Waiapu Church Gazette. Wednesday, May 1st, 1918. THE CALL TO PRAYER.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume VIII, Issue 11, 1 May 1918, Page 84

Waiapu Church Gazette. Wednesday, May Ist, 1918. THE CALL TO PRAYER.

Reports of the great services m England on the Feast of the Epiphany are just to hand. The day was kept m accordance with the King's wishes as a great day of prayer and the response of Christians of all kinds was truly striking and inspiring. In most churches the Prayer Book Litany was said or solemnly sung m procession before the Church's great intercessory service, the Holy Communion. In many eases the National Anthem was solemnly sung m place of the Collect for the King. Perhaps the most impressive services of all were those held m Winchester Cathedral. These began at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday night and consisted of intercessions conducted at half-hour intervals by various clergy until midnight. At midnight the Holy Eucharist was celebrated by Canon Vaughan at the High Altar, there being 315 Communicants. Celebrations were held at 1 o'clock and at every hour till 8 a.m.; there was a later celebration at noon. Members of nearly all religious denominations were present during the services, engaged m the great act of prayer. At an unsatisfactory combined service or meeting organised by the V.M.C.A. m the London Opera House, the Bishop of London gave an address, and was followed by "Gypsy" Smith, who took the opportunity to rail about the uselessness of dignitaries and ecclesiastics and even of the Church, contradicting the cherished convictins of Churchmen and preaching rank undenoininatioalism. It is impossible for Churchmen to accept invitations to combined services where their sincere convictions and fundamental beleifs are to be derided and attacked m this way. However, all this is apart from the main subject of our article. We are deeply moved by the response of London to the call to prayer. But we have testimoney nearer home of the

conviction of Christians as to the power of prayer. On Low Sunday evening, when the war cloud was so black, the Bishop and Canon Mayne invited the Cathedral congregation to spend all night m prayer, arid the result was most gratifying. The services were on the lines of. those described above m the Winchester Cathedral, and there were a good many . Communicants at the various celebrations, besides a large number of people praying and meditating and attending as worshippers. The night of prayer will long be remembered m Napier. The Auckland Clerical Association is organising a ten days' season of prayer between Ascension Day and Whit Sunday, the prospect is being enthusiastically entered into m Auckland and the clergy of the Waiapu Diocese have decided to join m. Each parish is to choose Avhich day or days it will observe and arrange for continuous prayer on that day m the parish church and m the homes from morning till night. The following parishes have already chosen their days : — Ascension Day, the Cathedral ; Friday, May 10th, Havelock; Saturday, May 11th, Port Ahuriri; Monday, May 13th, St. Augustine's; Tuesday, May 14th, ; Wednesday, May 15th, Waipukurau; Thursday (Octave of Ascension), Hastings; Friday, May 17th, ; Saturday, May 18th, — -. ■ To those who have not previously joined m such a movement we may explain that a programme for the day is drawn out; the day is divided, say, into half-hours and each person taking part promises to observe one or more of these periods praying m the church ; every period is thus taken up by one or more persons and prayer is being constantly offered. Will all those who are willing to help consult their vicar on the matter ? Either we believe m prayer or we don't. If we don't we are not Christians at all, if we do is it possible m these awful dark days that we can neglect to- call for God's light and help m rolling back the enemy' of all real religion and Christian civilisation ? Let us trust our Father more, and believe His promise to answer prayer. Those who can do nothing else to strengthen the hands that fight for freedom and right can at any rate pray; even invalids can pray m their homes. The issues of this awful struggle are m the hands of God and we cannot doubt that m the end right will prevail; but our Lord has taught us that m some mysterious way the action of Spiritual forces is conditioned by prayer; we do not know the "how" or the "why" but if as Christians we believe our Lord's statement of the fact surely Aye shall take Him at His word and pray as we never prayed before m this hour of darkness and gloom.