SUNDAY CIRCLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24403, 14 September 1940, Page 17

SUNDAY CIRCLE

FORE-ORDAINED Thou cam'st not to thy place by accident. ■'. It is the' very place Gcd made for thee; And. should'st thou there small scope for action see. Do not for this give room to discontent. Nor let the time thou cwest to God be spent In idly dreaming how thou mightest be; In what concerns thy spiritual life more free From outward hindrance or impediment; For presently this hindrance thou shalt find That, without which all goodness were a task So slight that virtue never could grow strong; And would'st thou do one duty to His mind— The Imposer's—overburdened thou shalt ask' And own thy need of grace to help ere long. (Archbishop Trench). PRAYER O Lord 6ur God, who hast called us to put away the works of darkness, and to put on the armour of light, lift up the glory of Thy countenance upon us. Grant. that in all we think and say and do there may be something of the morning and of the dawn. May our words, even our very presence, bring hope and joy and peace to such as dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. May we surprise those that are dejected and feel that.they dare not raise their eyes to Thee by the warmth and radiance of our love. In a world where there is so much twilight of uncertainty, so many clouds of fear and sorrow and despair, make us bearers of Thy blessed and reassuring sunshine. Fcr Thy Name's sake we ask it. Amen. A BIBLE QUIZ Can you complete the following quotations:— 1. "We have turned every one . . ." 2. " .... so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." 3. ". . . hath suffered being tempted. 4. "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, . . ." 5. "... , shall He not much more clothe you, ..." 6. " He. had showed thee, O man, what is good; . . ." BARBICAN MISSION TO THE JEWS Two encouraging meetings were held at the Central Hall, Westminster. London, recently, in connection with the Barbican Mission. The Rev. I. E. Davidson (director) reported that this year 43 Jews had been baptised in London, and seven more had professed faith in Christ. A very promising work was also going on among the children in the Home at Chislehurst. At a later meeting the Rev. W. E. Wallner said that when the Barbican Mission opened up work in Czechoslovakia 10 vears ago there was only one Hebrew Christian in Prague. But when Mr Wallner left the city last year there was a congregation of 3000 in his church. On Sunday mornings hundreds had to be turned away. Many of the people had now been deported to Poland, and some of them were suffering untold horrors in concentration camps'. THE KESWICK CONVENTION The trustees of the Keswick Convention have decided to make arrangements in the faith that this year presents unexampled opportunities. Although many who normally would be there will, because of the war, be un-

able to go. yet large numbers of Christian people will recognise: that Keswick offers the ideal respite from every-day tension—a time of vitally important waiting upon the Lord, amid *he peace and magnificent beauty of Lakeland. All will join in the one tide of blessing in the Eskin street tent. This will not be.what is known as the "small" tent, but, one seating 2400 people—the same size as that known as Ihe "large" tent, without its wooden extension. A DAY OF PRAYER At the suggestion. of the Portstewari Convention Committee, a day of prayer has been widely held throughout Ulster. In Belfast we learn ■ thai five meetings were held, and as early as 8 a.m. almost 1000 people were present. At 11 o'clock May Street Presbyterian Church was practically filled, and Professor James Haire, Moderator of the General Assembly, gave a brief address. A lunch-hour gathering led by Mr Robert Clyde was attended by hundreds of ci'.v workers. Afternoon and evening meetings were thronged. and an overflow gathering at night had to be held in Clarence Place Hail. Simultaneous meetings throughout the day were held at Shankill Road Mission and other centres. At all, there was liberty in fervent intercession on behalf of our nation. CARAVAN MISSION TO VILLAGE CHILDREN In the past few months, said Mr Ivor Crouch, the chairman, at the annual meeting of the Caravan Mission to Village Children, they had had a saddening revelation of the pagan ignorance that existed among many of the children of the great cities who had been evacuated into "the country areas of Great Britain. It was all to the good that they should face such an emergency; and there the mission was fulfilling a very definite piece of service for Christ. The secretary. Mr R. T. Garwood, quoted the words of one evangelist, that last winter was the " most trying, most varied, most used, and most encouraging winter season ever experienced." He went on to tell of thousands of young lives reached with the Gospel message. A number of evangelists told of their work, and made clear that there never was a greater opportunity among children than there is to-day. Many difficulties had had to be faced this past season, but they were far outweighed by the encouragements. NATIONAL CHURCH LEAGUE Presenting the report of the National Church League at the annual meeting in the convocation hall of the new Church House, Westminster. London, the Rev. T. Ashton (general secretary) said that, in face of the irreligion in their land, teaching work on a large scale, which was one of the main features of the league's activities, was more than ever necessary. It was vital that they should concentrate all their energies upon positive constructional work. From the chair, Lord Caldecote said that the National Church League had never been a focus of strife. They had had to engage sometimes in anxious discussion of matters of serious moment to the Church and the State —that was, of course, inseparable from the very existence of the league; but that they should do anything in the spirit of bitterness or controversy was, he was sure, opposed to the wishes of everyone connected with the work of the league.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCHES "Substance" is the subject of the lesson-sermon in all Churches of Christ, Scientist, to-morrow. The golden text is " If we hope for that we 'see not, then do we with patience wait for it" (Romans 8: 25). Among the citations which comprise the lesson-sermon is the following from the Bible: "Be thou my strong

habitation whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress" (Psalms 71: 3). The lesson-sermon also contains the following passage from the text book of Christian Science, " Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," by Mary Baker Eddy: "All substance, intelligence, wisdom, being, immortality, cause and effect belong to God."