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The Spike or Victoria College Review, June 1908

Christian Union

page 66

Christian Union.

"He fought his doubts and gathered strength,
He would not make his judgment blind,
He faced the specters of the mind
And laid them: thus he came at length
To find a stronger faith his own.

Tennyson.

TThe work of the Christian Union, both during the vacation and since the commencement of the term, has been continuous and attended with considerable success.

Pre-sessional Work.

During the summer vacation a series of weekly lectures was given by the Rev. t. H. Sprott, M. A., upon "The Kingdom of God." The lecturer sketched in detail the history of the Jewish national hope of the coming of the Messiah, and the manner in which the expectation differed from, and fell short of the fulfillment. The Union desires to place on record its sense of gratitude to Mr Sprott for the trouble which he has taken in connection with its work. It has been to many members a great privilege to be brought into contact with the results of the wide research which Mr Sprott has made in this particular field.

The chief event during the vacation was the Summer Conference, held between December 27th and January 3rd, under the auspices of the Australasian Students' Christian Union at Trentham. The delegates from Victoria College numbered seventeen, and all appreciated greatly the value of the gathering in affording a stimulus to the work of the Union. A similar Conference will probably be held this summer, in Canterbury, and members will do well to bear that fact in mind when making their holiday arrangements.

On Sunday, February 9th, the Universal Day of Prayer was observed, a meeting being held in the St. John's Class Room, Willis Street. Addresses were delivered by the Rev. J. R. Glasson and Mr T. H. Gill. The meeting was well attended, and the addresses. which dealt with the subject of prayer, were listened to with great interest.

At the commencement of the term the College Handbook was distributed among students.

page 67

The Union has now attained a membership of 134. Bible study classes have been formed in the usual way, seven for women and five for men, with a total attendance of seventy-six. The text-book used is Sallmon's "Studies in the Life of Jesus." A mission study class meets on alternate Saturday evenings at 7.30 p.m., and has a membership of twenty. The field of study is "New Zealand Missions," and matter of great interest is being considered, whether the subject be regarded from the historical or the religious standpoint.

Meetings.

At the first meeting, held on Tuesday, April 2nd, Mr W. Gray delivered an address upon "Difficulties of the Spiritual life of Students." He showed how, during the period of life which is spent at a University, —the period of adolescence,—there takes place an immense broadening of the student's view of life, He finds it necessary to examine the bases of all that he has hitherto accepted without question, and often the process involves an ill-considered rejection of the grounds of his religious belief. It is one of the object of the Christian Union to keep constantly before the minds of students the claims of Christianity, —claims which, among the complex secular activities of College life, are far too apt to be overlooked. Not even in the quest of knowledge can there be found anything which will compensate a student for the loss of his religious beliefs.

On Saturday, April 18th, Rev. Osborne, of Melbourne, delivered an address on "The evolution of the Jewish Religion regarded as an apology for Christianity." He traced the history of the Jews from Moses to Christ showing the gradual development of their National Religion, and the part played in this development by the prophets of Israel. The Jews expected a world wide supremacy, almost realized under Isaiah, but overturned by the power of Babylon. During these years of captitity one section of the Jewish hope, and the further development of this conception prepared the way for the Christian Revelation.

The evening of Saturday, May 2nd, was devoted to the reading of reports upon the various phases of the Trentham Conference. Report were read by Misses C. M. Taylor, M. E. Gibbs, and A. E. Currie, and Messrs D. S. Smith and H. E. Evans, each dealing with separate matters, so that those who were not able to be present at the Conference might get a general idea of the results of its work.

page 68

On Saturday, May 16th an address was given by the Rev. T. H. Sprott, M. A. upon the political condition of Judea in the item of Christ. In part of address was a summary of the series of lectures given by Mr Sprott during the vacation, but its scope was somewhat different. The study of historical matters such as these has a great value in aiding us to conceive the proper setting in which the Gospel stories are to be placed, —a setting in which they appear in their full unity and consistency.

Visit of Miss Rouse.

During the week from 20th to 26th May, the Union was visited by Miss Ruth Rouse, the Women's Secretary of the World's Student Christian Federation.

On Thursday, May 21st, Miss rouse addressed Women Students on the responsibility of Christian Union or to the A.S.C.U., but was world-wide, extending to every field in which the World's Student Christian Federation did or might exercise over those of another, by shewing how Japan had been the means of forwarding the Christian Union movement in Sweden.

Miss Rouse showed, by instances which have come under her personal notice, how it is possible for the spirit of a College to change from agnosticism to Christianity through the agency of one who, not necessarily talented or popular, stood faithful to her belief.

On Friday evening, May 22nd, Miss Rouse was tendered a reception at the Girls' College, by the Unions of the Victoria College and the Girls' College, Professor Easterfield being in the chair. Short speeches were made by the Presidents of the two Unions, and Miss Rouse gave a short account of the work and objects of the Federation. Musical items were rendered by members of the Glee Club and Girls' College, and by Mrs. Glover-Eaton.

On Saturday evening Miss Rouse addressed the fortnightly meeting of the Union at the College. She spoke at some length of the difficulties common to students all the world over. She shewed how it was the experience of all students to encounter, at various stages of an active intellectual life, restlessness, despair, sin, doubt, fear, or lack of purpose; all of them difficulties of which arduous efforts in every direction of University life could provide no solution. The one solution which page 69 students all the world over had been able to find, lay in faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His will.

On the afternoon of Sunday, May 24th, at the Hostel, Miss Rouse addressed women students on the work of the Missionary Settlement for University Women in India. She was herself one of the pioneers of the Settlement, and her account of the work amongst the Parsi women was very interesting. The student work in India is under the supervision of a joint committee, consisting of two members of the Student Department of the Y.W.C.A. and two of the Missionary Settlement, with another elected by these four. The important work is carried on chiefly by Christian hostels, and corresponds to the work of our Christian Union.

The work amongst the Parsis is the most difficult missionary work in the world. It is useless to offer them material advantages, educational or otherwise, because they already possess these. In some subjects, such as English, French and music, the lessons given by the missionaries, who are all University graduates, are superior to those obtained elsewhere, and so a few are reached in that way. The chief means of reaching them, however, is by visiting in private houses, In early times the first question put by a Parsi lady to the visiting missionary was, "Are you married? If not, why not?" Now it is rather, "Can you sing or play?" Their fondness for music has therefore given to the missionaries, and to the message which they bring, an entry into many Parsi households. Miss rouse also spoke very highly of the work of our settler, Miss A. W. Griffiths.

On Sunday evening, May 24th, Miss Rouse addressed a public meeting at St. John's Hall, Dixon Street, again describing the work of the Federation in the numerous countries in which it is carried on.

Messrs D. M. Lyall and S. S. Addison, the Travelling Secretaries of the A.S.C.U., were in Wellington during Miss Rouse's visit.