The herald., 1897-03-11
UNITED LENTHN SERVICE
Episcopal Ministers at St. Johns church-The
Rev. DIR. draws Sermon

At st. Johns Episcopal church union
Lenten service was held last evening.
The clergymen assisting in the service
were: Rev. B.W. r. Tayler, rector of st.
Johns; Rev. John Gray, rector of st.
Pauls; Rev. A. S. Clark, rector of
Christ's church, and Rev. d. F. Macken-
ze, rector of Ascension church, Boyle
Heights.
The right reverend, the bishop, ]. H.
Johnson, was also present.
The usual Lenten service and choral
evensong was held, followed by a SER
mon from Rev. John Gray, of st. Paui's
church.
DR.. Gray took the text from Isaiah L:
1914, in which the Lord rebuked the
kings of Judea and the people for their
pointed feasts, which had become hate :
ful to him.
DR.. Gray said: The age in which we
live Is growing justly impatient of the
hollowness of religion; 1t is prone to
disparage the observances of feasts and
fasts; it is inclined to consider them
deceptive and meaningless.
In ancient days, as has been shown
in the text, the people had degraded their
sacrifices, and the Lord was weary OF
them. They observed the form but not
the letter.
Today n,Sny object to the meaningless
ceremonies any empty parade of lip
service.
There is tendency to forget the
real repentance, and an attempt to wipe
over past sins with lip service. But God
cannot be deceived; he will not be
Knocked.
Self deception, however, may be pos
sible. The mistake is in using the form
for the reality; not for the glory of
God, but for the purposes of man.
While we cannot essay to touch the
example of the Master, we can reach
high ideal and regulate our daily
life by the teachings of the church.
The speaker then touched ON the faith
full keeping of Lent, which is explained
by Gods word. Unless we do this VIC
must not be surprised If we are called
untruthful and inconsistent.
The necessity for abstinence from
playing, dancing, and a round of
social dissipations of luncheons and teas
was urged, all these things not being
in the spirit of the Lenten season. The
church points out the primary forces Of
Christian living, ard the conduct of all
followers Of Christ
ne speaker urBeu lHal eltner the
rubrics of the church should be changed
or else each one should feel the abso-
Lutte necessity of living up to them. In
many cases the people place their own
construction on the prayer book; when
it suits them 1t is followed, and they
have long been living in themselves and
not in the church. They follow the
semblance. not the reality; the shadow.
rot the substance; the outward form.
not the true spirit.
In this the world sees the hollowness
and meaninglessness of the ceremony,
and thus the church does not reach the
great purpose for which it was insti.
tuted.
The church has made answer to the
world for her historic exertions, mad now
she is called to rise up and turn her
holy observances into the light of to-
day.
DIR. Gray urged his hearers to sacri-
flee the flesh, to keep the Lenten fasts
with the true spirit of the church, and
by example by prayer. by sacrifice, TO
fulfill all their obligations at this time;
to glorify by practice all the church OBJ
servances, and to keep the Lenten time
with all the spirit, as we'll as the letter.
of the law.