ST MICHAEL'S AND ALL ANGELS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7156, 22 July 1901, Page 1

ST MICHAEL'S AND ALL ANGELS.

i JUBILEE SERVICES. 1 Special Jubilee services were conducted in the Church of St. Michael and . All Angels yesterday. There were good congregations both morning and evening: MORNING SERVICE. The preacher in 'the morning was the vicar, the Rev A. W. Averill, who took his text from Psalm 132, setting forth David's prayer at the removing of. the ark. The word's are: "Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions, how he 6Ware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob, 'Surely I will not come into fchY tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed, I will not give sleep to inane eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord," an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.' " The preacher said that "the Psalm seemed to have b:en written' to commemorate the completion of the temple. It struck a ; note which was applicable to all time, namely, the duty to look back from the completed idoa to the birth of the thought. The temple hed been built in David's heart before it was builit by Solomon's hand 1 ?, and Solomon asked that David's efforts should be remembered; The words could ba well applied to the church in which they had met, at the time of its Jubilee. When they contemplated the idea of the completed church, their mends should go back to those who had thought it out and • had spent much anxious care in connection with it. That day, they thanked God for the faith and devoticm r of the Pilgrims. They asked Him to remember the Pilgrims a nd their •ideals, their self-sacrifices, and their noble efforts to 'honour Jehovah and establish the worship of Him in the land. In reading of- those things, people of the present generation acknowledged with gratitude and pride that the early settlers who had thus sworn unto Almighty God w-ere following in the ste-ps of the man after God's own Wast* ■ -,- Their intentions, ztal, devotion, afmT ideals were still -the admiration of earnest church people in all parts of the world. The city and the diocese of Christchurch were still reaping the fruits cf their devotion. That' parish rejoiced in occupying the noble position of the first church parish established by the Pilgrims in Christchurch, and that building, small as it was then, was the first in which worship was held. The present generation could look back to the day which the late Dean Jacobs in Ms first sermon in that church had called the day of small things; and if the. preacher then urged the settlers not- to despise small things, surely people* of the present day should rejoice that . the day of small things existed* at all- They should be loyal to these church principles, which had done much to build up th© characters of many of their settlers, and had distinguished them from, many settlers in other, parts of . the world) He quoted from " Tie JSew.,,. Zealand Ch.ur.ch/' by the late Deaa.-. Jacobs, an account of historical incidents in connection with the church. It was in that building, then cailed . "The Church of Christchurch," that B;sh.op Harper. had been enthrcned on tlhe Christmas Day after he landed in New Zealand, and thenceforth the building had become the. Pro-Cathe-dral. The church had t«E-n;the ordination of many clergymen. In its baptismal and marriage registers there were the names of maaiy Canterbury settlei-s, arid also records of baptisms and 1 marriages that foad taken place on the first- four ships. ;St Michael's was dear to as great many people who, in times of joy and* sorrow, bad gathered within the walls of the old church. It was dear to many who no longer rested within sound of its historic bell, and to many who still had the privilege of worThey believed in maintaining the beauty shipping the God of their fathars on that

sacred spct. They found the' church, in its middle life, ' still suppcrUd and loved. It 'had certainly placed an important part, in the history of. the province. Its usefulness would 'not diminish, in .^the future,, of God's house, and, in giving Him of their best, they -wrere carrying , put ;jrhat had Been in the hearts of the Pilgrims. Might God" continue to. ..bjiss^ the^old church, arid' might, all Eonour Ye given to the principles of the- church and \ the pious intentions *of its founders. la .cojiclusion, tlie nfeacher sard tiM;b\ . a chapel and vestries were being er&ct<ed ip honour of the Pilgrims, and the J<ut>ilee. Memorial Farid, to which ha urged those present to subscribe, would 'be- devoted to that purpose. V V- r The lessons were read' by th« Rev JV. A.. Julias, and appropriate hymns Jw*re sling. CHiLDREN'S SERVICE; - , A children's service was feeld in the af- . fernoon. A large number, attended, the building being .well filled. Thfe^rvice. was based on Hymn 242, "Lord, I, have lov.ed 'the habitations of Thy house, and the plaoe where Thine honour dwelleth," Between the verses of the hymn prayers .were offered up by the Vioar for those who, had bsen b&ptisjd in the church aii-i the. parish, thoss who had been : confined,; pjijst and present, members of the choirjvfand,; others connected with' the cliurbli^A.-^iVRw; J. A.. Julius preached 1 tos the icMj^ren from.: Leviticus xxv- 10. "And ye attail the fiftieth year." "... < \ . \ , THE EVENING SERVICE. /| • The churcla was crowded in the evenijlg. Special hymns were sung, and the words cf the anthem were, " The Lord is right€t;Us in all his ways, and holy in'all.liis woi"ks," from Psalm cxlv. Bishop Ju^tts preached' He took his text from Ist xiv, 1%, if all prophesy j* ai|a. there come in one that bslieveth -cot, or "one unlearned, he is convinced of all^ he is jjidge of dl. 1 '" He said that the Church of inth had been endowed with many gifts, among th?m being the gift of I torigues. It . was much sought' after, and there grew up in the Church a confusion, which entered into the service, the result bemg that .it danacr arose, a? the Church . yas 'beeapniii&j brilliant rather than spiritualii^lie^Storclii became a complete Church, jb^nd 'I^'noruks, precedents, or formul^ except in Christ and His word. Con^egationalistn was a system of church polii^ which ■Itiquently asserted itself even" |bw. It was much easier to be enthusi,ajstic about a fraction than about the who|e. There wa< a, tendency to centralise their; religion ar.d their devotion to a particirlar^lace of Worship, a pnrticuiar congregatjion^ mmistry, and- form of worship, to t|iVriw all 'their energy and vigour into it, , and : refuse to look outside. If was a tendency, and ulsc a - danger, wnich. might spgbially assail a vigorous and enthusiastic v. congregation, such as that of St Michael's. |It was, ■'herefore, witH thankfulness to $oi thai the preacher looked ba«k over»V history of the Church, and rememberel^lhow steadily faithful both tke church andfjhe. parish had been to the 1 diocese and to ts| work of God. He knew that there w,as .af/wide tendency among members of the church. He thanked God that it stood foremost in its love of missionary .work and ..care for the poor, and gave loving support to all things in the diocese that called for its help and assistance,.^ God, wanted .His%iie^Bjm. '.■ conY i ntunication. to thbsev who did iidb kriowspiritual power and religion. That medium' might be, and ought' to be, such a congregation as St Michael's. > By the blessing' of God, the church had now entered upon nti- j other fifty years of : its existexca. It Lad] grown from a little " place to that fair building, ore of the finest wooden churches he knew of. Perhaps b-sfore another fifty years had gone by, it would, give way to. a still mora rpkndid structure. M?nv of thore present rsmenrbsred the church in its ear'y day?., and the good work it did. They tbaiik?d God from their hearts that His blessing was upon it still. If unv of tbem were to stand where hs was standing that night, they would feel r.s he felt, tliat it was "a" ■welcome, stimulating, and delightful Eight to see ouch a.congregation. They had joined in the fcrvica, and cou'd thnnk Gad for its beauty, simplicity and faithfulness. Knowing that many members of*th<3 cburch were laithful workers, serving humbly snd quietly, he sa. ; d that beneath the surface of the cc^n- ! gregatioh there was much to b? thankful for. 'Wben prestr.fc at the communion service in the morning, however, he had felt that' the strength of the church was in its coasinunicants. Music and ritual '• were good. Money would supply the first .'osndfcare and accuracy. th« second. But devotion was bett'-r t!han all. He waiitpd members of the congregation to consider th« influence of their bearing and manner on the people around them. He could not exaggerate ths influence on men of a deeply devc-ut ccngregjtion, which in every part was so sensible of the divine presence in its midst that it conveyed that sense to others. They should mak* their church a medium for bringing Christ nearer to the world. .. ' ■ Tbe lessens were read by tlie vicar. The Te Daum was sung at both the morning and evening services. Holy Communion was cslebrated at 8 a.m. and 12.15 p.m., the total number of communicants being 300. The whele of the effertories for the day will be devoted to tha Jubilee Fund. .