S. MATTHEW'S CHURCH

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9601, 22 September 1909, Page 5

S. MATTHEW'S CHURCH

PA RISE! FESTIVAL. Yesterday being S. Matthew's Day, it was observed as the annual Parish Festival at S. Matthew's Church. The services began with a celebration of the Holy Communion at 7.30 a.m. At the later morning service several of the neighbouring clergy were present, and the Bishop of Wellington celebrated and preached from the tex 1 ; Zeph. iii. 17. His Lordship said that often we think of Gnd sorrowing over the sins of His people, but the thought of the joy of God was not so often with us. The picture of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Man of Sorrows was not the only picture of the Saviour. God rejoiced over the repentance and the victories of human over sin, and the object of our worship should be to ad J to the joy of God. At the meeting of clergy in the aftern-on it was decided to hold a conference of church members in November, and several iirpoitant subject* wer; selected for discussion. Although the weather in the even • ing was cold and wet, a large congregation was present at the evenirg service. The choir was assisted by S. Mark's Choir from Carterton, and also by members of St. Luke's Choir from Greytown. The service was fully choral, the lessons (1 Chronicles, xxix, I—2o,1 —20, and S. Luke v 27—32) were read by the Rev. J. H. Sykes, vicar of Upper Hutt. and the Kev. T. Stealey, Principal of th« Maori College at Clareville, Among the other clergy who were preset}*; were the Revs. R. Young, of Carterton, A. J. B. Page, of Greytowri, C. H. Issacson, of Pahiatua. and the Rev. V. H. Kitcat, of Eketahuna, who acted as Bishop's Chaplain. The anthem was by Woodward, "The sun shall be no more thy light by day." The Bishop of Wellington preached from the text Psalms xlviii. 9, "We have thought of Thy loving kindness, 0 iGod, in the midst of Thy Holy Tem pie." The Bishop pointed out that the true idea of worship was giving not getting. "Our Prayer Book taught us that at the very beginning of our daily service. We ought to render thanks and set forth God's most worthy praiße, even before we ! listened to His Holy Word or asked for those tilings which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. To understand the revelation that God had given to man, serious thought was necessary. This could be seen by the way our Lord answered those who came to H:m with questions, and also from j the way that He chose to teach in parables. Serious thought was necessary too if we were to understand God's dealings with mankind or in any way realise His presence. God's House was a place for serious thought Its silence even suggested this. And also its solemn associations. There we had brought oar children to be admitted to the church in Baptism. There we meet at the greatest service of all the Holy Eucharist. There too we had brought our dead before we laid them to rest in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life. The church by ita silence and its solemn associations was a place for solemn thought." In conclusion the Bi3hopsaid that he hoped soon to see in this town a building of more permanent character raised to the glory and worship of God. One which we should beautify with many memorials, and one which should bear witness to future generations that we' valued the goodness of God and thought of His loving kindness." The offertories were devoted to the New Church Building B'und. At the close of the service refreshments were p.-ovided for the visiting choirs by the members of S. Mat* thew's Choir,