OUR SUNDAY CIRCLE

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13932, 14 July 1917, Page 2

OUR SUNDAY CIRCLE

WHAT THE CHURCHES ARE k: .> DOING. . .. PRAYER.. Our Father, we come to- Tlico with thankful hearts, touched into gratitudewe trust, by - Tli v manifold mercies, and as we look hack on all thfMva.v by which the Lord our Clod lias led ns we would not let Thy mercies die without praises, but would bless the Lord with all that is within us. We pray Thee to help us that past experience may lead to present: trust., and that we may front all the unknown future with the calm hearts that become those who know that God's past is the relevntion of God's future. Thou hast been our help, therefore we pray with unfaltering faith that we shall be heard. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SUNDAY GCIHCGL LESSONS. July lath. "Hezekiah, the Faithful King."—ll Chronicles xxx. Golden Text:—"He that eometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of them that seek after Him.'Heb, xi.-G. PRAYER ANSWERED BUT! (By Rev. J. H. Jowett, D.D.) T-' "Making request that ... I might come unto you."—Rom, i. 10. The Apostle Paul had a great longing to visit R'ome > He coveted the privilege of preaching the Gospel in the metropolis of the world. From Rome the story of grace might be radiated along the I'reat highways to the ends of the earth, "After that I must visit Rome." "I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are in Rome also!" And so he prayed that his burning desire might, be granted, And hi 3 prayer was answered, but in such a startlingly unexpected way. "When we came to Rome the Centurion delivered the prisoners," and Paul was among them! lie hoped to reiich the Imperial city an ambassador in glorious freedom; he entered it in bonds.

Ami so the junyt'f was answered, but ' it was answered in a very surprising way. The Apostle arrived in Borne, but such an arrival had never entered' into j Lis dreams: He was a prisoner m bonds, hut" the word of God was not bound; and 1 suppose if Paul had never been taken ,to Rome we should never have had the epistles of. the captivity. I The Epistle to the Pliillipians with all j its mellow maturity of spiritual fruits, j was born in 'bondage. And Colossians, j with its glorious proclamation of the ; - sole headship and mediatorship of j Jesus Christ, was born in the name ; gloomy .servitude. And what rare trea- i sores there are in these and other let- J lers, which we might never have known had the inspired writer always been, free! "In my distress Thou hast en-J larged'me," The experience of the psalmist was surely the experience of the Apostle, and we enjoy the splendid fruit of his enlargement. Paul entered Rome in bonds, but in his bondage he sent forth letters which have enriched the world with infinite blessedness. So t.lmt God may answer our prayers,

but the answer may come in a quite [extraordinary way. We get where we desire to be, but by God's own path. It might see mas though it' wotull have been better for everybody if Paul had been' in Borne and also been perfectly free. Yes, but T am not sure that we should have had these immortal letters. What a life Paul would have lived had lie been free to do whatever he pleased, and to go wherever he liked! It is notorious that when a maji is made n bishop his days become so crowded tout it is a rare thing for him to produ;". l his greatest boohs! And who knows but that if this great Anosf.V !■".(■ hr.d more k-mporavy freedom we illicit, have luid less permanent fruif. Sometimes the Lord permits our seclusion ir. order that ere may do a larger work. His merciful sight has Ion? ik}.', and that is why our immediate circumstances are often so contradictory to our aspiration a id prayer. The Lord looks beyond the temporary bondage to the ultimate freedom. "Tlicbud may have a bitter taste, Hut sweet will be the flower." NEWS |ND NOTES, .

More than three hundred ministers of the Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational, and Baptist Churches met in the Chapter House, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, on, Tuesday, 2(ith June, to' discuss some problems that confront the Churches of today. His Grace the Archbishop of Sydney, who presided remarked in opening the morning session that behind all the differences which separated the ministers ,of the various denominations, was the oneness of the same Saviour, to whom tliev all looked as Masle/, and the oneness <jf the same desire in all to draw men closer to Christ, iff believed that it was by the call of God that they had come unitedly to worslihip Ilim, and to take counsel together about the problems of their common work. This confidence was amply justified by the experience of the day. The large assembly was led in thought and in prayer by men representing Varied types of Christian communion, but differences were forgotten in the common inspiration and uplift experienced by all.

Professor A. J. Grieve, M.A., D.D, of Yorkshire United College, is to be the new Principal of the Scotish Congregational Theological Hall at Edinburgh. Dr. Grieve's selection, wJiicli was'confirmed at the Scottish Union meetings is an excellent one. Dr Grieve has been at Bradford for six years and during that period litis done distinguished work as Professor of New Testament.Studies and Christian Sociology. His scholarship will come, up to the high standard Edinburgh demands of her college prin-

cipals. • lie is still young—forty-three—-anil he has an inexhaustible fund-of energy and resource. ' • '" \ '» # * ,The Londori Missionary Society liqr cflm'e through its financinl year in a better maimer than its supporters dared at one time to hope, A margin of nearly £<loo on the right side is excellent when compared with those heavy deficits that for years took the heart out of the denomination. Collins street Chprcli (Melbourne) has received a cable from Rqv, Dr, Campbell Morgan, asking to be relieved from his engagement to come out to Melbourne for twelve months, Dr, Morgan deeply regrets to have to cancel his engagement Meantinie-the .church is being supplied from the Australian Ministry. Rev, P, Watson, of Summer Hill (NB.W.) will occupy the pulpit for the next two Sundays,

That the Y.M.C.A has become recognised ns an institution in military life is shown by the advice which has reached Iho national committee of the association in Australia from one of the Red Triangle workemt the front. "On the eve of the Arms says the writer, "our men were invited to undertake work near forward dressing stations, and throughout the following days of victory, in some eight, or ten centres, free drinks and provisions were handled out to fighting men going up and wounded men coming back, to the value of £1000."

# * # On Sunday, June 2-lth, the quarterly Pleasant Sunday Afternoon of the Port Adelaide Sunday School was held, About four hundred and fifty were present, including parents and priends of the young folks of the school, The Pleasant Sunday Afternoon of tlie Sunday School is a device of the witty superintendent (Mr Knapp). For years efforts have been made to get parents to visit the Sunday School, but tliey never came. Now they come, and the Talisman is this, On the pleasant Sunday afternoon every class and grade of scholar takes a part in singing or reciting, and this brings the parents, This is the fourth, and everybody enjoyed the afternoon, Between the doings of the young folks sensible remarks were made by deacons. The pastor (Rev, D, T, Wlialloy). presided. # # • | In their reports of the great service in St. Paul 's London, on April 20th, in celebration of the entry of the United States into the war, the newspapers did scant justice to the noble sermon of | Bishop Brent, of which only n few frag'j mentary sentences were printed. We are I olad, savs The Christian of Mav 3, to I' . ' i see that the entire sermon is to ap- ' pear as a pamphlet, The distinguished i audience that listened to it would find 1 food for reflection in its powerful plea , for the visible unity of the Church. ! These words should ring like a clarion throughout the Empire:— "The question of world-peace and of Christian reunion go, together, for only the visible Church of Christ will lie competent to remove the obstacles in the way of the establishment of His Kingdom of "•righteousness and love. . . The world is craving for that unity that | comes from God, and that is maintained | by the operation of the spirit of God."

That no merely external union is meant, is shown in the following words: "Either churches must justify their' claim to be the favoured or exclusive residence of God by exhibiting in their works n holiness nowhere now apparent, or else they must admit the favour of God towards other churches of lesser pretensions,"' In other words, what is needed is to give visible effect to the spiritual union which the Holy Ghost has already created.