HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 March 1917, Page 2

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.

VISIT O.F THE BISHOP OF NELSON Large congregations assembled ai Huiy i riiuu Guurcu yesierua \. iue LuSuop ol tlie JJloCeae uelU a tujuillliauon Service m tile Morning, s u iu« lurty young peopie receivi-jj; t ..e 'Xu*iii oh ot Lne Harms, ine LiMioj) gave iwu eloquenc and interesting ..-.- messe;.. I lie one betole ilie tOi.i.nuauoii was explanatory or uie saciol rite, and the alter auuress was tuii ot tameiiy counsel to uiose newly coiinrmeu. 'Die Continuation was loliowed ov a celebration of lloiy L'omnmiiiloii. L'lte iiishop war- assisted by uie Kev. Cecil \\nson. ol ivumara, and .-uendeacon Yjrk. In the bvening \.ie liishop preached to another crowned congregation, taking for lus text Mink iiyjiiu 'they weiH oiu into the Mount ot Olives.' JI is Lordship emphasised the importante of rituai. in ciiurch worship, and its progressive character. He said that no provision had been made for music in the original Feast of the Jewish Passover. Xue singing of the hymn or psalms was an innovation. bueh singi.ir uad been gradually introduced until, m our Lord's tune, the "Great Hallel." which consisted of Psalms 113 to i'lß, formed part of the service. Another innovation had been the use of red wine. This had taken the place formerly occupied b? the "bitter herbs",' and whilst the original Passover was authorised to be eaten in hasre standing, with shoes on feet, and staff in hand, the hasty meal had been replaced by a leisurely Paschal Feast. \. „• are told that our Lord and his Disciples reclined at table and that St. .loan, the beloved Disciple, leaned on Jesus' breast at the supper. Now all this innovation was approved and sanctioned by Our Lord. There are people to-day who are crying out for the Church to go hack and to confine her ritual to that in vogue at her first .institution. The Church's mission is no! to go back, but to go forward. Hail our Lord thought otherwise, He would have found fault with the Paschal as conducted in His day and insisted on a return and strict adherence to the original ritual. Uur Lord's attitude then should be ours to-day. The Church's ritual should fittingly and adequately express her inward and spiritual feelings and emotions. There was something beautifully appropriate in the use of sacred sonfc at the Feast. The sight of our Blessed Lord sii.|;mg when about to enter upon His passion touches uur '■ hearts. He sings the Psalms which we know express in poeticai phraseology the Redeemer's sufferings and passion. His singing serves to show us with what assurance ami confidence He entered upon the concict in Gethsemane, Gabbatha, Golgotha and Calvary, and which 'culminated in His death on the Cross. His saints have followed His glorious example and have risen to jubilant heights facing sorrow and suffering and even death itself with song upon their lips. In an eloquent peroration the Bishop applied the spiritual lesson of his sermon to the great world conflict in which the nations are at present engaged, lie said there was every indication that we were approaching the last final struggle, which he hoped and firmly trusted would lead to the overthrow ot our enemies and the establishment of peace, but the conflict would be terrific.'' We neded to enter upon it in the same confident spirit which actuated the Great Master who, when they had sung a hymn, went out into the .Mount of Olives. At the close of the sermon Mr. Short gave a magnificent rendering of Handaks "But who may abide the day J?( His coming?" from "The MessiaJL"' Miss Lawn presided at the organ. A feature of the service was the hearty singing of the congregation as well as the" Choir.