CHRISTMAS SERVICES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1320, 26 December 1911, Page 6

CHRISTMAS SERVICES.

AT ST. PAUL'S. AN AD.UHKSS BY THE BISHOP. Christmas-spivicos were held at' St. •Paul's Anglican pro-C'iitlicdral- yriterilyy at'T a.in.,'S a.m..'it'a.m. , ., and a carol .service at 7-p.m.- UVre was a largo number of communicants. The church was .tastefully ■' decorated. ' tho w'ell-taiow.ii Christmas hymns and carols, were -heartily ' siiiipr. and the prayer-book services wore parried out , with impressive dignity. The Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Sprutt) was the preacher at the" morning service. Basing )„'<,. remarks- on tlio 'words On earth peace," ho asked how far; the great movement which-had boon, started l).v thclouiider of Christianiiv had suc.rtodeil. How far hud His "ideal for hiiman lift, beon realised?. This 'ideal was not a< parting one, but. covered human lite as a whole in its relations to Clod self, and our fellow men. It had certainly been realised to some extent. If Christ had lived in vain we would not bn coiebrating his birthday after the lapse of nineteen centuries; He would have Inn? {•'inco been numbered among the unforgotton (load. Christ's ideal'hnd- been realised in the personal .and family, rotations or men more than in their wider motions. As regards man's social tuid political.life.thoughtful men were disappointed at the slowness of the progress made; not that. Christianity had , exerted no influence in this sphere. 1U influence had been great, but not nearly so great as in man's .personal- and family life. Take international questions, for instance. Was it generally regarded as practical or even desirable that those questions should be decided by religions considerations? It was a matter that ought to be faced. Though under present condition:; v;ar might at times bo inevitable and necessary, ■it was. certainly ineomjmtiblo with, the Christian- ideal. Tot Christendom to-day was an armed camp, and it had -been said that Britain had recently been very nearly, in conflict with Germany, a nation to whom we owo much and which owes much to us. Such a war would bo a reproach to Christendom. . .The Bishop went on to refer to the united efforts which were being made by tho Churches of England and Germany to maintain peace, and quoted an impressive statement by Dr. Haruaek, who declared among other things that wo dare not cast forth Hip Christian ideal from tho realm of politics. This union of the churches was a great step forward, though late, in the realisation of Christ's ideal, and they should all hope and pray for its success. The Bishop then referred to tho prevalence of industrial warfare, which was' of course contrary to'Christiiin principles. Service. , not self "seeking, was tho fundamental Christian law of social' life, and only on the basis'of Christian love and brotherhood could a stabln order of lasting peace be established. 'Men-too often-thought more of;getting justice than doing justice, whereas the solo justification for every right was to be found in a-duty fulfilled. It was,- however,- well' to remember that Christ cared- for 'the interests of each individual as. well as those of mankind as a• whole,-:anil His love- was as individual in its tenderness as it was universal in ■ its scope. Tho Bishop -.concluded by wishing his hearers all Christmas joy and happiness. ■■ • , ■ ■' ■: AT ST/PETER'S. ■ The 'usual services w.ere held in St. Peter's yesterday at 6.15■• a.m., , .:" a.m., 8 a.m., 11 -a.nl.', and in the evening. Christmas music was. sung at morning and evening soi-vice. The..vicar, Archdeacon ilarner, preached in the morning on the subject of- tho revaluation of God through Jesus Christ.- ■" .-■. ~■+,,-, ■■■No bells were rung at. bt. Peters on Sunday-, or yesterday, out, of 'consideration for a man lying sick.in the neighbourhood. ' The patient- is the man who was-injured on the wharf last week, lor the last two days he-has been, very jl , ■but last night his condition had improved. SACRED HEART BASILICA. At the Sacred Heart Basilica in Hill Street, Masses were celebrated every halt hour, from G a.m. till 10.80 a.m., when his Grace tho Archbishop celebrated Pontifical High Mass, the Rev lather Peoples acting as deacon and the Kev. Father Doolaghty as sub-deacon. His Grace also delivered a, short address on tho festival of Christmas. * In all the other Roman Catholic churches of tho city Masses were celebrated from an early hour, and at each Mass Christmas greetings were convoyed to tho congregations. In the evening there was solemn benediction and a ternion. " • ■■

ST. JOHN'S. PRESBYTERIAN. Sermons appropriate to tho great Christian festival were preached at the Presbyterian Churches of the city and suburbs on Sunday. "Glad Tidings of Great' Joy" was the title of the Rev. Dr. Gibb's evening sermon at St. John's. A Christmas service was held at St. John's Presbyterian Church yesterday morning, when the Rev. Dr. Gibb preached, from John I, 10, "He was in the world.'"' These words, tho preacher said, were profoundly suggestive. Christ, who camo at Bethlehem, was the Christ who by His spirit was already in the world, imminent in the physical universe and iu tho hearts of men, but they did not know it. They could not see Him, and in His great condescension ho clothed Himself with human flesh, so that they might find God in Him and iu their own souls. AT ST. ANDREW'S. The Rev. J. Gibson Smith preached at St. Andrew's, and the Rev: J. Kennedy Elliott at Kent Terrace. Christmas services were held at Roseneath, Miramar, Kilbirnie, and Karaka Bay by tho Rev. W. Douglas and lay assistants. "Christmas" was the evening subject of the Rev. B. Hutson at Brooklyn. ST. JAMES'S CHURCH. At St. James's Church, Wellington South, on Sunday, special references to Christmas were, made by the Rev. W. Shirer,-. and special hymns were sung at both services. A carol service was held last evening, when a number of familiar Chrbtmas hymns were sung, as well as a; selection of enrols and anthems. Tho arrangements for the service were made by-the Young People's Bible Classes and Endeavour Societies gild friends, and the service was conducted, by Mr. Vapworth. The Kcv. W. Shirer gave u short address. , TERRACE CONGREGATIONAL. There were two special services at the Terrace Congregational Chnrch on Sunday. On each occasion carols were sung by the choir, and the hymns and organ music were appropriate to the Christmas season. In tho morning a sermon was preached by the Kev. M. Aspland. In the evening, the Row .1. R. Glasson, pastor of the church, himself conducted tho service. In' the course of his address, Mr. Glasson dealt with the quoslion, sometimes raised, as to whether Christianity has exhausted its energies. Tho point lie emphasised was that Christianity could not live on (he splendid services of the past. Tho claim of Christianity was, and would continue to I*-, thai, it lind latent, possibilities; thai it inspired upward and forward movements now, and would continue to do s.o. WESLEYAN METHODIST. At Wesley Church,' 'I'nrunaki tit rent, services appropriate to the season were conducted. by thu Kev. J.'G. Chapman, and Christmas enrols nrre rendered by the choir at both services. Preaching in I ho morning from tho text "And the Word was mndo flesh,'' Mr. Chapman said that tho author of the. Fourth Gospel was no doubt influenced by the early Greek thought and teaching concerning I ho doctrine of tho Logos, and his Gospel was written to prove that the Logos was .les'i:s of Nazareth, Who had lived amongst them Ks it man, but Who was indeed the- "Only Begotten of the Father." Mr. Chapman showed that, the time was ripe for the advent, of Christ lo the world. The whole world was united under one sceptre, the Roman .Emperor was sole lord, and practically. all mankind were citizens of one Slate. The far-stretching highways that rayed out from Home rendered travelling easy and safe for the preachers of the new Gospel. The Greek language was .a. splendid medium lor Gospel dissemination, and there was an earnest ■expectation ior some great Deliverer to appear. Thu Incarnation showed the greatness of Divine condescension. Christ submitted to the limitations nf humanity, both physical aud intellectual.

Yet Christ whs , the perfect man, the apex of the pyramid,, the- ■ flower of the nice. Horn nineteen centuries'.ago, them was 10-day nothing obsolete about Him. His sayings were timeless, and His words worn dateless. Om , could not detect aiiy foreign- accent in His speech s He was a foreigner to no one. Born a Jew, yot lie was free from local and national limitations. ■ At thc'l'iinity -Methodist Church,-Wei-1 linglon Smith , .- Christian, services we.ro held on Sunday, the preachers bqing tlio: Jiov. .1. Ward (inorningV and the Rev. 'I'. C. Can , , of Auckland (evening). A solo was sung at the , evening service by Hiss Eva , Ward. ' - - - The Rev. C. H. Olds.■preached morning and evening at Thorndon, and sang as a solo at the evening service "The Holy Shrine." Christmas services were also held on Sunday at 'the other Methodist churches and mission rooms.. . •. . . ,• ■ .. PRIMITIVE METHODIST. .... Christmas sermons by the l!cv. W. S. Potter and special music marked the Sunday nt Webb Street Primitive Methodist Church. The Rev. C. A. Sims was the preacher at Donald M'Loa'n Streety and the Revs. H. Cotton and P. J. Cossum at Sydney Street. . . .