OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY

Hokitika Guardian, 5 December 1928, Page 3

OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY

SACRED CLAIMS

SERMON BY ARCH BISHOP AVER ILL.

7IASTI.XGS. Dee. 3

Archbishop Averill, speaking in the Napier Cathedral on Sunday eveii'iig. dealing with the question of Sundae observaneo, said there was a great outcry for reduction of religions obligations. hut tin* .sacred claims of the Lord's Day could not he minimised or impressed too strongly. “Instead of cutting down man’s indebtedness to God, the Church in these days should emphasise the need of sacrifice for the sake of witness and example,” he said. He believed the Church was called to face fundamental questions and inquire whether devotion to Pharisaic scrupulosity in respect of matters of secondary importance had not weakened its witness in the world in respect of tilings that really mattered ; whether (faith had not suffered at the hands of theologians. and whether Cod was not calling us to he exponents of a simpler, less complex, lews overweighted, less narrow exposition of the overlastin'' (-ospel which seems to decrease in favour as it increases in stereotyped credal. dogmatic statements. Alienation from God was shown in what was called secular civilisation. It was useless for .the Church to deplore the evils of society, the weakening of moral law, the drift from institutional leljirjon. These constituted a challenge to the Church to redeem the time because the days are evil, to scrutinise methods, to put its own house in order. To the man in the street the Church was too greatly occupied with trifles and concerned with sectarian differences. Grave dangers spi anpi from narrow ooclosiasticism. There was danger of confusing the Lord’s Day with the Jewish .Sabbath. Peal recreation of body and mind came within the limits of proper Sunday observance. -It was mot the function of the Church to lay down rides regarding minimum religious observance. hut to impress on all and sundry the sacred claims of the Lord’s T>av, which was our own to spend m selfish pleasure, but a day of Christian worship. The world, and oven some Christians wanted religion without cross and sacrifice. If the Church was to lieln the world her message must not pander to the world’s weakness, but call to real sacrifice. Only when the world saw the real meaning of sacrifice in the fives of profess." «c Christians would ft see Christ Himself.