AFTER FIFTY YEARS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22399, 22 October 1934, Page 3

AFTER FIFTY YEARS

♦ MOSGIEL BAPTIST CHURCH JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS Over half v a century ago, in 18S3, the Mosgiel Baptist Church was founded. The golden jubilee of the foundation was celebrated over the week-end and consisted of a'garden "party, a jubilee tea, and a concert on Saturday, and special .services yesterday. A picnic and social evening will be held to-day and this evening. All Saturday's and yesterday's functions were largely attended, many former members of the congregation returning to Mosgiel to take part in the jubilee. The garden party was held in the Mosgiel District High School grounds, where musical items were rendered by the Municipal Band, under Mr L. B. Borrow.- The celebrations were officially opened'by the Mayor of Mosgiel. (Mr A. F. Quelch). who expressed the hope that the various functions would be heartily enjoyed by those present. At afternoon tea the jubilee cake wa9 cut by Mrs F. Stevenson, the oldest member present, and the candles were lighted by Mrs Joseph Smith, the second oldest member. At an interval a presentation of a hymn book was made to Mrs Stevenson.. A jubilee tea was later held in the Sunday School Hall, and in the evening the concert was held. The Rev. F. L. Smart; present pastor of the church, was chairman. , The choir opened the pro-

gramme with an anthem. Miss Ironside played a pianoforte solo,. "Rhapsodie in G Minor" (Brahms), and Mr J. Simpson and Miss M. Belcher contributed vocal, solos. Master H. Claridge sang "Who is Sylvia?" (Schubert), and Mr E. Tuckwell "Trooper Johnnie Ludlow" (Gordon Teinple). Miss Belcher and Mr Tuckwell opened the second half of the concert with a vocal duet, ,"A Perfect Day." The Rev.. E. S. Tuckwell recited "The, Legend of Ogre Castle." ' Miss Ironside played a second pianoforte solo, and Miss H.Walker sang "A Nightingale in June." The Rev. N. Sangom sang "Thanks be. to God," Mr W.. Finnic sang "My Prayer," and Miss J. M'Millan Alfred Hill's " Pokarekare." The National Anthem and the_benediction brought to a close a most enjoyable concert. . ■ MORNING SERVICE. Large congregations filled the church at all the; services yesterday, and the singing was led by a very efficient choir; At the morning; service a memorial unveiledby Mrs F. L. Smart, " In memory of those who by their love and devotion established and maintained this church for Christ, for humanity—l3B3-1934." ..•:"> Mr Smart, pastor of the church, con-ducted-the service and preached an appropriate sermon entitled." The Sons of the Sanctuary," the text being Exodus xxxiiij 11. "AndtheLord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp; but his servant, Joshua, the eon of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.". . •■'":.'.. "In the history of our church," said the speaker, " we have come to the Jubilee Sunday. Fifty years ago men whose hearts God. had touched founded the Baptist cause in. Mosgiel. Through the intervening years men and women have worked for, and witnessed to, the things we hold most sacred. To the memory of these, our 'fathers.in the faith,' we pay tribute of . loving gratitude. For the noble heritage and, inspiring example they bequeathed us we humbly ~ and devoutly thank God. It seems then that we are linked; with the past with golden cords of fragrant, memory. Because of this I have chosen the text I have done. "Age and youth are here joined in a friendship which is both sweet and loyal. Moses, the aged, was soon to pass hence, and Joshua, the young man, would succeed him in office and authority. But there was no jealousy in the old man's heartj and no vaunting pride in the heart of the youth, for they were friends. In Ibsen's famous play, 'The Master Builder,' the hero is haunted by a strange fear. He hears the young knocking on the door, and trembles lest youth should enter in and dispossess him. Moses was far from sharing that feeling and Joshua was too loyal to snatch at power. The old man passed with shining face into the camp, and the people watched with reverence that splendid and majestic figure. But Joshua, the youth, remained in the Tabernacle, seeking the needed grace for the impending task of leadership. But the scene has a deeper significance still. It is more than a charming association of old age finishing its course, with youth setting out on life's journey. The outstanding fact is this: that both sought life's inspiration in religion, Moses entered the camp fresh from his vision of God. Joshua, in the sanctuary, was seeking that vision. Moses felt the friendship of God enveloping him. Joshua, at life's portal, coveted that same deep Spiritual experience. Both realised the vital, urgent necessity of this experience. Religion to them was the greatest thing in the world, and they both sought it in. the sanctuary of God's presence. In this place,' our. church—hallowed by tender memories—many an aged one found the light for eventide, and many a Joshua discovered his equipment for the battle of life. In the subsequent life of Joshua we find three qualities—the spirit of reverence, the spirit of restraint, the spirit of heroism. The root of each of these lay in religion. They were the practical results of Joshua's tarrying in the Tabernacle. They are also the characteristics of every true son of the sanctuary to-day. The Church

of Jesus Christ ministers to these three qualities of the human h^art —qualities without which manhood can never reach its noblest and best. " There is a' serious charge levelled against modern youth—that ot irreverence.' If that is true, then we are on the high road to moral and spiritual bankruptcy. The loss of high regard for God, the Bible, and the Church leads ■directly to the cheapening of home life, manhood, womanhood, and everything else in life. Oliver Wendell Holmes tells us that in the garden of his soul he had a plant called ' Reverence' which needed to be watered once a week. That is- why he went to church. The grace of cievoutness —simple goodness of heart and mind —is so tragically easy to loose. Joshua found his spirit of reverence in the sanctuary. There -we shall find it. too. " The second gift of the Tabernacle to the young man was restraint. Someone has said that of all creatures man is the most irrational. He acts on whims and impulses. He requires curbing and checking. He needs someone to obey, someone to regulate and restrain him. In one of Galsworthy's short stories, ' The First and the Last,' the central figure commits a horrible crime. Behind the deed, and explainirig.it, the author puts this fact: that the' criminal had no one to love. As a consequence there were no constraints and restraints in his life. Man's personal accountability to God supplies the needed self-restraint. Our impatience of control, our rejection of authority, the resolve to go our own way and do our own pleasure—these are evidences of our loss of self-control. These were the first steps the prodigal took towards ruin and disgrace. Tie -wanted to escape parental restraints. He wanted freedom and independence. His fate shows that liberty and license are not one and the same thing. Freedom is not freedom to do as we like, but freedom to do as we ought.

Our wills are ours, we know not how; Our wills are ours to make them thine. This is the essence of true freedom — the surrender of our actions, thoughts, and habits to the holy will of Goa. Through this surrender man discovers his true self-control in a God-controlled life. . "A third thing taught in the sanctuary is the spirit of heroism. Joshua proved himself a ' Knight of God.' The Church of Jesus Christ has produced the heroes of the world. Brave hearts have suffered and sacrificed in the fight against individual, social and national evils. Martyrs have bled and.died for their faith and their.principles. The sanctuary is the birthplace of high ideals and heroic courage. For this spirit—the spirit of Christ —the world waits and watches. Reverence for God and man, God controlled lives, heroic witnessing—these were the marks of our fathers. These are stamped on the lives of every son of the sanctuary. They come to us a 6 we experience the suffering, redeeming love of God in Christ. The sacrifice of Christ is the source and inspiration of true reverence, Christlike living, and heroic faith. This is the heritage of our God and the example of our forbears. Let us not be guilty of defaming their fair

name and denying the grace of their God and our God." In the afternoon a Youth Rally was held, the preacher being the Rev. J. K. Archer (Christchurch). His subject was " Not Yea and Nay, but Yea." EVENING SERVICE. At the evening service Mr Archer again preached, his subject- being " A Church's Chief Glory." Taking as his text the sixth verse of the eighty-seventh Psalm, Mr Archer pointed out that in this Psalm there was something exceptional, if not unique so far as the Book of Psalms was concerned, and indeed so far as the whole of the ancient Jewish literature was concerned. Speaking generally, the attitude of the Jewish race towards the other races in the Old Testament times was that of exclusion, but the Psalm in question embodied the idea of incorporation. The writer visualised a huge confederacy of nations with Jerusalem as its geographical centre, and Judaism as its unifying religious force. It also intimated that consolidation would be brought about, not by conquest, but by conversion; either of individuals or communities, or both. " Iu the Psalmist's time," he went on, " this ideal was not actualised, and it has not been actualised yet, but the ideal is being fulfilled in the spiritual realm. The Zion of the Old Testament is a type of the Christian Church,' and the chief glory of the church is not its antiquity, continu-

ity, or material splendour, but its spiritual birthrate. The Psalmist used a piece of bold imagery by suggesting that God keeps a birth register in which the name of each new spiritual child is entered, and that some day a balance will be taken and an aggregate reported. It is also indicated that of each centre of spiritual influence God will say: 'This one and that one was born there.' What will He have to say about this particular church and about us as individuals? We are celebrating the past of this church, and to some extent glorying in it, but Ave can glory in it for this reason among other reasons that it has been and still is a spiritual birthplace. It is possible for us to assist it to get that reputation because, if we carefully study the first chapter of St. John's Gospel and verses 11 and 12, we see that, while conversion is a spiritual transformation winch can onlv be brought about by God Himself, yet that transformation only takes place in the case of those who by faith receive Jesus Christ. It is God's part to provide, and man's to appropriate." Dr Andrew Bonar at the age of 83 years, and after more than 60 years of Christian experience, was asked what made him. a Christian, and what kept him one. His replv was: " I did nothing but receive.' The same might be said of Mr Spurgeon and many other people, and it would be a wonderful climax to the jubilee celebrations if the same could be said of some of them.