THE CHURCHES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2653, 27 December 1915, Page 3

THE CHURCHES

CHRISTMAS SERVICES

THE ANGLICAN CHURCHES

Large congregations marked the sey'vices on Christmas ■ Day at St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral. The church was 'tastefully decorated, and the music was well rendered by the choir, Mr. Robert Parker presiding at the_ organ. At the morning service the vicar, the Rev. A. M. Johnson; preached, taking for his subjeot the Christmas' message "Peace to men of goodwill." A feature of the Communion service was the large number of communicants. Last year the first Christmas of the war, the number of communicants was unusually large, and this year there was a very large increase on last year's number. Services were held throughout Christmas' Day at St. Mark's Church, which was prettily decorated. At the morning service the' Bishop of Wellington preached. -At Evensong Carols took the place of the customary service. The services throughout were bright and well-attended, particularly the morning Communion celebrations.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. ' Special services were conducted in. the Presbyterian churches on Christmas Day, and were generally well attended.

A feature of the church services on Christmas Day, and particularly yesterday, was the presence of so many khaki-clad worshippers. At the Christina's service in St.

. .John's Church, tile Rev. Dr. Gibb spoke ' on the words "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which "is Christ, the Lord." It was a good thing, he said, to commemorate anniversaries of the benefactors of the race. . For many reasons, < and this

amongst them: that/it was a corrective to the all-too-common mood of forgetfulness of our indebtedness 'to. the past. Christ was the'supreme creative personality of human history, and all the world was His 'debtor. But this was not the chief reason for the commemoration of Christmas. , He who was 'born into our nature was the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. Christmas was rightly and fully kept only as we' drew near to the heart of the . eternal love, and rooted' our trust and convictions in Him wlio was the'peac» and .life of our souls. The' Christmas services', were continued yesterday, when large congregations assembled, both morning and evening. At the latter service, Dr. Gibb concluded a; series of sermons on the second advent, viewed in the light of the present conditions of ' human society, . with special reference to the war.

1 WESLEY CHURCH, TARANAKI ST. A service was held on Christmas 'morning, 'conducted'by. the Rev. J. U. Chapman.,, Speaking, on the meaning of the- Christmas festival, Mr. Chapman said that Jesus "Christ : came in the "fulness of. the 'times." 1 ' Why did . not Christ come"■ earlier ? ■„ Four - thousand . years intervened; between the. downfall . of the first Adam and the advent of the second Adam. God's revelations were conditioned by man's readiness to receive. and appreciate them. 'The secrets and forces of Nature were hidden until man was fitted to know them.: There was a great', law that "takes into consideration the'capacity oi those to whom ihe revelations are made The prominent teaching of the . Incarnation was the. great condescension oiQod. Mortals robed in fleslr could not realise the revulsion. that a pure and perfect spirit must; have felt in,taking up this '"house of. clay.'!'/ A missionary goes to fhe..-sayage,but, ,does not become a savage. . ...Christ's ' condescension ' consisted further in submitting to'all our human limitations,' physical and intellectual. He' 1 knew weariness, hunger, and death. His knowledge was limited ■ His power- too. ;He became man,. real man, and this was the stupendous affirmation of the New Testament that this man was the Son of God Irfcarnate. Yet He was perfect man, the apex of the pyramid, the flower of the race. Both man and woman found their ideal in Him He belonged to all classes. Born of a - peasant woman, yet scion of the princely House of _ David. National limitations wero lost in Him. Born a. Jew, 'He was not specifically Jewish. Born in Judea He was a citizen of the ■ World. / No foreign accent could.be'detected in His words or speech'. He belonged to no one period; there...was nothing, obsolete or' antiquated about Him. All newspapers, calendars, Acts "of Parliament, business and literature readjust tlieir dates to His birth.. His name'was .written upon the brow of the hurrying centuries. M. Paul Riohter's magnificent sentences were: "The crucified Jew, being the holiest among the mighty,, and i the mightiest among the. holy, has lifted V'.itli His pierced hands empires off their hinges, turned the stream of the centuries out of its clianni>l, and still governs the ages." '

BAPTIST* The. services at the Vivian • Street Baptist Churoli ■ yesterday were of a special character,' not only on account of the Festival of Christmas, but also because they were the farewell services of the Itey. Archibald G. Brown. For a little over three months Mr. > Brown has supplied the pulpit with very great acceptance to the church, and- there is general regret that he is roturning to England, although it was known that his sojourn here would be brief. Mr. Brown's text in the morning was taken from Ist Corinthians, 15th chapter, 25th verse—"For He must reign until He hath put all enemies under His feet." In the evening the sermon was based on Revelation 5. There were large attendances at both services.

ST. MARY OF THE ANCELS. At St. Mary of tho Angels Church, Boulcott Street, Masses were offered from 6.30 a.m. without interruption till 11! o'clock, when a Solemn High Mass was celebrated. The Rev. Bernard Ryan, S.M., was celebrant, and tlie Revs. Father Kimbell and Venning, S.M.'s, were deacon and sub-deacon respectively. The Very Rev. Father O'Coiinoil was master of ceremonies, and he also addressed the congregation, taking for his text,'. "Glory to God in the Highest, and oil Earth Peace to Men of Goodwill" (Luke 11, 14). At - all' times and in all places God required men to glorify Him, and this was done when tho smallest as well as the greatest act v/as performed in a manner which denoted obedience to God's commands and respect for His sovereign authority. When our Saviour appeared on this earth, He brought true peace, and this prevailed as long as God's will was done, but as soon as man's pride overpowered him, there was nothing but misery and wretchedness. There was a cloud of sadness overhanging; the world to-day, because of this spirit of pride, and although all endeavoured to rejoice at Christmas they felt keenly the sorrows lof nation against nation, caused'by tho dreadful war which now ravaged the world. He exhorted his people to pray for peace—a peace which would be honourable and pleasing unto God. True peace was not always what the world considered as' such, but it meant something more, a union of Christian hearts with the peaceful, loving heart of Jesus Christ. -With such peace only could goodwill be found, hence he prayed God to hear the prayers of his people that the meaning of the -Christmas festival might'be again "understood, and through it men be brought to the knowledge and love of God. The choir, under the leadership of Mr. Alfred M'Donald, rendered the Mass in, a very effective manner. Mr. Mount presided at the organ, and played some beautiful incidental music.

On Christmas evening there was a very large congregation, and Christmas carols' Were sung by the congregation. Yesterday there were large attendances at the Masses at 7, 8, and 11 o'clock. The last Mass was sung by the Eev. Father Kimbel], S.M., and the choir again rendered the beautiful Mass of Christmas morning. In the evening the Rev. Bernard Ryan, S.M., who -'was recently ordained by Archbishop Red-' wood at the Marist Fathers' Seminary at Greenmeadows, preached , his : first "sermon, : and was listened lib -by a" large and appreciative congregation. The singing of the Adeste Fidelis and other Christmas carols by the congregation was excellent.

SALVATION ARMY. Special Christmas celebrations were conducted in the- Salvation Ariny Citadel, in Vivian Street, on .Christmas Day and on Sunday. Adjutant Bladin conducted'the morning service, and the evening service was conducted by Com-; missioner and Mrs.. Hodder. The Commissioner preached on the text "His name shall be_ called wonderful." ( Tho Sunday services, conducted by Ad-, 'jutant Bladin, were largely attended,' and a number of men in khaki took part in the services. Special carols were played and sung by the band and songsters in / each service, and in the evening the Adjutant based, his address on the words "What- think ye of Cbris't?" Special hymns were sung and prayers offered in connection with the war and our troops at the front.