THE BISHOP'S ADDRESS.

Waiapu Church Gazette, 1 October 1933, Page 7

THE BISHOP'S ADDRESS.

The following is a summary of the Bishop's sermon, his text being, "Ye also, as lively stone, are built up a spiritual- house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (I. Peter, 11, 5). Referring to the alterations made to the v present building, the Bishop spoke of them as a realisation of long cherished hopes. He went on to speak of the consecration service that had taken place, and asked what we meant by consecration. It was not a piece of magic, something done which suddenly made a building holy, but rather a solemn setting up of a building to be devoted to a holy use to be made holy by tho use it was put to, viz., for worship and for God's honour and glory. To consecrate them was a progressive process and a responsibility vested upon the users of a building as consecrated to complete the work of making it holy by the spiritual use they made of it. So much would depend upon the way m which they regarded the building that had been so set apart for a definite purpose- and whether they treated it with that reverence and respect which was due to all things with holy associations. God, of course, was everywhere, but it was quite reasonable to regard some places as especially associated with our thoughts of Him and where we might draw near to Him* not only m united worship, but where, by withdrawing ourselves from outward distractions, we might hold silent personal communion with Him. It would be well if parishioners' made more frequent use of their churches for this purpose. St. Peter reminded us m the text what St. Paul also taught: that we ourselves were being built up into a spiritual house, a spiritual temple. He went further to remind us that we too were all priests', that there was a priesthood of the laity, that we were called to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. It was then our duty to keep our spiritual temple as well as the material building holy, consecrated to the glory of God.

There was another large congregation at the evening service, when the Bishop again preached, his subject being the ten lepers who were healed by Christ, and only one of the ten, when he was healed, turned back and gave thanks to the Healer. In the afternoon a Confirmation service for adults was held at the chapel of the Mission House at Whaka, when eight candidates were confirmed.