CHRISTMAS SERVICES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2142, 27 December 1920, Page 11

CHRISTMAS SERVICES.

THE FESTIVAL IN THE CHURCHES Christmas Day was observed in all zhe Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in the city ami suburbs. There "were many communicants at the early morning services, and the festival services were attended by large congregations. Nearly all the non-episcopal ehurehes joined in a united service on ■Christmas Day. The Sunday services yesterday were all of a Christmas character, and the flowers and greenery with whieh many of the churches had been decked were made to serve for two days, instead of one.

ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL. The services at the Cathedral on Christmas Day were attended' by hundreds of people. At 11 a.m. the Holy Eucharist (Mozart in B Hat) was sung, the int.roit being "There Were Shepherds" (Handel). At the evening service carols sung. Bishop Julius, who preached at the morning service, took the text, I. John iv., 7, "Lo\e is of God." After discussing the theory of Huxley and others that love was of man—S "splendid human growth," to be cultivated in unkindly soil—the Bishop urged the need of assisting "the will to love" against "the will to live." The former principle, he said, came from God, and lay at the root of the story of Christmastide. The will to love involved loving the fellow-man, whoever he might be—loving tin people whom he did not like. The other principle, the will to live, expressed itself everywhere in many forms —the will to love one's own, to care for oneself, to enjoy, to fight, and to have strength. Sin, in its manykinds, was generally an expression # of universal wiii t~> live. Christ's task was to dethrone this principle, and His new- commandment was, "Love one another." The reign of love, said the Bishop, would mean great social changes, and the abolishing of cliques, elasses and clubs. "There's nothing more abominally selfish on God's earth than a club," he declared. "I don't care whether it's the Athenaeum or the Workingmen's Club. They are all utterly selfish, and the Church, is becoming as selfish as the clubs." The Bishop spoke briefly of the efforts of the Lambeth Conference towards Christian unity, which, he said, would be an expression of the love which should be amongst Christians —the love which was of God. The offertories at the Cathedral and elsewhere were given to St. Saviour's Orphanage. OTHER CHURCHES. At St. Michael's Church the preacher at the 11 o'clock service was the Rev. Canon Mutter. Special music was rendered by the choir, under Mr Alfred Worsley. The church was beautifully decorated with flowers, and a large array of handles in the sanctuary. Festival services were held in St. Luke's Church, and carols were sung at Evensong on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. At the principal Christmas morning service a procession was held in the church, the children taking part. On Sunday afternoon a Christmas "mystery play" was performed in the church, in accordance with the mediaeval custom, by boys and young men of #he parish, under the direction of the Rev. P. Carrington. A clever representation of the manger at Bethlehem, made by parishioners, was placed in the south aisle. The Bishop was the preacher at evensong on Sunday. ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL. All the usual Christmas solemnities were observed at the Roman Catholic Cathedral. As the priests of the parish took advantage of the "Memorial Privilege," Mass was celebrated almost continuously from 6 a.m. onwards, and an exceptionally large number of people received Holy Communion. At 11 a.m. Pontifical High Mass was celebrated by Bishop Brodie. The music (from Gounod's "Messe Solennelle" and Plumpton's Mass) was finely sung by the phoir, under Mr Alfred Bunz, who also acted as organist. The soloists -were Mesdames Berkeley, Dudderidge and T. King, and Messrs Hayward and Atwell. The Bishop gave a short address on the gospel for the day, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of goodwill." TJhe Church, he said, had kept the" truth of the Incarnation for nearly 2000' years, and every Christmas brought fresh signs of - -the strengthening of that faith. The Bishop expressed his gratitude to the priests, members of religious orders, teachers, the choir, acolytes and others, for what they had done during the year in their different spheres. The large numbers of communicants that morning showed that the devotion and sacrifice of those •who taught was keeping the wondrous truth of Christmas alive. At the close of the sermon the Bishop gave the Apostolic Benediction. The evening devotions consisted of solemn vespers and Pontifical Benediction. The preacher was the Rev. Father Whelan, C.SS.R. The altar was beautifully decorated by members of the Children of Mary and the Altar Society. In a side chapel was a "Christmas crib." or representation of the manger at Bethlehem. This was the. work of the sacristan and aeolytes. At St. Mary's Manchester Street, large congregations attended all services. The Very Rev. Dean Regnault ■was celebrant at High Mass, and also preached.

UNITED SEBVICE. A united service arranged by the Council of Churches was held in the Durham Street Methodist Church on Christmas morning. 'Die church was decorated with roses, lilies, and other flowers. Prayers were said by Revs. W. Ready and J. Paterson, and passages of scripture were read by Revs. W. J. "Williams and J. J. North. Rev. C. Abernethy gave the benediction at the end of the service. A solo was sung by Miss Twose. Rev. H. J. Huffadine, ■who preached, spoke about the following of the star of Bethlehem. The star, he said, was not very much in vogue just now —the glare from the earth obscured its light. If only for a day the world would steadfastly follow the ptar, there would be a swift and silent revolution, and no one would ever want to go back to the old order. It was the duty of professing Christmas to strive for that end by turning steadfastly towards the star of Christ and bringing others to do likewise.