Going to Chruch.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XVI, Issue 3, 1 September 1925, Page 9

Going to Chruch.

To hear some parsons talk one would imagine that- "going -to church" was the sum total of religion,''to hear some laymen (many laymen) one would think it had nothing to do with religion. After all,' Why dp the majority of those who go, do so at all? To hear the music anct the preaching? Surely not! In ninety per cent, of our churches they are excrable. To be like other people— as a matter of custom? But to go to church these days is out of fashion. As a matter of duty? Yes! Some, m spite of the dull monotony and dreariness of many of our church services keep l ; up their attendance fairly well, though even they 'are; not proof against 'the attractions :of the fireside on cold' nights and of the moonlight on summer evenings.- ; To worship God with their brethren and proclaim their fellowship m the brotherhood? Yes, a few perhaps; and yet how little brotherhood there is m most' of our congregations! "Going to church" to satisfy the parson who is always nagging you about it t to meet your friends, to be respectable is of very little practical value at all. Some parsons are constantly worrying people and m many cases succeed m getting them to , attend, some are constantly inventing novelties and attractions to. relieve the dullness and "brighten up" the service and tickle the fancies — anything to "get people to church." And what is the real good of it after all? The only attraction that will bring people, and that will make them come m the right spirit, is the preaching of Christ crucified, and the joy of the Christian life. AH the dullness disappears when the service becomes no longer a mere skeleton of formal prayers, the reading or singing of unintelligible psalms, badly sung hymns and vain attempts of a choir to render a musical programme beyond their capacity and after insufficient preparation, but is the natural outpouring of converted souls. After all there is no virtue m going to church m itself. Attendance at divine worship has little value unless it is an expression of devout love to God who has made us, redeemed us and sanctifies' us, who dwells m our hearts and impels us to seek, m company with the brethren, an opportunity for praising Him and proclaiming His, glory. To tHe devout" worshipper ncr> service is dull. I admit that it re- ■ quires; a good deal of devotion .to overcome the, deadness and formality and) restriction of a stereotyped evensong 1 . The fact is that we have Intro*

#uced>all kihds< of ',? attractions ' ' for the worldly to "bring,, them to church," "attractions" which irritate and disturb the devotions of those who are trying to worship^ . from the very fact that they do attract attention to themselves; and we exclude i-'tfets of devotion and ceremony that help the soul, to realise; the solemnity of: worship- and- provide an expression of the reverent awe which the true \Vorshdpper feels m thevpresence of God. In other words we have tried to niake evensong attractive to the nonOhmfcian rather than an occasion of solemn united prayer and praise for the Christian. And when we fcave done it we have only succeeded m dressing "divine service" m the robes of the opera ■;'. the worldly efiurc%oer finds satisfaction only m forgetting the meaning of ; the penitent confession, the joyful acts of •praise and the solemn thoughts and language of the prayers and concentrating his attention on the tawdry music and f al de Ms that hide them. In fact we have confused two things that should be kept apart. We can never make evensong a mission serTiee. We need the mission service for the heathen and the unconverted, and we need evensong for the devout but it is absurd to try to mix them together. Evensong is a service for those who are already m the brotherhood and have already made their Communion together; .meretricious devices' for attracting non-Christians to it only make it unsuitable for its purpose. "G«ing to church" to an evensong clothed m sacred and solemn ceremony is a glorious privilege to those who love God. If you want a service for the unconverted, let it be a preaching of the Cross or a course of simple instruction with suitable prayers and hymns ; and no particular ceremony at all. If we /can only convert people, show them their sins, the Ciross of Christ and His forgiveness, ! their need of the Bread of Life, the joy of the Christian calling, they will "come to church" of their own accb*d. Don't let us make going to ehweh a fetisb or ah end m itself. Christianity is a life m communion with @od, inithe companionship of Jesus. We s only harden and ;deaden >l©st > souls ibyallowirigi them to believe that ;attendance-at church is religion; and those .who?aa?e feeling the' need of a Saviour ai^e only discouraged and hindered m their search, when they ttry i to: Satisfy rthek thirst ier God by attending so. formal service far above capacity.-—(Con-tribtttßd)i. .■:-..: .^,j ;..:;■