THE SUNDAY CIRCLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21580, 27 February 1932, Page 2

THE SUNDAY CIRCLE

RELIGIOUS READING FOR THE HOME GOD OF THE LIVING. God of the living, in Whose eyes Unveiled Thy whole creation lies, All souls are Thine; we must not say That those are dead who pass away; From this our world of flesh set free, We know them living unto Thee. Released from earthly toil and strife, With Thee is hidden still their life; Thine are their thoughts, their works, their powers. All Thine, and yet most truly ours: For well we know, where’er they be, Our dead are living unto Thee. Not spilt like water on.the ground, Not wrapped in dreamless sleep profound, Not wandering in unknown despair Beyond Thy voice. Thine arm. Thy care; Not left to lie like fallen trees; Not dead, but living unto Thee. Thy word is true, Thy will is just: To Thee we leave them, Lord, in trust. And bless Thee for the love which gave Thy Son to fill a human grave. That none might ‘fear that world to see Where all are living unto Thee. O Breather into man of breath, O Holder of the keys of death, O Quickener of the life within. Save us from death, the death of sin. That body, soul, and spirit be For ever living unto Thee! A PRAYER FOR YOUTH. 0 Jesus Christ, the Lord of all good life, Who hast called us to build the city of God; do Thou enrich and purify our lives and deepen in us our discipleship. Help us daily to know more of Thee, and through us, by the power of Thy spirit, show forth Thyself to other men. Make us humble, grave, and loving; make us ready for adventure. We do not ask that Thou wilt keep us safe, but that Thou wilt keep us loyal; Who for us didst face death, unafraid, and dost live and reign for ever and ever. Christ, Whom the common people heard gladly, Lord of sincerity and truth, before Whom all that is hollow and unreal shrivels up and is consumed away; give us the spirit of reality; help us fearless’y and honestly to seek for truth and to listen to Thy challenge; cleanse ns from prejudices and partisanship, and purge out from our inmost souls, 0 Lord, whatsoever loveth and maketh a lie. . We ask it for Thy name's sake. Amen. THE MATTER OF GIVING. Ministers are sometimes diffident, says the Scots' Observer, naturally enough, about urging their people to subscribe liberally to the various church schemes, but if they would only take a wider view and invite us all, young and old, to devote a certain proportion of our earnings to the Lord’s services generally, without reference to our own congregational needs, I firmly believe that the appeal would be well responded to, and that those who acted on their minister’s advice would have cause to thank him as long as they lived. —W. W. Naismith. A TEXT FOR EACH DAY’S MEDITATION. Sunday.—" Fear the Lord, and serve Him .in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you.”—l Samuel xii, 24. “ There hath not failed one word of all His good promise.”—l Kings viii, 56. Monday.—“ Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying: This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”— Isaiah xxx, 21. “For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them.”—Hosea xiv, 9. Tuesday.—“ Then spake Jesus unto them, saying: I am the light of the world, he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” —John viii, 12. “ Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he gocth,”—John xii, 35. Wednesday.—“ There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in. us, who w r alk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”—Romans viii, 1 and 4. Thursday. —“ Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. Redeeming the time because the days are evil.’ —Ephesians v, 1,2, 16. Friday.—“ Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”—Ephesians v, 17, 20, 21. Saturday, —“ Rejoice in the Lord alway. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” —Philippians iv, 4 to 7.—H. R. Higgens. DR FOSDICK SAYS; Faith is not primarily a pious matter, an affair of creeds and churches; it is simply the opposite of fear. It is a basic power in human personality, like love and hope, which, when well used, is a builder of wholcsomeness and health. ?\ar imprisons life; faith liberates it. Feav paralyses life: faith empowers it. Fear disheartens life; faith encourages it. Fear sickevs life; faith heals it. Fear narrows, life; faith expands it. Fear depresses life; faith gladdens it. Whatever, therefore, displaces fear by faith makes for the health of the whole organism. SYMPATHY OF INDIANS WITH C.M.S. The staff of St. John’s School, Krishnagar, North India, wishing to take their part in helping the C.M.S. in its financial anxiety, decided to hold a C.M.S, week in the school. A subscription list was opened in each of the 12 classes, and the headmaster says that practically every boy in the school gave something, even if it was only a pice. The result was that the headmaster was able to forward a cheque for £3 12s “as a thanksgiving offering from the staff and boys as a small token first of our gratitude to the society for its generous support of the school during past years, and secondly as an indication of onr sympathy with you in your present difficulties.” AN EXPERIMENT IN INTERCESSION. An experiment in the form of an intercession service In which a period of silence is the chief element is being tried to St. John’s. Edinburgh (Scottish Episcopal Church). It is held on Fridays, and lasts 45 minutes. A short talk on the subject for consideration is followed by 15 minutes of silent meditation upon it, after which a few minutes is devoted to putting the thought into prayer for those who take part, and then it is considered in relation to wider fields. A pamphlet explains the nature of the experiment, and also enables those who cannot attend the services to take part. As it has been going on for 12 moo'!:-, the experiment seems to have met with a measure of success. A GROWING CHURCH. The work of the Church Missionary Society in the Kisna district of South India shows great advance. Ten yearn ago there were 533 congregations, ministered to by 30 Indian clergy and ,685 lay workers; to-day the congregations number 1000, the clergy 71, and lay workers 1070. The baptised Christians 10 years ago were 30,000; at the present time they are 67,000. In 1920 the contributions of the Christians to the support of their church amounted to 21,000 rupees, last year they gave 50,000 rupees, in spite of the fact that most of them arc extremely poor. During the present year their contributions have fallen considerably, for owing to financial depression the majority of them have had heavy reductions in wages, amounting in many oases lo 50 per cent. NOISY RELIGION. “If Christianity cannot give us quietness,” said a Buddhist in the East, “we have no use for it.” We Western people are always inclined to make our religion a noisy, talkative thing. We want God,

too, to act in a striking catastrophic way. But His power is not revealed in such a fashion; it is displayed in the ordinary, unhurried, silent activity of Nature and life. He works along the undistinguished paths, patiently, carefully, thoroughly. Men's best work is also like His. We reveal our strength and character lay the way we do the little duties. It takes a big mind to do these well. Great movements and undertakings are needed, but the quiet work of ordinary folk is needed more. The humbler toiler has no cause to be dissatisfied or unhappy in his position. He is doing what God wants him to do. and by doing it, faithfully in the stillness of a perfect relation to God he is working with God in the service of love and achievement. True religion is rooted in silence.