FROM THE CHURCH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 70, 17 July 1950, Page 7

FROM THE CHURCH

St. George’s Anglican Whakatane “WHOM YE SEEK”

Preaching at the Parish Church, Whakatane, last night, the Vicar, the Rev. T. Loten, continued the series of addresses nn the text “The Lord whom ye seek will suddenly come to His Temple.” Under the sub title ‘The Coming of God’ the Vicar pointed out that it was a fact of history that God the Son became man to demonstrate the perfect example of Holiness as the .goal to Which all His followers should aim.

At that time, the authorities of the day, unable to accept this new teaching, chose to destroy the Central Figure in the vain hope that such an act would destroy the new movement forever.

“We know what they did, we know also how great was their failure,” said the Vicar. “We might be tempted to think that today for many peoples, our Lord’s coming has been in vain, but if there is to be found in man any desire for, or trace of nobility of character and action, then such a man can find .♦xpressior. of his desires and fulfilment of his hopes only in Christ and His Church.”

“God never comes in vain while there is the smallest speck of fertile ground .n despite the failures and weaknesses of Christian people, the work of God is advanced daily in all places and throughout all ages.

“Today God comes to Christian people spiritually in Baptism, Confirmation, through the Sacraments and Prayer and we must constantly be alert to prepare ourselves for His coming. But we should never forget that God comes at His own time and with His own terms, not ours,” the Vicar said.