Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-03
OMMUNION FOR ALL.
REV. DIR. KERR PROPO~Es An An
NUAL UNION SERVICE.
UNITY CONSISTENT WITH VARIETY.
Inference between This and Uni
formity--Prayer for DR.. Hoge-
Bishop Jnggnr at 81. Paufs-second
Church's Meeting.
Church's Meeting.

4
| The services in nearly all of the Rich
mond churches on Sunday had special
| reference to the opening or the new
year. The severe weather and slippery
| streets had somewhat depressing effect
upon the attendance, though as a rule
congregations were very good. The
| Christmas music was sung again in many
of the churches, and this added to the
| Joyous, bright spirit of the services.
one of the most interesting features of
| the day was the annual union commu-
Mon service of the Presbyterian congre-
| cations, held at the Second church at
| night There was a large congregation,
| and the service was a particularly i'm
pressive one Revs. Donald Guthrie, Jere
| Witherspoon, ID. D., S. S. Laws, ID. d.,
j. c. Stewart, j. L. Cook and c. n. Van
Houten took part, and DR.. Laws and
Mr. Van Houten in their prayers made
tender illusions TO the extreme Illness OF
Rev. Dr.. Hoge. the beloved pastor OF the
| church in which the great assembly wor'
| shipped.
SERMON OF DIR. KERR.
| The sermon was by the Rev. Robert
| Pollok Kerr, -. ID. Text: Neither pray
l for these alone, but for them also, that
shall believe on Me through their WOrd,
that they all may be one as thou, rather
art i'm Me. and | in thee, that they may
| be one In US; that the world may believe
| that Thou hast sent Me- (St. John XVIII
| % and 2l
Dr. Kerr said in part: "No words Of
| Christ ever came more from His near
| than these uttered just before His dedth
| In this prayer nIs greatest WISH was
| that His people might be one. Now me
Church of God is one, because II IS the
| body of Christ 1t has never been divided,
| nor can be. So CHRIST was praying that
| the oneness OF the Church might be mani
| tested; might be realized in the life or
| the Church as proof OF his divine SON
ship. In the spiritual realm we find three
| great unities-uy that of the three per-
! sons i'm the Trinity; % that of the two
natures in Christ; CD that OF Christians
with one another and with Christ These
are the three divine facts OF the universe.
The unity of the Church arises from the
fact that all members thereof are born OF
the same Spirit. and by Him engrafted
into Christ. The principle Of unity is the
/ divine life that pervades every part
Christ compares it TO the unity OF a vine
and the branches. We are the branches
and Christ the vine.
"The unity Of the Church is entirely
consistent with variety. There Is dill
ference between unity and uniformity.
| There is a uniformity of the Polar sea,
where all is frozen fixed. dead; and there
is a unity of the summer sea whose
waves are all different, but each part
of the majestic tide marching up the
glittering sand. There is a uniformity
of black clouded sky at night: and there
is a unity Of the transparent dome, filled
with orbs Of light, no two alike, but
making up the splendid family Of Heaven;
! There is a uniformity Of mist-coYerec
landscape, but there is unity OF the
seven-cOlored rainbow-one great area of
glory spanning the sky.
COMMUNION SERVICE FOR ALL.
We are different, but one: let US snow
our oneness One man says am
Presbyterian; another, | an Episcopa-
liam. or a Baptist, a Lutheran, DISCIPLE,
or a Methodist Well, that is all right
hut unless you are willing to show your
unity with other people of God, you are
a Christian and sectafian, but more OF
a sectarian The grandest thing that
could happen in our city would be great
united holy communion celebration by all
Christians resident here. Such service
ought to be held in somo sucn place as
the Armory Hall. our church IS ready
for such movement. 1t ought 10 De an
institution of the year for all Christians
to get together in this sacrament OF COM
munion to show TO the world that we
are one. as Christ said, that the world
may believe that Thou hast sent Me "
If the Lord Jesus should appear IN Klch-
mond and announce that he would meet
all his people tomorrow night in some
designated place all would go. If, when
we were all assembled, He should say, i
have called you for communion service,
none would depart, because all
would feel that those whom Christ
had accepted as His servants we
could not refuse TO join at His table The
only basis upon which we shall ever be
Il l,r.rt h.. nrl1 hn al
the Church is this faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ as the Son of God Saviour of the
World The rallying point Of all Chris
tians IS Christ. and we can never unite
on anything else but Him. If we Chris
tians should ali show our real unity, there
would be such a Pentecostal outpourlng
of the Holy Spirit as would shake the
world
The glorious unity OF the Church in
God and God IN the Church is the most
comprehensive fact in the universe. The
three unities-the Trinity the lncarna-
tion. and the ChuTch-are here thrown to-
gether by Christ, and this Is the one thing
that shall survive the wreck OF planets,
suns. and time. 10 abide through an et-f-
nifty world without end. Now, unto him
| that is able 20 DO exceeding more abund-
antly above all that we ask or think. ac-
cOrding 10 the power that worketh IN US,
unto him be glory in the Church. by
Jesus Christ. throughout all ages, world
without end Amen.
bishop Jnggnr at st. Paurs.
Right Rev. Bishop Jaggar, retired Bishop
of Southern Ohio, who is TO conduct the
services at St. Pauls Episcopal church
during the absence Of Rev. DR.. car
michael. or so long as he is physically
capable of undertaking the work, preach
ed two very eloquent sermons on Sunday.
The congregations We're large. in spite OF
the inclemency Of the weather and the
breaking down Of the street-car service
all over the city
Bishop Jaggar has long been known as
one of the three most eloquent speakers
in the House of Bishops. and his sermons
! on Sunday very clearly indicated his won
derful ability. They appealed not only to
| the head but TO the heart, and created a
profound impression.
Members of the congregation who hole
in high estimation the Bishops scholarly
attachments and personal charm were
very highly gratified TO notice that he
showed no trace Of his recent debility. lie
read the entire service. administered holy
communion, and preached from notes
| In his morning sermon he preached from
| the text "IIe must increase, but | must
| decrease" from which words Of the pro-
| phet and teacher the Bishop drew the
| lesson that true greatness and true sue
| cess are TO be found in the forgetfr mess
| of self and the devotion of ones life ana
! eneI gies to the great cause of iurthering
| the Kingdom of God in the world. The
Bishop paid a glowing tribute 10 the won