RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Evening Star, Issue 22146, 28 September 1935, Page 4

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

[By Forward.] “ No Sunday school teacher is a real teacher on Sunday who is a teacher only on Sunday.” WILLINGNESS. No one succeeds whose heart is not in his work. Tho soldier who goes into battle unwillingly to serve his country never makes a good soldier. One cannot do His best when driven to a task. Slaves may bo driven but free men never. Enforced service is never a heart service. To be driven to the task of teaching or working in the Sunday school is to invite failure. Our work is blessed when we will do the work of tho Master because we love to do it. Boys and girls, and even little children, can.-quickly tell whether the teacher loves the work which he is doing ; and one of the most frequent reasons why boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 20 drop out of Sunday school is because they discover that their teacher is not in love with them or with his work.—L. F. Sensabaugh. WISE EVANGELISM. God intends, that we should win people in their youth. Then their hearts are tender and sensitive. Then they are religious and often ready, and eager for entrance into .the spiritual life. But we let the springtime of life pass, and then try by some great effort to create religious impressions and win to Christ. We work hard, we spend muen money, and at the best get disappointingly small returns. The reason is very apparent. We havo waited too long. How much better it is to work with God in the constructive years of life, winning to Christ in youth, developing Christian habits of physical living, the Christian way of living together, and Christian habits and attitudes of mind. When a man comes to maturity, with such a development, he has a Christian character that will stand, and that will powerfully influence for good his day and generation. If we are wise we will work with God in His seasons.— Albert K. Gage, in ‘ Evangelism of Youth.’ THE SUNDAY PROGRAMME. The word “ programme ” means something “ written out beforehand.” That is the very point I want to stress. Every Sunday service should be pre-, pared for. Every minute of the period should be planned for. so thoroughly that there will be no waste of time and effort. How ineffective so many Sunday sessions are—and in nine cases out of ten from sheer lack of effort to make them better. How easy it is to follow a prescribed routine, giving out a hymn here, followed by a Scripture reading and prayer, and the announcements, and then take the lesson. No thought, no purpose, no plan, no variety! Is it any wonder that the older boys and girls get restive under such conditions, and take the very first opportunity to escape from what has become a weariness to the flesh ? Mr Superintendent, this is one problem that is indeed a very personal one. The preparation of the Sunday programme is your job. You, are the leader of the forces of your school. It is your i responsibility 1 to give a strong lead, i One of the inpst effective ways you can do that is : to give your very best thought and effort to the preparation of the Sunday programme. This is one man’s work. It is a Big enough job for one person to undertake without having any other heavy responsibilities in connection with the service. In ' big Sunday schools it is not uncommon to have departmental leaders or superintendents as well as a general superintendent, in order that tho responsibility connected with organisation shall not prevent justice to the service. It is a “ worship service ” that has to be planned for. In the past it has been customary to look upon the [teaching period as the all-important part of the Sunday session. This is ,by no means accepted, without question to-day. There are those who say that the opening and closing worship periods are just as important in the Christian education of the children as the teaching of the lesson. Indeed, there are some who would say that the worship service comes first in importance. Wo need not worry as to this. It is sufficient if we accept the view that the worship service commonly known as the opening and closing exercises are a very important factor. Wo constantly urge teachers to give ample preparation to their lessons, advising them to start early in the week, and so master their subject matter that they will be as ready as possible by Sunday. If this is necessary for teachers, it is equally so for superintendents. First, there should be a specific purpose running through every programme. it may be, for example, that it is desired to cultivate an attitude of gratitude to God. Then the hymns, prayers, the Scripture, the offering—indeed, every single item of the programme—will be so planned as to contribute to the development of that attitude. It may not he enough merely to glance through the hymn topics and select three or four wellknown hymns. These should be examined carefully to see what verses will be especially helpful. A word,or two of introduction or explanation may be profitable. Perhaps it may be helpful to have a choir sing one of the verses alone. Other devices may be used to draw attention to the thought expressed, if by so doing the worship may he helped. The same careful thought should be given to the prayer and the Scripture lesson. In some schools the lesson for the day is regularly read responsively. This indicates thoughtless routine and formality. The Psalms and the Proverbs lend themselves admirably to responsive reading, but narrative stories are usually spoilt. These would bo very much more effective if well read by a good reader who had given time to prepare them. Then the prayers are all too often offered without any thought of the purpose of the whole worship service. Prayers without purpose become stereotyped and formal, and children do not listen. A brief prayer that emphasises the thought that is running through the whole programme will give it freshness and point, and children will listen and join in the petition. Similarly with every item of the programme. The superintendent will have it there, not because it is merely customary to have it, but because it contributes to the purpose of the whole service of worship. A programme thus planned will be carried through with promptness and decision. There will be no drag. Children will look forward to the worship service as tho best part of the session. It will not be necessary to call the school to order by tho loud ringing of a bell. AVhcu the superintendent takes his place for the opening he will not have long to wait before all is quiet. To boys and girls who are privileged to enjoy regularly this

kind of programme, the worship service becomes or/> of tho most helpful and attractive parts of the whole session. ‘S.S. PROGRESS.’ This little magazine, the latest copy of which has come from the publisher, Mr A. H. Reed, has now commenced its. fourteenth year gf service to Sunday school workers. This issue is devoted, largely to articles on various aspects of worship. As the editor points out, of all the problems that face tho Sunday school teacher, the inculcation'of reverence and a spirit of true worship is perhaps the greatest. The importance of training in worship cannot be over-estimated, and it is with this thought in mind that the editor gives in this magazine the experiences of those who have thought this matter through, and have a contribution to offer to others who are working with the same aim. Other articles of value to all S.S. workers are also included in this issuer

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