As our readers will know, the Meeting of our annual Synod opens on Tuesday 21st May (D.V.). During the following days the members of Synod will be fully engaged in the matters which are to be brought before the Synod for debate and decision. The various Committees of the Church will be required to report to the Synod on their work during the past year and a wide variety of topics will be covered during the Synod, all relating in some way to the interests of the Lord’s Cause amongst us and throughout the world.
We trust that we need hardly remind our readers of the great need of prayer for the ministers and elders of the Church as they meet in Synod that they may be directed of the Lord in all that they do, and that all will redound to His glory and to the advancement of His Cause and Kingdom amongst us.
For the members of Synod themselves there are many exhortations of God’s Word which they would do well to ponder on in view of the coming Synod. Differences of opinion can prevail in many matters, even in those questions which are not matters of faith and practice, and lead to conflict. What need there is at such times, and at all times, of the exhortation “Let brotherly love continue.” Heb. 13:1. Another Scripture which appears applicable is the exhortation in 1st Peter chapter 5, “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” How needful, too, is the exhortation in the previous chapter, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” And again in Colossians chapter 3, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which ye are also called in one body; and be ye thankful.”
May we indeed prove at the coming Synod by our words and actions that we are living followers of the living Saviour, and faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. To the praying people of the Church we say, “Brethren, pray for us.” 1 Thess. 5:25.