CENTENNIAL SERVICES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24226, 19 February 1940, Page 9

CENTENNIAL SERVICES

THANKSGIVING IN CHURCHES APPROPRIATE REFERENCES Special thanksgiving services in connection with the New Zealand Centennial were held in many local churches yesterday. ' At St. Paul’s Cathedral, Dean Cruickshanks delivered an address with an inspiring appeal, and appropriate references to the occasion were made by the churches of most other denominations, especially those of the Methodist Church, as the Centennial Conference will be held in Dunedin this week. The Presbyterian Churches, however, will hold a special combined centennial service on March 10. At First Church yesterday morning, the Rev. W. Allen Stevely gave an address, “The Pioneer’s Test, - ’ which was associated with the early settlers’ reunion to be held to-day. MORAY PLACE CHURCH THE RELIGIOUS FOUNDATION Special thanksgiving services, marking the centennial, were conducted yesterday at the Moray Place Congregational Church, the preacher being the Rev. Alan Gurr, of Brisbane. The anthem, “ Great Is the Lord,” was rendered by the choir, and the solo, “When I Survey,” was sung by Miss Alice Guy. Taking as the text for his evening sermon “Whether it Be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard ” (Acts iv: 19, 20), the Rev. Mr Gurr referred to President Roosevelt’s recent words, that on the survival of religion, democratic freedom and international goodwill the stability of the world depended, and that the two latter could not survive without the religious foundation. t The President had made a strong avowal that the civil liberties and rights which his people enjoyed resulted from, and grew out of, the religious freedom which the early Pilgrim Fathers had developed in their New England. If the United States people were behind their President and acted on these affirmations, that nation could yet come out of this critical period in the world’s history as the leader, and no one would begrudge her the position. The past showed that where a nation’s leaders over-ride the scruples of religious people, it was but a prelude to their nation’s downfall. The eclipse of Napoleon’s power could be traced to his cleavage with a large body of Roman Catholics in France; Mussolini, in the early years of his power, drove against the Church, but later a concordat with the Pope was formed: and it might yet be that the forced restraint placed on the German Church and on German civil rights’ by Hitler may hasten the end of Hitler’s regime. “If religion be the root of democracy,” said the speaker, “ let Us nourish the root so that the tree may be saved; let us emulate our forefathers; let us* copy the pioneers’ strong faith and courageous endeavour; let us deepen our faith. Let us. by learning the real significance of the IPe and death of Jesus Christ, make a definite contribution to the strengthening of the edifice, built in these first hundred years in our country’s history. By living His quality of life and by preserving jealously our liberties, we shall probably accomplish more to this end than we realise.”