NEW CHURCHES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12278, 10 October 1910, Page 2

NEW CHURCHES.

O; . ' ' OPENING OF ST. , LUKE'S. The Aveather Avas gloriously fine yesterday, when the new brick church at Waerenga-a-hika, erected m place of the wooden building, that was . destroyed by fire, was opened by his Lflrdship the Bishop of Waiapu. There was a. crowded congregation, people cdming from Gisborne, Patutahi, Oimond, Makauri, and Matawhero, and extra seating ac commodation had to be provided. The little church (previously described m our columns) Avas greatly admired. His Lordship dedicated the new church, after which.-, the usual morning prayer took place. -'TheVassisting clergy were the Yen. Archdeacon •Williams, Revs. E. W. Ward (vicar of the parish), F. W. Cbatterton, M. W. Butterfield, and W. H. Roberts. His Lordship preached an .eloquent sermon from Psalm 137", 4, "How shall Aye sing, the Lord's song m a strange land ?" He pointed out that God allowed the- people of Israel to be carried into captivity because their heart had gone out of religious worship. They liad drifted into formalism and idolatory, and God permitted their • captivity for the purification of His own people. "WhereBoeA T er the carcase . is, i there shall the eagles be gathered together." So wherever . the religious instinct of man was perverted, there -was decay, m the national as Avell as family and individual life. It Avas not until they had lost their blessing that the Isrealiteg realised the meaning of it' It Avas not until they came into Ayorldly surroundings that their religious instinct began to exert itself to 'true heart worship, they began to come to themselves. It was not until .the poor prodigal son was m the' midst of adversity, difficulty and trouble \ that he came to himself. So it often .l Avas that only adversity brought them ' to realise their position. They Avere all so apt to drift aAvay from- God and from true Avorship, into heartless religion ; then God spoke to;theni. His Lordship referred to the black week m connection with the South African war, when the British met with - reverse v after rever.se, and stated that at that, time they saAV men and Avomen on their, knees, Avhohad been Hying -without God for months and years. Adversity- brought them to their God as prosperity had never done before. ] They remembered that when the Israel- j ites came into the Promised Land hoAvj soon they began to forget God.- "One of the saddest things to my mind/ said his [ Lordship, "is that .very often as 'prosperity increases, l'eligion decreases, and', instead " of showing; birr gratitude and thankfulness to" God for- all He has done for us, we turn , on one side . and ' forget Him. If we Christian people are going to lose the Lord's Day, going, to make it a day of pleasure, then there will come retribution.. How can we for set God's law and expect to receive His blessing?" It was the religious atmosphere that the Israelites missed. When they saw those vessels which they had seen m God's house adorning the walls of their captors, they began to feel what worldliness really meant, and there arose m their souls a desire to come. back to .Him and j to true heart worship ; and when God j permitted some of . them to go back,, they | said they must build Him a temple morel worthy. "It may be," continued the Bishop, "that some of you ' never realised ; until you lost your church here, what that church really meant, and Avhat a church m our midst really means to Christian people. We see a church and do not think Avhat it witnesses for ; then the church goes. It may be that God, m His mercy, permits us to be deprived of it for a purpose, for when that church is gone Aye feel how necessary it is to have a house of God m the midst of a land . that is m danger of losing its spirituality on account of prosperity. We feel how necessary it is, for the sake of our homes and country, that Aye should meet together for united worship and prayer. Don't let .us blame God. Let Us try to read the. lesson m the loss of our church. It may be God asks of us, 'I Avant something better than you have ever given Mo" m the /past ; , I want more love; I want you to come and offer Me your praise, your prayers.' So you have . built this ' beautiful church," . said his Lordship. . "This church, Avhich is an ornament not only to the district, but to the diocese, and I congratulate the vicar, church officers, and people of this district for raising to the honor and glory of God such a house as this. The fact that it is built' of permanent material is, I think, a Avitness of 1 your permanence m the Christian. faith." It Avas Christian faith that Avas to elevate and purify, society, which was to do. for this country what nothing else could, do. He did from his heart, congratulate them upon- having such a beaMiful building, and it Avas a pleasure to him to dedicate it to the glory of' God. "You have built the church, and noAy you have got to get the right atmosphere m the church— the religious atmosphere, to sanctify our minds and keep us from being dragged doAvn by worldliness and materialism. Some people say they can read sermons and worship God at home, but do they? When I think of Jesus ' Christ and see Him kneeling downionthe Mount of Olives,' see Him on ,the £easn*ore m communion with the heavenly Father, I remember that that \was pot sufficient for the Son of God; He weiit, 'as His' cusItom Avas,' into the : -syhafcpgue — into the house of prayer. &1L ■ Ills private communion with "God ; did hot take the place of that public^ Avorship. Do not let 1 us be humbugs. Pray at home, or Avherever you like, but remember God Avanta your public service:*' To get that atmosphere m the church, they must remember that that house, had been built for the glory and. honor .of God. Because they felt God wanted it, they had raised a building to, Him. They should pray and believe that, just as the presence of God came into the temple and into, the tabernacle, whenv the priests and people prayed, God\had possession of that house that mbrnjhg. Then there must be, self-sacrifice. They had a lot to dp before the church. was consecrated entirely to God,/ but nothing was' to be got without self-sacrifice. They must! also go to church prepared to meet Jesus. He wanted the. clergy* and , congregation to feel that they h^dcome there to meet Jesus ; they had come because they loA-ed Him, and Avanted to get into loving touon with Him. If -they . Avould only come with that beautiful little prayer on their lips. 'Sir, we 1 would ;see ; Jesus,' Avhat a- blessing t^hey Avould get: They should come and listen to Him, and go out to their , labors strengthened and purified. It was a miserable idea for people to come to church ( merely for w.hat they got. Thejr should go because they wanted to give. If they did, they would get cA r er so much more. Then let it be a house 6f real prayer. They might say prayers, but never pray. It should be a house for praise and thanksgiving for all that T God had done for them. . They should remember, above all, that it .wasthe house m Ayhich that great memorial service of Christ's sacrifice on the cross was held. "I am sure," concluded the speaker, "you can say this morning, 'I was glad Avhen they said unto me, let us go up into the house of the Lord.' May many souls be trained m this house for a life of real service and devotion on the earth, and for a life of greater sendee and greater love m the liome m heaven. May you sing, the/ Lord's song m this homeland, riot a strange land ; and may your hearts bo always in tune Avith the words Avhich Aye sing. ' We do thank God to-day for His blessing m alloAving us to offer Him this house, Avhioh is to bo used for the honor, glory, praise, and worship of God:" ■ The church \" at Waef enc;a-a-hika Avas again packed yesterday afternoon. Arhen the Bishop administered confirmation to fiVe male and fifteen .'female candidates. His Lordship AA'as attended by the'llev. W. H. _ Roberts m chaplain, and the introduction to the service av«s read by the vicar (the Rev. E. Ward), who also presented the candidates to the Bishop. The Bishop's addross to the candidates. Avhich was beautiful m its simplicity and directness, Ava a from 1 Cor,., 3rd oh'npter, 16th verse. By the dedication of the church, he told his hearers, the building had become the temple of God. By confirmation those avlio received it became alsotthe temple \of God^ ( though ■ih a far higher sense vt&uv 1 that m .Avhioh. the term'Vfrns applied, to' a mere building, He commended to the candidates for confirmation as a motto the avoi-Hs of his text; "Ye ore. the temple of God," and told them that as lorijj'as they kept that

thought m their miiids they would b( preserved from doing anything thai would defile them. Turning to tin general congregation, the Bishop urgec them to consider M'ell their great respon sibilities towards the candidates, to heli: them both by influence and example tc follow m the steps of the Divine Master. At the overling service there was agair a good congregation. Evening prayei was said by the vicar, the lessons being read by the Rev. Mr Munro, of Te Rat College. The preacher was the Rev. F. W. Chatterton, who took for hus text Gal. 5—13. Dealing, first with the popular conceptions of the meaning of liberty, he went on to show that the only true liberty consisted m freedom from the power of sin, and that freedom was only for those who had become the children of God. The services throughout were of a hearty and stirring nature, and will not be soon forgotten. Mr Ellis was at the organ, and the singing was rendered with great heartiness. ■ • • '