THE SUNDAY CIRCLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23631, 15 October 1938, Page 4

THE SUNDAY CIRCLE

RELIGIOUS READING FOR THE HOME PRAY AND PRAISE 0 Thou, who dwellest in the light and shade, In tiny bud upon the topmost tree, In all the wealth and splendour Thou has made, 1 bring my praise to Thee. Thou, who didst paint in eyes of little child The wonder look that nothing knows of fear, Didst plan for all the creatures of the wild, I pray to Thee this prayer. Out of the tear-dimmed, years, give but one hour, One glorious hour in which to tune my lays, To write one song as fragrant as a flower To Thine eternal praise. That, when I pass to where in Sovran state Thou boldest court, while saints and angels throng— This one sweet thought may keep my heart elate, I made for Thee a song. —Anne Hunt in the Christian World. PRAYER O Lord our God, 'Who has taught us to consider events and the circumstances of our life, for guidance, for encouragement, for reproof, for patience in our own purposes: Thou Who hast given us the inner light of reason, of experience, of memory: Thou Who, lest in any mere fondness of our own we should deceive ourselves, hast marked the true way through life by precepts and by examples of which we are aware, and hast appointed Jesus Christ our Lord as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, the source and the goal of all things: grant us, we pray Thee, the safeguard and the courage of the Holy Spirit that we may advance towards all that lies before us, confident that we shall not be left alone or to ourselves, but may always have light upon our way and shall have the desire to proceed: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

FOR EACH DAY’S MEDITATION “ Courage and Comfort ”

Sunday“ The Lord, He it is that doth go before thee: He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be not dismayed.”—Deut. xxxi 8. “ Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage.”— Joshua i, 9. Monday.—“ The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew Himself strong in the behalf , of them whose heart is perfect towards Him.”—2 Chronicles xvi, 9. “ Be not afraid of them, remember the Lord.”—Nehemiah iv, 14. Tuesday.—“ Let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defended them: let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee. —Psalm v. 11. Wednesday.—v“ In the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide He shall set me upon a rock.” “Wait on the Lord and be of good courage.”—Psalm xxvii, 5 and 14. Thursday. upon the Lord and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”—Psalm Iv, 11. . u r “ In God I will praise His word, 1 will trust in The- ’’—Psalm Ivi, 4. Friday.—“ They cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. “Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men.”—Psalm evii, 7 and 8. Saturday.—“ Who is like unto the Lord our God. Who dwelleth on high. Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and m earth.”—Psalm cxiii, 5 and 6. Our wonderful loving Saviour. —H. R. Higgens in A.C.W.

THE CHURCH UNIVERSAL In his presidential address at the opening session of the annual assembly of the National Free Church Council at Bournemouth, Dr J. D. Jones emphasised the necessity of a more adequate conception of the Church. His ■frords, of course, were addressed primarily to Free Churchmen, who were not slow to appreciate the importance of his statements. Dr Jones expressed the opinion that Free Churchmen, in their views of the Church, were apt to be too narrow and parochial. The Church for them, thought the president, was the local fellowship with which they happened to be connected, or, at most, the denomination to which they "belonged. “Our Anglican friends think much nore about the total Church. Free Churchmen are apt to be complacent and satisfied just because they think so little of the Church universal.” IN CONGO VILLAGES From Yakusu, Belgian Congo, the Rev. W. Millman has a moving story to tell of the growth of the Church there, which began with the baptism of three slaves in 1902 and no'flr has a membership of 5000. Nine hundred converts were baptised last year, and 500 have already this year thus confessed their faith in the Saviour, In each of the 600 villages where the language of Yakusu is spoken there is a Baptist chapel and school, where teachers are fully occupied with inquirers. NEW MISSIONARIES TO SAtL FOR CHINA Friends of the China Inland Mission will be interested to learn that a cablegram has been received at the London headquarters to say that, a total of forty new recruits from the various home centres may sail this year for China. Eighteen of this number will be sailing from Great Britain. The missionaries on furlough who are due to return will also be sailing at the same time. This is a matter for thanksgiving, for the door into China has been partially closed during the past months owing to the terrible war conditions. Although the conditions are still serious, yet the Mission authorities in China feel that the time has come when there should be a fresh advance with the Gospel. It is confidently hoped that all those who are concerned with the Kingdom of God in China will be much in prayer that nothing may happen to prevent the departure of these workers for the field, and that their going forth may be a great encouragement to the Church of God in China. Many times in the history of the mission a new advance has been planned and carried out in a time when circumstances did not seem to justify any such forward movement. It is believed that once again God is calling His servants to go forward, and that as they take this step in faith they will have abundant evidence of God’s blessing resting upon this act of obedience CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCHES “ Doctrine of Atonement ” is the subject of the lesson-sermon in all Churches of Christ, Scientist; to-' morrow. The Golden Text is “ God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” Among the citations which comprise the lesson-sermon are the following from the Bible:—“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect. He became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.” (Hebrews v, 8,9.) The lesson-sermon also contains the following passage from the Christian Science text-book, “ Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” by Mary Baker Eddy: “ If the disciple is advancing spiritually, he is striving to enter in. He constantly turns away from material sense, and looks towards the imperishable things of spirit.”