Evening star., 1928-10-10


Wherefore God also hath highly ex-
alted Him and given Him a name
which is above every name; that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of things in heaven and things in the
earth and things under the earth, and
that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father" II Philippians, xii.
Right Reverend Fathers, Reverend
Brethren, Brethren of the Laity:
"'firace be to you and peace from
God the Father and from our Lord
Jesus Christ
More Than Delegates.
I'VE have assembled in this triennial
convention to take counsel together
once more about the things pertaining
to the Kingdom of God. We have come
together as bishops, priests and laymen
of the Church of God. The Episcopal
Church, in and through which we ex-
ercise our immediate ministry and dis
cipleship, Is not. OF course, the whole
Holy Catholic Church, but it incorpo-
rates us into the whole church and
brings to us all the treasures of grace
and the fullness Of Christian doctrine.
We were baptized into the congregation
of ChriSt's flock and ordained as priests
and bishops in the Church of God 1t
will tend to keep us on a higher level
if we keep in mind that we are not
only diocesan delegates but representa-
tives of the Church of God. We have
contested our faith in the great catholic
creed of chriStendom. We have had
our solemn eucharist. We have made
our communionS. We have had fellow
ship with the Father and with Jesus
Christ and with the brethren. In this
divine presence and companionship we
have prayed that the Holy Spirit, who
presided over the council of the blessed
apostles, would be with this council of
His church; that we would be saved
from error, ignorance, pride and preju-
dice; that we would be directed, sane
titled and governed by the mighty
power of the Holy Ghost, that the Cos
pei OF Christ may be truly preached,
truly received and truly followed in all
places.
That is the setting of this conyen-
tion. May everything that is said and
done be in harmony with our high
calling as ministers and men of God.
I hope that it will not be inappro-
pirate II on the threshold of our de-
liberations I venture to suggest that
we mediate a while on some of the
central contents of our religion, on its
reach and scope, and on its appIica.
tion to the conditions and needs of our
times.
Relates Us to God.
Religion relates us to God Morality
Is what we bring back from our fellow
ship with God. The Christian religion
relates us to God through Jesus Christ,
Christian morality, Christian standards
OF conduct and behavior, Christian
ideals of civilization are what we bring
back from our contacts with God
through Jesus Christ. God is the CEN
ter and circumference of religion-the
Infinite who became finite, the Omni-
present who is somewhere as well as
everywhere. He is in Christ reconcil-
ing the world to Himself He Is in
church and sacrament. He Is here
where We are gathered in His name.
He Is closer to us than breathing,
nearer than hands and feet He hears
our prayers and harkens to our
speeches. The eucharist with which
this convention opened and which will
be offered every morning is the assur-
ance OF the presence of God in the
world of men. Religion without God
is the unvarying symptom of a dying
civilization too sophisticated to believe
in the moral foundations of the uni
verse and too lackadaisical to try to
formulate a philosophy of life without
God which satisfies the hunger of the
SOUL
"The Christian religion starts out
with God and proclaims that God and
man, Heaven and earth, eternity and
time are brought together in the person
OF Jesus Christ, who reveals the char
acter Of God and the purpose of human
life.
For this reason personal disciple
ship to Jesus Christ must always be
the central feature of our religion.
This personal element Is conspicuous
and startling. Come unto Me, says
our Lord. Abide in Me- Follow Me-
I am come that ye might have life I
am the way, the truth and the life,
He that followeth Me shall not walk
in darkness, but shall see the light of
life These utterances would be re-
pellent If they did not come from Him
who is conscious of His oneness with
God. He 1t Is whose disciples and
followers. We are. We have joyfully ac-
Bushey; historyof diocese, Mrs. Mar
Gus Benjamin; printing, Miss Julia A.
-