THE SUNDAY CIRCLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23500, 14 May 1938, Page 11

THE SUNDAY CIRCLE

OUR AIM For when the Just Judge writes rny name He writes not that I won or lost, But that I played the game. To know the aim was high And life well lost In reaching out to heights unknown; Yes ; this is victory. Can we have lost If God has placed us here, And watches o’er the child That but for Him— Might well despair? “ Not failure but low aim,” This deadens hope And drags to earth and shame— The man who otherwise might soar To heights unknown. —C. Frisby-Smith, in A.C.W. A PRAYER Father, I thank Thee for Thy mercies which are new every morning. For the gift of sleep; for health and strength; for the vision of another day, with its fresh opportunities of work and service; for all these and more than these, I thank Thee. Before looking on the face of men I would look on Thee, Who art the health of my countenance and my God. Not without Thy guidance would I go forth to meet the duties and tasks of the day. Strengthen me so that in all my work I may be faithful: amid trials, courageous; in suffering, patient; under disappointment, full of hope in Thee. Grant this for Thy goodness sake. Amen. —Samuel M'Comb. FOR EACH DAY’S MEDITATION Sunday.—" O magnify the Lord with me, and' let us exalt His Name together. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." —Psalm xxxiv, 3,7, 8. Monday.—” Thy righteousness, also, 0 God, is very high, who hast done great things, O God, who is like unto Thee.”—Psalm Ixx, 19. “ Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.”—Psalm Ixxiii, 25. Tuesday.—“ I will meditate also of all Thy works and talk of Thy doings. “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary. who is so great a God as our God? “ Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people.”—Psalm Ixxvii, 12-14. Wednesday.—“ Rejoice the soul of Thy servant, for unto Thee. O Lord, do I lift up my soul. “ For Thou, Lord art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee. “Thou art great and doest wondrous things. Thou art God alone.”—Psalm Ixxxvi, 4,5, 10. Thursday.—“ Glory ye in His holy Name; let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore. Remember His marvellous works that He hath done; His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth ” —Psalm cv, 3-5. Friday.—“ The Lord is on my side, 1 will not fear. Thou art my God, I will praise Thee. Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee. O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.”—Psalm cxiii, 6. 28, 29. “ Thou are my portion, O Lord.”— Psalm cxix, 57. Saturday.—“lt is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes. “I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. “Thou art my hiding place and my shield. I hope in Thy Word.”—Psalm cxix, 71, 75, 114. —H. R. Higgens, in A.C.W. THE CHURCH AND THE DRAMA Miss Dorothy Sayers, speaking on “The Church and the Drama,” said that when she produced her Canterbury play there seemed to be a general feeling that it was extremely odd that a person who was known as a writer of detective stories should be able to write a religious play. She had discovered the extraordinary ignorance of the Christian religion which existed outside the Church. In the drama the Church had an opportunity of “ getting the Christian religion over” to those people. She wished that Christian people would not be so timid in presenting Christ through the drama. THE ENGLISH BIBLE The Bishop of Manchester, writing in his diocesan Leaflet on the forthcoming commemoration of the fourth centenary of the placing of the English Bible in the churches, says: We deplore the ignorance of the Bible everywhere prevailing . . but to deplore and illustrate is useless unless we do something to mend. I believe that the whole nation is the poorer in that to so large an extent the Bible has lost its hold upon it. We were once happily styled a Bible-reading and Bible-loving nation; we are now certainly not the former, though I believe at heart we are much more the latter than sometimes people think. The purpose of the commemoration is to bring back the Bible to our people, f o help them realise its value, and through our Bible-reading unions and in other ways to help them to read it and to liye by it. We can only achieve our purpose if we be united in our efforts and in our prayers. Controversy about the Bible is easy, but in our commemoration there need be none. We differ as to the character of inspiration, we differ as to the value of criticism and of archaeology, we differ as to the effect of science and modern knowledge: we may differ as to the part played by the Church and the Bible and the inner light in the guidance of our lives: we may belong to different schools of thought in the Church, but in happy agreement we can re-echo the words which, in the name of us all, the archbishop addressed to the King at the Coronation : “We present you with this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords; here is wisdom, this is the Royal Law. these are the lively oracles of God." These words sounding in our ears and bearing fruit in our lives will be the test of the success of our commemoration. THE NUMISMATIST A small boy had received a dictionary from Father Christmas to help him with his cross-word puzzles. He studied it to such good purpose, that when asked by the school teacher what his father did., he answered : “ He’s a numismatist.” ' Why a numismatist is a coin collector.” said the <"acher. thinking the boy had got hold of the wrong word. “ Yes, I know," was the reply, “ and that’s what my father is. He’s a sidesman at our Church.” CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCHES “ Mortals and Immortals ” is the subject of the lesson-sermon in all Churches of Christ. Scientist, tomorrow. The golden text is; "As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are ’ cavenly ” (1 Corinthians 15: 48), Among the citations which comprise the lesson-sermon are the following from the Bible: “ O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory above the heavens” (Psalms 8: 1). The lesson-sermon also contains the following passage from the Christian Science Textbook. “ Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures,” by Mary Baker Eddy: “The spiritual man’s consciousness and individuality are reflections of God. They are the emanations of Him Who is Life, Truth and Love.”