ST. PETER'S CHURCH THANKSGIVING SERVICES.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1186, 3 February 1880, Page 2

ST. PETER'S CHURCH THANKSGIVING SERVICES.

Harvest thanksgiving services were held in St. Peter's Church on Sunday morning and evening. The church was most artistically decorated with fruits, flowers, and grain, The pillars of either aisle were lightly and elegantly draped with cypress and laurel, the capitols beingornamented with pendent clusters of grapes and other fruit. The choir scats, the altar rails, and pulpit were also profusely decorated, the bunches of ears of q am, the fruit and flowers being most tastefully arranged. The altar itself was the cluf d'awvrc of the decorata, Mrs Calder, assisted by Miss Newell and others. On either side were sheaves of com and other vegetable products. Vases of elegant flowers mingled with miniature sheaves of wheat, barley, oats, and rye, brilliantly lit with long wax candles stood upon the altar itself, and on the shelf above it, the altar being so draped as to have all the appearance of stone, the front decorated with crimson, crosses. On the east wall of the chancel on either side of the altar, were suitable inscriptions, " Thou viaifcesfc the earth aud blessed it," and " Thou makest it very plenteous." The choral services and the sermons, were all appropriate to a harvest thanksgiving service. The hymns chosen had all reference to the bounties of Providence. In the moming the ttev. Mr. Calder preached from the 18th verse of the fifth chapter of Thessalonians, and in the evening from 11th verse of the eighth chapter of St. Lute. There was an early matin service at 8 a.m., when the holy communion was oelebrated as well as at the regular morning .service, about fifty communicants partaking. A recital of sacred musio will take place this evening in St. Peter's Church, Hamilton, the church choir, assisted by members of the Wesleyan Choir, and of the Hamilton Light Infantry Band. The performance will consist of anthems, selections from Elijah, and other oratorios, and the admission will be by tickets, which may be procured fiom any of the stores. In the course of the church .se -vices ol Sunday, Mr. Calder stated that the recitation being of a bacred character, and held within the church, ho trusted the audience would neither laugh siud talk, nor express approval in the usual fashion of puhlio performances elscwiieie,