HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-01-05, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017. PAGE 13.
From the Minister's Study
Care for others: the only resolution that counts
By Rev. Gary Clark
Blyth and Brussels
United Churches
Happy New Year everyone! This is
the traditional time for resolutions. A
time to create a list of things to make
ourselves feel better or look better or
act better. I guess it's that clean slate
of the new year which leads us to
believe that anything is possible and
the defeats of last year are behind us
now. Yet, I realize that as I am
getting older I am less interested in
making new year's resolutions. The
negative way of looking at this is
that resolutions are really "me -
solutions" in that we are using them
to try and find a solution for our lack
of happiness.
Another part of me says 'no' to
change. This is who I am and I
happen to like who I am. Why would
I want to change and be anything
else than I? The quick answer comes
when I try to fit into a familiar pair
of jeans that have become way too
tight and realize that I have changed
already. Oh dear, the truth is that
change is going on right under my
nose or in this case right under my
belt!
As the old saying goes the only
constant in the universe is change. If
that is true, then why not take the
change bull by the horns? Why not
say this year is the year that I will
learn guitar or cross something off
the old bucket list?
I think we shy away from planned
change for several reasons. One is
the possibility of public humiliation
if we fail. Jacques Plante (the first
goalie to wear a face mask in an
NHL game) once said, "How would
you like a job where every time you
make a mistake, a big red light goes
on and 18,000 people boo?" We feel
pressure from our ego and the others
we tell about our resolutions. We
sense that to fail in changing
something in ourselves toward what
our hearts desire is emotionally risky
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Sunday, January 8
Join us for
COMMUNION
r--
10:30 a.m.
Evangelical Missionary Church
Small Group • Tuesdays 7:30 pm at G&M Lisle's, Wingham
Women's Ministry • 1st Wed. each month, 7:00 pm
Youth Group • Wed. 6:30.8:30 pm at Huron Chapel EMC, Auburn
10:30 a.m. - Worship & Sunday School
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 519-523-4848
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business. We mentally make our
resolutions into some monumental
and impossible task or we make
them so benign that they mean
nothing. Either way why bother? I
think there is a third reason. The
sociologist Renata Saled wrote,
"The ideology of individual choice
has pacified us. It's really prevented
us from thinking about social
change. We spend so much time
choosing things for ourselves and
barely reflect on communal choices
we can make"
In other words, when we focus on
things like losing five kilograms on
the bathroom scale we are less likely
to engage in the tough communal
choices of today. This week a new
carbon tax was placed on fuel. There
are not a lot of fans for this new tax
and I don't know if it will work in
trying to help the average Ontarian
in controlling their carbon creation.
But then what? What are we willing
to do? We need to be engaged both
l \ BRUSSELS
provincially and nationally in big
social questions that require action
and the longer we wait or fiddle
away time the bigger the actions will
need to be.
Presently, most of us like to
grumble, but seem unable to actually
act for the better of the community. I
fear that when we cannot even
achieve our most modest personal
goals then we will never attempt to
make big changes that the future
(and the present) require of us. And
Lord knows we don't want to put
aside old political divides and put
our heads together to solve these
problems.
I stumbled upon a quote that might
help us get out of this pattern of
failed personal goals and lack of
action. The unknown source
suggests, "Don't ask yourself what
the world needs; ask what makes
you come alive. And then go and do
that. Because what the world needs
is people who have come alive."
United Church
WORSHIP SERVICE
AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00 am
Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224
blythunited@tcc.on.ca
Church bookings: 519-887-6377
Everyone welcome
Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div. -- 226-963-1175
ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS
BLYTH
Trinity
. 9:15 am
Church Office
519-357-4883
BRUSSELS
St. John's
11:15 am
Church Office
519-887-6862
Everyone Welcome!
COME WORSHIP WITH US!
Efeaddeed eamsattatv Elite eitaftee
You're Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, January 8
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers
during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service.
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Blyth United Church
Est. 1875
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11:00 a.m.
3th
Day of
Christmas
"On the 13th Day
of Christmas
My True Love
Gave to Me"
MINISTER: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
OFFICE: 519-523-4224
My guess is that when we come
alive in the world all those other
personal goals become so obviously
irrelevant or they take care of
themselves. To come alive in the
world, whether you acknowledge it
or not, is to let the Holy Spirit set
you free. Free to dream and free to
act for the good of our families,
communities and the world.
The Holy Spirit teaches us that to
care more for others than we do for
ourselves is the only resolution that
counts. It is the one thing that can
save us emotionally and spiritually.
It is the only resolution I feel can
offer me a truly happy new self. I
hope the same for you in your 365 -
day journey toward a happy new
year.
Get information on
Huron County attractions on
the Stops Along The Way
section of our website
www.northhuron.on.ca
You're 91irite(I U( loin 21s e9n Wors/ip
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8
We invite you to join our church family in:
Worship & Sunday School - 11 am
Coffee & Snacks following the service
Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Soup & More 2
- a free community meal held in Melville's basement, and
made possible by the Brussels churches working together.
Nursery care available
519-887-6687
Every Sunday at 10:30am
huronchapel.com
Yearof
j r
HURON CHAPEL 1 AUBURN
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph's
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.