THE SUNDAY CIRCLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22546, 13 April 1935, Page 27

THE SUNDAY CIRCLE

RELIGIOUS READING FOR THE HOME "JUXTA CIIUCEM MAGDALENA." 0 Christ upon. the Tree Thou art not dead to me: Though Thy pierced arms be cold They yet my heart enfold: Though Thy head droop in death 1 draw from Thee my breath, Round Thee my being rolls, Thou art my eouls of.souls: 0 dead Christ on the Tree, 1 only live in Thee. —Edwin Hatch. FOR GOOD FRIDAY. 0 Lord God, Who didst send down Thine only Son to redeem the world by His obedience unto death, grant, we humbly beseech Thee, that the continual memory of His bitter Cross and Passion may teach us so to crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof, that, dying unto sin and living unto Thee, we may, in the union of merits of Hie Cross and Passion, die with Him, and rest with Him, and rise again with Him, and live with Him for ever; to Whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen. ', —Archbishop Hamilton. FOR EASTER. 0 God and Father of our Lord Jeiue Christ, by whose resurrection Thou hast given us the sure hope of everlasting life; grant that, having followed Him in these earthly days, we may pass through the gate of death to a joyful resurrection, and to an inheritance incorruptible and undented that fadeth not away: through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A TEXT FOR EACH DAY'S MEDITATION. . SUNDAY.—"If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God . . . which I command thee this day. All these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee, if Ibpu shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God."— Deut. 28:1-2. MONDAY—"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."—Matthew 5: 4,6, 8. TUESDAY.—" Jesus saith unto him, ' Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.'"—John 20:29. "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered."— Rom. 4:7. ja* WEDNESDAY.—" Blessed is the man that ehdureth trials, or temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him, Let no man say when he is tempted he is tempted of God."—James 1: 12-13. THURSDAY.-" Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand."—Rev. 1:3. "TJehold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth."—Rev. 16:15. FRIDAY.—" Behold I come quickly; blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this Book. Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the City."—Rev. 22:7 14 SATURDAY.-" The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make His face ;2 p !" n £„. up ? n thee - and be gracious unto thee. _lhe Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."—Numbers 6: 24 to 26. -H. R. HIGGENS in A. C. W. A CHINESE NEWSPAPER. A newspaper in which church events are placed on the same basis as national and international affairs is a recent new publication in China. It is The Christian farmer, which already circulates among the country people of 18 provinces. It is written m easy, colloquial style, as far as possible within the range of the 1000 Chinese characters. "The editorials," m the words of the editor, Mr I. H Sun, a Rational Christian Council secretary, 'are written to form Christian public opinion, for it is felt that followers of Christ have their own unique viewpoint which should be brought to bear on all aspects of life."

EVANGELISM IN LOWER BURMA. In connection with the work of the Bible Churchmen's Missionary Society in Northern Arakan, Lower Burma, two motor boats have been acquired for evangelistic purposes. The motor boats, whilst giving a reasonable speed in normal waters, should also be useful durin* the monsoons. One of the boats will be used by Mr William Jarrold at Minbya and the other at Paletwa for work in Northern Arakan by the Rev. Harold Hacking. It is hoped that with the acquisition of these river craft many hitherto unreached districts may be reached through the intricate waterways of the Arakan country. PROGRESS IN MOMBASA. During the last few years Christian missionary work has had to b e dropped to V le »,r. lgo count ry, near Mombasa, in Jiast Africa. owing to shortage of funds and workers. This has meant an increase in the spread of Islam, for many Moslems are to be found there. But recently the missionaries in Mombasa were greatly cheered by the work of a Christian African young man who was sent by the Government to be in charge of a small school in the Digo country. This boy, who was only baptised about three vears ago, endeavoured to get th e people together alter school hours for a service. For hve months he toiled away at this without any sign of response or encouragement, but after 11 months he had a class ot people reading for baptism. MOODY AND SANKEY. In his "Reminiscences of an Octogenarian, Dp E. A. Knox writes- "I remember attending one of Moodv and bankeyfi meetings in London. It left an ineffaceable impression, 60 great was the contrast between the quiet, almost colloquial manner of Moody and the effect of his address on the vast crowd assembled to hear him. "Sankey also, with no instrument but a small American organ, reached depths m the soul which the choir of Magdalen College, or the orchestra of the Binnin"hani 1' estiva], never sounded. Moody came to Oxford, but he was literally unhappy there—not for want of hearers, or any defect in the character of his addresses, but because he came up against a repellant atmosphere. 'He could do no mighty works there.' Yet I discovered many years afterwards that even in Oxford God had made use of this simple evangelist." A WORKING THEOLOGY. The Rev. James M'Bride (Victoria), during his 50 years in the Methodist ministry, has had a simple working theology—" Man is a sinner, and Jesus Christ the Saviour." On one occasion, he told the conference the other day, lie passed this on to a Roman Catholic priest, and the priest replied: "If any man tells me he is not a sinner, I'd say to hinij in the language of Holy Scripture. 'You're a liar.'" There was laughter at this: ami there was further laughter when Mr M'Dride added: "And I said, 'Amen.'"

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCHES. "Are Sin, Disease, and Death Real?" is the subject of the lesson-sermon in all Churches of Christ, Scientist, to-morrov. The Golden Text is: "Heal me, 0 T/.rd, and T shall be healed; save me, and 1 shall be saved: for Thou art my praise." (Jeremiah 17: 14.) Among the citations which comprise the lesson-sermon are the following: " This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is ligEl, and in Him is no darkness at all." (John 1: 5.) "Instead of God sending sickness and death, He destroys them, and brings to light immortality. Omnipotent and infinite Mind made all and includes all. This Mind floes not make mistakes and subsequently correct them. God does not cause man to sin, to be sick, or to die." (" Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," by Mary Baker Eddy.)