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By Jim Coggins
SOME years ago, I had the privilege of reading extensively through two or three
decades of a church periodical, covering the years between the First and Second
World Wars. It provided a revealing look at significant developments in the
life of the Canadian church.
At the beginning of this period, I was struck by the prevalence of such phrases
as “engaging in self-sacrificing purpose” and “living lives of great purpose.”
This was an emphasis that sounds somewhat foreign to us today – an emphasis, born out of a century or more of evangelical revivals and refined
in the cauldron of World War One.
It was an approach that had registered impressive achievements-the launching of
the worldwide missionary enterprise, the abolition of slavery, the enactment of
labour laws, and the creation of innumerable social improvement and
evangelistic agencies.
In the 1920s, Christian leaders became aware that this vast effort toward
social, moral and spiritual improvement was being undercut by a group of
activities they labeled “worldly amusements.”
These included gambling, alcohol, dancing, movies, radio and even the motor car,
which took people away from church on Sundays.
Many Christian leaders had expected the coming of the millennium, the final
achievement of Christ’s rule on earth. What they got instead was the Roaring Twenties.
The excesses of the Roaring Twenties led inevitably to the Great Depression of
the 1930s. At that point, an interesting thing happened. For a while, the
church continued to call people to a life of service. But the call felt a
little strange in an era when up to a quarter of the population was unemployed
and facing a life of enforced idleness. Even if they had been willing to serve,
there was little work for many people to do.
In time, the church realized that “recreation” could be understood as “re-creation,” a necessary opportunity for physical, mental and spiritual renewal. This realization led to a profound revolution in church life.
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Churches began to organize church socials, men’s groups, and midweek boys’ and girls’ clubs. Youth group meetings had previously consisted of teaching, prayer and
hymn-singing, but now included sports, plays and games. Many summer camps were
started in this era.
Sermons began to include references to Shakespeare’s plays and even to movies. Sunday schools added lantern shows, pictures
(including flannelgraphs), stories and crafts. In short, mere ‘amusements’ were pressed into the service of the gospel.
The issues the Canadian church wrestled with almost a century ago remain with us
today. We call people to serve Christ in a society that is often preoccupied
with pleasure-seeking. In place of sinful and worldly amusements, churches try
to offer wholesome recreation.
We have discovered that social activities can both encourage the saints and
attract sinners to the gospel.
Through it all, we recognize that God created the work week, but also the day of rest – and we strive to find the right balance.
June 2009
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