Church Work and Life

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 775, 23 September 1929, Page 14

Church Work and Life

Messages from the Pulpits

MARTYRED BISHOP

KILLED BY NATIVES PATTESON OF MELANESIA GROWTH OF HIS MISSION The anniversary of the martyrdom of John Coleridge Patteson, first Bishop of Melanesia, which ’ occurred on Nukapu Island, on September 20, 1871, was the subject of many sermons in Auckland churches yesterday. Preaching from the text, "I bear In my body the marks of the Lord Jesus,” Gal. vi., 17, in Holy Sepulchre Church, the Rev. G. Gordon Bell spoke of the strange mystical significance of incidents accompanying the bishop's martyrdom. When the bishop’s body was discovered in a drifting canoe it was found that it bore five wounds, while on it was placed a palm leaf, the fronds of which were knotted in five places. The number of the wounds and knots was evidently meant by the heathen islanders to point to the fact that the killing of the bishop was an act of vengeance on a white man for the kidnapping of five men from the island by white traders, but to Christians they spoke of the five sacred wounds of Christ, in hands and feet and side, made in His sacred body as it hung upon the cross, said the preacher. "In truth Bishop Patteson entered closely into relationship with the Sacred Passion of Jesus in the manner of his death. He met his death in the course of his work of carrying to the peoples of the islands the knowledge of the love of God shown to us in the Sacred Passion of our Blessed Lord and of the power of that same sacrifice to change human hearts and lives. He was impelled by the same love of human souls which had led our Blessed Lord to come into the world In His incarnate life to suffer for our sakes. He did it for the sake of Jesus, urged on by the love of Jesus, and sustained by the power of Jesus. The close identification of Himself with all those who, for His sake and in His strength, take up the cross and follow with Him. is one of the most wonderful realities in the spiritual life,” Mr. Bell continued. “The more Jesus Is welcomed into our hearts and permitted to dominate our lives, the more will the love of Jesus be seen in our attitude and actions toward others —the more are we Impelled to give ourselves freely and willingly for others, not counting the cost to ourselves. Seldom in the

history of Christianity has there been so wonderfully shown this close Identification of Jesus with one of His followers, and this should make the Church in New Zealand value and reverence Bishop Patteson, even more than the known beauty of his character. “It is one of the saddest things in life that we do not properly value and appreciate the most wonderful things in our experience, and this is probably true of our regard for Bishop Patteson. How many people of the New Zealand Church really know anything at all about the bishop and the w r ay in which he worked and met his death? People had asked why the church should be decorated with palms with five-knotted leaves, showing clearly that they were ignorant of this most beautiful accompaniment of the martyrdom. Melanesia, the mis-: sion for which Bishop Patteson gave his life, although it retains its hold | upon the affections of New Zealand I people, is not valued as it should he I as a precious heritage of endeavour | bequeathed to us by our Blessed Lord, j The work of the mission is sadly j hampered by lack of workers and I lack of finance. APPEAL FOR THE MISSION The mission was sadly in debt, debts Incurred in the endeavour not to abandon the work, and in the hope that Its income would increase at least sufficiently to permit the work! to go on on its present basis. “We value our missionaries so little that we permit them to have the heartbreak of seeing lads and girls, men and women, who might be won for our Blessed Lord if only the mission had more workers and more money, left in heathenism,” said Mr. Bell. "Recently, lads had had to be refused admission to the school at Maravovo, which could easily be increased to twice its present size, so many are the Melanesians who seek to enter it; and the theological college at Lolowal and the girls’ school at Torgil are temporary closed because the missionaries in charge are away on muchneeded furlough, and there are no others to take their places. Many of the missionaries have built their own houses at their own charges because the mission could not provide them with decent dwellings. The sermon closed with an appeal to all to let the love of the Blessed Lord draw them more closely to identify themselves with Him in His sacred passion, to let His love possess their hearts and prompt them to give themselves, in personal service in the mission field if suitable for the work, in offerings for the work made with real self-sacrifice, and In constant prayer that New Zealand might realise more fully the precious heritage which she had in the care of Melanesia and may support the work more adequately.