SUNDAY RECREATIONS.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17581, 10 December 1928, Page 9

SUNDAY RECREATIONS.

DEAN BARNETT’S VIEWS. PUT WORSHIP FIRST. SUNDAY SCHOOLS NECESSARY. The vexed question of the right use of Sunday was Urn subject of a sermon given by Dean Ihirimlf at St. Peters Cathedral last evening. The preacher opposed I In: Puritanical view that play should lie forbidden on Sunday but urged that church attendance should lake first place, The day of rest was not so much needed, lie, said, in those days when Governments provided more, holidays and opportunities of recreation than In the past. The Dean pleaded earnestly for Sunday schools as lining necessary until such time as all children should receive religious instruction throughout the week. Tho preacher, in opening, said the time which had elapsed since the subject name prominently before, the people had given them time to cool down and approach the discussion more amicably. Thoy should try to think clearly. A great amount of confusion had grown up around both the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sunday. As Lo the old Sabbath, Christ in ids lifetime was constantly being brought up against the Pharisees’ idea of what that day should be. They had hedged it round with regulations so that it might be almost a crime to go a yard and a half beyond the stipulated day’s journey. Similar excrescences had grown up around Ihc Christian Sunday, tending to hide its real purpose, it must, in the first place, be distinguished from the Jewish Sabbath. The two were not the same. It was difficult to understand precisely what the Sabbath was. According to the Rook of Exodus, it appeared to have a religious significance, as the text stated that God had created llie world in six days and had rested on the seventh. In Deuteronomy, however, the Sabbath appeared simply as a social institution, established on the release of the Jews from captivity so that servants as well as masters should have a day of rest. Christ had observed the Sabbath because he was a Jew living among Jews, but after his death his followers had paid special regard to the day on which Christ, had risen from the dead—the first day of the week. When gentiles came into the church there was a great conflict between the Judaising party and the Pauline party, the latter contending that Christians were not obliged lo '• follow the Jewish law. When Christianity became the official religion under Constantine, Sunday was made a general holiday, like the holy days of oilier religions. Sunday became a day of re-creation. After the Middle Ages, under the sterner interpretation associated with the Puritans, the old idea of the Jewish Sabbath—a day of worship, in which play was forbidden, was introduced, but there had always been opposition to this view, and James 11. bad issued an edict permitting games on Sunday on condition that there should be no “impediment or neglect of divine service.” In modern times the idea had grown up that worship and recreation on Sunday were inconsistent and that it was necessary to choose between the two. But Christians must try to keep their thoughts clear and to see that the two things were not opposed. If common sense were used much bitterness would be avoided, and a better and happier Sunday achieved. One trouble arose tjrom the fact that people tended to crowd their spiritual activities too much into one day. Sunday Schools. In regard to Sunday schools, said Mr Barnett, the position was perfectly clear, lie sympathised with a child who, after attending prayers at the Diocesan school and receiving religious instruction at school and at home throughout the week, preferred not to go to Sunday school on a hot afternoon. But in a great many cases a child would receive no religious teaching in the day school. All had to be crammed into a short hour on the Sunday, and if it missed that it would get. nothing. “Until we have that regular instruction in the homo or ihe State school," lie added, “there is no alternative to the Sunday school for teaching them the Christian faith and the essence of worship. Our Sunday schools are being conducted by a most devoted band of men and women, who are prepared Lo give up their Sunday afternoon, in many cases, when they are tired and would prefer to be spending their time in the open air." Another aspect of the use of Sunday, said the Dean, was its effect upon the national life and Ihe life of tho whole world. Our Sunday had probably been more to the life of the world than any of them realised. No Christian who had the honour arid glory of Cod and the true interest of his counti j at heart couid be satisfied to see I the day given over wholly to fun. The | need for holidays was not so great as j in tho past, as the Governments of to- j day provided other holidays and other j times for recreation. It would not be 1 a hardship nowadays if Sunday were j not devoted to the idea of recreation, ■ as there were other opportunities, it : was a day, unquestionably, for wor- ! •sbip of Almighty God. As long as they ■ claimed to lie Christians they must j certainly give over a part of the day I to worship. How much would depend 1 on how much they regarded worship, i * . 11 y would choose to open the day j with worship, in the early morning i moy should certainly wait upon God. I they could then go out with God’s I blessing and God’s guidance and then ! my could hope that fur the rest of j the day their own inclinations would j load them to do only what was lilting I proper and right. Probably thev would i desire m that spirit again to take part j in the corporate act of worship he- 1 tore the day was ended. What was 1 most important was that they should ! realise that worship of Almightv God I was in itself worth while and that ill did bring peace and happiness. j

VISITOR’S IMPRESSIONS. “OVERBIDDEN J!Y PURITANISM.” Interesting observations on mailers venlilalod recently in religious circles were made at Gisborne by the Rev. J. !•. XulhaJl, Of Ihe Oxford Diocese, England. .Mr NuMiall has been some weeks in this country, and apparently has followed matters of public interest very closely, for he displayed an intimate knowledge of happenings here. When conversing with a Poverty Bay Herald representative Mr Nut hall was asked his opinion wilh regard to the prohibition movement. He remarked that lie had seen more drunken young men in Auckland between the hours of 5 p.m. and G p.m. than he had seen in England, and he attributed this fact to the prohibition movement. “The greatest enemies of temperance are prohibitionists," he

declared, "and New Zealand is too much over-ridden with puritunism.” When swings were taken down in the parks on Saturday so that children could not swing on Sunday it was a damage to religion and a disgrace to Lhe country, and he added that lie was coming more and more to the conclusion that the only free country was England. Support for Bishop of Waikato. Such expressions led the interviewer to seek the outspoken visitor's opinions with regard to Sunday observance, to which prominence had been given during the past few days as a result of the declaration of the Bishop of Waikato that we should observe, Sunday exactly as we please, provided the day is prevailed with a spirit of joy after an attendance at the communion service in the morning. ' ‘-lie is one bishop who has a glimmering of sense on lhe subject,” commented lhe visitor, who added that there was no harm in quiet recreation on Sunday, as it was not tile Sabhutii. Sunday was a day for worship, and there was no sacred day ol worship, which could he done on any occasion; early in the morning was as good as late in the day. Provided the duty of worship was fulfilled in no narrow spirit nothing that was not wrong on Saturday could possibly he wrong on Sunday.

"That is another spirit of puritanism which lias to he choked, he declared .when lie referred to some of the views that had been expressed on the subject.