“SPORTSMEN’S SERVICES.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 40040, 17 December 1929, Page 3

“SPORTSMEN’S SERVICES.”

CANON JAIMES’ INNOVATION

The first of the special services, which ha ye been named the “Sportsmen’s Services,” which Canon Percivail James has inaugurated at St, Paul’s Pro.-Cathedra], was held in Wellington on Sunday morning at 9.30 o’clock (says the Dominion). As a matter of fact the “half-hour service,” as the Canon has described it, lasted 35 minutes, but he explained that he would usually exceed the time limit which lie bad set.

The congregation began to assemble at 9.15, and at 9.30 there must have been nearly 150 in the church, and others came in a little later. There were a few, though not a large number, of men in tennis flannels and holiday attire. It was worthy of note that a large proportion of the congregation consisted of young people, and the proportion of males was larger than is found in the usual church congregation. Some few accepted the Canon’s invitation to bring tennis rackets, and there was at, least one set of golf clubs at the entrance to the 'church.

The service took the form of shortened morning prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, though the Ganon explained that the form of service would vary. “This is your own service,” he said. “I ask you (to make suggestions for my guidance, about the form of service, subjects for the sermons, and especially the best time to hold the service.. And please remember that the congregation is the choir.”

There was a willing response to this last appeal, for the singing of the four hymns was excellent, being well .supported by Mr. Clarence Turner, who is to ,be the organist for these special services. The subject of the ten-minutes sermon was “Adventure.” “Take the spirit of adventure out of life and what is life?” asked the preacher. “It becomes the dull, monotonous round of day- after day, week after week. • The epitaph of such a. life has been written, “Born a man, he died a grocer.’ The greatest adventure of all is religion. It has been said that religion is not one explanation of life; it is life itself. iF'aith is not belief in spite of evidence. It is trust in scom of consequence—invincible trust in God and goodness. It is the determination to stand or fall by the noblest 'hypothesis; to follow Christ, the greatest of Heroes.” The preacher*'summed up his sermon in the words of the “Student in Arms:” “Religion means betting your life that there is a God:” “My faith has . been justified,” said Canon James to a “Dominion” reporter after the service. “We have made a good beginning. The description as .sportsmen’s service is not mine. I believe that this special service will meet a real need. I do not care much about numbers; but, if the service 'is worth while the numbers will increase. I was much' impressed by the reverence and the earnestness of the congregation, and the willingness and heartiness with which they took their part in the service. Our revered organist and choirmaster, Mr. Robert Parker, approaching .the church at the close, of the service, heard the .strains of the last hymn. He expressed to me his pleasure in bearing such good congregational singing, “Those who have thought it right to describe this service as an ‘insult to God’ may reflect that the value of people’s devotions does not depend entirely on the tune spent upon them, but rather in the reality and intensity of those devotions,” concluded Mr. James. “Whether it. is to become large or small, the congregation is likely to be interesting and inspiring. As for the sermon, well, you can say much in ten minutes after careful preparation, condensing, and pruning. I have no douht that this service is worth while.”