THE GROUP MOVEMENT
[To the Editor of Tim SeiarrATou] • Sin.---No one who is concerned for the progress of Christianity could fail to be interested in the articles and letters which you have published on the Group Movement. But perhaps some, points are not yet clear. One writer criticises the Groups for having no theology. That is not :their business. Their main function is to put. more vitality into the " Pew7 mentality "----to make Christians of any and every denomina-
thin realise 111111 t !Awns a Way of Life, This is Hie' old truth 'which the Groups are re-discovering and also they are giving us back the old means of keeping to that life.- The Group Movement deiserves, too, a special Word'of praise for making 'us realise that it is only a spiritual revolution which can solve world problems.
A wiser criticism of the Groups is the opposite one, that the stress they lay on what the Group Movement and not on 'What. Christianity lots done and can do tends to sectarianism. But I disagree with t he I n..an of St•. Paul's on their phraseology.. Here in Oxford it seems that the very terms oging.".
" :1y(! come into sharing " and particularly " guid 11
at i I odour. Many jokes are current on the Jai ler subject, but never on the subject. of ordinary Christian prayer. Except
in this case " guidance," where many think. it_ is necessary always I o adopt the belief of the extremists in literal inspiration I believe that there is less prejudice against the ideas as such.
In fact I do feel that what is wanted in _Christian life today. is the reneived vigour which. the Groups have brOught into it, but without their phraseology, and more important, without the tendency to stress their monopoly of Christianity. It may be the church's fault, but the Movement does tend to work too independently of her. We may have to revise OUP ideas of the uses of the ministry, and soon we may be asked--" Are you a Groupist ' or an ordinary Christian ? " But to put the point shortly. Surely we must give up the attempt to " Croupise " the world, while redoubling our efforts to create a spiritual revolution in the world. The ' former can only be ephemeral and sectarian. Enthusiasm cannot last without the church, But the church must realise that it has a great responsibility towards crillnisiasm.—Yours
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