ANNUAL CHURCH PARADE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29555, 3 July 1961, Page 6

ANNUAL CHURCH PARADE

St. John Ambulance Brigade Nearly two hundred members Of the St. John Ambulance Brigade attended the annual church parade of the Christchurch corps and subcentre, held yesterday afternoon at the Durham Street Methodist Church. Before the service, the parade marched from the Order of St. John headquarters in Peterborough street to the church by a route which included toe Victoria street bridge, where a salute was taken by toe Commissioner of toe Canterbury and the West Coast centre (Mr G. L Falck). With the commissioner were toe centre chairman (Mr W. A. McAllister) and a former chairman. Dr. J. R. Thomas, who is a knight of toe order.

The parade was led by the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Brigade Band, under Drum-Major F. Bayard. The St. John marchers were in charge of the Christchurch corps superintendent (Mr G. H. Dunlop), who came next behind the band with ambulance members. The nursing members followed, and then the nursing cadets,, wity the ambulance cadets bringing up toe rear. The service was taken by the minister of the church, the Rev. A. K. Petch. Among those present were the Mayor (Mr G. Manning) and Mrs Manning. The lessons were read by Mr Dunlop and Mr McAllister. "Followers of Jesus Christ aren’t thrown to the Lions these days, but following Him can still be a perilous business,” Mr Petch said in his, sermon. “A Christian is still liable to face ridicule, or even lose! his job or at least his popu-1 larity; 2nd be is still liable i to have to relinquish hischerished ambitions to go to another job to which God is' calling him.” Christ had said, "Whoever will save his life shall! lose it”: in other words, "losing is saving,” or, to turn it toe other way round, "saving is losing.” "Isn't it to promote and practise thia law that the Order cf St. John exists?” Mr Petch asked. The attitude of safety first, of refusing to take risks, meant in toe end to lose everything worth having.; Persons who aaved their' money, for example, for the sheer selflsh satisfaction of making their bank balance grow, were condemned by toie universal law. Seeking to save one’s bodily strength by staying in bed ail day

would soon result in flabbiness. Putting one’s brains into “cold storage” would lead to a loss of toe capaci*y to think dearly, and this was a constant danger "in the days of comic strips and digests." "Whenever we use our lives, gifts, powers, and possession* in the Christian way at uneelflshness and self-for-getfulness we discover toe real meaning of life and toe true joy of living.” be added