CHRIST’S CHALLENGE

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1933, Page 9

CHRIST’S CHALLENGE

WHAT SHOULD REPLY BE? REV. R. DUDLEY’S STRIKING TALK. That the appeal and the power of the Christian religion was ever powerful, that Christ was not on trial to-day but that the world was were the points made in an address by the Rev Ray Dudley, Wanganui, at the Stratford Methodist Church last night. ’ The address was given at a public gathering which was held as part of the three days’ retreat being held at Stratford by Methodist ministers of the Taranaki and Wanganui districts. The Rev. E. P. Blamires, director of the Methodist youth movement in New Zealand, also spoke oo youth work. The Rev. J. Copeland, who presided, explained the reason for the retreat. It was a great encouragement, he said, to see such a full church There was a definite reason for the meeting of so many ministers—it afforded them the opportunity of discussing the problems that confronted them and perhaps finding the solutions.

There were very grave issues before them, said Mr. Blamires, and they wanted to know how to meet them. Dealing with youth work, he said that the study of child nature could be summed up in one word, hunger. Was there hunger for Christianity! The need to-day was for them to realise the need for companionship and a creative task. Where was Heaven? children sometimes asked. They did not have to die to go to heaven, said Mr. Blamires; all it was necessary to do was to love other people more than oneself.

In stating that he wished to stress not the social and national challege of Christianity so much as the personal, Mr. Dudley took as his text “What think ye of Christ?” Jesus was not only the founder of the Christian religion, He was the foundation. If their religion was to be effective they must answer this question: What think we of Christ? Religion was like sorrow; it. could never be effec-. tive without being personal, . . Christ never changed, said Mr. Dudley, it was one’s attitude to . Christ that judged one. Judas Iscariot had not sold his master for 30 pieces of silver; he had sold himself, and the price of his soul was exactly 30 pieces of silver. Christ was not on trial to-day; it was ourselves. The challenge to-day was “What think ye of Christ?” When the last day came the question would be, what did we think of Christ, not what other people thought. 1 This Master whom they all preached gave them the challenge, to face up to His standards and to His will —“Just as I am, without one plea”—with a new courage and a great resolve.

The Rev. W. H. Wilson, Aramoho, offered a prayer, the choir sang two anthems, five hymns were sung and the service closed with the Benediction.