Choral Services at S. John's, Te Awamutu.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1947, 30 December 1884, Page 2

Choral Services at S. John's, Te Awamutu.

A choral service was held in the church on Christinas evening. The church was very prettily decorated with flowers and evergreens, the decorations of the communion rails and reading desk bein? particularly good, the colours of the \ arions flowera being tastefully blended. The anthem was taken fiom the 40lh chapter of Isaiah, 9th verse. The text was Luke 2, xiv, " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill to men." The Rev. Mr Philips preached an excellent sermon, dwelling on the duties of everyone at this particular season. Christmas was a season of rejoicing, particularly so to those who profess the Christian f.uth,as at thecommencenient of the Christiau era. Christ's death on the cross was the consummation of the prophecies of the great prophets who foretold the coining of the Messiah. The announcement of the angels to the shepherds, " On earth peace and goodwill to men," should be borne in mind by e\ eryone, for all differences of feeling and illwill should be laid aside, not roeiely for the season, but for all time. As God by His angels proclaimed peace and goodwill to men, so ought wo be at peace with, and entertain feeling of goodwill to our fellow men. The reverend gentlemen clearly defined the duties of all Christian people. He dwelt on the great love of the Saviour to men when he endured the agony and humiliation of the death on the cross to save us from the everlasting death to which, but for his ransom, we were doomed, and concluded by expressing an earnest hope that his hearers would, by their lives and actions, show their desire to live like Christ, so that when the summons was sent to call them hence they might sljaie hi-> glory as he shared our sorrows, temptations and trials.