WHERE “GLANCERS” FAIL

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 479, 8 October 1928, Page 14

WHERE “GLANCERS” FAIL

ARCHBISHOPS SERMON CHALICE AND PATEN DEDICATED "Our religion means that we are invited to be united to this life of Christ—it is rot a question of talk or respectability,” said Archbishop Averill in the course of a vigorous lermon at Holy Trinity Church, Devonport, last evening. “The world to-day is waiting for a manifestation of the Son of God, waiting to see Christ; and that’s where ‘glancers’ fail. Don't glance at Christ. Get down to the great truth of what He is doing to-day. The world is bad enough now, but it would be absolute hell without Him.” A special service was held to mark the inauguration of the duplex envelope system and the archbishop dedicated a silver chalice cup and gold paten given by some parishioners and friends of the church. These, together with a chalice already dedicated, were made from the silver and gold in a collection of articles ranging from a cigarette case to a pair of ear-rings, presented to the Rev. 11. B. Wingfield, vicar of the parish. NOVEL APPEAL The response to the vicar’s novel appeal was so generous that silver and gold to the value of over £SO was extracted. The first chalice was ornamented with Australian sapphires and cost £l7. The second has an ornamentation of malachites and is valued at £l4. The paten is of pure gold to the value of £ls. Even after this, a certain amount of metal was left over and went to help in paying for the manufacture. After observing that October 7 used to be observed in England as the day of the dedication of churches, the archbishop said that churches were not ends in themselves, but were the training grounds for the building of Christian characters. "Parsons exist for the sake of the Church; not the Church for the sake of the parsons,” he declared. "Some of the bishops and parsons at Home need to learn that lesson at the present time.” TRUE FOUNDATION

The preacher dealt with the need for “getting down” to firm foundations and finding Christ. If Jesus Christ was the only foundation some people had to do a great deal of digging and clearing away to reach it Christ could not be talked out, and honest men were bound in honour to face the fact of Him and place it first and foremost. A man was Judged by his revealed character, and so it was with Jesus.

If Christ had been an imposter with a great power of magic, would He not have used that power on every possible occasion? If the Book had been a lorgery, would not the writer have made his chief character use that power on every possible occasion? Christ's power was used sparingly and never for Himself. I simply hat© this present system or begging appeals to Christian men and women,” said the archbishop in ouching on the new duplex systeminJiTxf 8 . We Want to hrln * religion into business, so we ought to bring business Into religion.” S nr^!’L2 l ® f. ervic ® a special musical

by SLS? orchestra conducted by Mr. C. Wood, and the choir.