THE LORD'S PRAYER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 156, 3 July 1937, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

CHALLENGE TO THE CHURCHES i The Rt\v. James Milne, M.A., late of rhumes, anrl now Ruppl\ing the pulpit of the Proahj'terian ( lunch, Henderson, has a sermon in hist week's "Outlook" on the "Churches ;iu<l Christian Unity"' tha-t deserves to he widely read. It is baaed on the Lord's Prayer. ilere arc two pa rtieuhwly impressive passages from it: — The opening words of Ihe prayer our Lord taught His disciplcs —-Our Father which art in heaven come as a challenge to Ihe churches to-day. How at times wo in the various churches must feel our nnwort h iness to use this prayer! We allow our differences, which are as nothing compared with our points of agreement, to keep us so far apart at times that to our brethren outside our ■walls we can scarcely seem as a united family owning a common and living fatherhood. The wonderful communityforming influence of a broadcast church service coming, say, from an Anglican or Methodist Church is appreciated by "listeners-in" of any other Church. Yet the churches do not s.o readily meet together for n.ny Christian effort or cause as to suggest their common Fatherhood with Him and in Whom, in unity among themselves, they should meet. Hero is another petition of the prayer which the churches use for intercession with the Heavenly Father. It is an appeal for this divine guidance whereby we are led away from temptation a.nd delivered from the power of sin. Surely, considering what man is by nature, yet what by grace of God he may become, this should be esteemed an all-important petition. Even more clearly is this revealed when conditions as to public morals and decency in our communities are considered to-day. Were the churches in a spirit of Christian unit}*, heedless of their points of difference, yet united on their points of agreement, to get upon their knees in earnest prayerfulness over such matters, there might be hope of the coming of that revival of religion so much needed in onr day. No great need is there for consideration of the exact form revival should take. "The wind bloweth where it listeth." The gTeat need is for the wind of the Spirit of God to blow and quicken into flame the red but dying embers of faith in what must now be the comparatively few men and women in the various churches who dare to believe that nothing ia impossible to God, and that more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. We ha.ve but to look through nineteen centuries of time to remember the Almighty never leaves Himself without witnesses. It is for these, then, from all the churches, scorning their points of difference, yet rejoicing in their points of agreement, to meet together in Christian unity to pray for revival.