The Conduct of the Sabbath School

So you are going to conduct the Sabbath school! Remember you are not a street­car conductor glumly collecting fares. You are not a symphony orchestra conductor giving the coordinating, peremptory downbeat. You are not a radio announcer employing the usual in­troductory patter of a fast-moving variety show. These negative similitudes are not idle, for each has its prototype in leaders whom you have heard and will recall as we proceed.

"I was almost late to Sabbath school this morning," the superintendent says. "I had a flat tire, and if I didn't have the habit of com­ing half an hour early, I would have been late." This may appear to be a good beginning—per­sonal, informal, attention getting, with a clever hint that others should start early—but it is not for Sabbath school.

Consider the objective of the service—wor­ship and study of God! Anything that calls the person's attention to the leader or any other participant in the service is out of place. God is the center of worship.

Beginnings and endings are difficult. How shall we begin ? Following the principle just suggested, let us think of that which will direct minds to God, to the spirit of worship, and to the significance of the Sabbath. A well-selected verse of Scripture, a sentence from the Spirit of prophecy, a snatch of fine poetry, a chal­lenging quotation from your general reading—these devices suggest themselves at once. If you use a preliminary song service or an organ prelude, you may choose to have the officers enter during a musical bridge and go at once into the Scriptural or inspirational reading over a soft musical background.

Another method is to ask the members to repeat together a Bible verse or sing a theme song. To stand or not to stand is not a point at issue here. Less disturbance will result from re­maining seated, and all will stand for singing in a few minutes anyway.

All these partake of ritualism, and I hear some experienced Sabbath school superintend­ents at once object that such beginnings create a "dead" atmosphere, whereas, they say, the bright personal greeting and snappy discoursive style wakes people up, creates a stir, and makes a lively meeting..

When any program descends to mere ritual­ism it is indeed dead. But ritual, rightly used, is necessary to group worship in its highest phases. It means the subordination of the indi­vidual to the form and spirit of worship. Within that form real, deep religion can be found, as it cannot in the other type. The duty of the leader is to subordinate himself, to be possessed of the spirit of worship and the Holy Spirit. He can thus, within the forms of worship, cre­ate a depth of devotion he could never reach by putting himself forward. If he feels deeply the sacredness of the occasion and the meaning of the words he uses, the congregation will follow him and will be genuinely alive.

If you have already had a song service or an "opening," don't open the meeting again by saying, "Let us open our meeting by singing ___________ ." Say, "Let us sing ___________ ." Better yet, plan a transition from your beginning to your song; and let it be a real, not a forced, transition. Select a song that fits the preliminary statement. Avoid saying, "In harmony with this sentiment, let us sing —." Instead, plan a carefully worded sentence pos­sibly leading to a reading of some words from the song.

The old custom of "lining" has long been a vestigial remains, but an occasional reading of a stanza may well call attention to meanings that have been overlooked in the singing of hymns. Here again, whatever the method of an­nouncing the song, let it be pointed toward worship and spiritual meaning, not toward per­sons or apparatus of any kind.

If we next say, "Brother Thomas will lead us to the throne of grace," that is a fine poetic expression for a most sacred act of worship. However, here is a caution: Figures of speech lose their effectiveness if repeated too often. The effect of the metaphor becomes lost and the expression becomes hackneyed or cliche. Therefore, if you use figures of speech, change the figure frequently. Otherwise depend on a simple, direct "will lead us in prayer."

Unless unusual conditions prevent, the con­gregation should kneel for prayer. That is the only proper position for worship. Should the one who prays audibly stand, especially when he is to use a microphone? Right here permit a digression on the subject of public-address sys­tems.

Before the days of electronics, preachers either made themselves heard or quit preach­ing. Mrs. White said that with proper use of the voice one could speak to thousands as easily as to hundreds. She addressed audiences of many thousands with ease.

It may appear that the only change today is in the speaker—an exchange of the "proper use of the voice" for an amplification system. Un­fortunately, the system has in many cases tended to defeat its own purpose. Speakers with inadequate voices use the microphone to boost their volume beyond that of the most powerful orator, with the result that the audience noise creeps up and up until the back row still can­not hear. How many times have we sat dis­tressed in a large meeting, the loudspeaker booming the program against the back wall over the great mass of noise from a shifting, murmuring audience ! A tenth of the volume would accomplish its purpose in a quiet audi­ence, and the message would reach more re­ceptive ears.

Therefore; Sabbath school leaders, if your public address system is not really needed, dis­pense with it. If the audience does not exceed five hundred, you need no amplification unless the acoustics are unusually bad. If you use a system, have it continually monitored. Instruct the operator to keep the volume down. Make no concessions to audience noise. Amplify only enough to make the program heard by a quiet audience.

The leader in prayer, then, may best of all kneel, without benefit of microphone. Next best, he may kneel with an instrument in his hand. If necessary, he must stand to use a stationary microphone.

"The secretary will read the report of our last meeting." Some such literal statement seems best for announcing this item.

Now for the music feature. "We are very happy to have with us this morning Sister Helen Jones, a music teacher from Newport. She has kindly consented to sing for us, and she will favor us with a solo at this time." This is pretty bad. Of course we are happy to have Miss Jones with us, but not a bit happier than to have old Brother Smith who sits in the front row every Sabbath and never says a word; and we never mention him. Miss Jones's profession has nothing to do with worship. To mention it hints of commercialism. If Miss Jones had to "kindly consent" to sing, she should have no part in a religious service. A solo for Sabbath school should be offered humbly as an act of worship—not eagerly as a chance to display one's art, or grudgingly as a favor to the con­gregation.

Furthermore, "at this time" should be ruled out forever as repetitive and meaningless. How, then, shall we make our introductions? There are many ways. Just keep in mind the basic principle—not personalities, but worship. Three suggestive ways follow:

"Among our welcome visitors is Miss Helen Jones. She will offer our worship in song."

"In the heart of our lesson today, in the cen­ter of our own salvation, is the meaning of Gethsemane. Listen and meditate as Brother Brown sings for us 'Gethsemane.'"

"As we have studied week after week on the ministry of Christ, have you tried to visualize the scenes—the multitude by the sea, listening to His words, the wooded glens where He spent His night vigils, the temple and the judgment halls where He stood witness? Let your minds create again these pictures as we hear the song 'I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked.'" "Thank you, Brother Brown, for the lovely song. And now ____ " NO! The variety-show  announcer has slipped in among us again. Keep him out of the religious service. He is racy and exciting, but we don't want him here. He knows nothing of worship. If you must comment on the song or the mission talk or the review, let it be about the substance, the ideas—not the persons. Brother Brown deserves no more thanks for singing than the congregation for listening. It was not a favor but an act of wor­ship.

This does not mean that a leader should be unappreciative of the help given him in operat­ing the Sabbath school, or that he should be inexpressive about it. But he should thank the helpers in private and in an impersonal way—not for helping him as a person, but for aiding the program.

Next come the mission talk and the review. How can they be announced with freshness and interest? "We will now hear ___________ ." "Next on our program ___________ ." "The mission talk will be given by__________ ." "The review will be conducted by ___________ ." To jump up periodically with these "coordinating peremptory downbeats" seems monotonous and boring.

Some leaders resort to an interrogatory pat­ter : "How many remember what the opening song was last Sabbath? Anyone? Well, let's hear what the secretary says." "Who knows what field our Thirteenth Sabbath Offering goes to this quarter? Africa? No. That's right —to China! Now let's listen to what Brother Johnson is going to tell us about China." "Who can tell me the subject of last week's lesson?" This, too, can become monotonous and can di­rect attention to persons and apparatus instead of to worship.

There must be some principle to guide the harassed leader in announcing the items on a Sabbath school program. It is a simple one. If you have nothing to say, avoid giving wordy evidence of the fact. In some cases you may not wish to say anything. Merely introduce the participants at the beginning of the service or following the congregational song, and let the program proceed without in­terruption. You may have something of con­sequence to say just before the lesson study or after the school reassembles. But impromptu random remarks and thoughtless introductions can do much to bore the members of a Sabbath school. The remedy is preparation. Find out enough about the mission report and speaker to give a stimulating introduction. Think about the content of the review, and direct thought toward that by a few carefully worded sen­tences.

It has become customary to ask the teachers to stand for prayer before the lesson study. Cautions for this good practice are these: