The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-01
OLD CHURCH
RE-OPEN[O
Dedic alton Ser
vices We're Held
Yesterday.
REPAIRS COST
ABOUT $4,000
Old MoiliiIi Church Rechristened
as the Rice Memorial
Chapel.

A service OIL uSulCdIlOn was nelu yes
terday in the recently repaired old
church at the end of Beretania street,
known as the Ia Moiliili church, but
which has been rechristened the Rice
Memorial Chapel" This church is one
OF the oldest in the Islands and has
for many years been ruin except for
the strong old stone walls. 1t has been
completely renovated, furnished with a
new roof and beautifully ceiled and is
now in excellent condition.
The church was beautifully decorated
yesterday, the platform and pulpit be-
ing a mass of greens and flowers and
tropical ported plants being arranged
about the walls. A cross of white ole
anders and delicate ferns was placed
on the minister's table in the center of
the platform and great yellow-tinted
punches of freshly blossomed royal
palm flowers had been placed in vases
and jars and arranged among the ever
greens with tasteful effect.
The Kawaiahao church choir occu-
pied the platform on the right and at
the left was the historic old pulpit
brought here many years ago from Con-
necticut, the story of which was re-
lated in his address by Rev. Mr.. Wes-
tervelt. The center of the stage was
occupied by Rev. Messrs. Kincaid. Par
ker. Westervelt, Desha and Timoteo,
the church piano being in the rear.
The services began with an anthem
by the Kawaiahao choir and the in
vocation was pronounced by Rev. C. S.
Timoteo. After a congregational hymn
Rev. H. II. Parker read the Scripture
marks. Another hymn was sung by the
choir and Rev. W. M. Kincaid of Cen
trail Union church made an address.
II wish" said he, that I might speak
the Hawaiian language so that I could
express to you more fully my impress
sions and feelings upon this, the OPEN
ing of your new house of God. 1t gives
me much pleasure this afternoon to
meet you all here at the opening SER
vices of this beautiful chapel of wor-
ship and bring to you the congratula-
tons of Central Union church. con-
gratulations upon the great work done
in the past. being done in the present
and which will be done in the future
by your splendid Kawaiahao church, of
which this beautiful new chapel Is a
branch, dedicated to the worship of the
worlds great Savior.
Il want to speak to you about the
mission Of the church, the mission of
all churches, of every church under the
name of Christ. You will remember
that Christ said to His disciples. Give
We. lend ye.' This is the great mission
of all churches of God. We may well
take a lesson from the fault of the dis
ciples; while they were eager to preach
and to do good, they were anxious to
escape all responsibilities. as when
they grew anxious about the multitude
to whom Christ was preaching, and see
ing there was no food to feed them
with and no place of shelter, they want
ed to send them away Picture for
yourself the scene-Christ preaching to
five thousand people. who listened and
were oblivious to all else but His
to hunger obliVious to
thirst, oblivious to time, drinking in
the snessag e of the Sa vior. See the dis
ciples standing about and becoming
more anxious as the sun sank lower;
they knew the people would be hungry
and there was naught to eat; they
would thirst, and there was nothing to
give them drink; they were on a plain
tiil&A Tie villages were ldI away. lHdl-
ly the sun dropped behind the horizon
and their anxiety prompted them to
speak to the Master. They went to Him
and suggested that He send the people
away. for they hungered and were
thirsty and should be sent to the neigh
boring village before the darkness
fell; they did not want the responsible
ity. Did Christ send them away? No.
Christ never sent any one away. You
may search from Genesis to Revela-
tons and you will fail TO find where
He sent any one away. Wretched peo-
pie often came to Hlm-lepers and peo-
pie with all manner of sickness the
dying thief on the cross. the poor sin
ming woman--did He send them away?
No; He has said Come unto me all ye
that labor and are heavy laden, and I
Will give you rest and He has never
sent any one away.
When the disciples went to Him and
told Him that the people must be sent
away because they would be hungry
what did He do? Why, He simply said,
Let them eat The disciples were as
tonished, and they told Him that it
was impossible. What have YOU to
feed them?' asked the Savior. and when
they told Him there were only two
loaves Of bread and some small fishes
He took the loaf and broke 1t and pass
ed 1t among the crowd, and as the
bread was broken it increased, and
there was food for all; twelve basketfuls
OF crumbs were carried away when all
Of them had been satisfied BY some
divine arithmetic there was more when
they had all fed than there was at the
beginning.
1T is always the same with the
bread of life. for was It not the bread
OF life that Christ passed among the
We have the bread Of life
with US today: II IS the gospel of our
Savior and the spirit of His great re-
ligion. Let US take this bread Of life
and pass 1t to the hungering souls
about US. It will surely grow as We
hand II out
Why. there IS not one of US who
would not, If we saw some furnishing
one asking for bread. give him assist
ance and satisfy his hunger but we