Be reverent yourself. The unconscious influence of the superintendent is in most cases bis greatest. A reverent attitude on the part of the leader greatly aids in producing the desired atmosphere. If the leader is boisterous or noisy, the department or school will be noisy. 2. Create a good first impression. It is impossible to do this without many steps in advance. Some plan or scheme is necessary to make the approach to the “ opening note” steady and successful. Softdevotional music is used to good advantage. At a signal the rising of the staff of the school for a brief silent prayer has been used. Waiting for silence after a silence signal, whatever it be. is suggestive. 3. Maintain order which means reasonable response. It does not mean or require military discipline or precision. It means a spirit of willing and ready cooperation. 4. .Make surroundings conducive to happiness and respect. The suggestion of the old, old hymn is not overdrawn. “ Lo, God is Here. Lot us adore, and own how awful is this place.” “Awful” here does not mean “ Terrible,” but rather “ the fundamental principle of respect given to a worthy deity.”—New Century Leader.