The Church and the World.—One of the Glasgow daily papers recently had a paragraph with the heading, “Dance Band gives the Kirk a Hand”—Strathspay Dance Orchestra under its conductor led the praise at the evening service in Rothes Parish Church. What kind of praise a dance band would lead may be left to the imagination. That such a condition of things is permitted in a Presbyterian Church shows what a place the world has in some Churches.
Dr. Chiniguy’s Book.—The manager of the Ulster Protestant has written us saying they have none of the books. It appears that the book was sold out before orders reached the Ulster Protestant. We regret the inconvenience caused to readers who sent for the book.
“Give us this day our daily bread.”—This is one of the petitions in the Prayer, commonly called the Lord’s Prayer, and in the serious food situation facing the world it ought to be often on the lips of those who believe that God answers prayer. Both at the U.N.O. meeting and in the House of Commons the seriousness of the situation was stressed and appeals made to do all that could be done to avert famine. This is quite right in itself but one will search in vain in the speeches of our leaders to any reference to God. Suppose the U.N.O. with all its machinery to reach the nations be carried out, what if God will not give us harvests? War, Famine and Pestilence are his terrible judgments. We have just passed through the first of these. The second, if we believe the speeches of our leaders, is not so very far away yet there is no universal cry going up from the stricken nations. Surely it is a time for all His people to cry mightily to their God. “Be still and know that I am God. Let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase, and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him” (Ps. lxxvii. 5-7).