Fire Worshippers.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume IX, Issue 14, 1 August 1918, Page 108

Fire Worshippers.

The old heathen custom of fireworshipping dies hard. The cold weather experienced m July has made a marked difference m the attendance at many churches. Public entertain-

merits are as popular 'as ever, but the fireside is much more attractive than the church altar. There \ are some robust Christians, of course, who do not mind suffering a little physical inconvenience for the sake of offering public worship to God, but a great many of us are not made of such stern stuff. The soldiers of' King George V. do not shrink from parading and fighting m the roughest and coldest weather, but a large number of the soldiers of Christ remain m their dugouts when the weather is unpropitious. Battles are not won m this way. Moreover, those who, stay Mn the dug-outs do not even send along the ammunition that has been issued to them to be used m the King's service, and forget to bring it with them when the weather improves and they at last appear on parade. We certainly want more fire m the Church, perhaps m the pulpit, certainly m the hearts of Churchmen. A correspondent of one of the country districts m another diocese remarks that on several recent cold Sundays the congregation has consisted entirely of the old and infirm, while the young and healthy have been conspicuous by their absence. It certainly seems that it is not the coldness of the weather but the coldness of zeal and enthusiasm that is responsible for the poor attendance of worshippers on winter Sundays.