IMPRESSIVE SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 78, 29 September 1924, Page 3

IMPRESSIVE SERVICE

ST. MARY'S CHURCH, KARORI.

Tho B,shop of Wellington, Dr. Sprott, ChnvM, s mal lon Service in StChurch on Sunday morning. Every seat H the church was filled, and th/vicar o, tho parish presented forty-ono sandidates to his Lordship for the rite of Confirmation The Bifhop chose his text from the Ist Epistle of St. John 111. v.) ; i ); naL , gaVO an ins Piring address winch will be long remembered by those pr6scnt*. ■

i iV tei' <luotmg the text, namely "Beno d what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God, and such we are, Bishop Sprott said that the words God is our Father" was the great message that our Lord Jesus Christ cave to the world. So, far as we knew, our Lord never spoke of God by any other m.me or title than that of Father Player was jusl the child speaking to the Father. The speaker said he wantel to impress, upon those present that bod or I" ather wished His children to load helpful and useful lives and to make tho most and best of themselves; to tako a hif.li and serious view of their own lives. Wo owed it to God the 1-atlicr from whom w o had received wonderful B ifts—the wonderful and mysterious gift of life and beautiful cndcwiueiils of body, mind, and soul—we owed it to God to put tlicso gifts to the highest use. There was one littlo maxim ot the utmost importance for tho guidance of lifo which the speaker wished to givo thoso present, namely, "As we think, we are." That meant that our characters and our actions were made, moulded, and shaped by our prevailing thoughts. Character and conduct could be true and pure and honourable and lovely. God wanted His children so to be. In conclusion, Bishop Sprott said his last words, to those present were these: "In all your future'life from today, never let yourselves doubt for a moment that, the Holy Spirit of God is with you in your hearts, to help you to live your best and truest life as children of God."