THE CHURCH

Southland Times, Issue 21085, 17 May 1930, Page 12

THE CHURCH

NEWS AND NOTES. FROM PULPIT AND PEW. “Young People’s Day” services wilU.be. observed throughout the .day at St. Peter’s Methodist Church to-morrow. The bible class leaders and sub-leaders take the services in the evening. The vice-president of the Methodist Conference, Mr A. Peak, will speak .at the morning service.'

Mr G. E. Englebrecht, a returned Missionary from New Guinea, who is now on furlough, is spending a few days in Invercargill, and will deliver a lecture on Mission Work in New Guinea in the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Sunday night. Mr Englebrecht has an inspiring story to tell of the customs and habits of these natives. Seeing that he has spent a good deal of time pioneering in this dark. field, he is able to give some, very interesting information in regard to the noble .work of ministering to the temporal as well as the spiritual well-being of this needy race. The Rev. A. N. Scotten, M.A., and Mr A. Peak, president ' and vice-president of the Methodist Conference, are meeting Methodist laymen of the city to-night in the Jed street hall at 8 o’clock. They will also take part in the services at St. Peter’s and the Central Methodist Churches tomorrow morning, leaving for Gore in the afternoon. In the evening the Rev. C. A. Olds will preach at the Central Methodist Church on "The Universal Fatherhood of God.” The choir will sing “O For a Closer Walk With God” (Foster). The main object of the visit of the president and vicepresident is to ‘have the pleasure of meeting the Methodist men of Invercargill and district for the purpose of conferring upon a Methodist Men’s Forward Movement, etc.

We dimly know that there is this brotherhood of all life. Religions teach it. The great practise it. Theosophy says to us that the first step we must, take towards solving the problems of existence, our own and all others, is to' believe in this brotherhood so that we strive in ever increasing measure to make it active in our lives. Now, would you care at this point to say that believing in brotherhood, and even practising if, is not likely to tell us of the essential nature of death, of a satisfying solution to the problem of suffering ? What has brotherhood to do with death ? Enormously, if you will only logically, remorselessly follow its implications. There lies the difficulty with, so many. They believe in brotherhood, but in a limited brotherhood, in a ='brotherhood circumscribed by their own narrow conceptions of life. I, on the contrary ask you to fit your conceptions of life to brotherhood. You will surely find that conceptions need broadening in order that they may embrace a brotherhood which becomes increasingly wonderful and magnificent the more we meditate upon it. We see that all Things which seem to be curses are in reality blessings, that God is in very truth, a God of Love and not a God of Wrath as so .many make Him,’ though they never admit the fact.—Rev. G. S. Arundale.