THE MODERN CHURCH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 21, 18 October 1937, Page 4

THE MODERN CHURCH

Christians Net a Society of Defeatists

WAIAPU SYNQU SERMQN

Taking as his text the tenth verseof the sixth chapter of the Epistle of 3t. Paul tbe Apostle to the Ephesiaus: '•Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power- of His might," the Vicar of Waipiro Bay, tbe Kev. A. H. Mprris, in his sermon to the congregation of St. John's Cathetiral Chui'ck ou Sunday morning, called his heareva ' afctontion to. the sense pf pow-er experienced by the early Oht'istians.. This power was no. emptjf fppling fiut* indeed, a person^! exppripncc. Their lives wero swepf by ife jn such a, way as tq rpfo?m. tbeir eharacters. Fear gave way to cpufidenpe. Qpwa?di?e" Ncame courage. How then, we might ask, waa tbis brought about 7 What waa the secrtt of this power and f ropi whence came *ts tremendous effectl Surely ia could • only be tbe perfect realisation -of the preseuce of Christ in tbeir midst. They lived with him as their- centr-e and daily renewed their strengtb witb tbe vivid power of the sacraffl.ents, Christ waa Iiot only a- friend and teacher witb whom they had once been associated, who had been crucified and buried,. but a living Christ* who had risen aud ascended and was alive for evermore. "Can we say that to-day we have that sense of power?" asked Mr Morris. ' 1 Must we not ad.init tbat tbe lives,of the great mass of Christians are devoid of it* as, indeed were not many congregatipns aigo iu a hke m'anuer starved of this coucep.tion of 'Christ? And if tbis il the case, is it not because* unlike tbe early Church, wd do uot. go tq tbe source-^Cbrisf himjelfl We bave reduoed Christiauity to a way of life, aud Christ to tbe level of a teacher only, and the founder of a moral code. We try to live out a system of ethics and say tbat so long as we live, decest livea* go to cburch. SQffletime^ and. give our'usual subscriptions, we are tberefore doing qu? whole Christ- . fflU duty. - MBdt tbis is only a balf truth aud,. l.ike all balf trutbs* is dangerous. Ohristaftity ia more tban a way of lifp. The Christian disciple must be. centred iu God, His life must be sanctified aud consecrated to the source of power. "Tbere is* of course, no denial tblt tbe Lord was a great teachqr^there has, been no greater^hut we liave made the mistake of thinking pf Him primarily as a teacher or the founder pf an othioai - system. But' if wp read the epistles and gospels we will find httle reference to teaohings or teacher, He is Christ tbe Son of God* obedient UhtO death to redeem mankind and then: the

oue who rose supreme. Tbis is. tfef Christ Pt'eaehed by thp eariy Qhurcb* a riaen Christ, aetive in the world* and here. is tbo source of strongth end power. "To-day is not .the failure of the Church the favourite topic of conversation? We publish statistics to show the falling off in this and that church pfiSee. Are we not becoming a society of defeatists? Surely it is an obviouu phychologieal truth that, if we talk failure long enough, we will believe iu it, Tbe. early Christians did not talk failure* beeauae* being members of thq bysticai body pf Christ, they believed, "J wouder* if perchance, we give up talking fo? a year and used tlie time to preaeb Christ as the source of power* what tbe. eff-eet would be? "Tbere is to-day a deop distrust af life, For tbe many the solution is to try and achieve a sort of perpetual fflptipn-^-another drink* a good time, sport— -but these are only means of eseape, Men are running away from the perplexities of life. Becausc men do not know what ia solid and what is true very often gives allegiance in certain parts of the world to dictator; in others to the worship of tbe god of money or the cultivation of sport or amusement, to the exclusion of all else, "The world 's need is the Churcb's opportunity, and ihe tusk of the UhuTcb is to cOminend to the world Jesus* as tbo strong eternal Sou of God, wbom to know is everiasting life. Tbere is no need for more inackinery-— moro' coin* mitteo?. Can we not rely on tbe Spirit 's power working in and tbrougb tbe Church to bring the story of the fcternal Sou of God a living, loving person? As tbe Bisbop of Litehfield says, 'we must make rqom for Him by throwiug pqt wortbless tbings.' It will take timo* and trouble* for only tbe best tbinga are obtaiued by tbis way? But we must find tbe powor in our own lives, if wa appeal to Hira he is always utteriy wiljing to come bringiug witb Hira love and truth and joy and it il our tusk to let Him in."