“LIGHTING A CANDLE”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 March 1944, Page 3

“LIGHTING A CANDLE”

THE YOUNG ANGLICAN MOVEMENT LAUNCHED IN MASTERTON LAST NIGHT I LARGE ATTENDANCE IN j PARISH HALL ; An opening meeting in the Wairarapa in furtherance of the Young An- ■ glican Movement was held in the St j Matthew’s Parish Hall, Masterton, last j night. The hall was practically filled j with Anglicans between the ages of ( 14 years and 35 years who came from ( as far afield as Eketahuna, Tinui and < Carte/on. . 1 The Ven Archdeacon E. J. Rich pre- j Sided and welcomed those present He j said it was inspiring to see such a , splendid attendance which augured well for the launching of the move- . ment in the Wairarapa. The Aich- ■ deacon apologised for the absence of ] the Bishop of Wellington, the Rt Rev H. St B. Holland, on account of sickness. He spoke briefly on the motto adopted by the Society of Friends in the United States, a society which was doing great work among the American forces, which was: “Let us light a candle rather than curse the darkness.” There were too many in the community today who went around decrying the darkness brought about by war rather than endeavouring to brighten the darkness. In the Young Anglican movement they had an opportunity to brighten the darkness and he hoped that by the meeting a candle j would be lit in the Wairarapa that c night. “What does it mean to be a Christ- j ian?” asked the Rev H. G. Bowyer, a j , chaplain to the forces. “It means more j than fighting for Christian civilisation . —it means bringing our whole life with- t in the circle of Christian ideas. And that ( is what the Young Anglican movement j exists for—to bring our whole life £ within the circle of Christian ideas.” } ,Explaining the movement further, ( Mr Bowyer said it was an association s of men and women who took their re- . ligion seriously and intended to make j it real in every sphere of life. It was ( not going to be a rival to other church E groups, but rather to be a common j meeting ground for all their groups j and a centre of inspiration for all , activities, in the church and out of it. , It would hold a conference once a year and courses of study would be provided for those who wished for them. At the annual conference they got up early for Holy Communion, spent the morning at lectures and discussions about religious fundamentals and their bearing upon the problems of life in the modern world. In the afternoon they swam, played tennis or cricket and in the late afternoon and evening they listened to talks about music or literature and rehearsed and put on plays and other entertainments. Anyone who was between the ages of 14 and 35, was confirmed, accepted the charter, chose some sphere of service for the church, and made for himself a new rule of life. The precepts were: Young Anglicans (1) Will make and keep their own rule of life based upon daily prayers; the devotional use of the Bible; attendance at Divine worship in their own Church every Sunday; almsgiving; re- ( gular Communion after due prepara-: tion; witness and service. (2) They will be loyal to the Church, and they will make it a real and splendid comradeship in worship and service, which surmounts all barriers of class, nationality and race. (3) They will be thor- . ough in their work, and seek to become expert in their trade, calling or profession. They will keep clear of all shady practices in business. They will seek to develop a sense of stewardship in the use of their time, money and possessions. They will uphold the Christian standards of chastity and temperance, honesty and courtesy in all that they do. (4) They will endeavour to maintain a high standard of healthy recreation and clean sport in the. life of the • community and of the individual. (5) They will always remember that God’s power and forgiveness are the heritage of those who turn to Him in faith and penitence. Mrs A. J. Roscoe stressed the importance of the Young Anglican Charter and the precepts. She deplored the tendency on the part of most workers to do as little as they could for as much and said that the precept referring to Christian practice in business would assist in righting it. The Rev J. A. Jermyn, chairman of the Diocesan Committee, also spoke on the value of the movement and the part that youth could play in church affairs. Application forms were distributed for intending members to sign and after a number of questions had been answered the meeting closed with the Benediction pronounced by Archdeacon Rich.