ANNIVERSARY SERVICES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15911, 3 November 1913, Page 7

ANNIVERSARY SERVICES.

ST. CLAIR CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. Special services were held at St. Clan 1 Congregational Church yesterday in connection with the children s anni\ei'sar\. Iu the morning, in spite of the rain, a good congregation was present, including a large number of children, for whom special seats had been reserved. The pastor (the Rev. W. J. Ashford) preached from Ephes, v, 8, " Walk as children of light," and was followed with interest both by children and adults. In the afternoon a flower service was held, when the church was again well filled, the young people preponderating. Gifts of flowers, tastefully arranged, were. received (and later on sent to the Dunedin Hospital). A most enjoyable 1 hour' 6 service ensued, in which the children, figured very largely. In the evening Mr Ashford preached to young men and young women on the subject "Drawing a Bpw at a Venture," Irom 2 Chron. xviii, 33, " A certain man drew a bow at a venture a-nd smote the King of Israel.' 1 This, he said, was one of tne most suggestive stories in the Bible. Life's little ironies included thejact that we often obtained indirectly—as it were at a venture —that which we failed to attain by direct, effort. It was a common experience that if one wished to recall a name, a word}. a half-forgotten incident, the thing would only return to the mind when one thought of something else. This was true also of onr influence. We often failed when we tried to influenoe the mind of our friend, and succeeded beyond our expectations immediately we had left him severely alcno. How true, said the preacher, this was of happiness! Anxiety about ourselves, our prospects, fortunes was the sure way to misery, This greatest boon of life was even the lesnlt of aiming at something else. Happiness at its highest and best was a kind of by-pro-duct which came to us unexpectedly, in our very attempt to help humanity to do a little good in the world. Drawing our bow at the venture of Faith, Hope, Love, Goodness, the largest gains of life fell in unanticipated splendour at our feet. This was, of course, what Christ meant when He said thaj; lie tliat would save his life must lose it, and that, he that would lose his life should save it.

MORAY PLACE CONGREGATIONAL

CHURCH,

Tho services in the Moray Place Congregational Church yesterday were in celebration of its 51st anniversary. Despite the somewhat unfavourable weather the congregations were excellent. The Communion service iu the morning was unusually well attended. The morning service was in the hands of the minister of the chnrch (the Rev. W. Saunders). His text was I. Samuel, chapter vii, and verse 12: " Then Samuel took a stone. . . .

and called the name of it Ebenezcr, saying, hitherto hath the Lord helped us." Emphasis was placed on the word "hitherto.'' The acknowledgment was of God's continued help. They looked at their national life ae a whole. They saw God in their defeats as well as in their victories. As we could feel tho pulsations of our blood only in a few pla-ces, and yet knew what it was surging with lifegiving force through the hidden fleshembedded arteries, so though God's help emerged only now and 1 again into prominence as special victory, yet His help was operative unceasingly. No individual, 110 nation, 110 cause was drifting aimlessly beyond the light-sphere of God's orbit. The preacher then applied the truth of God's continued help, continuous in spite of appearances, to the story of the world, of the Christian Church, of.the Moray Place Church, and of the individual.

The evening service was taken by ProfeE6or Hewitson, of Knox College, who preached an impressive and searching sermon from St. Matthew, chapter xxvi, verses 36, 40, and 41. Raphael's "Transfiguration," he said, consisted of two parts, the earthly and the heavenly. The earthly part showed Jesus and His disciples and the demoniac at the foot of the Mount of Transfiguration. It's teaching was that the perfect life had two sides, fellowship with heaven and fellowship with man. This perfect life was seen in Jesus, as in Gethsemane, whero He moved from fellowship, with God to ..fellowship with man. . First, Christ's communion was with God in the Garden. Jesus prayed often and earnestly. This was a mystery, but best, accepted by us in the interests of our spiritual life. Further, this communion was solitary. Jesus was separated even from the inner group of three. The deepest feelings required solitude, whether these feelings were of grief or love. Solitude was the breath of prayer. Prayer needed the shut-door, especially in confession. Jesus needed it to pour out the anguis hof His soul when within the shadow of the Cross, that cross which was so intimately connected with human sin. Secondly, His communion was also with men, Jesus came back from communion with God to help His disciples, who were also entering on a great sorrow. But He also came to be helped by them, for He was human. Ho was made for love, ar.d longed for it. But they were asleep— asleep while He was in agony. It was not, however, a scene which Jesus would name "Asleep at his post," but "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.'' His charity was infinite. He was quick to see _ the good. This was the necessary basis for all human fellowship. There must be charity. The life that mingled with God's waa the life that mingled healthfully with the life of men.

The singing was. inspiring. The following anthems were sung by the choir, Sir D. Cooke presiding at the organ " Break forth into joy," " The strife is o'er," "Be not afraid," ''Thanks be to God,'' and Tha Hallelujah Chorus.

MORNINGTON METHODIST CHURCH.

The Mornington Methodist Choir, under tho leadership of Mr T. Holgate, gave a fine rendering of the cantata, " Penitence, Pardon, Peace/' at the Cargill rOad church yesterday afternoon. Solos were given by Mrs Hall, Messrs Holgate, Lamb, and Johnson. The service was greatly enjoyed by the congregation, and the Rev. F. T, Read, who presided, expressed their thanks to Mr Holgate and the members of the choir. The service was held; in connection with the church anniversary, having been postponed from the previous Sunday.