THE CHURCH

Southland Times, Issue 22770, 21 December 1935, Page 12

THE CHURCH

NEWS AND NOTES. FROM PULPIT AND PEW. Sister Alice, of the Invercargill Home Mission', desires to thank sincerely all the kind friends who assisted in many ways towards the Christmas work. There is a movement to form a Congregational Union Lay Preachers’ Association in New Zealand to provide a definite course of reading and study spread over a term of about three years in connection with which examinations will be held. The Salvation Army wishes everyone a happy Christmas, and takes this opportunity of inviting one and all to the meetings on Sunday, also Christmas night, the 25th, ar 7.30. A watchnight meeting will be held at 11.30 on New Year’s Eve. St. Andrew’s Church choir will sing several choruses from “The Messiah” at both services to-morrow. “He Trusted in God,” “And the Glory of the Lord,” “Behold, the Lamb of God” and the “Hallelujah Chorus” will be included in the evening numbers. The soloists will be Mrs Macdonald, Misses Gardiner and Wilson. The preacher at both services will be the Rev. E. Gardiner. Services to-morrow at the Esk street Baptist Church will be in keeping with the Christmas season. The preacher will be the Rev. W. E. Lambert. At 8 p.m. Esk street, Georgetown and North Invercargill choirs, under the leadership of Mr H. Schroeder will give a programme of Christmas carols, solos and other appropriate items. An offering will be taken on behalf of the Christmas cheer fund. The evening service at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church to-morrow will be one specially suited to the Christmas season. In place of the usual order on service the choir will sing a number of carols, none of which has been heard previously in Invercargill. Quaint old English words, set to music by modern composers, and modern English used in conjunction with old traditional airs make this new set of carols most interesting. The soloist will be Miss McColl, and the pulpit will be occupied by the minister, the Rev. C. J. Tocker,

At First Church at 8 o’clock on Sunday night a special recital of Christmas music will be given by the choir, and the boys’ choir. The soloists will be Miss Joyce Reid and Mr Robert Buchan. The aim of this recital is to provide a Christmas collection to swell the fund already created to repair the roof of the church. This thought on the choir’s part is greatly appreciated. At the morning and evening diets of Divine worship, namely, at 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. Advent themes will be the subject of meditation. The usual Christmas service will be conducted on Christmas Day at 8.30 a.m.

’ There is an article in the current . number of the New Zealand Congre- ? gational Monthly, by Ernest H. Jeffs, London, on the subject of “cranks.” , Referring to the little groups of re- ’’ ligious enthusiasts who, at street cors nets and amidst holiday-making " crowds, display banners inscribed with s such texts as “The Wages of Sin is Death,” or with dismal warnings about s the Last Judgment, he says: “We can 1 all see where these misguided evans gelists go wrong. They teach the , crowd to associate religion with death . instead of life, with God’s sternness r instead of with the good news of God’s . mercy and love.” Choral services will be held morning and evening at the Central Methodist Church, Yarrow street, on Sun- . day. In the morning the members of the ’ Junior Lyric Quartet party will be . heard in concerted and solo numbers. At the evening service a feature will be ’ the rendering of solos from the “Messiah,” by Mrs Cate, Miss Rene ’ Brown and the Rev. E. B. Chambers, j Carols will be sung by the choir at both services, while the congregation will be afforded the opportunity of ’ joining in the singing of Christmas hymns. Retiring offertories will be ' taken up on behalf of the South Island . Methodist Orphanage at Tapanui.

.’ A suggestive book on the Gospel of ‘ John has just been published. It is • called “The Gory of the Father,” is the ' work of H. Leonard Pass, and is pub--3 lished by Mowbray. The task Mr Pass • set himself was to expound the chap- ■ ters which record our Lord’s last dis- ■ course with his disciples and the great ■ prayer that follows. He also discusses , the question as to whether our Lord • actually delivered the discourse as we • have it, and as to whether the prayer was offered in the presence of the • disciples, and the conclusion he comes to is in the affirmative. He does not, however, think the “beloved disciple” was John the son of Zebedee. He thinks he was a youth belonging to one of the priestly families, who had been one of Jesus’ disciples, and had been in ’ close touch with Him during His pub- ’ lie ministry. The book is both sug--1 gestive and helpful, though many will ' disagree with some of its conclusions. The First Church party, under the leadership of Mr W. Aitchison. entertained the girls of Cameron Home to a Christmas treat on Wednesday even-' ing. Outdoor games provided merriment for young and old while the daylight lasted. Fun and frolic continued, in the large dining-room until a Santa’ Claus of gigantic stature struck awe on the gathering which was not dispelled until the happy smiles of thankful possession chased fear away as the contents of the mystery bag became individual possessions. All then surrounded the piano and heartily joined in singing a number of songs. Mr Aitchison apologized for the absence of the Rev. A. G. Mackintosh Carter, and tendered the compliments and Christmas greetings of the church. He congratulated the matron and staff on the success of the year’s work. Mr Watt replied on behalf of the staff and the Rev. W. J. Robertson, chairman of the committee, for the association. The Rev. D. D. Scott, of Khandallah, formerly of Onehunga, contributes “Some Assembly Thoughts” to last week’s number- of The Outlook. It is a clever article, written, for the most part in a humorous vein, and there is this unusual remark in it on the difficulty of convincing Christian people generally that pacifism is “the one and only position in full harmony with the spirit of Christ.” “While the question (of pacifism) was being debated in the Assembly, one coud not help recalling the narrative in the Book of Acts where the Apostle Paul sent his nephew to the military officer to report a Jewish plot. An armed guard was provided, and if the Jews had attacked there would have been bloodshed. Most Christians to-day will feel thankful that military sanctions were applied in this instance, and it is hardly open to doubt that the writer of the narrative in Acts was thankful, too. Not a hint is given that the Apostle protested against the provision of an armed guard. We rather think he welcomed it.”