NEW ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1932, Page 5

NEW ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH

DEDICATION OF FURNISHINGS. SERVICE BY REV. J. PATTERSON. The dedication of gifts to the new St. Andrew’s Church, New Plymouth, was conducted by the Rev. John Paterson, Wanganui, at the morning service in the church on Sunday. Mr. Paterson said he had been asked by the minister to dedicate to the use of God the furnishings of the church. The gifts included a stone seat from an anonymous donor, ribbons for the Bibles from Alison Bush, carpet and floor covering from the senior girls’ Bible class, the baptismal font from Dr. and Mrs. P. C. Davie, the communion table chair bequeathed by Miss Flight in memory of the Rev. C. MacDonald, the communion table from Mr. and Mrs. R. J. linn, the pulpit from the women of the congregation, the pulpit cushion and communion table drape from Miss McNeill, the pulpit chair from Mr. and Mrs. W. Ogle, the pulpit Bible from Mr. Alfred Taunt, the communion table chair from Mr. Thomas Taunt, flower vase from Mrs. W. L. Thompson and reading desk from Mr. and Mrs. A. Way. The church bell was a replacement by the High Schools Board. The junior girls’ Bible class had a sum of money for new communion cups, which had not yet been purchased. Six new silver communion bread plates had been promised and would be ready before the first communion in the new church.

After naming the gifts the minister offered the prayer of dedication. Tn preaching the anniversary sermon of the church Mr. Paterson spoke of Paul’s definition of a church—“ The Church is His body, the body of Christ.” The old Puritans would have called the new church a steeple-house. They held that the church itself was not the building but a body of men and women.

When Christ came to earth he had taken upon him the body of the man Jesus of Nazareth. He had reached the hearts of men through the lips and hands of Jesus. No man might see God but Jesus had revealed Him.

Christ had gone to the unseen world of the spirit but He still wanted to be real to men and women so he sought to clothe himself in a new body, and that was His church.

The people of the church had a glory and a terrible responsibility. It was a tragedy when they did wrong and people outside the church could say, “There is your Christianity.” Now they had moved forward he hoped they would realise their deeper responsibility. New Plymouth was going to watch them to find out what kinds of Christians they were.

Perhaps they asked, how could they be perfect Christ-like men or women? Paul told them not to try to do the work out of their own strength, but to look to God and let him take possession of them and do the work. The enthusiasm around the new church building was going to pass and they would have to face new difficulties and a new epoch. Let them not forget the exceeding grace of God’s power. Let God take possession of them and do his own work in the hearts of them individually and in the body of them, His own church.