ST MICHAEL'S AND ALL ANGELS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12559, 22 July 1901, Page 7

ST MICHAEL'S AND ALL ANGELS.

JUBILEE SERVICES. Special' Jubilee' services wre conducted \ in the Church of St Michael and All Angels yesterday. There were good congregations both morning and evening. :.>. MORNING SERVICE. The preacher in the morning was the ricax, the Rev A.- W. Averill, who took bis tesb from Psalm 132, setting forth David's prayer at the removing of the au. The- words are: "Lord, remember David, and,all bis afflictions, how he sware unto -the Lord, and vowed unto the mights'" God of Jacob, 'Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed, I will not give sleep to owe eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.'" The preacher said! .that the Psalm seemed to have been •written to commemorate the completion 01 the temple. B struck a note which was applicable to all time, namely, the duty to look back from the completed idea 'to' the birth of the thought. The 'temple had been built in David's heart before it was ■built by Solomon's hands, and Solomon asked thai David's lefi'c-rts should! bo remembered. The words could be well applied; to the church in which they had met, at'.'the time of its Jubilee. When they contemplated the idea of the completed church, their minds should go back,, to those who had thought it out and _ had,_ spent much anxious care in connection,..-with, it.. T^t'day;'they thanked God for the 'faithahcll'.devotion, of the Pilgrims. They asked ffiTT> to remember the Pilgrims and their id^ala,::their self-sacrifices, and their noble eftoirts-'to' honour Jehovah and establish) the worship of Him in the land. In reading of those things, people of the present generation acknowledged with gratitude and pride that the early settlers who had thus ewam unto Almighty God were following in the steps of the man after God's own heart.. Their intentions, zeal, devotion, and ideals'Were still the admiration -of-. earnest church people in all parts of the world. The city and the diocese of Christohurclr.were still reaping the fruits, of'itheirMotion. That pariah!;'rejMoed in occupying-the noble position of the.,first dhiirch' parish established by in Chri'stcburch, and that building, small as it was then, was the first in which worship was held. The present generation could look back to the day which the late Dean Jacobs in his first sermon in that church- had called the day of small tilings; and if the preacher then urged the settlers not to .despise small things, surely people_ of the present day should rejoice ..that the day of smaU, things They should be : lcsyal£M? thos§< churcli principles, which had done muchr'to build tip the characters of many of their settlers; and had distinguished ,them from<manyJ Settlers in other parts :bfj -Shef-, He' quoted from "The New Zealand (Church, by the late Dean Jacobs, an-account of historical incidents in connection with the church. It was in •thatbuilding, then called " The Church, of Christchurch," that Bishop Harper had been enthroned on the Christmas Day after he landed in New Zealand, and thenceforth the building had become tine Pro-Cathe-dral. The chifrch had ecs-h. the ordination of many clergymen. In its baptismal, and marriage registers there were the names of many Canterbury settlers, and also records of baptisms and marriages that had taken place on tbeftrst four ships. Sfc Michael's was'dear tola great many people who, m times" of ■'•'jay., and sorrow,., had gathered witbin the '.'Walls. «f the old church; --, It, was dear to many who no longer rested within sound of its historic -bell,■•and" to many who still had the privilege of worshipping the God of their fathers on that sacred spot. They found the church, in its middle life, still supported and loved. It Md certainly played an important part in,' the history of the .province. Its useful-. ness would "not diminish' in the future. They believed in maintaining the beauty of God's house, and, in giving Him of their best, they were carrying out what had been- in the hearts of the Pilgrims. Might God continue to bless the old church, and might all honour be given to the principles of the church and the pious intentions of its founders. .In conclusion, the nreacber sa;d that _ a chapel'and vestries were being erected honour of the Pilgrims, and the Jubilee Memorial Fund, to which h© urged those present to subscribe, would be devoted.to. that purpose. ■ ■* -. The lessons were read by the Rev J. A. . Julius, and appropriate hymns were sung.. ; ' ; i,',' : ' r .p§HJ>REN'S. SERVICE. '&■■'" . 4.' service was held in 'the af- ! ttembon.t'lA'-large number the,. building filled' - The service based ohHymn 242, "Lord, I have loved the habitations of Thy. house, and the place where Thine honour dwelleth." Between the verses of the hymn prayers were offered up by the Vioar for thosa who had been baptised in the church and the parish, those who had been confirmed, past and present members of the choir, and others connected with the church. The Rev J. A. Julius preached l to the children from Leviticus xxv-10, "And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year." . ,*: THE.. EVENING -SERVICE. i . The chureb'/was crowded in the everting, i Special sung, and the words of theVafltherS''were,. "The Lord is righteous in aft Ms ways," and holy in all his works," from-Psalmn". cxlv. Bishop Julius preached. He took lis text from Ist Corinthinas, sir, 24, "But if all prophesy, and there com« in one that believeth .mob, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all be is judge of all." Ho said that the Church of Corinth had been endowed with-many gifts, among, them, being tho gift of tongues. It was "mucb.Vsoughb after, and - there grew up a, confusion,' which entered into'the service, the result being that a danger'arose,"'as the Ohurch was becoming brilliant rather than spiritual. The Church became a complete Church, bound ; by no rules, precedents, or formulas, except ,in-, ! Christ and 'His' word. Congregationalism ' was a system of church polity which frequently asserted itself even now. It was much easier to be enthusiastic about a fraction than about the whole. There was ,a tendency to centralise their religion and their devotion to a particular place of worship, a particular congregation, ministry, and form of worship, to throw all their energy,, and; vigour, into it, and lobi}.outside, i ''lt was a tendency, and .liliQ'/ a "which inight specially. assail-' a vigorous and enthusiastic congregation, such as that of St Michael's. It was, therefore, with thankfulness to God that the preacher looked back, over the history of ithe Church, and remembered how steadily faithful both the church and the parish had been to the diocese and to the work of God. He knew that there was a wide tendency among mem&ers of the church. He thanked. God? that it stood foremost in its love o£ missionary work and care for the poor, and gave loving support to' all things in the diocese that .called for its" help and assistance. God -wanted His medium of communication to those, who did not know spiritual, power and religion. That medium might be, and ought 'to' be, such a congregation as St'Michael's.,' By. the blessing of God, the church.had.now.entered upon another fifty years of its existence. It had grown from a little • place to that fair building, one o'f 'the finest wooden ■churches he knew of.', '. perhaps before another fifty years had gone by, it would Siva way bci a still more splendid structure. lany of those present remembered the church in its early days,' and the good work it did., TlMy thanked' God from their hearts .that His blessing wus upon it still. If any of them were to stand whs-re he was standing that night, they would feel as he felt, that it was a welcome, stimulating, and delightful sight to see soich a congregation. -They had joined in the service, and could thank God for its beauty, simplicity and faithfulnisss. Knowing that j many members of the ohurch were faithful workers, serving humbly and quietly, he j fcaid that beneath the surface of the 1 ccn- j KregfttiOA £h£Xft was much, to- hn thankful j

for. When present at the communion ser-. vice in the morning, however, he had felt that the strength of the church waa in its communicants. Music and ritual were good. Money would supply the first and care and accuracy the second. But devotion was better than all." He wanted members of the congregation to consider the influence of their bearing and manner on the people around them-. He could not exaggerate the influence on men of a deeply devout congregation, which in every part was so sensible of the divine presence in its midst that it conveyed that sense to others. They should make their church a medium for bringing Christ nearer to the world. _ The lessons were read by the vioar. The Te Deum was sung at both tho morning and evening services. Holy Communion was celebrated at 8 a.m. and 12.15 p.m., the total number of communicants being 300. The whole of the offertories for the day will be devoted to the Jubilee Fund.