A Symbol of Greater Unity

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 11, Issue 9, 1 August 1945, Page 12

A Symbol of Greater Unity

The great united service of International Witness held at Westminster Abbey on Whitsunday was attended by representatives of the Church m Great Britain, the overseas Churches, the Churches of Europe and the Holy Orthodox Church of the East.

"The service itself was most impressive. I walked m procession and sat next to the Rev. H. G. G. Herklots, who is Secretary of the British Council of Churches," states Martin Sullivan, who represented tfew Zealand, m a letter to Archbishop West-

W)atson. "The preacher was the Rev.. Dr. A. J. M. MJcDonald, Rector of the Church of St. Dunstan m the Wlest Fleet Street. The whole act of worship was truly ecumeni&al. Perhaps the most lasting impression m my, mind was the conclusion of the service. Before the Blessing— -the Dean, who had the Archbishop ot Thyateira .w^th him at the High Altar,; turned to the congregation and said: 'Let us join together with- all Christ's 1 people m every time and place and say the prayer of the Lord's family, every man m his own tongue wherein ho was born.' "All around me then I heard the tongues of many languages as to-i gether English, Norwegian, Indian, Chinese, Belgian, Czeeho-Slovakian, Finish, Dutch, Danish, German, Polish and Greek, we broke into the Lord's Prayer. It was indeed most moving. I should add that ail the representatives wore academic robes, the chaplains to the Forces were m uniform, the Swedish and other Continental pastors were m their accustomed robes and the Anglican and Greek Orthodox m their traditional dress. "One felt again the Spirit of Pentecost, for here indeed was a symbol of pur greater unity." '. '