THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17756, 17 September 1927, Page 14

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

SUNDAY SCHOOL NOTES. (The writer of this column will bo glad to discuss any theme that a reader may desire. But be must know. Ask questions. Propound subjects. State scur difficulties). “Evil is wrought from want of thought, as well as want of heart.” “The value of vour teaching is not in the information you have put into the mind but in the interest you have awakened.” “Alas, for the kind of activity that makes us impatient for the end instead of rejoicing by the way.”—Goethe.

ORDER IX THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. “Order is heaven’s first law” and the want of it is neutralising the best efforts of many a band of teachers. Hero is a replica of many of out Sunday Schools. The Superintendent is a most worthy man —fond of children, considerate to his staff, well thought, of in the community and most desirous of promoting the spiritual life of the children. Rut (and here is the undoing ot all his goodness) he cannot or does not know how to get order in his School. The result is that strong-mind-ed men and women refuse to teach in his School ; the children despise it in comparison with their up-to-date day School; nobody take:! the work seriously and soon many a good-hearted teacher is reduced to dispnir. Do you know such a School? What is lacking? Order must be got if any good is to result. I hear some good soul say, “Surely if we mean well and pray much the results will be right.” Cod is the Cod of order and though good may result from an orderless School, it is only a fraction of what should come if conditions were right. What do i mean by order lam not thinking of a School which has been handed over to a day School teacher who rules the Sunday School rigidly as in many a day School. I have not before my mind a School subdued under the iron heel of a martinet but a School where the children feel at home and where the atmosphere is one of natural reverence in which worship and work are easy. The two great secrets of order are forethought and punctuality. I will deal with these and though my remarks will bo most applicable to leaders still rank and file will see points where they may help. Perhaps you could pass this on to your Superintendent. Every possibility of disorder must, be met in the proceeding week. It is no use leaving everything until Sunday. That spells disaster. Where shall we begin? My answer is with the building. Have you faced the question of its being properly cleaned, disinfected and dusted ready for the School session? This is the duty of the Superintendent. There should not be an untidy corner Cloak-rooms, entrance hall, class-rooms, assembly hall, —all these should be spick and span before the doors open. Look into many of our Schools just before School. The leader has not arrived and

so tho children run wild. Now lie arrives and there is a. pulling and tunning of forms but much remains undone. Now ho rushes for the musician. "What hymns? Often time is up and still ho is consulting. The session begins with a clanging hell. Late comers stream in upsetting everyone. Everywhere and in everything there is evidence of want of forethought. All this js conducive of disorder. That School should have been visited half an hour before-hand by some ono whoso work it was to see that- all was right. Not a. chair should be out of place, not a window unattended to. Leave nothing to chance. Tho piano is at tho right angle, the music-book is there, every teacher has an allotted place, there is no overcrowding, every child is provided with a hymn-book, the hymns are chosen with care days ahead, the leader calm and prepared is at his tabic. Let this go on week by week and soon the spirit of reverent order enters and remains liko a guardian angel driving out the demon of disorder and worry. There must be forethought abouii absent teachers, about door-keepers to attend to late comers and above all about the worship programme. To me it is sheer wickedness to attempt to lead without a programme carefully and prayerfully arranged early in the week. In making it care must bo taken to see that it is well-balanced, controlled by a motif thought and correlated to the lesson for the day. 'Hie hymns must be chosen with care having regard to praise, the theme, tillage of the children and the music. JCvery prayer should be most diligently thought out and all voluntaries should minister to the spirit of the theme. Now by such forethought you have sought to bo ready tor every emergency and now you have- a right to ask and expect- God's blessing on your efforts. God cannot be expected to honour lazy, •slip-shod methods. Every day will show you some weakness, will discover some point where improvement can bo made. By forethought these can bo arranged for nextweek. There need be no disorder in a School in which such intense and consecrated forethought rules. Tho School guardian angel of order is punctuality. This of course does not merely refer to being in time for the opening. Surely that extra period of ten minutes will come ■ hack to you. “Good measure pressed down and running over.” Don't bo grudging with your time.

Bunctuality must lie observed also in regard to the changes of occupation during School hours. There must be superintendence in regulating the time for the lesson, the expression work and the re-assembling for the closing worship. The work is best regulated bv music but there must be nothing hen, hazurd ; it must be punctual—not one day ten. minutes for the lesson and another day half-an-hour. If there is going to be a variation' the teachers should be told. There must be punctuality in dismissal. No child likes to linger on in a protracted school-period. ' To he punctual will obviate all. fidgety feeling and remove any cause for irritation. The unpunctual leader irritates children and teachers. Judge yourself and your School bv these two standards, forethought and punctuality. If there is disorder and irreverence seek for the cause in the ! want, of one of these. Forethought and punctuality are the twin guardian angels of an orderly reverent School. THE CHOICE AM) TEACHING OF HYMNS. In these days there is an abundant supply of good hymns suitable for use in j the Primary Department, but it is astonishing to find how few people take ! sufficient pains to search out those good ones and are content with other people’s •suggestions.

There are many things to bo considered when choosing now material. ■ The words must fit in with the thoughts j which are being considered for the whole of the service, and even though the children arc so young, it is an opportunity to acquaint them with beautiful rhythm and language. The hymns should h<> short and. if necessary, verses should ho omitted so as to make the hymn a more united whole. | Take care that the music is within | the children's compass. They find ui- ' flieulty in singing below Middle C and above E in the next octavo. Avoid difficult skips and see that the music flows easily and has a rhythm which is simple to follow. A new hymn should he introduced to the children early in the service, when they are fresh and not, as in the old j days when hymn-singing was often used j to fill up the time after the lesson beI fore the bell sounded for the close of I the service. Introduce the hymn by means of a short talk on the subject, or else show a picture which is familiar to the children and which will help them to concentrate their attention on the | subject. ! In some cases, as with nature | hymns, the best way is to introduce the ' various lines by means of crayon drawl ings on brown paper, drawn by the i children themselves. They show far ! greater interest in a corporate piece of work rather than one prepared beforehand. 'When the picture is complete, the Leader should repeat the verse, pointing to the various subjects so as to help the children to memorise it more easily. The tune should be played several times beforehand, using it as quieting music and so acquainting them with the new scious effort on their part. Sometimes it is helpful ;to have the new hymn sung as a solo-bv the Leader' or one of the teachers. Simplicitv is the watchword for the singer, and clearenunciation is essential.