ST. JOHN’S CHURCH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 71, 21 February 1939, Page 5

ST. JOHN’S CHURCH.

DEDICATION FESTIVAL. . St. John’s Anglican Church, Feildmg, celebrated its dedication festival on Sunday, there being a very large congregation in the evening, when \ en. Archdeacon F. IT. Petrie conducted the service and preached an inspiring sermon. Taking as his test, “Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory, and how do ye see it now?” Archdeacon Petrie said that the dedication festival was in a very special sense their domestic festival—their great annual family gathering, when they liked to see all their members, young and old, meet together tq offer up praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God for all the great things He had done for them. This festival, said the speaker, after referring to the spiritual blessings which were always available at the > church, celebrated the 57th anniversary of the consecration of the building. Very few, if any, present at that dedication were present this night. Those who were responsible for the erection of the

building were proud of it and deservedly so, for the edifice was built with the best material then available. It was designed by one of the leading ecclesiastical architects; it was built to accommodate a congregation far larger than was likely to use it at that time. Those people looked to the future —they meant the church to last, they meant it to be worthy of the object for which they built it, and so they gave of their best. This building, after all these years still compared more than favourably with many built since. At the same time, the building was of wood and could not last for ever. It was now showing signs of decay. The time was not far distant when another would have to take its place. To build new churches cost money, and they should be giving now what they could afford to the fund already opened for the purpose. Meanwhile, the building had been kept in repair. Some people were careful to look after their own comforts, and spend any amount of their time and money on their own homes, but grudged a sixpence towards the upkeep of the place where God dwelt and where worship was offered to Him. Their

church should be their greatest concern and their first care. But what was even more important, the words of the text had a spiritual application, Archdeacon Petrie proceeded. When they thought of this church how did it compare with the church of the pa6t? They had much to be thankful for, of course. They had many church members and many church workers. But how could they possibly be content when at many of their services the church was not half full and at none of their services was it crowded? How could they be content when so many people who had been baptised into the Church never entered it from one year’s end to the other? How could they bo happy when they remembered that the attendances at the services were less than they were 16 years ago? To their forefathers the place of worship stood for all that was deepest and most vital. It was to them the most sacred spot in the world. If those of to-day would regain the past keenness their religion must become as real and as deep and as vital as it was to the former generations. The full choir sang two anthems, “Peace I Leave With You” and the “Gloria in Excelsis.” Mr A. Levy (tenor) had the solo in the first anthem and was in very good voice. Hymns appropriate to the occasion were sung by the choir and congregation. |