ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13992, 30 August 1909, Page 6

ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

ANNIVERSARY SERVICES. At St. Mary's Church, yesterday, the Ven .Archdeacon Harper, assisted by Canon Hare, of Christchurch, conducted special .-services 'in recognition of the anniversary of the church. The wet weather somewhat militated against the attendance at the 11 a.m. service, but both services were heart\, and appropriate to the occasion. The Archdeacon preached at the morning service from the words of Paul to the christians at Colosse, as set forth in verses nine and ten of the first chapter of Colossians: "For this cause wo also, . . . .do not cease to to way for yon. . . that ,ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." These words, the preacher paid, were uttered centuries a<ro by Paul to the church in the city of Colosso: and he proceeded to show how aoplicable they wore to St. Mary's Church in Timaru to-day, on this, the occasion of its anniversary. Such words should mean much to them. Let then imagine a narishioner of the early days of St. Mary's who had since gone to reside at Home and who now heard, after the lapse of many years, of what the church had grown to, as indicated at the opening of the completed structure in May last. "What would lie say? Would he not congratulate them and bid them go ! forward in tlieir christian work just as Paul offered words of encouragement to the church at Colosse. They should meditate noon what God had enabled them to do, and should carefully guard again.se leering toe spirit or chanKiulncss to Him, dwindle, down. With patience, zeal, and self denial, they had under God's providence, been permitted to go forward, but realising His infinite KiiKliiecs, tnoy slioukl remember that he expected them to do better still. The Archdeacon said that he had received a message of the kind he. had just referred to, from England, Canon Jjonnington, who conducted mission •services in Timaru when the nave of St. Mary's was being built, having written out offering his hearty congratulations upon the work achieved in the completion of the church. It said mucn, he thought, for the people of Canterbury, that they had erected such edifices as the Cathedral in Christchurch, and St. Mary'is in Timaru. Such congratulations, said the /archdeacon, should not be taken as mere idle words for they were intended to stimulate them to bettor effort still. They should work together for the glory of God, as they would do if they looked to their individual Jives and saw that they were fortified, uplifted, sanctified and instnred of God. The preacher reminded* his hearers that the church at Colosse had the same trouble to fight as had the church of to-day in that it had to contend against the teachings of rationalism which taught ■ of a christian life, without Christ. Such a. doctrine was altogether wrong and there was no better way of meeting it than by sincere lives animated and controlled by God. A grand picture of the christian life was contained in the words of Paul to the Colossians, chapter three, where he exhorted to mortification, to put off the old man and to put on Christ, to let the peace of God rule in their hearts, and the word of Christ dwell richly in them. In conclusion, the preacher voiced an exhortation for a strict and honest adherence to truth, for self-denial and thought of others, for true honour for all labour performed faithfully and in the knowledge that God is the Master wli-mi we rrrve s:.nd tha+ He has given each one his place in HIV. Let that third chapter of Colossians help to build them up, not only as a material church, but also as a spiritual body in

Christ. The church in which they worshipped, was, in its stately proportions, and its .beautiful enrichments indicative of what their lives should be, and it should be theirs so to live m the service of God that they who. follow after may be built upon the foundations already laid. St. Mary's might perish, but it* life, if it were true, would never do so.