MEMORIAL CHURCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21805, 21 May 1934, Page 11

MEMORIAL CHURCH

TITIRANGI CEREMONY NEED OF CHRISTIAN UNITY GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S APPEAL The tenth anniversary of the little church at Titirangi, standing ainid glorious native bush, as a memorial to soldiers from the district who fell during the war, was celebrated at a special service yesterday afternoon. The Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, was present, and read the lessons. In addition, he delivered a short address before the benediction. The service was conducted by the Rev. S. It. Knapp, while the sermon was preached by the Rev. W. P. Rwikin. Mr. Rankin traced the connection between the monument erected by Joshua after the crossing of the Jordan by the Israelites and the memorials to our own dead. "This church and monuments scattered throughout the length and breadth of the Empire," he said, "are history's appeal to the imagination and an inspiration to courage. It is through brave men that all the great works in the world have been accomplished. We have received a direct charge to do our part in the world's work, and men are cowardly -n life's battle because they are atheist's and because they are indifferent to the higher things. Leaders With Vision "To-day, as in the days of Joshua, we need leaders with vision. We want deliverers to restore some prosperity to a disordered world. All that statesmen can do is to talk of prices and the restriction of production, and the financiers talk only of the tokens of currency and not of the fundamentals of international economics. It is idle to pretend that the present breakdown is due to natural causes. It is a breakdown in human organisation. It may take years to adjust our difficulties and to overcome them, but we can pray for a little of the spirit of the men to whose lives these stones are a memorial."

His Excellency spoke at the conclusion of the service. "I have a feeling that I would appear to you to be somewhat remiss," he said, "if I left you this afternoon without wishing you Godspeed and without congratulating you, as I do most heartily, on th<» existence of this beautiful church which you have erected as a memorial to those who fell in the war." A Unique Memorial Lord Bledisloe referred to the fact that both his predecessors in office had delivered prepared addresses at the church in connection with special tasks; one had performed the opening ceremony and the other had unveiled the memorial tablet. He had declined to do so himself for fear of establishing an embarrassing vice-regal precedent. The church was a most unique memorial * There were, scattered up and down the cities, towns and even the villages of the Empire, war memorials of varying character. Some were inspiring, some attractive in design, while some quite unnecessarily evoked feelings of depression and melancholy. Rome were almost repellent through their lack of artistic skill or good tasto.

"Here you have what appears to me to be a thoroughly ideal war memorial," His Excellency said, "in that you commemorate those fallen soldiers who were comrades in tho Great War by promoting comradeship of worship in the same House of God." There was a call to all Christian people to stand together and present a united front against all the evils with which the world was threatened—lack of faith in God, worldliness, atheism and agnosticism. Example of Comradeship

His Excellency referred to the use of the church for inter-denominational services, and expressed the hope that the friendly comradeship between Anglicans and Presbyterians which obtained at Titirangi would always exist. In his stirring address, Mr. Rankin had said that we to-day had no rivers to cross, as the Israelites had under Joshua. But, in referring to the economic and social problems which were now convulsing the nations of the world, he had indicated that we, too, had rivers to cross, the waters of which were exceedingly troublous. Unless we retained a firm foothold, there was no chance of getting to the other side.

Lord Bledisloe hoped the example that Titirangi had set would be followed iii other parts of the Dominion. Unless Christians were prepared to stand together the problems of the day would indeed be difficult to surmount and, instead of preventing war, we might be paving the way for one more terrible in its effects than that which ended 16 years ago. Whitsuntide was pre-eminently a period for Christian co-operation and reunion.