PULPIT VOICES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 164, 14 July 1930, Page 5

PULPIT VOICES.

OLD FOLKS AT HOME. DOMINION ROAD METHODISTS A REMARKABLE GATHERING. A reunion of old folks connected with the Dominion Road Methodist Church was held in the Centenary Hall on Saturday last. It was attended by almost 100 people and took the form of a tea and pocial evening. A feature of the evening was the celebration of the B:2nd birthday of Mr. F. C. Taylor. "The Father of the Church." Mr. Taylor has been associated as a member continuously since the church's inception as a branch of the Primitive Methodist Church in ISOo. During hi--: membership he has filled almoet every church office available to laymen. He was the first superintendent of the Sunday school, which was opened in a private home prior to the erection of the first church building. Occupying the centre of the head table was a large birthday cake made and decorated in shape to represent a church. Congratulations to the chief guest of the evening were expressed by Mr. J. Watkiireon, an associate of Mr. Taylor from early youth, and Mr. S. E. Chappell. Mr. Taylor" expressed pleasure in beingprivileged to attend the" function. Among others present was Mrs. S. Warren, the only other member of the original congregation remaining in membership of the church. During the evenins, bouquets were presented to the two oldest lady members present. Mrs. Smith and Mrs. France, who are 80 and SS year-

of age respectively, and Mesdames S. Warren,. J. Xeedham, and A. Bridge, with over 30 year-' membership at Dominion Road, were also recipients of bouquets. Mr. F. C. Taylor was presented with a silk handkerchief and a buttonhole of violets. Twenty-five other members were present who have passed their three score years and ten and they received floral tokens.

In response to a question, quite a number claimed 50 to M year-' allegiance in membership to the church, either in the Homeland or in the Dominion-.

The Rev. W. Rowe expressed the thanks of the church generally to those who had been the pioneers of the church in the Dominion.

Mr. Smith replied on behalf of the old folk.

I The celebrations were continued on Sunday when special services were conducted by Rev. W. Rowe. the special subjects for address being "The Spirit of the Pioneers'' and "The Xoble Ancestry of the Godly Heritage." A feature of the services was the singing of old hymns by the elderly people of the congregations. OBANGE LEAGUE. PRINCIPLES AND FAITH. Balmoral Presbyterian Church. Sandringham, was tilled with a, large congregation last evening to hear a special service in which Orangemen from various lodges attended in a body. The Rev. "W. Gilmour said he always looked upon Luther as being himself the Reformation. He was a powerful and dynamic personality who came upon the stage of history when it was all sec for an epoch-making revolution in the thought and life of the civilised world. His' revolt had given the form, substance. and permanence which accounts for the Protestantism of today. In the emphasis of Protestantism upon liberty of conscience, upon democracy, upon a strict moral code, then? were distinctive values of great import to the civilised world, and those values must be preserved at all costs. Sometimes the principles and ideals of tbc Orange Association had been misrepresented and misunderstood. Orangeism's only rule of faith was brotherhood, and justice and love. The Orange institution stood for equal rights, equal liberties and equal opportunities for all men, no matter what their religious outlook, and no matter whar, their political bias, and

to attain such an end Orangemen were now and always ready to co-operate with those who, otherwise in many respects differing from them, were anxious for the establishment of those principles that made for the safety and welfare of all mankind. There should be. however, unswerving loyalty to the Crown and Constitution, and a readiness to extend to all men that liberty of conscience, and worship that was the inherent right of every citizen of the State. Those are the principles that underlie the life of the great British Empire. BEASON X?f BELIGIOX. BASIS OF MODERN FAITH.

Preaching in the Pitt Street Methodist Church last night, the Re*. W. Walker took for his text. "Come no\v and let us reason together." After dealins with the trial scene which led "to the utterance of these words. Mr. Walker said that he had far more confidence in the student accepting the Christian religion than he had of the person who would not think. Neither God nor the Church desired that people should stultify their reason. In some things relision might be above reason but it was never in conflict with it. Whilst faith was a mighty factor it was never a blind faith, but a faith based upon reason. That applied to almost every] realm of life. Most of the important J discoveries of science had been made byj men who had reasoned themselves _to certain positions, and then, believing there was something beyond, had ventured forth into the unknown. In every realm faith was an experiment which resulted in experience. It was by ful- J filling the conditions that a person came to know the reality and the unspeakable joy of religion.

METHODIST PIONET2R3. MEMORIAL WINDOWS UNVEILED. The whole of the windows of the Birkenhead Methodist Church h;ive been replaced with leadlights of chaste design, privinp: a pleasing effect, and enhancing the beauty of the interior. This work has been undertaken as part of the commemoration of the jubilee of the church, celebrations in connection with which were held recently. There are -even memorial windows, dedicated to the memory of Mr. and Mr*. John Dickens. Mr. and Mr-. John Johnston, Mr. and Mrs. Alex. Wilson. Mr. and Mrs. ¥~ J. White. Mr. Alfred Lovc-Il White. Mr. and Mrs. Cookson and Mr. William Cookson, and Mr. Tom Hadtield. The dedication ceremony was performed yesterday afternoon bv Mr. A. Peak, vice-president of the conference, at a special service in the church. He said that the jubilee of the church was a fitting occasion to revive remembrance of those who pioneered and laboured there, and whose faithful service exerted a direct influence for pood on the live-} of others. That gathering expressed thankfulness for the lives and work of such men. whose spirit of loyalty, sincerity and devotion should be cultivated, and made part of the Christian life. The prayer of dedication was given by the Rev. J. H. Allen. The Rev. W. W. Avery, in his address, paid a tribute to the foresight of those who had established Methodism at Birkenhead. The church in which that service was being held, though built 4"> years ago, was the outstanding- building of the place. Standing on Zion Hill, in well-kept grounds, it was a proruiuatit and beautiful edifice, and the ornamental windows would harmonise with the general beauty. The congregation stood in an impressive silence as a token of respect to llm memory of those honoured.

RICHMOND BAPTISTS. The Richmond Avenue Baptist Churoh celebrated the 22nd anniversary of itformation yesterday by special services, which were well attended. In the morning the preacher was the Rev. E. R. Harries, of St. James" Presbyterian Church, who won the attentive hearing of the League of Young Worshippers with h, talk upon a spider's web. which, as his text said, "was a. poor thing to tru-t in."" and he counselled them early in life to put their trust 'in the Children's Saviour. Preaching later from the words

"''Have not I sent thee?" he deprecated the pessimism all too prevalent anions Christian workers, who. like Gideo: , , Moses, Jeremiah and other?, would fain excuse themselves as personally unfitted for the task assigned and were unmindful of the fact that those whom God sent on His work were assured nf strength sufficient to their day. provided always they would put first things first and were willing to do God's work in His way. At night. Pastor Chant, speaking from the words "And He went, as His custom was, into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day," dealt with the present neglect of church-going, which he held was. causing a lamentable decline in the spiritual life of individuals and was sapping the life blood of the nation. The soloists in the anthem- were Miss G. Wilkins. Messrs. L. Boswell and.Cox. MODERN PSYCHOLOGY. In speaking at the Higher Thought Temple last evening on' '"The True Basis of Psychological Science," Mr. M. Walker said that" the usual study of what was called psychology in schools and universities was altogether too materialistic. It did n?t satisfy the earnest longings of the ever-increasing throng of students of biology, who wished to penetrate below the crust of appearances, and find out as much as possible of the hidden workings of the real man or woman, which refused to be classified us a simple product of material evolution. The psychological basis of physiology placed physiology on a solid rock, bat a physiological foundation for psychology placed that science on treacherous sand. The moral sentiments were as purely natural and inborn as the intellectual. Belief in the essential goodness of human nature must be adhered to. despite all apparent or superficial discord, by every parent or teacher. We Avere all good at the core, however we might be encircled with error. There was a. great wealth of scientific truth and sound teaching in a late Jewish liturgy: "Mv God. the soul which Thou hast formed within me is pure: it came pure from Thee." The speaker went on to show than environments are valuable, nor. as creators, but as educators. Circumstances could appeal to latent possibilities and call forth hidden powpn=. but they could not change the essential nature of any human being. Education properly included what was rightly called mental and moral evolution.

ST. PAUL'S, NORTHCOTE. Preaching from the text "'And one- of two which heard Him speak and followed Him was Andrew.. Simon Peter's brother.' , the Rev. W. W. Averv said Andrew was one of the first to be called to diseipleship. and although he was not mentioned most lie enjoyed the coniiIdenee of Christ. He no sooner became a disciple than he went and told Peter 'and brought him to .Tesus. On each occasion recorded of Andrew he w;>bringing someone to Jesus. He could not preach on the day of Pentecost, bat it was he who brought Peter the preacher to Jesus. He could nor fill the hungry multitude, but he brought the lad who had the food. '"Let its/' said the preacher, "take encouragement from Andrew. It we all worked like Andrew there would be no unemployed, no unattended sick, no empty churches, if only one man worked like Andrew, bringing into the Church of Jesus only,one convert a year, and if such converts wen , . to do likewise the world would be won for Christ in approximately thirty Tears."