HARVEST FESTIVAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 128, 13 March 1939, Page 4

HARVEST FESTIVAL.

AT THE METHODIST CHURCH. LARGE DISPLAY OF PRODUCE, There were large congregations at the Baring Square Methodist Church yesterday, when special harvest thanksgiving services were held. There was an excellent display of fruit, flowers, duce, and numerous sheaves of wheat and oats were used in the decorations. Both services were conducted by the Rev. Arrgus Mcßean. The choir, in charge of Mr H. A. Humphreys, presented several anthems. The singing of the choir and congregation were features of the day. In the morning, Mr Mcßean spoke to the children from the text’: “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord” (Psalm 92: 1). He spoke of the loveliness of the thankful spirit, and gave some answers to the question, “Sow can we say thank you to God?” iWe can do so by our words, and by our faces; and also by our deeds and service, he said. The # sermon was based on the parable of the sower. Like many other parts of the Gospel story, it showed that Jesus was familiar with country life. Paul was a man of the cities; but Jesus seemed specially to love the country. He knew about the difficulties and disappointments of the farmer’s life. In the parable the seed was the Word of God, and just as in the case of the seed sown' in the earth, much of jt failed to yield an abundant harvest; so it was with the good seed of the kingdom. The fault was not in the seed, nor in the sowing; it was in the soil. There were three dangers against which hearers must guard—a hardened heart, a superficial religion, and a preoccupied mind. To bring forth fruit to perfection there was needed an honest heart, earnestness, meditation, and endurance. The good seed of the Kingdom has produced a wonderful harvest'. Instances were given of people whose lives had been changed and transfigured through the power of the Gospel and the grace of God. The theme of the address at the evening service was “The Duty of Praise.” Praise was the keynote of the Christian faith, said Mr Mcßean. Christianity, above every other religion, was a religion of praise and singing. This was the acid test of our religion. Was there abundant praise in our prayers; was there real uplift and exultation in our songs ? , Why sometimes we praised so little was because we fixed our attention on the wrong things. It was good to ‘ count our blessings ’ rather than to dwell upon our difficulties. A\ e should all offer ‘ the sacrifice of praise.’ It was true that the essence of religion was to receive from God, His free, matchless grace, but having received, surely we sliould«gladly give in return our love and grateful praise. A life of praise and a spirit of thankfulness help to lift us into a gladder and better world, and such a life could not bo without influence in the way of helpful inspiration to others. Anthems sung by the choir were: “Thou Crownest the Year,” “The Lord is my Shepherd,” “1 Will Feed My Flock,” “The King of Love,” and “Let the Fields be Joyful.”