Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-05
SERMON ON YOUTHS
 CHALLENGE TO CHURCH
Rev. H. J. Wyckoff Says Our Hope
 Lies in the Younq People.

At the Second Congregational church Rev. H. G. WycI1off preached Sunday morning on the theme; Youths Challenge to the Church with the text taken from the, second chauter of Luke, the forty-ninth verse. Wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business. In speaking about Gods business we immediately think of it in connection with right thinking and speaking, pure feeling and action. These belong to God. Religion has been defined as the light of God in the soul.
 There comes time in life when re- ligion becomes the souls business. In adolescence it becomes the supreme business of life. Then the young soul Is groping and feeling for the truth. And it Is because we have always in our midst those who are outgrowing this and becoming men and women that we must consider this theme.
 Youth is ready for religion and knows it's readiness. It is constantly demanding an outlet for it's desire and only waiting to be told how to achieve It. The world of older folk forget. at least partially, what it means to be a youth, eager and yearning, and so does also the church
 We expect and take as a matter of course that the older classes of Sum day school shall graduate in due time iIIO DOCS IIidl net entirely satisfy them and their un- defined cravings and longings. If we think so we have forgotten Youth pleads fair chance. These boys and girls are but learning to walk in the religious way and there are many ob- stacles and stumbling blocks in their path. They are pleading for the re- moval of all those things that shall prove a menace to their faltering feet. the saloon, the rampant vice that walks abroad. the contempt for law and order. They ask for 9 fair chance boys to have old mems religion New wine in new bottles. It is the nat ural way. Let the things that fit youth be theirs.
 Youth needs help in the start of life. We sometimes think the young people of today are growing more in dependent, that they do not take kind ly to suggestion and advice. That is perhaps because we do not understand them. And our teachers training class Is an effort to accomplish this understanding and a <2 in the right deal of sympath interest skill and patience and above all. of example on the part of older Christians, but not too much older. We speak of age not in terms of the calendar, however. There is a great gap between youth ana don't preach to us, but show us.
 There must be at this time a suita- ble programme! for youthful activity. It is.-a restless age and both study and play must be provided that s suited to their needs and problems. We must start them right in both these lines. The social instinct is strong in. them and should be recognized and planned for.
 The element of service begins to enter into their lives now and the church may properly expect a larger degree of usefulness from them. What shall we ask them to do? They are eager and willing to do something. It is the age when they are heavily laden with the spirit of sacrifice and. how shall we aid and guide this zeal?-
 Can we conscieniously say that we feel the responsibility of setting the ,xample to these young and sensitive iou1s, of giving anxious thought to what we shall set them to do? Our responsibility is the same if we put
 stumbling blocks for their feet or cave them there. To expect them to seep pure and. clean while we coun- . enance immortality in all it's forms,
 ven passively. is to admit our own