RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Evening Star, Issue 22460, 3 October 1936, Page 4

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

[By Forward.] “ Religious instruction, to bo vital, must be rooted in fellowship and related to the every day experience of the pupil. Although special _ classroom periods are essential in religious instruction, yet such period: or instruction will be of little value unless religion colours the whole curriculum and not only the whole curriculum but the whole life and activity of the school.” THE VALUE OF PRAYERWhy should the Christian warrior pray f He must pray as a suppliant for the robust-health of his own spirit. Yes, but why should be pray for the maintenance of his own spiritual health? What is the vital relationship between the praying soul and the attainment of moral and spiritual robustness? How is prayer related to a man’s moral force? This is the relationship. A praying warrior receives into his soul the grace energies of the eternal God. The power of grace is iust the holy love and the strength and beauty of the holy Godhead flowing into the needs of the soul and filling them with its own completeness. Now we do not pray in order to make God willing to impart this grace, but in order to fit ourselves to receive it. We do not pray to ingratiate God’s good will, hut to open our souls in hospitality, We do not pray in order to create a friendly air, out to let it in. Wo do not pray to turn a reluctant God towards ourselves, but to turn our reluctant selves toward a ready and bountiful God.

It is imperative that we should lay hold of this teaching very firmly. It is of the utmost moment that we should know what w© are doing wlien we pray for the bracing and sanctifying energies of the Holy Spirit. Prayer then, I saj', is first and chiefly the establishment of communion with God. Prayer is the clearing of the blocked roads, which are crowded with all sorts of worldly hindrances. Prayer is the preparing of the way of the Lord. When I turn to the Lord in prayer 1 open the doors and windows of my soul toward the heayenlies, and I open them for the reception of any gifts of grace which God’s holy love may wish me to receive. My reverent thought in prayer perfects communion between my soul and God.—Dr J. H. Jowett. PRINCIPLES IN SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHING. The average Sunday school teacher is handicapped in that he has not had the training in pedagogy or methods of teaching that the average day school teacher has had. Neither does the average Sunday school teacher have the time to pursue extensive homo reading in methods of teaching even when text books on this subject are available. And yet sound methods of teaching are an essential requirement for Sunday school work. The child learns in Sunday school in exactly the same way as he learns in day school; he is the same Child; his interests are identical, his problems are the same. It is not a different Willie or Jimmy who dons his best suit to go to Sunday school on Sunday afternoon from that Willie or Jimmy who gets up on Monday morning to go to school. The sacred atmosphere of the Sunday school room means little to him; the other boys in the class are the same fellows who aro in his class at school, but alas! the teacher is different. In the olden days anyone who w'as religious was suitable to teach a Sunday school class, for it was held that religion was to be caught and not taught; but we have advanced from that old viewpoint and fully recognise to-day that piety alone is not an adequate equipment with which to attempt to teach a class of growing boys or girls. Other equipment is necessary, and of this other equipment three things are necessary;—(l) To know tho lesson material; (2) to know sound methods of teaching; (3) to know the interests of the class. The average teacher has some general idea, at least, of the lesson; few teachers are brave enough to-day to tackle the task of teaching without some preparation. _ The average teacher knows something about the class, for he has generally a little brother or sister, or a son or daughter, with the same interests as tho children in the class. The other equipment necessary is a knowledge *of methods of teaching. These are compies, yet if a start is made witha few elemental principles it is surprising how easily the others follow. Certain of these elemental principles can be suggested in a few words:— 1. The aim of the Sunday school teaching must be clearly defined, and defined in terms of activity on the part of the child. The teacher is not to bo regarded as one who crams knowledge into empty heads, but rather as one who assists tho class working together to decide upon certain attitudes and certain modes of action as being desirable. The teacher is not there primarily to teach the Bible, but to teach the children, and the Bible is to be regarded as a means to this end. In short, the aim of Sunday school teaching must be to help the child to develop Christian character by -assisting him to make Christian decisions and to engage in Christian activities. 3. The teacher must start with the present interests of the child, and from these present interests ’ select the most related to the central theme .of the lesson. The child has interests; he would be a dead child if he had not. Proceeding from the present interest the step to the central theme of tho lesson can easily bo taken without a Joss of interest. If the class loses interest in the step it follows that the transition was not skilfully made, provided, of course, the interest was at the beginning a real one. Commanding, scolding, and beseeching will arouse an artificial interest for the time being, but it will not last. Interest is always natural, never forced. 3. The usual methods ot teaching are: Story-telling, in which the child identifies himself with the ideal character of the story; questioning, which stimulates thinking; discussion, which brings the collective mind of the class to boar on the problem ; and handwork, which gives more objectivencss to the thinking. These methods can safely be used with limitations

Moralising at the end of a lesson should be avoided; it is not necessary if the child’s interest had been maintained throughout the lesson; it is useless if the interest has not been maintained, for no formulation of conduct will produce that conduct apart from right motives. Standards wnereby any teacher can test the work of the class can b» summed up as follow: Has every member in my class been attentive? To what have they been attentive? To millinery or football or to the lesson? Have they become interested in a higher interest than that

in which the lesson period was begun?, TTng each member of the class showed initiative in the discussions" and decisions of the class? Has there been a calm group discussion in which the contributors of each were merged into a common thought ? Have the different viewpoints of each individual been duly evaluated? Have they really been earnest in seeking for fresh light upon the subject? Have they recognised the eternal principles and the illuminating presence of God in their decisions, so that they can realise tint decision is in accordance with God’s «, ought ?

If any teacher in earnest about the progress of his or her class will endeavour to apply these principles to his class, faithfully and heroically resolving that nothing shall hinder tha application, certainly for that teacher will come an illuminating revelation of the heart of a child and a wonderful insight into the possibilities of Sunday school teaching which will translate what too often is a burden into a special privilege. —Rev. Harvey Forster* D.D.