PIONEER SHIPS

Evening Star, Issue 22449, 21 September 1936, Page 3

PIONEER SHIPS

JURA AND AUCKLAND ANNIVERSARY SERVICES AT FIRST CHURCH Anniversary services, at which passengers and their descendants from the ships Auckland and Jura were present, were conducted in First Church yesterday by the Rev. W. Allen Stevely. Speaking at the morning service, which was specially arranged as part of the seventy-eighth anniversary celebrations of the ship Jura’s arrival in Otago, Mr Stevely, who took as his subject ‘ The Things Which Remain,’ said; “ In the material world around us we cannot find anything which escapes change and decay. Visitors to the great cities of olden times arc impressed by this fact in a special way. The things in Romo which most iin-, press are the ruins of the Forum, in Athens the remains of the Parthenon or the Acropolis, and in Ephesus the few marble stones in a stagnant pool overgrown with reeds and rushes—at one time the Temple of Diana. What is true of the material works of man is true of the material world itself. The same change is seen in human society, with its endless divisions of tribes £iid races, its organisations and civilisations. Here, also, we look in vain for things which remain. What are the things which remain? There is the Bible. One of the wonders of that Book is that it has the dew of its youth. It is not only living to-day; it is the most widely circulated Book in the world. Mankind has not outgrown its message, but has still to reach up to it. Like the tree of life, its leaves are for the healing of the nations. The Bible has not failed. It has yet to he fully applied to every department of life. Another abiding power is the Kingdom of God. It is a spiritual kingdom, and knows no frontiers. It permeates more or less the kingdoms of this world; and in so far as it .permeates them, and no farther, the world kingdoms have stability. But no earthly kingdom is yet entirely within the Kingdom of God. The real task of every nation is to bring all its national life into alignment with the Kingdom of God. Supreme among abiding reality is the Lord Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. He is'still the Hope and Redeemer of all the ends of the earth. He is the answer to the world’s deepest need. He alone is the and Fulfilment of a new world of righteousness,’ brotherhood, and peace.” The singing of appropriate hymns was a special feature of the service. Dr V. E. Galway presided at the organ. At the evening service, which was attended by those taking part in the ship Auckland celebrations, the quartet sang ‘ Look Upon Us, Blessed Lord ’; the choir, with Dr Galway at the organ, sang the anthem ‘With a Voice of Singing.’ In the course of his address on the subject, ‘ Think and Thank,’ Mr Stevely said: “ In our busy modern life, when moments are crowded and days are full, we have not much time to think. Yet we require to think well if we would think rightly. The enterprise of thanksgiving is vital because all sin seems to arise, from ingratitude in some form. The peril of the thankless spirit is to leave out God, and to leave out God always® means failure. One of the safeguards against the prevailing materialism is to cultivate the spirit of gratitude. It is significant that growth in grace is ever accompanied by growth in thankfulness. The great souls in every age provide many illustrations of the truth. As experience was enriched and faith was deepened, they came to see the hand of God not only in the rare and exceptional things, but also in the common mercies of every common day. The reward of this attitude to life is to find in the darkest day some cause for gratitude an.d a peace the world neither gives nor takes away. Moreover, the "race of God in the supreme gift of Christ lays everyone under an infinite debt that should inspire the greatest gratitude. Such thankfulness is the response of love. The motive of t hristiau service is thankfulness to God for His unspeakable gift. It makes all the difference when service is inspired by this motive. It means the consecration of life and soul and all. Thanksgi ing is a very spiritual and practical tlrng. God wants consecrated men and women. He requires them to build the new Jerusalem on earth. And the road to speh consecration is to realise with adoring gratitude the great thing He has done for us in Jesus Christ.” SHIP AUCKLAND ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REUNION The Ship* Auckland Association commened its annual reunion on "ai urday, tfie functions concluding last evening with a parade to First Church, Between 1874 and 1879 the Auckland paid several visits to Otago, passengers being carried on three voyages! Those who sailed on these occasions Jiave formed an association, with their descendants, and hold annual reunions for the renewal of acquaintances. On Saturday afternoon the first ol tlie gatherings was held in the Pioneers' Haii, Mr J. Torrance, president of the association, -occupying the chair. He welcomed the members, extending a special greeting to the younger people, on wJiom would fall the responsib’’ity of carrying on the association. 7”s also referred to the fact that the TTag which decorated the platform was a gift recently made by Messrs Donald Henderson and Co Ltd., of Clasgow, through the local representatives, the National Mort gage and Agency Company Ltd. The Rev. W A. Stevely, in a brie) address, said it was good to gathci and enjoy the stimulus of happy comradeships. Those* present were ship mates and descendants of shipmn’:cs, and they had taken part in a fellowship of labour to develop the city and the province. Comradeship wms the great need of the world to-day. The nations were not intended to dwell in selfish isolation or in chronic antagonism. They could not live without one another, for geographical condi tions made it necessary for them to be interdependent. The need was national as well as international, loi each country could contribute a pulso to universal brotherhood in ratio only with the strength of that- spirit in its own boundaries. In conclusion he remarked that from such reunions should come the inspiration to carry on the task commenced by those who had gone before. The generations were bound together in the eternal purpose of God, and the present generation should apply the faith and vision of the pioneers to the duties and problems of the present day. The remainder of the afternoon was spent in general conversation, items being rendered at intervals by juvenile performers. in the evening the reunion celebrations were continued at the. Pioneers

Ha}l, where the annual social and j dance was held. Close on 100 persons | wore present. -Mr J. Torrance and Mr 1). J. Calder, president of the Early Settlers' Association, both briefly re terred to the annual reunions' of the Jura and the Auckland passengers , who were practically the only societies that- had annual gatherings of the lassangers and descendants, apart -mi. the Early Settlers' \sscciat.ion essrs T. M. Gillies am l H- C- I’or area were the M C.s. ..Irs Mo.gan ■ml Mr W. Snow delighted hi! with ; heir solos, and had to respond to en- . cores. The music for the dancing was' supplied by Hargreave’s Orchestra.