FILM IN CHURCH.

Shannon News, 12 August 1924, Page 1

FILM IN CHURCH.

WITNESSED BY LARGE CONGREGATION. The novelty ,of seeing a picture serened in a place of Worship attracted an overflowing congregation to the Bourke street Congregational Church. Melbourne. The regular devotional service lasted a little over half an hour, during which Dr. Roberts’s , beautiful anthem “Seek ye the Lord" was sung by the choir. At the conclusion of the service ■ the picture “Boy of Mine” was shown on a screen erected above the pulpit. • • The Rev. Sydney Herbert Cox, in f course of a, short , address,'emphasised the fact that the members of the congregation were there to worship God by learning to serve men and women and especially children. The spirit of joy, said Mr Cox, should be a more dominant' 1 feature in our Australian religion than it had been. Too many of our churches were dreary both as buildings and as social centres, and too many services were paltry in their narrow view and trivial discussions.

Referring to the . picture “Boy of Mine,” from the story of Booth Tarkington, Mr. Cox described it as a tremendous sermon on the duty and privilege of fathers to mak e pals of cheir sons, and so remain youthful and healthy in their outlok on life and its problems. He remarked that films were shown in - over a thousand churches in the United ' States of ! America, where the feature had become so general that no one commented upon it. There were thousands of people who did not know what to dq with themselves on Sunday evenings, and he wished to attract them to the church.

The picture was received with appreciation. A number of “Dreadnought boys,” who are on their way to Cairns, were present. At the conclusion of the picture the congregation sang the National (Anthem.