FAMILY WORSHIP.

Thames Star, Volume LXII, Issue 17388, 28 March 1928, Page 6

FAMILY WORSHIP.

AN ECONOMIC FORCE. (BY REV. JAMES MILNE, M.A.) The poet Burns in <: Tlie Cottar's Saturday Night/' with reference to the great picture of Family Devotion described in the poem lias written:— "From scenes like these old Scotia's glories rise, Which make her feared at Home, revered abroad." This is no mean tribute to the ethical value of worship in the family, in Burns' time more or less a commonplace in England and Scotland, to-day jnoj'e or less gone into desuetude in any or every English speaking community. In the proceedings of a Presbytery recorded in a New Zealand daily of recent issue, the promotion of religion in the home is advocated, surely an excellent idea; but this is followed by a recommendation in the report on the Life and Work committee which it must have taken courage to formulate, viz., that ministers within the bounds of the Presbytery should be instructed to preach on "Family Worship" on a specified Stfnday. A Utilitarian Age. Are the words of the Scottish poet true? They will generally be accepted as such. Why then, it may be reasonably inquired, has family worship so universally been abandoned? The answer, it seems, to the writer is found in the fact that its need has not been fully enough realised. The present is a utilitarian age in which ethical ideals do not readily flourish. But family worship has its economic aspect. It is calculated to develop conscience and character. Thus are men dered more efficient for life and service. Ethical ideals, if truly and persistently cherished, exercise an economic influence; and this is true of life as pertaining to the individual, the community, the nation and even internationally. But this is not so well known, or appreciated so widely as it should be; so persistently are minds of men prejudiced against anything savouring of religion, as a narrowing instead of what it really is, a broadening influence. - There is a well-known and not-to-be-lightly esteemed argument against the ethical, as embraced by humanity developing beneficially and economically. It is to the effect that the process does not last, that it will hot work. There is truth in this, if the ethical can subsist apart from religion; and if it is so that a man can truly cherish ethical feeling in his heart apart from being truly religious, then all the more necessary will it be for something in tlie form of worship to come into his life; for thus he will be strengthened to exercise that eco- j nomic influence, which makes him erti- [ cient for life and seryce. j The Individual. j

There can be no place, better adapted for worship on the part of the individual than the home. Family worship, where it is observed is held either in the morning or evening, or both, Wise choice'is made as to this in accordance with the duties devolving upon the members of the family. Care must be .taken not to exceed the time at the disposition of tlie household for the exercise, and children must be safeguarded from l-ealising as a pain what should ever prove a pleasure. So incertain of the comparatively few homes whose members are accustomed to worship in Church ,of a Sunday no worship is observed on that day, lest the young people shpuld -fl*el—to state the

matter vevy plainly—they were receiving too much of a good thing. A common argument urged against family worship in the morning is that it devours too much time. The reasonable answer is that a little discipline over self, in the way of rising a little earlier in the morning, gets over tins difficulty. The advantage to the individual as accruing from family worship is little short of immense. It provides a tonic for the mind, heart and nature generally, which is wont to assert itself in cheerfulness, calm and selfcontrol on the part of the worshi.pper Family worship, in the morning creates an atmosphere for tlie individual which is wont to affect him for good throughout the day. At night, other conditions being favourable, it ensures a sound and refreshing sleep. The Community. A multitude of individuals forms a community, and the more worshipping families there are in such, the more efficient will be its individuals and so, itself will be. Those who are of opinion that ethical ideals can stimulate a community, unto righteous action apart from religion, when asked from what source the impulse comes, are wont to claim that it comes from the community itself, from the public opinion or "atmosphere" evolved from the the individual lives of the people. Taking the argument as stated, it is readily seen how important a matter it should ever be esteemed, to keep public- opinion ethically healthy, and to have the atmosphere pure and morally strong. The writer has the conviction that the most earnest advocate of the inherent power of ethical ideals to nromote righteous ends in the community will support his contention, that family worship in the homes of the peonle" should prove a mighty facfor unto the promotion of such healthy moral atmosphere.

Tbe Nation. It is a well-known aphorism that the character and health, the real strength of a nation can be measured in the homes of its people. This statement has only to be made, to be approved as true. Family worship creates an atmosphere in the home which gives tone to the community, and so becomes an economic force for righteousness in the national life of a people. If this contention is correct, it behoves each so-termed Christian nation to encourage family-worship. . Nationally, the State looks to the Churches to take a lead in such a matter. Many parents, though deeply apprised of the importance of family worship, do not feel equal to the task of conducting the same. The Churches are generally apprised of this, and through the provision of manuals of devotion containing prayers aud lists of readings from Scripture for morning and evening of each day say, of a week, they thus furnish simple but direct help where necessary. From nation to international relationship is but a stop, and undoubtedly if throughout Christendom each nation encouraged its people unto family worship, the result could not fail to make for international amity in Christendom, and so make further, for the peace and prosperity of the world.