IN SERIOUS VEIN

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 73, Issue 6281, 13 September 1946, Page 4

IN SERIOUS VEIN

“THE LURE OF, THE SERIAL” “I wish Friday would hurry up,” I overheard one boy saying recently to another. “There’s a corker; story in the comic and I do so want to see what happens next.” It must have been a good first instalment to have gripped the imag-. ination of this boy in this way—a story well told, dramatic, exciting, and then ending suddenly, leaving him saying to himself: “But surely something else must have happened ? ” I wonder how many people who haVe been given the advice to take any one of the four Gospels and read it through, not in snippets, but right through at one sitting, as they would read a play by J- M. Barrie, taking an hour to do it, or as they would listen to Dorothy Sayers’ dramatic play-sequence on the wireless, all attention, hoping to goodness no one would come to the door till it was finished, have tried the experiment. If they have, then, when they have reached the climax of that enthailing Gospel drama, the betrayal the trial before the High Priest, Pilate washing his hands, the clamour of the mob, the Cross, the encl—no not the end: three days later the Resurrection, but still the end, the end of the story, they probably felt like that boy with his serial that can’t be the end; I wonder what happened next ?

The very last words of the fourth account of the life and death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ go this way: “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should! be written, every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written;” but, since it finishes with a full-stop, “Amen,” you feel that the story is just a piece of history, beautiful, thrilling, challenging, but finished. But not if you read the very next verse, the first words of “Acts”—“The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus both began to do and teach. So it is continued. The four gospels only tell about what Jesus began to do and the world is packed full of other gospels, living records of the activity of the Holy Spirit, which our Lord promised He would send, which show how Christ is going on working through folk like Paul and David Livingstone and Bishop Berggrav, and Mary Jones who teaches in Sunday School. The Bible tells us the beginning of God’s story—we are the continuation. FORM OF ANZAC DAY SERVICE The form 1 of Anzac Day services was discussed recently by members of the R.S.A., Fathers Ainsworth and Kingan, representing Roman Catholics, and Padres Spence and Underhill, representing the National Council of Churches. Three of the padres were old friends, having served together in the Middle East, and the meeting was marked by straight speaking and. great friendliness- It is hoped that there may be further discussions. The two points of view may be sumimarised as follows: •rhe Reman Catholic Side 1. They would like to be present at the official observation of Anzac Day. 2. They appreciate the deep religious significance of Anzac Day. 3. Their Church forbids them to participate in any service when a clergyman of any other denomination takes part. 4. If the service was taken by a layman, it must not include any prayers or any reading from the Bible. 5- An address may be given but not by a clergyman, not even a returned chaplain. 6. They would like the form of service used in Auckland and Te Awlamutu to be universal. This form of service consists of hymns, the laying of wreaths, the words of Laurence Binyon, and the playing of “Last Post” and “Reveille.” 7. They advocate religious services being held by denominations in their own churches earlier in the day. The Other Side 1. They would welcome the presence of Roman Catholics. 2. Anzac Day services have nearly always been undenominational3. Many loyal Church members have felt that Anzac Day was one occasion when the different Churches could and should worship together, despite doctrinal differences. 4. Care has always been taken in these services to include the many points of general agreement and exclude matters of doctrinal differeilsG However, the Roman Catholic request to exclude from these services all prayers, Bible reading and participation of any Christian minister seems rather a big demand from a denomination which represents only 15 per cent, of the population. 6. The fact that the Roman Catholic Church forbids its members to worship in company with other denominations should surely force other denominations to abandon united services. 7. In the Army it was usual to hold a thanksgiving and memorial service immediately after battle. On these occasions the whole brigade or battalion would worship together with the exception of Roman Catholics. 8. Many returned men desire that this spirit of unity should be expressed in civilian life, and many returned chaplains count it a privilege to participate in Anzac Day services, should they be invited.