CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10586, 15 October 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES.

DEVOTIONAL. WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO-DAY? We shall do much in the yeais to come, But what have we done to-daj ? We shall give our gold in a pi nicely :sum, . But what did 'we give to-daj ? We shall lift the heart and drj thb tcai, We-shall plant <i hope in the place ot fear, We shall speak the words of love and But what did wo speak to-day? We shall be so kind in the aftei -a-while, But what have wo been to-day ? -We shall bring to each loncl-y life <i smile, But what have wo brought to-day 9 ■ We shall givo to truth a grandei birth, And to steadfast faith ardeeper -north, ' ' Wo shall feed tho hungering souls of earth, But whom hn\e we fed to-day? AVo shall reap such joys m tho by .ind by, Bui; what have we sown to-day 9 "We 6hall build ua mansions ni the sky, But what have we built to-da> 3 , 'Tis sweet in idle di earns to bask, But here and now do wo our task 9 Yes, this is tho thing our souls must ask: What have we douo to-day ? —Nixon W T aterman, m Christian Endeavor World. , PRAYER. Our Father, we .thank Thee for all Thy great mercies to us day by day. ■ Thou dost open Thy hand and satisfy ,our desires, and wo bless Thee that tlio least of Thy benefits, when looked at m connection with Thyself, has -n it something great, and is clothed m he.n enly light. Wc pray that it ma\ be so in regard ot all the common duties, moments, and burdens, and cares of this fleeting lite Help eveij one ol us, we pray Thee, to unk eveiything with Our Father in Heaven, and more and more to dwell in the house ot the Loul all the days of oui lives, even whilst oui hands and thought', are busj about tho tasks that Thou dost lay upon us. May there be no schism between oui Sundaj and our wcek-davs, between our praters and our "work. May our hearts be united to fear Thy name, and in that, union may our hearts find rest. Amen. ITEMS. Mrs Amelia Spiirgeon, aunt ol the "late -Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, celebiated • her 91st birthdav in August. She was . born at Coggeshall, Essex, and has for some years lesided in Anerlev. Mis is in excellent health. centenary of the birth of Samuel 1 .Sebastian Wesley, the leading Chuich ."musician and composer of tho last century, was celebrated on Sunday (August '13.) at Exeter Cathedral, where he was ' for seven years oiganist. His music ' was also l ehearsed at the other churches ~m the city, both Anglican and Nonconformist, and organists jomed an -placing a laurel'-wreath on his gravo m the Lower Cemetery. * Dr GrenfellJ tho Labrador missionary, a period of acute distress * among his people this winter. The '"famous missionary has just received a "gift of a 40ft hospital boat for use in his work. It is a wedding present raised by the personal subscriptions of Yale men,' and is to be called The Yale. A party of men from the 'Varsity journeyed 1600 miles up the coast to deliver the present to Dr and Mrs Greiifell. A minister who is attracting a gooddeal of attention in America just now; is Rev M A Matthews, of the First Presbyterian Church of Seattle. It' is said that he is .i good preacher, a brilliant organiser, and a champion hustler. His church claims to "be the laigest •' in the United States. It has 5000 com-

municants and 76 separate departments. Mr Matthews is entirely unconventional, and, employs every up-to-date invention for saving time and labor. Ho even has a telephone in the pulpit.

lii a circular from the Maranham Christian Mission, at work in North Barzil," Mr Frederick W. Miners says that although death is causing many gaps among the converts, -the work is making steady progress. One young soldier was converted recently. Tliu Ebenezer Church, which is being built, is now Hearing completion, and it will be a great relief to the workers when it is opened and regular services commenced.

"Our giving is a most paltry business," observed the Rev. J. Parker at the Baptist Assembly at Sydney recently. "I am glad of an opportunity of saying tins It is a very bad business. You know in an ordinary clmrch it is easier to get half-a-crown for a picnic than threepence for mission works —you won't mind me telling you the truth, will you? The same applies to home missions. It is a bad business, bad business. When they tell us that all the giving of all the Christians in the world amounts to Id a head for all tho heathen, it is beastly bad business, and if we don't go home ashamed of ourselves, then we are beyond hope." Presbyterians are interested in the resignation ;of Rev. J. H. G. Chappie, of Timarii, on account of his connection, with Mr Joseph M'Cabe. It appears that Mr Chappie presided at Mr M'Cabe's lecture "as a protest against the absurdities of the orthodox teachings of the present day." Mr Chappie is also a member of the Rationalist Press Association of London, whose object is the spread of rationalist and free thought literature. After enumerating Mr Chappie's connection with the rationalists, the Presbyterian Messenger sa\s —"Rationalists we know, and Presbyterians we know, but he who thinks he can be both we do not profess to understand."

The following paragraph from a London contemporary is explanatory of, a cable message which was published in Thuisda-\'s Herald, fctatmg, that, owing to tho bishop of the diocese objecting to reservation for.adoration of the Sacrament, the vicars of St. Bartholomew and the Chinch of the Annunciation, Bnghton, had joined the Roman Catholic Church, and one of the curates had also taken the same step —"The resignation of the Rev Ai thin Cocks, of the Church of St TJai tholomcw's, Brighton, has been followed by a similar coniie ol action on tho pait of the Rev. H. F. Hindc. of the Chuich of the Annunciation, while the Rev. E. F. Nugent, of St Mm tin's, has written to the Bishop of Chichester as to the doctnnal difficulties in which he finds himself as a result of the Episcopal lettei. Dr Ridgeway, it is manifest, fiom the fatheily and kindly tone of his communications to all these cleigy, does not desire to act in any haish or aibitrary manner, and on the point at issue as to the Reseivation of the Sacrament has explained that he directs 'that the Reserved Sacrament shall bo kept for its primitive and Catholic use —namely, for the sick and djmg, and that it shall not be used at any public services such as Exposition or Benediction.' Bpth the Guardian and the Chuich Times appiove the conciliatory attitude of tho Bishop, the former describing the gioup of clergy as belonging to 'the worth }, but peculiarly trying company of good men who are impracticable.' The latter takes Mr Nugent to task as to "Sis desire to cele'biate days not in the. English calendar, and points out that 'the whole Eastern Church knows nothing of Corp Ghristi or' All Souls' Day, and, however desirable their observations may.be, the English Churches are in good company m ignoring them.' The Roman Catholic organs,' it is interesting to note, devot'ei more to-the question than they usually bestow upon an Angli-_ can controversy."