THE CHURCH

Southland Times, Issue 22158, 28 October 1933, Page 2

THE CHURCH

NEWS AND NOTES FROM PULPIT AND PEW. Next year will be the centenary of the birth of Spurgeon. Preparations are already being arranged for in celebration of the event. One of the latest social enterprises of the Salvation Army is the “City of Refuge,” a building 11 storeys high about to be opened in Paris.. It is intended for homeless poor people, for stranded mothers with their children, workshops for put-of-work men and women, and other means of help, “Life-changing,” the fifth of a series on the Oxford Group Movement, will be the subject at the Central Methodist Church, , Leet street, on Sunday evening. The' anthem will be “Lead, Kindly Light” (Pughe-Evans), The morning service will be conducted by the Rev. O. S. Peam, of St. Peter’s. The Sunday School anniversary services of the North Invercargill Baptist Sunday School will be held to-morrow. Special singing by the scholars of the school will be a feature of the services throughout the day. The minister of the church will speak at the morning and evening services and Mr E. C. Brown at the afternoon meeting. Interesting archaeological discoveries continue to be made in Palestine. Among recent finds have been decorative panels and other fragments of ivory in Samaria, upon which were written “the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory houses which he built.” These discoveries take us back to Samaria of 2500 years ago, and the days of the prophet Amos, the days when the wonderful ivory palace of Ahab was one of the great buildings of the city. In those days ivory, partly because of its costliness, and partly because of its hardness and durability, was largely used by the Israelites and other ancient peoples in the decorations of their most sumptuous buildings. The last Sunday of October in a great part of the world is observed as Reformation Sunday. Many regard the 16th century reformation of religion as a huge mistake, that Ignatius Loyola’s endeavour to reform the church from within was far more praiseworthy than Luther’s task of reforming the Church by breaking from it. Some things are inevitable and cannot be avoided—was the Reformation really inevitable? The subject at First Church at 6.30 p.m. will be “Was the Reformation worth while? The anthem selected is Guonod’s musical arrangement to Psalm 43 verses 3-5, “Send out Thy Light.” At the 11 a.m. diet the subject will be “The Lord will see to it.” Wherever we look, there is chaos, vast unrest, something that cannot be satisfied. And the contemplative mind that seeks the reason of things must ask, must demand, must search out and find if there is anything lasting, anything permanent, anything enduring, any resting-place. The wise mind contemplates, looks around, sees these transient things, and then asks: Is there not something that will last, something which is Eternal? Those who have not found Eternity cannot answer; and those who have found it can but answer vaguely, for each must find that which he seeks according to his evolution, according to his stage of thought and of feeling. But we can all have the same vision, we can see the same beauty, though our lips may translate it into words which convey different meanings. If once the Truth of Eternity is seen, it is beyond the possibility of doubt.—Mr J. Krishnamurti.

The Egypt General Mission (undenominational) has been represented in Invercargill for well over twenty years, A strong faithful band of prayer helpers, under the direction of the South Island Council, Dunedin, have continued to meet monthly throughout the years, taking up the burden for the work in that land. While seeking to help with the general funds of the mission they also endeavour to do their share in providing funds to meet the expenses of buying and sending a Christmas gift to each of the missionaries in the field. For this they feel amply repaid by the letters of thanks and appreciation that come on receipt of the gifts. On Wednesday last, prayer circle members and sympathizers met at the home of Mrs J. H. Boyd, McMaster street, in the annual effort for the Christmas gift fund. A large number were present and a very pleasant and profitable afternoon was spent.