CHURCH UNITY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16207, 9 May 1918, Page 6

CHURCH UNITY.

INTERCESSION SERVICE IX anglican cathedral.

attendance of OVER 10,000,

All differences of creed and dogma ■were forgotten by the Protestant Churches m Christchurch yesterday, and their adherents joined in common service of intercession in connexion with the war at the Anglican Cathedral from 9 o'clock in the morning till about 9.30 o'clock at night, the service being continuous. All day the big edifice was thronged; at many times it was crowded, and in the evening it was packed. Ministers of tho various denominations occupied the pulpit in turn, and many laymen also conducted the service. Each hour began with a hymn and a short Bible reading, and was divided into three periods of prayer, each beginning with a hymn and concluding with a few minutes' silence. A scheme of suggested subjects of prayer was drawn up, but every leader was at perfect liborty as to the form lie adopted and the subjects lie chose. Tho first period of prayer comprised penitence, personal aud national, and included the following subjects:—"Sins that led to the War"; "Ncglcct of God"; "Trust in Secular Power"; "Commercial and Political Rivalry" ; "Need of the Spirit of Christ in Civic and National Lil'o": "Tho Church's Failure to Convert the World" : "Social Sins, Luxury, etc." ; "Class Rivalry, and want of Fellowship"; ''International Rivalry" ; ''Want of Christian Courage"; "Social Sins"; "Prayer for the Coming of God's Kingdom" ; "Remembrance of God's Mercies."

The second period was devoted to our soldiers, sailors, and those of own Allies, and included tho following stibjetcs:—"Our Soldiers in Battle"; "The Loaders"; "Our Sailors in tho Navy, Patrol Boats, etc"; "Our Airmen"; ''The Wounded and Dying, on the Field, in Hospital"; "For Airmen"; "For the Mercantile Marine" ; "Recruits—on Land, on Shipboard, in Training" ; "Roturned Soldiers"; "Prisoners and Missing"; "Ministrations — Chaplains"; "Ministrations—Doctors, Nurses, and Ambulance" ; "For Courage, Unity, and Purity of Purpose" ; "Thanksgiving for the Brave Example set us."

The third period was devoted to our Allies, non-oombatants, ote., and included tho following:—"Our Allies"; "Sufferers —the Anxious and Bereaved" ; "Governments and Statesmen"; "The Pooplo—Munition Workers, both Men and Women" "The People—the Poor and Hungry"; "For Women and Children"; "For the Suffering Nations desolated by War, especially Belgium, Serbia etc"; "Red Cross and other Home Workers"; "For a Righteous and Lasting 'Peace"; "National Unity and Self-denial." From 5.15 p.m. till 6, evensong was sung by the Cathedral Choir, and between 8 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. a thanksgiving service was held, when Bishop Julius occupied the pulpit for tho* greater part of the time, and delivered the only address of the day. His LordB ,I'°P® nc d service in tho morning. The following were tho leaders in the services:—The Bishop, tho Dean Rev. J. do B. Galwey, Rev. Dr. Erwin Rev. G E Moore, Mr H. Holland, Rev! J J. iNorth, Major Nowbv, Rev. P N Knight, Rev. F. N. Taylor, Rev. A. T." ,n, mpson > Rev. A. C. Lawry. The following were tho assistants:— « J' -Copejand .Captain Hildreth, Rev. T. Feo, Rev. E. P, Blamiros, Rov. Vtr Rev. H. York, Rov. W. Beckett, Rov. G. Christian, Commandant Lord, Rev. T. W. Vealie, Captain Inglis, Rev. W. Walker, Rev. w £ W T h ,' te > .W. H. Orbell! Rev. v\ atts, Rev. Williams, Rev. C. A. Iraer, Rov. J. Paterson. Rev. P. Cocks, Adjutant Middleman, Rev. J. Cocker, Rov. C. W. Duncumb, Rov. J. Tennant, ij S , T, ran I ? cr ' Rcr - D - Rodger, I , * 1B - Haggitt, and Rev. HA. Job, and several lavmen. The following officiated as organists durmg the day Messrs Davis Hunt, O. Davis A M. Owen, E. Firth, E j! laylor A M. Bogg, Dr. Bradshaw, and Miss R. Ross.

tJ-L™ estimated that over ,000 people attended th© service. ™ } '.^ as conducted by GO persons, two-thirds of whom were non-Anglican ministers and laymen. ADDRESS BY THE BISHOP. Bishop Julius, in his address, said he spoko only at the request ot his brethren, but he did so somewhat reluctantly. Ho did not wish to speak when otners had remained silent. Looking at that congregation, and remembering tho long day's service, his first thought was: How much had been lost during the churches' separation and division, and what might they not have done by God's grace if there had not been a want of concentration in their services, tlitiir worship, their sympathies, and in tho fellowship which always was trying to express itself, and which they found it so difficult to realise? How much they had lost! If they had not been divided they would not have had their children brought up in ignorance of God's word. Ho would not, however, bewail the past. When ho looked around him he had a sense of that deep fellowship which had uttered itself that day, and of how much they could hope for and gain in years to come. It might bo that the Church restored to unity and fellowship in the coming ages would be better than the Church they had united in the sorrows of division. When that day arrived it would not mean a suppression of any, it would not be a swallowing of tho weak, but a great gathering in of tho richer unity of all they had learned, all they had suffered, all they had gained, ill the long years of their sorrows. Even in such a service as the one they attended on that day of intercession, they had a glimpse of that which would be—not yet, perchance, but surely later, in the will of God. Ho felt certain that his own people had learned a great deal of that which others had to give them. Ho loved to see men like his Salvation Army friends as much at homo in the Cathedral pulpit as if they were speaking in the Square. Ho loved to hear them speaking as men who were at home in their Father's house. From that service they had learned at least one. thing: They must not judge 0110 another harshly or be "bitter to one another. They must let the memory of that day of' united worship have a place in their hearts and feel the fellowship that lay deeply beneath the surface. Thev would never know that fellowship until they learned to worship at the Lord's altar together. They had come to the Cathedral not at the invitation of tho Bishop. 7t was something that God turned to his purpose. a great sorro v ,- in their hearts, because in tho day of their prosperity they might never have come.

Subsequently the Rev. P. . Knight said a few words. Ho said he was overwhelmed at the magnitude and the meaning of that day's work. They must give praise to God.