Waiapu Church Gazette. SATURDAY, OCT. 1, 1910. The Mission.

Waiapu Church Gazette, 1 October 1910, Page 8

Waiapu Church Gazette. SATURDAY, OCT. 1, 1910. The Mission.

As we go to press, the long-expected Missioners are with us; the Mission lias begun m many a centre m this Diocese, and we cannot doubt that God is with us of a truth I The Epistle for the Sunday before the Mission raised our hopes high, when we read : "He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh m us;" and, again, as we read the Morning Lesson on the Saturday of the beginning of the Mission, "God's enabling" was once more brought home to us ! " And God is able to make all grace abound unto you, that ye, having always all sufficiency m everything, may abound unto every good work." What God is able to do, surely the Mission will help us to understand, to grasp more fully; and we shall call on ourselves over and over again to '•have faith m God "—the God, whom we have learned to realise more fully, to see more clearly. In a ; recent number of the Craftsman there is an inspiring article, based,

practically, on the words of the Wise Man : " Where there is no open vision, the people perish" — written by an American, concerning Americans. He says : — "As a people we have had a sort of vision — ' a commercial vision ' — our material progress has been phenomenal. But our vision has been a narrow and restricted one. It has not enriched our lives as it should have done. Something is the matter with it. "As individuals we are prone to err m the same direction. We bind •ourselves to our little treadmill, and we get nowhere. Only by giving our souls a chance can we find the richer life. Without a vision we only half live." And could not these words be said just as truly by one of ourselves about ourselves ? And the Mission has come to us, to call us "to give our souls a chance " - "to enrich our lives by taking thought of the spiritual side." In our last number, the Bishop put the matter practically when he wrote to us, m his "Pastoral Letter": — "It is a clearer vision of God, of spiritual realities, of the meaning and purpose of life that we need. It is only through a clearer understanding of the Person, and work, and purposes of Christ, that we shall ever attain to a clearer vision of the Eternal God and Father of all." A fuller revelation to the hearts of men of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God ; a fuller vision of His Kingdom, and all that it means, and' of our part m it, this truly is our need, as it has been, and ever will be, the need of every age. The Missioners will have come, and gone, ere these words are read — but, shall we say, " The Mission has gone?" Surely not! Not if the Missioners' Message has come home to our hearts; not if we have attained to a clearer vision of God ! But it will have gone, if our emotions have only been stirred transiently, and we have not yielded ourselves to the calls of God — the call to surrender, the call to consecration, the call to loving and faithful service. "We are saved, to serve." Therefore our part now is to "follow up," to "follow on;" to realise, indeed, more fully the meaning and purpose of life, the life that God has given to us, the life for which we must some day render an account; and, by the grace of God, since we have beheld a fuller vision of His Kingdom, to

approve ourselves loyal subjects of the King. " Christian soldiers ! show your colours } Stand ye to your cause like men : Great the prize, if great the struggle 1 * Warfare now, but glory then." A Daily Prayer (For use after the Mission). Grant, 0 Lord, that we may never be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified. Strengthen us manfully to fight under His banner against sin, the world, and the Devil; and to continue Christ's faithful soldiers and servants unto our life's end. Amen. Reception of the Missioners. A large number of people were present at the Cathedral on Friday evening, 16th September, when the Anglican Missioners were accorded a reception as an introduction to their labours m this district. The service was hearty and enthusiastic throughout. A strong choir was also present. Bishop Williams attended and occupied a seat m the Sanctuary. After an organ voluntary by Mr. Weber, Archdeacon Ruddock presented each Missioner to his Lordship the Bishop of Waiapu, who stood at the chancel steps to receive them. Bishop Averill then read an opening prayer, a Litany, led by the Eev. Canon Mayne, following. After a prayer, Psalm cxxx. was sung. The Lesson was read by Bishop Williams, after which Psalm lxviii. was sung. After the Creed and a hymn, Bishop Averill addressed those present, his opening remarks being of a personal nature. " The unexpected death of Canon Pollock," he said, " has aroused the deepest sympathy m the hearts of New Zealand Churchmen, and has also helped, thank God, to deepen and to spiritualise our preparation for this Mission. We cannot but feel that he, who spent himself so ungrudgingly m his endeavours to help us, is still very near to us, and from the green pastures of Paradise is joining with us to-night m our intercession for blessing upon our Mission, which is now taking place m New Zealand, and which is just about to commence m our own Diocese." The Bishop proceeded to say that he had a simple and heartfelt message to the people ; it was to look upon this Mission as a keynote to joy. It must open up a really joyful life, of which they had as yet only caught glimpses m their better moments. Let . those better momenta become ;

their ordinary moments. The object of a Mission is to inculcate joy m a personal Saviour. The Mission was not of man, but of God. It was for the purpose that they should see God more clearly and to bring them into a closer union with Christ. It was through this union that the people could realise the aim and the end of life — joy that might be fulfilled, and that man might become what God intended him to be. They should cast away the scales from their eyes and partake of the real joy m Christ. Was it not, he asked, a consciousness of sin that people of New Zealand needed? Did they think that commercialism could take the place of the joy of. service and self-sacrifice? Christ was needed m New Zealand. More depth and earnestness was wanted m the people's lives. Nothing short of G-od could satisfy an immortal soul, and if the Mission meant anything it meant that God intended that substitutes should be put away. It was not the Missioners that they had come to hear, but the Spirit of God through them. The fruits of the Spirit were love, joy, and peace. " God is waiting," the Bishop proceeded. "Are we ready to come to this Mission and receive. The Missioners have come .13,000 miles at sacrifices of important time to bring God r s Message and to help us to see more clearly what is keeping us from this great joy of God. "Whatever it may cost you, don't lose this opportunity and miss the blessing of joy that will fill your very soul." Addressing the Missioners, the Bishop said: — "My brothers, a word to you. God has given you a glorious and a blessed task. He has admitted you to close fellowship with Himself to convey this great message of joy. We have prayed long and, I think, earnestly, as many are praying for you m the Old Land. We shall pray still. We do believe that Gcd has sent you m answer to our prayers, We offer ourselves to God to be guided and to be taught by you. We wait to receive the message entrusted to you. Personally to-night I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I thank God for the wonderful work He has done through you m Auckland, and may the fire that has been kindled m the north continue, and may it be the same m the Diocese of Waiapu. May Christ become so real to us that many may make the great decision. Let our Mission be begun, continued, and ended for God and m God,"

The singing of the " Veni Creator," a prayer, a hymn, and the Benediction, brought the service to a close. Death of Canon Pollock. The news of the very serious illness of Canon Pollock, one of the Forerunners of the General Mission, came as a great shock to his many friends m the Dominion, and prayers were offered for him m many Churches and many homes. We hoped that it might be possible that such a useful life would be spared yet a little, but it has been otherwise ordered, and we feel that the Church on earth has lost a champion 1 and a true leader. The late Canon Pollock came into touch with many of the Clergy and Church people during his tour of the Province, and his presence and words were always helpful and invigorating. He was a true " man of God," and yet knew how to use the world without abusing it. His death, during the progress of the Mission which he thought out so carefully, will add to the solemnity of the Message which the Mission has brought to us. Our deepest sympathy will go out to those who have lost one so near and dear to them, and the deeper aspirations of many souls will find expression m the words, " Grant, 0 Father, to Whom all live, that his life may unfold itself m Thy sight, and find a sweet employment m the spacious fields of eternity."