THE CHURCH

Southland Times, Issue 19395, 8 November 1924, Page 10

THE CHURCH

GENERAL NEWS AND NOTES. FROM PULPIT AND PEW. Mr B. C. Galloway and Mr A. Scott will conduct the services at Knox Presbyterian Church in the morning and evening respectively to-morrow. Mrs M. 0. Finch will be the preacher at both the congregational services on Sunday. Her subject in the morning will be “Peter—a Leader of Men.” The Rev. A. Mcßean will conduct both services at the Leet street Methodist Church to-morrow. His morning subject will be: “The Reach of God’s Hand,” and in the evening, “Opposers of Reform.” At the morning service at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church the Rev. H. G. Gilbert will speak on the subject “Faithful Unto Death.” The evening address is entitled: “Trumpet Calls in the Day of Battle.” The Rev. F. M. Molyneaux, vicar of High Wycombe, England, who has been appointed assistant bishop for Melanesia, expects to leave Home next June. He expects to bring with him a band of recruits for work in the island of the South West Pacific under the Melanesian Mission.

Mr G. H. Dean, who died recently at Stillingbourne, England, was a former moderator of the Kent and Sussex Association. He was a deacon of the Church for 58 years, and had reached the age of 90 when he died. For 50 years he was also superintendent of the Sunday school. The Manchester Methodist Mission is just entering upon its 38th year. The loss of Rev. F. S. Collier was keenly felt, but the mission is as successful as ever. Rev. H. Cooper, who is now superintendent, has served on the staff, or in his present office, eleven years, and is greatly beloved. Falmouth Baptist Church, Jamaica, is engaged on a rebuilding scheme to mark the centerary of Knibbs’ landing in February, 1826. About £l5OO is the estimated cost of the building. The Rev. R. A. Llewellyn Knight, M.A., 8.A., the pastor is a native of Jamaica, and took his degrees at McMaster University, Toronto. An interesting fact in connection with the approaching resignation of Archbishop Julius is that his term of 34 years as Bishop of Christchurch is the same length of time that the office was held by his predecessor, the late Bishop Harper. There have been only two bishops of that diocese. Bishop Harper was consecrated in 1856, and held office until 1890, when he was succeeded by the present bishop. “The Art of Rejoicing” is the subject for the address at the morning service at the EUes Road Methodist Church. In the evening an Elijah service will be held. The soloists are:—Miss C. Hall (“Oh, Rest in the Lord”!, Mr W. Farley (“If With all Your Hearts”), Mr J. Wesney (“Lord God of Abraham”) and Mr C. Richards (“It is enough”). The anthem, “I am Alpha,” will be also sung. The Rev. J. H. Haslam will be the preacher. The Rev. T. Gordon Robertson, BA., chairman-elect of the Congregational Union of New South Wales, is a New Zealander, who has become an outstanding figure in Australian Church life. He is a son of the late Rev. Joseph Robertson, who was for some years pastor of the Beresford Street Conp’egational Church, Auckland, and was Chairman of the Congregational Union of New Zealand. The Rev. T. Gordon Robertson was born in Auckland.

There are acute needs in North India, in the three provinces of the China Missoins, and in the Congo. Trained preachers are wanted, also schoolteachers for both elementary and secondary institutions. The task is a difficult one of the adequate presentation of a Christian message to nonChristian people in their own thought and ! language by men intellectually equipped, thoroughly evangelical and keenly missionary. Rev. A. A. Bensley, on furlough from the Solomon Islands, visited Otautau on Tuesday evening, and gave a lecture on his experiences on behalf of Foreign Missions. In spite of the inclement weather conditions, there was a large attendance of the public, and at the close Mrs Bensley made a few interesting remarks. Mr W. A. McCaw, of Invercargill, kindly lent and mani- . pulated the lantern. Votes of thanks to , Mr and Mrs Bensley and Mr McCaw tennii nated an enjoyable evening. i A meeting of the Otautau Methodist ; Church Ladies’ Guild was held at the parI sonage on Thursday, when there was a fair ! attendance. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mrs Collett (reelected) ; secretary, Mrs W. H. Walker; while the Committee was re-elected. Mrs Lightfoot dispensed a capital afternoon tea. Rev. Ford thanked the President and secretary for the admirable manner in which they had carried out their duties, and a heary vote of thanks was accorded the hostess for her hospitality. The President of the British Wesleyan Conference, Rev. Amos Burnet, says if ever he was depressed, he took from his collections of letters a packet sent to him when he set out for South Africa. If ever a moment when he was inclined to be over-elated, he had another packet labelled “Chinese Labour.” There were some extraordinary letters there, and he would keep them. He did say that Chinese labour and slavery were not identical terms, but he heard about it. One good Methodist wrote: “You are a liar, you are a scoundrel, you are a disgrace to our ministry, and you ought to be kicked out.—Yours truly, A Well Wisher.”

At the 75th annual meeting of the English Methodist Local Preachers’ Association, a comparison was made between the first year, 1849, and the year 1923. The membership has grown from 1260 to 17,012. The amount spent in benefits was £57 12/-, it is now nearly £21,000. The first year there were less than 50 honorary members, there are 7400 now. Collections and donations from the Methodist public in 1849 totalled £59 18/-. Last year the collections amounted to £14,691, and donations were £2486. No institution in Methodism has shown such rapid and sustained advance as the local preachers’ association in the same period.

To-morrow, being Armistic Sunday, special sen-ices will be held at First Church, where the Rev. J. L. Robinson will preach morning and evening. A Garrison Church Parade will take place at the morning service. A special order of service has been prepared and hymns suitable to the occasion chosen. As a large number of men is expected, the congregation is kindly invited to allow the military to be seated first. Extra accommodation will be provided if necessary. In the e.ening Mr Robinson will deliver the last of his addresses on the series “The Things That I Believe,” when the subject of consideration will be one of open interest to all: “The Immortality of the Soul.”

Rev. Bowen Rees, who has been touring Australia and New Zealand on deputation work for the London Missionary Society, is visiting Invercargill next Friday. In the afternoon he will address a drawingroom meeting at the home of Mrs R. McGregor, Crinan street and at night will speak on hie experiences as a missionary official at the Y.M.C.A., Tay street. Mr Rees’ missionary service extends over 40 years—during which time he has served on the southern shores of Lake Tanganyika and in Natabele Land, and has known the great personalities of Africa, such as Cecil Rhodes, Kham a, Dr. Jameson and others. His talks should reveal something of the romance, as well as the hard grind of the foreign mission field. The Right Reverend Monsignor Mahoney, V.F., of Onehunga, has been appointed a Protonotary Apostolic. The ceremony of his installation in the new dignity was performed in accordance with the requirements of the Holy See, by the Right Reverend Dr Cleary, Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, in the Church erf the Assumption, Onehunga, ou Sunday last, at the

second Mass. The new Protonotary Apostolic is entitled to wear a jewelled ring and to use a white or plain gold mitre at certain liturgical services of the Church. Monsignor Mahoney is the first person born in New Zealand to be ordained to the Catholic priesthood. He is also the first ecclesiastic in the Dominion to be raised to the rank of Protonotary Apostolic. Monsignor Mahoney was appointed to his present charge at Onehunga in 1905. The Wallacetown Presbyterian Bible Claes brought their session to a close with a very successful social gathering in the Wallacetown Hall on Wednesday last, November 5. There was a good gathering of members and friends, including visitors from Taramoa and Makarewa. A good round of parlour games and competitions were thoroughly enjoyed by all. During the evening items were rendered by Misses M. Gray and L. French and Mr A. Gray. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to all those who had assisted to make the evening such a success, the ladies being especially thanked for the excellent supper provided. The Rev. W. W. French expressed pleasure at seeing so many present and thanked one and all for their help. The evening was brought to a conclusion by the singing of “Auld Lang Syne” and the pronouncing of the Benediction. His Grace Archbishop Redwood is in London this week, writes a London correspondent. under date of September 18, after having had a very interesting time in Ireland, much of the country being traversed by motor car. He has booked his return passage by the Tahiti, sailing from San Francisco on November 5, and he will be accompanied by his administrator, Father Smythe. Meanwhile the Archbishop, who is enjoying excellerit health, and is remarkably active, is now leaving for France and Italy. While in Paris and Toulouse he will see many of his old friends, and in Rome he will have on audience with his Holiness the Pope. Returning from Italy to England, he will remain with his nephew, Mr Vernon C. Redwood, until it is time for him to leave for New York. Everyone is delighted —and surprised—to see how well he is looking, and his wonderful vigour is the subject of general laudatory comment. WAIANIWA. CONCERT FOR PRESBYTERIAN FUNDS. The Central Methodist Choir has become famous through its many successes at various contests, and when any of its members perform, they are listened to with great intrest. Some members of this combination motored out to Waianiwa on Friday night and gave a concert in the Public Hall, the proceeds of which went to swell the funds of the local Prebyterian Church. The Hall was well filled, and the chair was occupied by the Rev. Mr Gow, who introduced the performers, and explained the object of the gathering, and at the close of the concert called upon Mr D. McPherson to thank the membera of the choir for their splendid entertainment. The audience was appreciative, the performers were in good vein, and recalls were the order of th evening. Mr Wesney played the accompaniments, sang a solo, and took part in a duet with Mrs McDonald, which received an encore. Mrs McDonald also sang a solo and was recalled. Miss Brown played a pianoforte solo which showed that she was at home on the keyboard. Mr Alex. Ferguson was in good form and played two violin solos, being encored, each time. Mr Gordon Reid gave two selections on the mandoline and had to appear again on each occasion, and then gave a musical monologue accompanied by Mrs Wesney. Miss Bailey rendered two recitations, and on each occasion had to respond to an encore. Young Master Wesney gave a recitation entitled “If I were a Gipsy Boy with a Caravan.” He received a storm of applause and had to appear again, and sang a solo. It is not often that.a country audience has the privilege of hearing such a splendid bass voice as that possessed by Mr J. E. Taylor, who sang two solos, “Asleep in the Deep,” and “Plymouth, Ho ” and on each occasion had to respond to an encore. The concert as a whole was a great success, and appreciation was shown to the full, and the residents of Waianiwa owe-a debt of gratitude to their friends in the Methodist Choir.

ARCHBISHOP JULIUS.

COMMENT ON HIS RETIREMENT. Commenting editorially on the resignation . of his Grace Archbishop Julius, the Church , News says:— “The announcement of the Archbishop’s intention to resign will be very unwelcome . news to the Diocese. In the nature of things, it was inevitable some time, and that time not very distant, but it is none the less unwelcome. . . Perhaps the most affecting and generous testimony to the esteem of those without the Church’s fold came from the Ministers’ Association, voiced most felicitiously by the Revs. N. Webster and J. J. North. Christchurch has been singularly blest in its two Bishops, wonderfully blest in the unbroken rule of each for 34 years. Bishop Harper was 86 when he vacated the episcopal throne. Archbishop Julius is 77. His predecessor lived till almost 91, and it will be the solemn hope of all that his Grace will live amongst us for many years. Grieved though we all be that the golden chain of long and loving association must be broken, I none will begrudge him that rest from lab- I our which the clergy are entitled to take ’ at 65. Yet at 77 his eye is literally undim- i med, his mental force obviously still vig- I orous, his hand holds the wheel of administration with the undiminished nerve with which he still drives his car about the Diocese, despite a recent accident. Not long ago on the Coast the differential of his car broke as he climbed a stiff hill. The car ran back uncontrollable. Near the foot of the grade it left the road and began to plunge down the steep high bank of the creek. An overgrown tree-trunk providentially checked it, though the car turned oxer. By the mercy of God the Archbishop escaped with a shaking and went on with his work. When the car was returned to Christchurch he resumed driving it. So it has ever been. The Psalmist’s dictum does not apply to our beloved Archbishop; • though he be almost doyen of Anglican I Bishops, his age happily is anything but labour and sorrow. We understand that it is his intention to go abroad for a twelve months after Easter, thereafter to return to his home in Cashmere.” AMONG THE CHURCHES. PRAYER IN DAILY LIFE. THE MYSTERIES OF THE BIBLE. (By Rev D. K. Fisher, Lumsden). Now and again in my recent travels in England and Scotland I was wholly free on the Sundays and naturally took advantage of such opportunity of attending the churches and beholding how other congregations worship and other ministers preach. The first of those Sundays happened to be in Southampton. The most of the day it rained very heavily and most people preferred to stay by the fire and do some chatting and smoking or engage in reading and writing. This latter was my own occupation for the time being. By early evening the weather had cleared and with one or two friends I assayed to reach a Presbyterian church. The chances were against us, however, for the bells tolled earlier than we had expected and we had over a mite to walk to our proposed destination. IN A CONGREGATIONAIJST CHURCH “Before the bells had ceased, we were passing the gateway of rather an attractive, though old-looking building, which proved to be a very pretty church. We three strangers were drawn towards it and we were beginning to feel our race for the Presbyterian place of worship taking

i too much out of us, so we resolved to drop in here. We were cordially welcomed by ■ the office-bearers in the porch, provided ’ with a hymn book, and a printed list of the i order of the services for the whole day, with i intimations relating to the week-day act- ■ ivities of the church and all prospective ' special church functions—a splendid idea. ' This sanctuary, we learned was a Congrei gational Church, and had for its minister • a rather delicate looking dark complexioned ■ young man, of very refined, scholarly and 1 cultured appearance, the Rev Mr Holloway. : He was surpliced and gowned, and took his • place in the pulpit slpwly and reverently to ! the strains of an anthem chanted by the i choir. In fact, the service was semi-litur-gical, though following generally the order and manners of an independant assembly of worshipers. The building was quite full, floors and galleries, of a very well-to-do and attentive class of people. The preacher based his sermon on those words of the third verse of the 21st chapter of St. John’s Gospel—“ Simon Peter saith unto them, I go afishing.” A statement of this kind, Mr Holloway proceeded to remark might lead us to think that St. Peter had become • disgusted or that he thought of giving up i his Christianity. It seems such a descent • from what had just gone before, the glory I of the Resurrection, the triumphant ascensI ion of his Lord, to come to this level and decide to go afishing. Had his faith all gone? the preacher asked. At first sight it might appear so, but on closer examination we may perceive that the grand facts and experiences of those never-to-be-forgotten days, had given a new meaning to life —to everyday existence and toil. The light of the resurrection and ascension broke in upon common affairs and ordinary labour. “I go afishing” had a new and higher meaning than ever before. It is just here our Christianity should help men and women most in the discharge of routine duty and everyday engagements. Life transfigured. Then Mr Holloway referred to some utterances of the poet Thomson regarding the ordinary toiling life of London and some utterances of the great Blake on the same subject. To the former, London was a place of misery and despair, to the latter, the same city was a place for visions of heaven and all that was noble and sublime. In addition to the Congregation:!! singing and chants and anthems by the choir, there was a very beautiful variation in the musical programme in the shape of two violin solos. These were rendered at different pauses in the services by an expert aydl violinist, who simply kept the whole congregation spellbound by her skilful and impressive playing. Judging the building from its interior, one would conclude that this particular church must at one time in its early history, have belonged to the English Establishment, and perhaps, during the years of religious controversy • and upheaval in the 16th and 17th century, . had seceded therefrom and become a congregation of Independents. “THE AULD KIRK.”

; The Parish Church, Montrose, “the Auld ; Kirk,” to give it its more familiar name, ’ which is, comparatively speaking, one of the largest and one of the wealthiest town i parishes in the whole Church of Scotland. I i attended one morning. As a little child i some 55 years ago, or thereabout, I came j to this bi{* building with its spacious gal--1 leries, two storeys high, at the time my • grandmother was a constant attendant here • and was one of the staunchest upholders and lovers of the established kirk to the ; last. The only memory of that youthful visit to this lofty and august building which is with me now, is that of sitting in perfect stillness and awe, not daring to move, scarcely bold enough to freely breathe, by , the side of that venerable figure in the very i front seat of that highest gallery. This parj ticular Sunday morning I was not quite i so elevated, but I could see that seat in ! the distance above me and for a moment • the whole picture of those infant days was before me and most hallowed memories of ■ times that are gone, came back to me. I i awoke from sacred reverie to behold the ' minister in gown and bands, iron-grey hair, , standing in his rather lofty pulpit and ant nouncing the psalm. For the first time in that Auld Kirk, I listened to the deep | tones of the great organ—another reminder l that a new age had established itself in the ! Homeland. The preacher, the Rev Mr ! Robertson, who is the first minister of the i charge, chose for his text, the 39th verse i of the 26th chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel—“He went a little further and fell on His face and prayed.” From this verse the speaker preached, and largely without notes, a very powerful and up-to-date sermon on the subject of prayer —prayer in daily life. Mr Robertson also addressed himself to the cihldren of the congregation, speaking to them very forcibly and clearly on the subject of “Jewels.” Amongst the other intimations given that morning was one I had never really listened to before, namely, the full proclamation of the “banns” of a coming marriage in the Parish, with the pronouncement in regular ecclesiastical order of the Church’s benediction on the young pair betrothed. As far as I could recollect, I should say the congregation that day was just about half the size of the audience worshiping within this great temple in my youthful years. I did not have a convenient opportunity of hearing the i second minister of this charge, but I be- ’ lieve he was a very able preacher—Rev ,Mr Callan. I have to say he was a very i able preacher, because Mr Callan had rather an unexpected call from the Great Beyond. Not many Sundays after the date upon which I listened to Rev Mr Robertson, Mr Callan had preached. Soon after the service he was taken ill and sank rapidly thereafter without regaining consciousness. In a few days he was borne to his grave amid the mourning of a vast concourse of people. The doctor declared the cause of death to be crlebral hemorrhage. The following Sunday a brother minister of a neighbouring parish church, preached Mr Callan’s memorial service and pronounced the pulpit vacant. UNUSUAL SERIES OF INCIDENTS.

The other regular Sunday gathering which I was free to attend was also in a parish church in the village of Longforgan, Perthshire. The congregation worshipping here had just come through a rather pathetic and tragic experience. The rather sad and peculiar circumstances were these: Some few months before the daughter of the minister of this parish—Miss McKenzie —had been engaged to be married. The date of the wedding had been fixed and the I happy bridegroom, a Captain Watson on I military duty in India, was on his way home to Scotland, when he received word that his betrothed had taken ill. He hurried over to see her and found her seriously affected with measles. Owing to the state of the bride’s health the wedding was postponed to a future date. Captain Watson returned to India, and some little time after that a definite day was fixed for the marriage at Longforgan. Just as the already postponed nuptials were within near distance of consummation, special conditions arose in that part of the East where Captain Watson was serving, and the wedding could not possibly be celebrated as was expected. After further anxious watching and waiting, the parties a third time fixed a date for the marriage ceremony. On the morning of that particular day, the Rev N. K. McKenzie, father of the bride and the minister of Longforgan Parish, unexpectedly died, after a very brief illness. Funeral obsequies, rather than marital celebrations now occupied the minds of all the parties most intimately thus connected, and only at a convenient time after the burial of Mr McKenzie, were the young couple, and and that very quietly, united in the holy bonds of matrimonial union. Thus it happened that on the particular Sunday morning my very hospitable friends of Invergowrie accompanied me to Longforgan Church, a memorial service was in process. The Rev Donald Davidson, Invergowrie Parish, was in charge of this congregation that day, and preached a very impressive and appropriate sermon from the famous words of St. Paul—“ Behold I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed.” From this text the preacher spoke upon several of the mysteries of the Bible, the mystery of the Incarnation, the mystery of the indwelling Christ, and the mystery here referred to. Who, asked the preacher, keeps secrets with such lips? The

mystery of time and of death has haunted the human mind since the days of Cain. In emphasising his statement the speaker illustrated his theme from poets and painters, referring more particularly to some of the works of Noel Paton, Edinburgh, and the words of Herbert the poet. The preChristian ideals on the subject were declared to be largely materialistic—the connection with the physical body and the unseen spirit always a puzzle to the ancients. Body and spirit perished together or went on to the unknown together. Paul’s distinctive view was that the new environment demanded a new organism—“We shall all be changed.” “Death itself was not inevitable—not to the Christian—“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” The dead in Christ shall rise first, then the living saints. Others shall not enjoy this—these must be left behind. So the new birth is essential. “Last Sunday,” added the speaker, “your minister, Mr McKenzie, stood and preached here, this Sunday he is asleep in the grave close by.” Then, as a Presbyter with their late minister for many years, Mr Davidson added some personal testimony to the sterling Christian character of their late pastor and he eulogised his many social and brotheily virtues. Mr Davidson stated that their late minister was a fervent evangelist. He could recall the incident when he and another were walking in company with Mr McKenzie, the latter suddenly halted on the country road, then quoted to his two brethern the passage of Scripture which led him to a clear decision for Christ and added what passages of Scripture were the special means of bringing you brethern to a decision in the Christian faith? The hymn, “For all the saints who from their labours rest,” was sung, also the verses of the 54th paraphrase, the last of which runs:— “Then will he own His servant’s name Before His Father’s face, And in the new Jerusalem, Appoint my soul a place.’ - The congregation were informed that the pulpit was vacant and that a meeting of Session and Presbytery would be duly held in connection with this matter. Thereafter, the congregation were upstanding while the organist played the solemn and soul-moving strains of the Dead March, and the preacher pronounced the Benediction. A WAR MEMORIAL. Quite fittingly, it might be added, here that on the wall of one of the most historic churches in old London, and quite close to the large door of the main entrance of this building—“ All Hallows, Barking by the Tower,” to give it its full title, is a massive memorial tablet to the memory of the men who died during the Great War on the Somme, 1916. On this tablet is inscribed one of the best and most impressive verses one can read or contemplate on any one of the many monuments with which the whole country abounds: — “Around me when I wake of sleep, Men strange to me their vigils keep; Their faces I shall never know, Like sentinels they come and go In grateful love I bend the knee For nameless men who died for me Forever it is understood, I am a man redemined by blood I must walk softly all my days Down my redeemed and solemn ways Christ take the men I bring to Thee— The men who watched and died for me.”