CHRISTIAN WITNESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21279, 5 September 1932, Page 11

CHRISTIAN WITNESS

UNITED CHURCH CAMPAIGN WIDE PUBLIC RESPONSE SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION . The central part of the campaign of united Christian witness, planned and car- „ ried through by the Auckland Council of Christian Congregations, is now drawing to a close, and will culminate in a thanksgiving service to be held in the Town Hall this evening. This central week of meetings throughout the city and suburbs was preceded by months of bouse to house visitation and other preparation, and it will be followed on the part of the individual churches by various activities for which the way has now been opened. Those most closely in touch with what occurred last week in the various districts are deeply gratified at the response which tho campaign has elicited. Attendances at many of tlio week-night special meetings exceeded expectations, and even on such an unusual occasion as Saturday night halls have been crowded. Church leaders aro confident that the community has been deeply stirred and that great good has been accomplished. The enthusiasm and earnestness manifested has been very striking and unmistakable. Nothing, perhaps, has been more noteworthy about the campaign than the cordial spirit of co-operation among the various churches in which it has been carried out. Ministers of all the leading denominations have shared freely in the leadership of the meetings from a common platform, and workers from their churches have gained fresh appreciation of each other as they co-operated in house to house visitation. In most churches yesterday special services of an evangelistic character were held in pursuance of the campaign, and the largely augmented congregations indicated the public interest that has been aroused. As a clergyman remarked yesterday, "The very fact that the various bodies of Christians are willing and anxious to join together in striving to uplift the city for Christ may prove to be a great factor in regenerating the country." Over 700 people gathered in Point Erin,. Park yesterday afternoon for an open-air service, conducted by ministers of the Ponsonby district. The Rev. W. W. Averill presided, and stirring evangelistic addresses were given by Captain A. Chandler, of the Salvation Army, and the Rev. R. Gebbie. The Revs, G. Frost, F. B. Barton and J. D. Jensen assisted in the service.

CATHEDRAL SERVICE " HERD CONVENTIONALITY " A special mission service was conducted in St. Mary's Cathedral la,sb evening by Archbishop Averill. United prayer was offered in response to requests received from people in need of help, and tne archbishop lead extracts from typical letters of thanksgiving, in which the writers expressed their gratitude for blessings received and prayers answered during the mission of the past week. "The witness of religion is often terribly weak just because wo have not the moral courage' to rise above the herd instinct to the troth instinct," said the archbishop, preaching on the subject, "Free or in Bonds?" "We do what others do, and must be in the fashion. Jesus rejected the temptation of the conventional and the generally accepted in the wilderness. Dare wo follow Him into the wilderness ?" The archbishop drew attention to the supreme moral coutage of Jesus in rejecting all the commonly accepted conceptions of the Jewish Messiah. His whole life was a challenge to the conventionalities of those among whom He lived, including His own apostles. It was conventionality under the guise of religion that determined to get rid of Him. It accomplished its purpose, but His truth .'remained. 4 As an illustration of how loyalty to the herd in preference to Christ manifested itself in politics, he said there was no recognition of Almighty God in our public schools because men dare not put loyalty to conscience before loyalty to the herd. In such matters as the indissolubility of marriage, and the sanctity of the Lord's Day it was the herd against Christ. We knew in our inmost hearts that moral cowardice was our greatest enemy. There would very soon be a revival in Auckland if only we could conquer the "herd conventionality" and had the moral courage to take our stand by the courageous and lonely Christ. The freedom to do what we ought, the freedom of self-control was the only freedom in the world. If a revival of religion was to come it would come by a large increase of consecrated men, women and children who had gained the moral courage to break through the bonds of formal conventional religion and had made the great decision to follow Christ at all costs.

ADDRESS TO MEN THE WRITING ON THE WALL That God is giving to the nations a further warning to repentance in the present economic trouble was a central part of tho message given by the Rev. Canon Grant Cowen at a men's meeting held at the Salvation Army Congress Hall yesterday afternoon. The meeting was one of those in connection with the campaign of united Christian witness, and among those associated on the platform and taking part in tho proceedings were Adjutant S. Bridge, the Rev. E. R. Harries, the Rev. W. Walker, the Rev. A. H. Whiting and Pastor W. Campbell. Canon Grant Cowen based his address on the story of the writing that camo forth upon the wall at the feast of Bel•shazzar and Daniel's interpretation of the message of doom. Making a presentday application, the speaker said he could sec the writing on the wall by the finger of God during these last few years. God gave great warning to the world when tho Great War took place, warning that it mnst turn to Him. For a little time it seemed as if men and women were going on their knees to ask for His help, but when tho war was over they soon began to forget and to engage in a great orgy o.f pleasure and selfishness and greed. And now the economic crisis was another warning written by the finger of God. We were "living in a, world of abundance of produce and foodstuffs anrl it was not God but the selfishness and greed of nations and of men that was causing tho present, suffering. "I do not believe that we shall get over onr present trouble until we turo our thoughts to God Himself." said ih* preacher. "God is a power to bo reckoned with in our national and social life, and you cannot forget God without suffering." There was no one but Jestis Christ who could remedy the existing ills of life.