WORLD COMMUNION DAY

Chronicle (Levin), 27 September 1946, Page 4

WORLD COMMUNION DAY

v - — "V" "■ - 4 OBSERVANCE ON SUNDAY . RECOGNITION OF UNITY Next Sunday, October 6, the Reformed or Protestant churches tn New Zealand and' other lands will observe together the Holy Communion. Each church will follow the rite according to its own accustomed order and usage, but uhe act in all churches will be a jommon confession of faith in the One Lord Jesus Christ, and an open recognition of the fact that uhe Reformed churches increasingly are experieneing a unity in Christ which is transcendirig existing and real differences of history, church order and methods of worship. At a time when the nations of the earth seem to be flying apart m idealogicai- antagonisms and unresolved conflicts, it is an encoiiraging fact that great seccions of the Christian church are ixperiehcing a new sense of unity and oneness in faith and experience, and are taking steps to give mstitutional embodiment to -that experience. The coming together of delegates from Christian churches of many parts of the world, in Geneva, early this year, as the Provisional committe©' cf the World Council of Christian Churches was highly significant. Leaders of many churches — Orthodox, Lutheran and Reformed of Europe, and Anglican and Free of Great Britain and U.S.A.— met in Geneva and reported on what were the most significant events in their areas during the six years of war. The condioion of the church and the problems it had to face in all quarters of the globe from China to Mexico came under review. For exampie, Dr. Douglas Hortdn, who was one of the three deiegates of . the American churches to visit Japan soon after V.J. Day, gave an account of what he found to be the position of the Christian church in Japan. The Japanese Christians until the war had been entirely dwellers in the great cities. Buildings had been destroyed and * congregations scattered in the countryside. The unexpected result was that the church was now thinking as never before of evangelising the peasantry of the country areas. The deiegates worshipped to- ' gether in the Cathedral of St. Peter in Geneva. The prayers were said in English, the singing was in French, the Gospel was read in Greek and three addresses were given by Dr. Miao of China in English, Bishop Berggrav, of Norway, in German and Pastor Niemoller, of Germany, in French. They spoke simply of the faithfulness of humble Christians in times of pres-

sure and distress, of the unbroken life of the church in the Holy Spirit throughout the war, and of the penitence and renewal whicli brings together in Christ those who have done each other grievous wrongs. At the conference Bishop Wurm, of Wurtemberg, described how the periodic visits of one of the study secretaries of the World Council of Churches were to German church leaders almost the only break in their long continued sense of being beleagured within Germany, and cut off from Christendom outside. At the risk of his life he made journeys through Germany into Sweden, back again to Germany and into occupied countries. The general secretary of the World Council, Dr. Visser't Hooft, a Dutchman, described how in the early years of the war it seemed impossible to maintain relationships between the churches, as one plan, after another had to be .iettisoned. "But right in the midst of the war," he said, "the tide turned. New and even larger ta.-.ks presented themselves and what " the contacts between the churches lost in frequency, they gained in intensity and depth." Before the war 40 churches had asked for membership of the council. Since the war began more than 50 other churches had decided to join the council, an act of sheer faith for the council did not then °xist except in its provisional form. "No church needs to fear," said Dr. Visser't Hooft."that its membership in the council will mean that it will be forced into organic unity with other churches, but all churches must realise that in the council they will be confronted with ihe inescanable question of why they remain separated in many ways from churches with which they have actual fellowship in other ways. The great significance of a full integration of the Faith and Order Movement in the World Council lies precisely in that Faith and Order reminds us of the true goal and does not allow us to rest content with the very imperfect measure of unity which we have today." Here in Levin on Sunday next the members of the churches, by attending their own churches and taking part in the celebration of Holy Communion or the Eucharist, or the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, according to the custom of their own Christian denomination, - have the opportunity of giving public expression to that measure 'of imperef unity the churches in New Zealand have attained, and of seeking from the Common Lord the power and sympathetic insight necessary for making that unity a greater p-'-'d trner reality.