Church Work and Life

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 805, 28 October 1929, Page 14

Church Work and Life

Messages from the Pulpits

WORD WITH WORKERS SERMON ON PRESENT INDUSTRY EFFECT OF CHRISTIANITY A combined service was held by the Methodist and Congregational Churches in the Delta Theatre, New Lynn, last evening, in celebration of Labour Sunday. The service was conducted conjointly by tbe Revs. C. B. Jordan and A. V. Whiting. The singing was led by the Congregational choir, under the baton of Mr. T. Mortimer. Preaching on the subject, “Cutting Costs in Brick-making," Mr. Jordan took as his text Exodus v., 7: “Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore..” NOT POLITICAL The preacher explained that there was nothing political or partisan about the service. Christ remained ever the Redeemer of all men of whatever class or race, and His church would always remain catholic in the sense of universal. “Our present purpose,” said Mr.' Jordan, “is simply to shed the light of Christianity on industrial problems, just as we do on most other problems.” In making bricks in ancient Egypt they could not curtail the expensed of production by cutting down wages, seeing no wages were paid; it was done, therefore, by forcing more work out of the slave workers. The preacher proceeded to describe the miserable condition of these Israelites in Egypt. Mow to crown all their other troubles, they had to provide for themselves some of the materials on which their labour was to be exercised. The brunt of various industrial changes usually fell on labour, said the speaker. The chief industrial trouble of the present time was unemployment. This was due to various causes, but these all resolved themselves into one general cause—the demand for labour did not keep pace with the supply. Not only unemployment, but all adverse conditions of labour, whatever they may be —underpay, excessive hours of work, wretched conditions in general —were due to the same cause. If two employers sought one wageearner, the wage-earner had the advantage; but if, as more usually happened, two wage-earners sought one employer, the latter, of course, had the advantage. Employers had their troubles, too. There was anxiety about meeting their financial obligations, and anxiety about the remunerative sale of their product. Sometimes, too, they had the dishonesty and carelessness of a section of their employees to deal with. There were always workers who- slurred over their work or did it in any sort of slovenly, slip-shod fashion, simply because they were doing it for a “boss,” and not for themselves.

“My condemnation of the present industrial system,” said the preacher, “does not mean that I am a Socialist any more than a man who does not drink tea must therefore necessarily drink wine. John Ruskin condemned the economic system of his day, yet no reader of Ruskin would maintain that he was a Socialist. All sorts of suggestions have been made whereby changes in the industrial system may be brought about—industrial cooperation, profit-sharing, labour copartnership, etc., and each proposal is a highly interesting, even fascinating, study. But I want to say that, although the present system is wrong in principle, it can nevertheless be made to serve mankind, provided that both capital and labour are willing to serve each other and mankind generally without levying unreasonable tribute for so doing.”

HAPPINESS FOR ALL The system could work tolerably well and could result in happiness for all parties if the world were only Christian. But there was the rub—the world was not Christian. Even slavery, bad as it was, worked all right in cases where masters and slaves treated each other, not as masters and slaves,- but as Christian brethren. Why did the Apostle Paul send Onesimus, a runaway slave, back to Philemon, his master? It was because he knew that Philemon, being a true Christian, would treat Onesimus better than if he were a free man. “Don’t let us say that we cannot live a good Christian life because we live under a defective system,” said Mr. Jordan. “Let us make the best of the system we have. We shall get it changed in time. Just as the Christian spirit abolished slavery and its successor, fuedalism, so “before many generations have passed, this same Christian spirit will have brought about a better system to replace the present. What is wrong in principle cannot remain a permanency.” The paramount need of human nature was not a changed system, but a changed heart. The fault of the system was that one factor or the other, labour or capital, had the advantage over the other, and the factor possessing the advantage was usually mean enough to make selfish use of that advantage in oppressing or burdening the other. But Christianity changed all that. The changed heart, or the Christian spirit, meant unselfishness, sympathy and self-sacrifice on the part of employers and thoroughness, honesty and sympathy oh the part of wage-earners. Capital and labour were partners, and should treat each other as such. The Christian principle of botherhood. with the Divine Fatherhood behind it, was the only sensible basis on which the everyday world of work could he run. God’s Fatherhood was supremely manifested in redemption. The proof of God’s Fatherhood was the gift of His Son to enable man to fulfil his Godappointed destiny—a transformation into the Divine likeness by the renewing of the inner life.

“SOW WILD OATS” FALSE AND CRUEL TEACHING SAYS MINISTER ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE That the most pernicious teaching ever spoken in the ears of young people, as well as the most false and cruel was that concerning the necessity of youth to sow wild oats, was the statement of the Rev. W. Walker at the Pitt Street Methodist Church yesterday. He was addressing a congregation largely composed of young persons. The occasion was the 28th anniversary of the Wesley Young Men’s Institute. Mr. Walker, who conducted both services, preached in the morning on “Realising Our Assets” and in the evening on "Standing Four Square to Life.” The text for the latter was from Ezekiel ii., 1, “Son of man, stand upon thy feet and I will speak with thee.” The vision of God constituted the call of Ezekiel to his prophetic minister, said the preacher. In applying the message to present day life he said that youth was essentially idealistic. The world was kept young because youth dreamt dreams and saw visions. Moreover, youth was prepared to struggle in an earnest endeavour to translate its visions into realities. The supreme purpose of life was the building up of character and this is achieved by having the courage to stand up to difficulties and temptations. George Meredith said: “The wild oat plea is a torpedo which seems to have struck the world and rendered it morally insensible.” It was written, deep in life as well as in the Bible that “Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” “The world today is much in need of young men and women who have the courage of their convictions,” said the preacher, “and who will dare to stand four-square against all the winds that blow.” The singing was led by the members of the W.Y.M.I. Mr. G. C. Riddell read the lesson, and Mr. Harold chapman also assisted in the service.

REUNION OF W.Y.M.I. RECORD OF STEADY PROGRESS Nearly a hundred members were present at the annual reunion of the W.Y.M.I. in Wesley Hall, Pitt Street, on Saturday evening. The Rev. W. Walker presided, and a most enjoyable evening was spent. In proposing the toast of W.Y.M.1., Mr. A. D. Whitehead paid a tribute to the late Mr. S. J. Ambury and his work for the institute. The speaker said he had often asked himself the reason for the continued success of the W.Y.M.1., and could only attribute it to the spirit animating the members and the wisdom of those who laid the foundations. The general secretary, Mr. G. C. Riddell, in reply, gave a brief resume of the Institute’s activities. He said that the willingness of younge’r members to assume responsibilities augured well for the future. Replying to the toast of "Absent Members,” proposed by Mr. A. Hodkinson, Mr. R. Clarke said that this toast was even older than the W.Y.M.1., having been proposed at the banquet to the prodigal son. Some W.Y.M.I. members might be prodigals, but most of them were Josephs, holding important positions in various parts of the Dominion. In the course of the evening a photograph of the late Mr. S. J. Ambury was unveiled by the Rev. Dr. Laws, who paid an eloquent tribute to the late vice-president as a man of deep and practical religious convictions, with a high sense of duty, and one to whom many owed their first start in life. Musical items were given by Messrs. W. Leather, F. Watts and W. Eastoe. The George Eyre Memorial trophy for the best ail-round cricketer and sportsman during the 1928-29 season was presented to K. Scott. W. Eastoe was awarded the boys' brigade championship belt, with E. Read runnerup; the latter was awarded the group championship trophy. The evening closed with the singing of the Doxology. CHRISTIAN CONVENTION POWER OF THE GOSPEL Speaking at the half-yearly Auckland Christian Convention, which began in the Scots Hall on Saturday, Mr. Robert Auld said he had witnessed the power of the Gospel to bring salvation to those who believed it. He was making a report on home mission work. The speaker had had demonstrations of this power in many of the out-back districts of the Dominion. Mr. A. MeD. Redwood, of Bangalore, who was born in India, spoke on the present opportunities for missionary enterprise in that land. The great difficulties facing mission w T ork today, he said, were the increased movement j of intelleetualism, nationalism, Bolshevism and commercialism. An ap- j peal was made for a definite interest | in missionary enterprise. Yesterday afternoon Mr. C. J. Rolls j spoke on “The Wealth, Work and Warfare of the Church.” In the evening I Mr. R. A. Laidlaw conducted an evan- j gelistic mission, his subject being i “From Cowardice to Courage.” The convention will conclude this evening. j NORTHCOTE METHODISTS SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY The anniversary services of St. j Paul’s Methodist Church Sunday School were held yesterday, before a large congregation. At the morning service the Rev. C. G. Scrimgeour, of the Methodist Central Mission, occupied the pulpit; at ! the afternoon service the Rev. F. A. j Thompson, Northcote Presbyterian Church, and at the evening service j the Rev. J. H. Allen, circuit and church minister. A feature of the services were the ; children’s choir of 150 voices, also in- ! dividual solos and duets by its members. Mr. A. F. Sharpe was the con- ! ductor.

TEPID CHRISTIANS ARCHBISHOP REGARDS THEM AS HOPELESS SERMON AT CHURCH OPENING Tepid Christianity had been the curse of the Church in all the ages.” said Arcbishop Averill during an address at the dedicatory service of St. Chad's Church Hall. Remuera, yesterday afternoon. ‘‘lf our Christianity was fired with enthusiasm and reality we should have no wars, no industrial strife and no Christless education,” declared the Archbishop. His address was constructed on Revelation iii., 15. ‘‘l kndV thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would that thou went cold or hot.” If people were cold there was a chance of conversion; if hot they were all right, the Archbishop said; but if tepid they were hopeless. “Religion is not an extra,” he said. “It is a necessity. It is that •which makes us men and women in God’s sight. It is a necessity for the true welfare of yourselves and your children.” St. Chad’s was the ninth dedicatory ceremony of its kind he had to perform since he made an appeal some years ago for a fund with which to extend religious facilities in the rapidlygrowing suburbs. Archbishop Averill said. He congratulated the vicar of St. Aidan's, the church officers and the people of the parish upon their accomplishment of something of real help in the spiritual life of the district, which, he said, was not going to remain as at present but would before long be covered with houses. He commended the enthusiasm which had done away in this district with some of the tepid Christianity. The hall was crowded for the service. It is substantially built and of attractive appearance. The cost was over £2,000, apart from commitments in connection with the provision of sufficient land to allow of future extensions. The hall will serve Doth social and religious needs, provision being made for the complete shuttingoff of the consecrated sanctuary upon social occasions.

PROBATION AFTER DEATH CHRISTIAN SCIENCE VIEW “Probation after Death” was the subject of the lesson-sermon in First Church of Christ, Scientist, Auckland, yesterday. The golden text was from Matthew 24. 13, "He that stall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.” Among the citations were the following from the Bible: “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is writtsn, death is swallowed up in victory.” The lesson-sermon also included the following passage, from the Christian Science textbook, “The suppositions that sin is pardoned while unforsaken, that happiness can be genuine in the midst of sin, that the so-called death of the body frees from sin, and that God’s pardon is aught but the destruction of sin—these are grave mistakes. We know that all will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trump shall sound; but this last call of wisdom cannot come till mortals have already yielded to each lesser call in the growth of Christian character.” NEWTON CONGREGATIONALISTS SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY The Newton Congregational Church Sunday School held the 65th anniversary celebration yesterday. The services were conducted in the morning, afternoon and evening by Pastor Whiting, the Rev. R. C. Roberts a'nd' the Rev. G. Heighway respectively. The services were all well attended. A feature was the singing led by Mr. John Bouskill. At each service the preachers congratulated teachers and scholars on the results of their work. The evening service was followed by a reunion of old scholars.