Waiapu Church Gazette. APRIL, 1940. THE CHURCH CONGRESS

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 31, Issue 2, 1 April 1940, Page 3

Waiapu Church Gazette. APRIL, 1940. THE CHURCH CONGRESS

All preparations for the Congress are well under way and it is already clear that we are going to have good representation from distant parts of the Diocese, as well as good numbers from nearer parishes. Wartime means that Church work is more difficult, just as business is more difficult and sport more difficult, and it needs real sacrifice and special effort to overcome the difficulties. It is cheering that there is such evidence that the Church is ready to make the special effort which the times require. What are we to bring: to the Congress? — If it is to serve God's Purpose we must bring with us the spirit which God can use. 1. A great expectation. If we expecif nothing we have room to receive nothing; if we expect much because we believe m God and if we trust Him to give us the strength to do what He wants done, then the fulfilment of God's will- is possible., If we expect much God can do much. 2. A devotion to God which makes Him the centre of our Congress. It is only too easy for us to bring things down to the human level, the level of criticism and doubt and waiting to see if it is any good. Such an attitude betrays our belief m God. We are gathering to seek God together and to learn His Will. It is Gpd that matters. God will be there. That is the amazing fact which we dare to assert; it overshadows all else; it is the one thing we must never forget. We come to meet God. In our thoughts about the Congress, m our

conversation about it, that is the Fact we must never forget. 3. Our own prayerful and consecrated thought about the things we are to learn about and discuss. We cannot look on our minds and their working as one thing and God showing us His Will as another thing. God gave us our minds and they are His instrument. They are made to work m union with Him, enlightened by His Spirit; only then do they become what God created them to be; only then do our minds work at their full power. We cannot begin too soon to think out m our own minds, with God's help, the subjects we are to consider at the Congress. The work of the Congress and God's opportunity begins directly we begin. 4. A real friendliness towards each other. We shall not need introducing for we all belong to one family, and this is an opportunity tp get to know each other better; to learn from each other and to be strengthened by our fellowship. God's purpose seems to be always worked out m fellowship, and none of us would claim that it is a shining quality of our Church's life as we know it. Here is a chance to learn something of the beauty and power of Christian fellowship ,and why God has chosen it. as the human quality through which He works. We are realising that fellowship is the world's greatest need, and surely we, of all people, must show that real fellowship is possible and how God can use it. If we come prepared, if we come to meet God, then we give God His opportunity.