PULPIT VOICES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 219, 16 September 1930, Page 17

PULPIT VOICES.

"RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTETH"

GROWTH OF CIVILISATION.

INFLUENCE OF JESUS CHRIST. *

A united after-church gathering was held in Dominion Road Methodist Hall on Sunday, when the Mayors and councillors of Mount Albert and Mount Eden Boroughs attended.

"Rightfetmsttess exalteth a nation," was the theme chosen by. Rev. R. L< Fursdon, who said, in part, that our social system f had its roots firtnly planted in the past ages. Civilisation had crept forward in waves, sometimes over-reaching themselves, and then receding into the,mighty, tide which continued to be the source and power of every oncoming wave. Greece gave us systems Of thought and a philosophy which had coloured all ' subsequent thought! She spread beauty, grace, art. and games. Rome came with her armies, her ships, an iron motive, giving and keeping order everywhere. These two Succeeding waVes uncovered and spread a power which had changed the face of the world. There arose a person who had transformed arid lifted all our previous ideas. He was none other than Jesus of Nazareth. His teaching was* still altering the world. He accepted the social conditions of His day, with its inequalities and slaves. He did not incite to revolution; He inspired to reform, by revealing to man a perfect society —"The Kingdom of God." Jesus taught the Fatherhood of GOd and the ]Brotherhood of man; He taught the worth of the individual; He gave woman her true place; He preached Christian charity and life's stewardship. This teaching out-lived Rome, and its Cross supplanted Caesar's eagles.. . At tiie Reformation, the vitalising truth byoke fo'rth again. It swept Germany and England. Everywhere ,it went,- it changed character, and society. Mr. Fursdon,, sought, to show how democracy may attain high ideals in our own day. We must serve God by serving our fellow-men. To bring joy and happiness to others is a spiritual setvice. Our great trouble is that we have forgotten the Maker of the God. He should be reckoned in our plans. He is our maker, ruler and continuous governor. The two chief notes! sounded iti Christ's teaching were: "Love to God, and love to man." The Rev. H. ClarK presided, and during the service ministers of the Eden Fraternal took part. The Methodift choir rendered an anthem, and the Balmoral Church quartet sang "Wonderful Peace."

CHURCH AS AN ARMY.

The Rev. G. E. Moreton, Anglican prison chaplain, preaching at St. George's Church, Kingsland, on Sunday, asked if the Church did mbve "like a mighty array." Did it.impress either the "insider" or the "outsider" as being wholeheartedly committed to a gre&t cause 1 Ho liim&elf had had the greatest difficulty in convincing some men that they were concerned. They were not opposed to the Church, but they hid the idea that it was chiefly, if not 56161y,.f0r women and children. The wife represented the husband at church by proxy, and the chiidrert attended Sunday school. Had those men any conception of the Church as an artfiy? As or those inside the Church all, in A certain degree, assumed that the purpose o| church Attendance was to get ionle g66d out of it. The onjy difference between those inside and outside flle church was that the man without did not feel the need 6f it, while the man within did. This selfish attitude was Evidence of an utter lack of comprehension bf the true nature of the Christian religion, whose essence wais to give and not to get, to minister and not be ministered unto. "Let us face the stern realities," said Mr. Moreton. "Let us contrast the highsounding phraSes of our militant hymns and ecclesiastical discussions, and the flabby irresblutions of our plans and | actjons for the kingdom of God with the ! unselfeonscious heroism of our fighting •men who talked so littje about their : ideals and so gloriously fulfilled them, as if to translate ideals into action were not only natural but inevitable. If- the church of to-day Jacks both the spirit of the army and of essential Christianity how is it to secure or regain it? The answer is simple. By turning the vieW outward instead 6f inward, by thinking of others instead of self, by hiving an objective clear enough and great enough to enlist; and enthral and fuse all our energies and aspirations into one overwhelming and compelling aim and,purpose which Shall transcend all lesser motives and obliterate all selfish desires." church anniversary. Services were held on Sunday in celebration of the second anniversary of the Sandringham Methodist Church. The Rev. W.. Rowe .preached in the morning, and the choir, under the leadership of Mr. R. Stephenson, rendered the anthem, "God so Loved the World," The afternoon service was taken by the Rev. C. G. Scrimgeour. The choir gave as anthem, "Daughter of Zion" and "God so Loyed the World." Mrs. Thompson sang the solo, "Was There Ever Kindest Shepherd." The evening service was conducted by the Rev. N. £. Larsen, and the anthems "Sun of My Soul" and ''Hark! Hark My S6UI" were an excellent gendering by the ehbir. Messrs. Stephenson, Bull, Robson and Mrs. Robson also sang as a quartet, and solos were sung by Mr. and Mrs. Robson. An after service social half-hour brought to close a very happy day. The attthem, "Daughter of Zion," was again given at the after service by request. Mr. Bull was organist and Mrs Robson played the piano.. ,