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PAGE TWO THE CANADIAN STATESMAN. BOWMANVTLT~ (ThITA l~Tfl THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2lST. lOin Ministers Contribute E-ditorial ln This Issue Tliis editorial page is designed to pr mote tlie work of flic Churcli in our r, sPective communities. If would flicrefo: seem fitfing that as a first duty we shon? express f0 flic editor our lieartiest appre( iation of lis most generous gesture in bot sponsoring this "Go-To-Cburcb-Day," an, alloting s0 much space to 80 wortliy a caus( This is not flic first time fliat the edito bas revealcd, tlirougli fli columns of Th, Statesman, bis deep interest in flic life an( work of flic Churcli. Periodically ther 'have been set before flic reading publi( articles dealing wi h flic place of th( Ohurcli in flic life of flic comniunity and we recaîl particularly a series of fiincly and telling word pictures sefting forth bofli tli duty and the privilege of the people tc make flic Churcli fheir spiritual home and a reai factor in their individuai and cor. porate hf e. If is in a sense a boid venture for an edifor to do a thing like this but if is alst an evidence of his faifli and belief f lat the heart of liumanity is soùund and fliat ii stili holds a large place for the things thal are deepcst and most cnduring. May his exaxnplc be an encouragement to flic laity in generai f0 devof e more of their fime. thouglit and zeal to flic Churcli and flic place fliat if fis lu our community life. -Bowmanvillc Minisf criai Association The Church And Y our Community Any com.munity is a good comnmunity if if is a good place in which f0 live, build a home, and rear chldren. But a good place in which f0 live needs more flian beautiful public buildings, broad paved streets, bulging banks, busy facfories and fertile fields. Life and property must lie safe, s0 that one can walk flic sfreefs witliout fear for himsclf or for lis loved ones. ,Justice must be imparfial and sure for al classes. Tlie moral life of flic communify must be on sucli a bigli level thaf youfli is f empt- cd fo goodness and noblity. Opporf unifies for lcarning, and growth of dharacter, must lie available to ail. Culfural advantages must lic within flic reacli of flic lumblest. The people of flic communify must live togef ler in flic spirit of goodwiil and mu- tuailihelpfulncss. For alliese things flie churclies in your community are iaboring. Tliey have a riglit f0 expeet you to join wif h thcm. The Vacant Pew The great majority of fliose wlio scldom, if ever, attend Ohurcli, fogeflier with a con- siderable number of owasional affenders, might lic grouped un.dcr Sf. Paul 's class- ification: "Loyers of picasures more than loyers of God." He eounsels young Tim- otliy: "From. sudh turn away." Perhaps one of flic largesf contributors f0 the vacant pew, more parficularly, but not altogeflier, in tfli summer monflis, is flic ubiquifious Stlnday visitor. Sunday niorning lie loads bis family info flic car and they roar along flic higliways seeking wlie iehey may devour. iPrescnfly thcy tura in af flie home of acquaintances to find fIat family ready f0 deparf. "Oh, are you going away?" "Ycs, wc were juat go- ing f0 Churicl. Won 'f you come along and we can have a nice visif afferwards " Well, wc 'd love f o, hut really, wc are flot dresscd for Cliurch. We put on any old thing, ex- peefing just to loaf about. But you folks go and wc '11 stick around 'f iii you come back, for wc do wanf a littie visif with you and chat about former days and mufual friends. " Resuit - a family pcw unoccup- ied thaf day. Lafer, flic housewife dons an apron and -disappears info flic kifehen. "Now, mind ýyou," eall out the thouglifful guests, "don't go to any trouble for us. We just want f0 * take pof-luck wif h you." Well, wc know how that usualiy works ouf. Thc bouse- Wifetakes flic pot and the guesis ftle lujck. lis o- e- ire id ic- d ýe. r ce d ie d e 0 d t îk 0niabtan fgakemam Established 1854 AN INDEPEN1E NEWSPAPER With which are Incorporated Thse Bowvmanville News, The Newcastle Independent, and The Orono News. 85 years' continuons service t. thse Town of flowmanville and Dlurham County. MEMBER Canadian-Weekly Newspapers Association and Clans A Weeklies of Canada. SUBSCRIPTON RATES $2.00 a Year, strictly lni advance. $2.50 a Year ln tthe United States. GEO. W. JAMES, Editor. The Rural Church Is the rural churcli doomcd to extinction? There are good reasons for asking the ques- tion and lie who lightly answers it in flie * negative is flot basing lis reply on a care- fui study of the various factors invoivcd. When these are considered the probability of the country churcli continuing to fune- * ion, seema s mewhat doubtfui to say tlie least. Tliree of these factors force us to face the query. The first of tliem may be described as the graduai but unceasing depopulation of the farming communities of Canada. The drift is to tlie cities and towns, especiaily on the part of the young people. As a resuit farms lie witliouf tenants, and rural schools and cliurches are only lialf-filled. A concrete illustration of tliis can be found in a certain township in East Durhamn. Forty years ago in a section of tliis townsliip tlierc were ten churclies witlitliriving congregations. To, day tliere are, four, sfruggling for tlieir existence. And to sliow fliat this state of affairs is not caused by spiritual apatliy only, perliaps it will suffice to say that scliool buildings and lodgc halls, buiit years ago to seat fifty or sixty people, today have less flian haîf these numbers in attendance. It is true tliat tlie drift to urban centres has greatly diminislied in recent years but there is stili a persistent tread cify-ward. If la flot too much to say tliat some country dis- tricts are almost bereft of young people. How can there be churches for very long in such parts?1 Tlie second disturbing factor in tlie situ- ation lies in the general impoverislimcnt of the rural dwellers. Farm produce has brought so littie in cash returns in recent years tliat the standard of living on ie average farm lias deteriorated. There is less money for every thing and tlie farm mortgage is becoming a too common in- stitution. If this condition is not altcred for tlie better soon, Canada will liave what is vîrtually a peasant class on the land. Here again the cliurcli life is advcrsely af- fected:, for if tlie farm income drops if be- cornes increasingly difficuit for congrega- tions to meet tlieir financial obligations. More tlian one rural churcli in Canada lias been forced by economie stringency to close its doors. Tlie tliird element in tliis witch 's brew consists of good roads, good cars and urban cliurches. There is a growing feeling on tlie part of rural cliurcli officiais that tlic only solution of the wholc problcm is to close tlie country cliurclies and' drive to town on Sunday. Sucli an attitude tends to discourage rural people from -making overly strenuous efforts to keep tlieir cliurcli doors open. Now any reader of the above can see tliat it is a simple matter to outline tlie pr «oblem. But it is quite a different thing f0 arrive at a solution, and tlie farm folk who believe tliat t.leir cliurclies should be kept func- tioning, liave a perplexing issue to'confront. But tliere is one certainty; if -there are any who can arrive at a solution of tliis knotty question, if is tliey who are on our farms. Tlie very fact tliat tliey liave survived tlie last ten years of testing conditions is pro- phetic. To sucli people the meaning of sur- render is unknown, and tlie writer, for one, feels confident tliat the rural cliurcli will continue to bc a power in tlie land. Lct it bie said as positivcly as possible, that tliere is no other institution in town or country f bat can adequately take its place. It is a community centre. If attracfs to its varions services those who would publicly where, f0 safeguard flic heailih of their women folk against flic inroads of fthe ubi- quitious Sunday guesf. Hospifality is a gracious f hing, but if involves two parties, the Iost and fIe guest, and ecdi as obliga- tions wif h regard to flic proprieties. Anoflier large confributor, orý is lie, f0 the vacant pew, is flie radio worshipper. The man who doesn 't need f0 go f0 liurcli for lie cati worship God in lis home, sitfing lu a comfortable chair before the radio, in ail probabilify wif h lis coat off, lis slippers on, and bis pipe going and listens to sudh "splendid sermons." If does not occur f0 him fliaf no part of flic fwo dollars and a hlaf lie pays for a radio license goes f0 flic maintenance of the Churdli, whose minister, support cd by people wlio do go to, Church,, preaclies sucli "splendid sermons." Wor- slip is somcthing we offer Oxod. David las a word that migîf reacl this man, "I wil not offer unto flic Lord, my God, of fliat whidli las cost me nothing." Furtliermore, flic sermon, lowever good, is not flic wlolc of worship. There is flic assembling of ourselves fogether in a place dedicatcd f0 flic worslip of God. An as- sembling, so important at ail times, but so urgent just now. Doubtlcss our hearf s are froubled fhesc days. We may find if dif- ficuit fo ward off doulifs and fearband des- poadency. The forces of evil may bave their victories and flic forces of good their adversities, and we may wonder about God. The Psalmist, ouf of a like experience, lias a word for if, "My feef liad wiil nigli slipped." He was troublcd about flic pros- perify of flic wicked and flic tribulation of flhc rigliteous. "If was foo painful for me, until I went into flic sancfuary of God; f len understood I their end." Thc froubled soul found tranquility fliere wifh God 's worshipping. people'; in fIat at- niosphere of humble spirits and contrite hearts; f lat afmosplere of simple faifli and trust in a living and a ioving God, thc an- xious soul drinks in assurance. Assurance fIat God is ou His flirone and that "He will slcw Himself strong in behaîf of f hem whose lieart la perfect toward hlm." Blessed sancfuary: Wliaf anxious liearf lave pondcred liere The mystery of life, And praycd thc Eternal Liglit to cîcar Tîcir doulits, and aid their strife. The Church Needs You And You Need The Church Human nature is a strange complex and in nothing is this more marked tlian in its attitude to the Churcli and religion. We try to get along witli as small an expendi- turc of tinie, thouglit, money and service as we can. We will selieme and plan to go to an exciting bail game or a hockey match, but a churcli service - weil tliat 's a differ- cnt matter altogetlier. On ordinary days we take littie account of tlie weatbcr. Certainly we neyer dreain of allowing if to interfere with our plans. But the weatlier sems to have an altogether different effeet on us on Sundays. Some- liow quite suddcnly we become delicate and sensitive and if tlie elenients be unfriendiy we dling dcspcratcly to our firesides. We will do everytliing within our power and means for the clubs and societies to which wc belong but we draw flic une at the Churcli. If asked to'help in any par- tkeular underfaking in which the Churcli engages we become so busy that we liave no spare time. In short we think any old tliing is good enougli for religion and re- serve our beat effort for other pursuits. If is flot witli deliberafe intention that we adopf this attitude. If lias just grown upoîs us, grown into a habit and an ex- ceedingly bad one. It leads to flic weaken- ing of flic rcligious forces wlien thcy need f0 be strcngtlicned and at their very bcst. Now people wlio believe in a thing in- fenseiy are willing to make any sacrifices and put tliemselves to ail kinds of incon- veniences if they can serve tlie thing tlicy believe in and love. A father and a mother do rnot eall it sacrifice wlien they are doing tliings for tlie sake of tlieir children. Love inakes the liardest and sfonicst roads easy to tread. Tliat is truc of ahl life. The young man wbo lias been asked f0 play on flic tcam is proud to do so. He goes inf o train- ing and 18 willing to f ake liard knocks without tlinching. 'If a man be really keen on his business lie does not worry about long liours. The time ciement is forgotten because lic is infent on making a success And now la closing, this: let us alliec app ery careful as te how we awaken a dhurcI Aax [ceper. A certain wife gave lier sleeping shili ipouse sudh a nudge eue Sunday, fI-at lie croi iwoke wifli a starf and quite forgefting no', 'lere lie was, said in an injurcd feue of cur 7ice, "Ocet np and liglit if yeurseif 1" If pres ie rcally did say sudh a thing, if would no pro, loult bring flic liuse dowu and shuf fi l readlier up. Dt E 1 t L fc d( di fa av vo li, TUE VXLLAGE CURO: sfood beside the village cht And heard the church belsj crpt up close beside flicÉ join in worship if fbey wcrc forccd fo at- tend urban churches flirougli flic losing of fleir own. As long as fliere are rural bornes, flicre must lbe rural ehurdlies, and flic mcn and womcn who by flicir sacrificial giving arc carrying flic burden of churcli main- tenance, should receive flic wlolchearfcd support of evcry citizen in flic district. The men and womcn who pioneered f lis coun-, try, buili our churclies by f leir united ef- fort. And if flic spirit of fIe pioncer stili survives, their descendants wiil unite to kcep those churches fuiictioning. Taklng Stock The distraction and anxicfy of flic world challenge us. We wbo believe in Christ must niake Hlm manifeat as flic truc supp]y of ail real needs. Surcly flic present time requires: 1. The Opcning of thie Eyes. The blind- ness of Christian men and women is one of flic most alarming things of oup day. Wc declare our belief jn, Christianify, ycf wc do nof sec flic implications of fliaf be- lief. We profess our love for God, yct we order our lives as if H e wcrc pf no account. We declare our love for our feliow man, yef wc fail f0 seek flic fuileat developinent in the liarmony of thc human famiiy. Mudli of flic trouble lunflic world today seeme to spring from jman's defermination fo set hiniscîf instead of God in flic centre. 2. The Opening of flic Ears. Many arc flic anbassadors of Christtflic King, who arc proelaiming flic Gospel of Peace. There is great nced fliat flic nation open ifs cars and lced flic message. The temples of God are open, flic belîs arc rlnging and thliceau goes ouf fo come and worship. 3. TIc Opcning of flic Lips. Thc Psaim- 1sf of old said, "O0 Lord, open Thou our lips," and we respond, "And our moufli shall show forth Tliy praise." But does if? Or does our moufli simply roll forth phrases wif h no thougît of flicir meauing? Most liristians have fIe pions habit of "saylng prayers " but do, we rcally know liow f0 pray ? Let us take stock. 4. The Opcning of flic Mmd. The Churcli bids us consider flie Hoiy Seriptures "fliat we may in sucl i wsc hear tliem, rcad, mark, learn and inwardly digest tlicm, that we may e'mbracc and ever bold fast, flic bless- cd lope of evcrlastin.g life." Cles terton (Readers Digest) rcminds us that "nicrely liaving an open mmnd 18 nothing. Thc objeef of opening the mind, as of opcning thc monfli la o shut if again on something solid." Clrisfiauity is nof primarily a mat- fer of flic mmnd, but of flic leart and soul; if is a religion, not a philosopliy. Let us open fle icmd f0 Devine truflis. 5. The Opening of the Hcart. The Churcli says "Lift up your licarf s" and we gladly rcply "Wc lift fhem up unto the Lord." If is one of flic oldcsf and niosf universal Christian responses, and one of tIc .most beautiful. Popularly we regard flic heart as tIc seat of flic emotions, and espec*ially of love. This wc do quite liter- ally; referring, for instance, to flic man or woinan who docs nof manifest love and mercy in lis life as "lard hearted." Wc hope fIat mankind will neyer discard this popular concept of flic funef ion of flic hcart. Wlaf special acts of love - love of God, love of our feiiow men - arc we faking *stock of? If flic present time in hisfory is properly uscd if sliould bring us to a new measure of our Manliood - a f ime wlien, like flic blesscd Jesus in Mus boylieod at Nazaretli, we are conscions of a genuine increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor wifh God iurdli, ring, door, of lis job. Suppose fliat was mcn's attitude toward religion - whaf a fremendous dif- ference if weuld make!1 If would briné a ncw kind of zest and happiness into flic life of fIe Church. The Church la Not Thc Churdli is nof made up of people wlio f link fhcy are beffer flan flic resf, but of people who know fliey ouglit f0 ic beffer flan they are, and beiong to thc Clurcli because if is trying fo heip f hem fo lbc better. The Churcl isl not made up of people wlo fhink fhcy are perfect, but of people whe are sure thaftbchy lave fouud flie perfect ideai in Jesus of Nazarethi. Thc Ohurcl is1 nof made up of people who think fliey neyer make auy mlstakes, but of people who have recognizcd their wroug-doiug and have joined fthc Churdl in flic belief that it wiil lielp tim avoid wrong-doiug. The Churdli is nof frying fo feul people what fhey must believe, but if is frying to fel tlhfem what thcy eau believe, and wliaf a difference if will make lunflicir life if tbcy do believe these things. The Churcli is not frying to fake flic joy ouf of life, but if is f ryin-g f0 put a joy info every man 's life thaf will last through ail of finie. Sleeping In Church Tîcre is an, old sto'ry about a certain minister wlio lost lis femper because oe of lis parisîioners, who occupieci a-front pew, used fo set fie down for a few wiuks as soon as flic sermon began. Especially a- rouscd by this sacreliglous spectacle on a certain Sabbafb moruing, flic good man se.zcd flic pulpit Bible and thrcw if witli unerring accuracy at flic slecpcr's liead, accompanying lis action wifh flic thunder- ous utterance, "Brother, if you won 't hear flic Word of God, you shahl fecliti!" 0f course sucli a thing couid not liappen today because no one sifs in flic front pews. In fact people corne f0 churcli eariy 50 fIat fhey eau gef flic back scats. Ail this ieads up f0 flic thorny problein of why people slecp ilu durci; and if lsaa probieni, iudeed an issue, because some are in favor of such slumbcring and others are againsf if. Let us hope fliat soine day a student of "sighdhology" will make a sfudy of flic matter lu order fIat Bible flirowing tactics may bie forever abandoued. If fleic root causes of sueli durci siestas eau be discovered and remnoved, the matter wili cease f0 lie a thoru lunflic minlaterial fiesh. Whie wc do not profess f0 lbe a student of any type of chology, as wc sec if people c snooze -in churcli because, for eue thing, flic. speaker may lic uninfercsfiug or uninteil-c igible. lue pcrhaps rcads lis sermons and thus fails to kecp lis listeners awake with flic roving and liypnotic cyc. Or lic may pause f00 long betwcen phrases, thus ai- lowing some weak brother f0 toddlc off ci info flic anms of Morplieus. Or lie may lic a is whispering crooner wlo dan not lic liard, fl or a thundcrng basse profundo wlio pro- duces congregational deafncss flirough con- s cussion of flic ear drunis. If lic is noue ef bi fliese - Veehaps lic las snch a homeiy face, st that flic people listen wifh flicir eyes shut, la and as a resuif d.rif info flic land of nod. bý Wliat we are trying te say is fliaf before w flic minister peurs flic vials of lis wrafh ou l people 's lieads for sleeping lu churcli lie ci, shonld first sec if any cause for sudh a per- tii formance lies in himself. d However flic sîcepers must fake some of tc fIe blame. If thcy have arisen from tfliir t dewny cots oniy a scant feu minutes before it flic lour of service and dashcd f0 churdli ne before properly awakc, f lcy wili likely ne- G- sume tîcir rudely inferrupted dreais, in if th, flic pew. In other words, dear bretîren, if let ns wakc np before going fo churel. If ho again, f ley have cafen sucli a meal fIat f ley are satisfied and then cafen some more, and an gene to tIc kirk for service, f hey can lic li guaranteed f0 sleep in flic pew. If fhey ca, assume au improper posfure in fIe pcw, si wif I tIc backbone in either a slonel, a curi, chi a coul, or a droop fIe chances are tley wihllbai sieep. Certainly if tlcy fhink that there is ma nothing mmcl in a churci service anyway, chi col f bey will produce in f lenselves, a staf e of th, mmnd leading to sînniber. sav Then tîcre are other reasons for coin- o Back-To-Church Movement That's a Rood move of yours, Mr. Editor. to use your paper in the in- terests of a Back-To-Church Move- ment. The church bas been criticized severey during the ast few yars. I have done My share of this fauit- finding. No doubt there is blame on both sides. but after ai is said and done we nieed the church and the sooner we Rive it its proper place in our lives the better for ail con- cerned. If the churcb is at fauit we have no one to blame but ourseives for the cburch as an organization is iust what we make it. I'm zoinR to make my plea on bebalf of the church op strange zrounds. I belong to a littie cburch, one in whicb if we have tbirty of " congregation we feel as if we have " big crowd. It's one of those churches where you find a faithfui soui workinz away at an old-fash- ioned orRan week after week neyer yven dreaming of any reward but ust to be able to heip out. There's a choir - one of those choirs which sometimes is but mostiy isn't. but always on haqd in f ui force in a oinch. We'ye had ministers of ail kinds. ;ome friendly, some distant. some who couid use fiowery lane.uage and biz words which we couidn't under- tand and others who just used the anguage of the common folk, We had ministers we iiked and others we disiiked. Good preachers and Poor Preachers. lIn fact we have bad just ',thi same experience that ail -urches have had, but gettîng to my me of life I find these varied con- ftions have Qnly contributed in their )wn way to the church as I see it >-day. 1 Ro to church. It's not my church. 's not the Prýeacher's church. It's ot a denominational affa-ir. Its 3od's house and 1 meet God there. À the singîng is good P~m thrilled. If he sermon is krood I'm, heiped. But fthese are POOr I'm stili in God's ouse and have my dreams. The other Sunday thinps ,yere duli id the ioreacher droned on and on ut 1 forRot him entireiy. There ame before Miy mind's eve the pic- ure of a lad vears and vears ago ling bis first solo in the little hurch, of the littie ones that were aptized in that churcb. and later srried there. of bringing their ownl ildren to be bap)tized. then finallv :mingR back to wish us weli whiie iy went on to their long rest. I iw an old mnan waik to the front fthe church and the minister p)ut ihainds on his head. MY. what a ilI that was for ail of us for he id been a bad man,. Scene. after ene came before me until at iast s'as Puiled back to to-day syben I mrd the minister sa~y "Let-us pray." don't know what bis sermoni was )Out. I cannot even tell vou what rinR we did. but I went homne rouger and cleaner in my soul for iad been in mv Father's bouse and had taiked with Him theýrç. Let's Ret back to church, not lie- use of habit. or social standing, siily fear, but beeause we need ichurch and because they need >va Scotia Plans Central Marketing 0f Apple Crop Ontario apple growers miglit ke a leaf from the business mcae shown by their brothe>r chardists in the Annapolis Val- vFor we rcad a central inar- ting board f0 dispose of Nova otia's estimated 2,S00,000-barrel ple crop had the approval of riapolis Valley fruit growers, Ipers and processors. With chances of sclling the 1939 )p f0 flic United Kingdom, ifs rmal matkef, diminished by rtailcd sfeamshlp scheduîes, re- eentatives of tlic industry ap- ved the plan la principle af an xrgcacy meeting. The proposai ludcd pooliag of aIl refuras. )elegafes agreed that as much f the crop as Possible shOuîd lie marketed ln Canada. Should aay cargo space be available o freighfcrs sailing for flic Uaited, Kingdom, ohiy the hlghcst grade apples would be ship d. 1 Such stunning Dresses we know you'll want two more - taken from our rî alatr fine fail stock. Sel .ow for only $2.98 SHIOP, EÂRLY Luxury Coats Lavish With Fur The krind you thougi )u couldn 't afford. - A] Swonderful. styles, beauti JUy tailored. You'Ul loy, Lm. Priced as low as $12-95 MEN'S SHOP hoi P'lioîte 836 Bowrnanvlhle 1 COUCH IOHNSTON& RYDERMAN LIM=TD == 1 --e lyjy Inhcard tc echeîrsven in prayer, Lord, bring the wanderer in, The memories of that long past day Are with me echoing. Children's voices sweetly singing 0f "Christ the crucified", Came swelling through the open door, And rose up to the skies. Al hallowed be Thy name, 0 Lord, The children then intoned, And with, my trembling, halting voice, I with the children joined. A hoy calm then stole around, And filled my soul with joY; The chidren's voices sang again 0f love without alloy. A biessed peace encompassed me, I meekly bowed my head, And with the children joined in prayer, And this -is what I said. Forgive me Lord and take away, The sins that do demean, The blood that was for sinners shed, Now wash and make me clean. And from that sacred hour of prayer, A gleam of light did see, Revealing our Lord suspended, A sacrifice, for me. I heard the preacher's voice once more, "Thy peace 0 Lord impart". The chlfdren sang the great Amen And peace reigned in my heart. By The OId Box Stoe BY HIAM 1ELEGA N C 1 At A Price i DURING OUI Fail Dreis Sa . \. .4' R dle or ,eg- ing àr Back on tise 7th Concession Mi THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST, ig.lo 'y