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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-04-27, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017. From the Minister's Study OnlyGodcan repair a broken life: van Leeuwen By Pastor Gary van Leeuwen Blyth Christian Reformed Church During our worship service, we have a short children's time during which the children come forward for a prayer and blessing before they go to Sunday School. This past Sunday, the bracelet of one of the girls broke, and the beads scattered over the floor. Anything I had to say at that point was lost as the other children helped her gather her beads together. We managed to collect the beads, and I gave them to the teacher as they headed off for children's Sunday School. Before the children left, I was sitting there with the broken bracelet in one hand and the cross in my other. (One of the children has the privilege of carrying a wooden cross as he or she leads the rest to Sunday School, and I was preparing to give it to one of the them.) At that point I was wishing I could think more quickly on my feet, for I felt that there was a lesson in this little incident. The broken bracelet was easily repaired, I am sure, by the teacher. It is not always so with our lives. We experience a lot of brokenness. It only takes a few misspoken words, and a relationship becomes strained and is sometimes ruined. A bad decision at a party can lead to a lifelong struggle with addiction to drugs. A few moments of carelessness can result in a traffic accident which claims lives. Feelings of entitlement can lead to war, given the right circumstances. And the list goes on and on. Unlike the bracelet, the brokenness of our lives cannot be easily fixed, at least not by us. As I sat there with the cross in one hand and the broken bracelet in the other, I began to contemplate the value of the cross. The cross, as we well know, represents the death of Jesus Christ. The empty cross reminds us that he is risen. The death and resurrection of Jesus has the remarkable ability to repair lives, to fix brokenness. But how? How can the cross fix brokenness? Certainly much harm has been done in the shadow of the cross, as people who claim to be followers of Jesus destroy the lives of others for their own gain, not for the glory of God. But we should not judge the value of the cross based on the actions of some who use it for their own purposes. Rather, we need to understand what happened at the cross and what that symbol really means. It is at the cross that we experience forgiveness; God's forgiveness. Perhaps the greatest brokenness that anyone can experience is the broken relationship we have with the one t t t t t t t t t t t t t t �ilQil 1UUolter Cfw rellead Apr. 30: 1 Tim. 6:6ff Daring Faith #8: "Daring to be Generous" Evangelical Missionary Church Small Group • Tues. 7:30 pm at GSM Lisle's, Wingham 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 getlivingwater.org� who created us and who has promised to be there for us. When we turn away from him, we lose the knowledge that we are loved by someone who is greater than us. But it is at the cross, the place where Jesus died for our sins, that we know that God still cares deeply for us. He offers to restore that broken relationship between us and him by inviting us to put our trust in Jesus Christ. When we do, our sins are forgiven, the relationship is renewed and we become conscious that God loves us. It is at the cross that forgiveness is expressed so beautifully and completely. God "forgets" that we have turned away in rebellion against him and he invites us back into his family. Our relationship with him is restored. And when we experience that forgiveness from God through Jesus Christ, we can begin to do the same in our relationships with others. When there is brokenness, there needs to be forgiveness. As God has forgiven us, we are called to forgive ourselves and others. And, when forgiveness is practised along with that divine "forgetfulness", our brokenness is healed. It is relatively easy for a Sunday School teacher to repair a bracelet. But a Sunday School teacher cannot repair a broken life, nor can a pastor, nor can a doctor. Only God can, and God does. The forgiveness that he offers in Jesus renews the brokenness that exists between us and him, and we are invited to offer that some forgiveness to others. As we do that, as we truly live in the shadow of the cross, we experience restoration and wholeness. Renewal begins between us and God and extends to those around us as we live the forgiveness we have received. ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS Presentation Norm MacLaren was one of the speakers on Sunday as Living Water Christian Fellowship welcomed the Teen Challenge Ontario Women's Ministry Team to Blyth to speak about the program and some of the shared experiences of members. (Denny Scott photo) 9 u re gnviteJ Jo join ?Ls 9n Vo s� 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, APRIL 30 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 Blyth United Church Est. 1875 Worship Service & Sunday School at 11:00 a.m. Sunday, April 30 "Rev. Gary's Farewell Service" All Welcome Lunch to follow MINISTER: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div. OFFICE: 519-523-4224 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! BRUSSELS 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 'Efeuaaeld eoHurc2fnc'fiy eate You're Invited to come worsh p with. us Sunday, April 30 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 THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS. OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS: 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.