Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 43, 29 January 1943, Page 6

Thoughtful Moments

(Supplied by the Whakatane Ministers' Association).

THE CHILDREN'S SUNDAY

A tcacher tells me that the. children of to-day arc often so tired and listless on Monday morning that they can hardly settle to their lessons), and the reason, it seems, is that they have been motoring the whole of Sunday, or have been to an evening performance at the cinema. If a modern child is told of the kind of Sunday we older ones used to spend when w 7 e. were little, it generally exclaims with horror, and, in the latest slang at its command, expresses itfl belief in the superior ways of ito-day. But are these ways so superior? Whilst agreeing that Sundays may have been too rigidly kept by some people in thoys far-off times before the Avar, it would be interesting to know which was really the happier, the. child w,ho spends Sun- 1 day "doing something jolly" or the child who went to church and Sun-

day school as. a matter of course, and looked, upon the' d.ay as, something sot apart from the rest of the week. Leaving, if j r ou can, the moral aspect out of the question, which was the happier day for the young? One can only quote one's own experience. A Pleasant Dray When we were little,® Sunday was, for us, a pleasant da5 r . lit began a bit later than week days, and breakfast Avaq a cheeiy and leisiireh' meal. Then we dressed in o,ur best clothes (irnd, at the risk of being thought frivolous, I declare Ii believe that Sunday clothes, have their value in increasing the dignity of the day) and set off for chapel. Here we knew everybody, and if stranger;.) did appear they were welcomed with a friendliness only too often lacking in these days—a friendliness that did impress, on a child'S mind the -feeling of one big family meeting in its Father's hougs. I won't say that the long service, with its very long (and erudite) sermon, was altogether a pleasure, but, looking back on it, I d.o believe it was a wholesome discipline for restless young bodies to he compelled to keep still for a definite time. Some of the little ones did fall asleep, and once we were upset and embarrassed by a small person exclaiming in a loud voice, "Oh, dear,

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

(By J. S. Barrow in the British Weekly).

hasn't he. done YET?" But on the whole, it did not occur to us to re--gard; the aermon as a hardship. Be-, fore and after it there were hymns in which Ave could join with lou-di shrill voices, and the children's address was often both interesting anc} thrilling.

After service, we greeted our friends and trotted off home to< the now despisfed Sunday dinner, after which we camc back to Sunday scliooi. I should like to say we loved this* but truth compels mc to own that some of the classes were, not popular. Still, on the whole, my memories are of happy hours ypent at bright services, singing hymns that went with a fine swing, and listening to the incomparable English of Bible stories. What children d,o niisjs of their rightful British heritage who do not hear these stories when they are young!

Home again to that great institution,, Sunday tea. which, was

merry meal, generally shared, by friends or some lonely person, who wanted to draw into the family circle. Afterwards there were happy hours apent—in summer, in the garden, and in winter, better still, curled up to father's big chair, whilst he read aloud to us.

"Pilgrim's Progress" was our favourite, and how eagerly we travelled with Christian, horrified by the dreadfulnesq of Appolyon, excited and rather alarmed by the lions in the path —what a relief it was, to find that they were! chained! —and thrilled by the river through which Hopeful was helping Christian, pointing the while to* the further shore, where stood "two shining ones." Never Bored' When the older ones went to evening service we little ones had our own sitory books and games—special ones for Sunday, and our parents believed in making a real difference between that day and the rest of the week. We were neither dull nor bored. The day ended with simple and brief, family prayers,, and the greatest impression that remains of them is that of my father talk.- 1 ing earnestly and sincerely to his Father. That was our Sunday. It might not appeal to a modern child, but it is very pleasant to look • back upon. Will these motoring, cinemagoing, do-as-you-pleasc children have such sweet and fragrant memories when they are old? I wonder?