THE RISK OF SENTIMENTAUSM

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XXI, Issue 1, 1 July 1929, Page 9

THE RISK OF SENTIMENTAUSM

There is a grave risk m every life of religion being arrested by a- barren sentimentalism. This was a peril to which Christ was keenly sensitive. In His judgment no amount of service could make up for the lack of the serviceable life. A multitude of devotions could not condone the failure to devote 1 to God the everyday activities. His piercing word's, "Not every one that saith 'Lord! Lord!' shall enter into the Kingdom- of God," show !how His spirit revolted against the type of person who could revel sentimentally m His. Leadership; whilst not troubling to consecrate the energy • of life to the tasks of His Will. Obviously if our Lord had to choose between the practical worker who fails somewhat m sentiment, and the man of many prayers who is lacking m endeavour, His choice would fall upon the former. His. pungent little parable of ; the two sons, one of whom said "I go," and went not, whilst the other said "I will not go," but repented and went, shows where His sympathies lie, though undoubtedly the ideal that He would prefer is the life that is perfected m devotions and devotion, that yields to Him both sentiment and service. Do we not strike a distinction here that is of great moment for our Church? It is so fatally easy to drift into the habit of offering God. the easy sentiment of worship whilst diligently prosecuting the service of our own selfish interests m all our practical life. This offering to God of a weak emotionalism, whilst withholding from Him. our everyday energies, is a policy of such deep irreverence that it greatly corrupts the soul. It is from such a policy that there springs the temper which can stone the prophet who dares to call sternly for appropriate action. Beneath that weak emotionalism the heart can harden desperately m disobedience, a disobedience that lias become so strong a habit as to bind the soul m an all but unbreakable .bondage. It was the people of whom it could be said: "This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me" who crucified our Lord! — men pf regular worship, religious leaders who resolutely refused to permit the character of God to affect their everyday conduct. — (Church of Ireland Diocesan Magazine.)

''Look up, not clown; Look forward and not b;ifk ; Look out, not m, And 'end a hand."