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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-12-14, Page 21THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017. PAGE 21. From the Minister's Study The joy of Christmas is the arrival of Jesus By Pastor Andrew Versteeg Brussels Community Bible Chapel Two weeks ago we were talking about Christmas at our Kids' Club and I asked the kids if they were looking forward to Christmas. There were some mixed reactions to that question and I was surprised because I thought all kids were excited about Christmas. My talk that night to the children was about the joy of Christmas. Since the end of September, we had been teaching through the first two chapters of the book of Luke in the Bible looking at the main characters in the Christmas narrative. It became apparent that the overarching emotional theme of the narrative was joy that led to joyful worship of God. The first thing that is mentioned is that all these characters were living "in the days of Herod, king of Judea" (Luke 1:5). These were not easy days for the Jewish people of Judea. They were living under the rule of Rome and its occupying forces. The King and the Emperor demanded their allegiance and their taxes. They lived in fear of their lives if they were negligent in following the orders of the king. This is why Joseph took Mary on a difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem when she was about to give birth to her baby. They did so because the Emperor had commanded them to be counted and taxed in the place of their family origins. Next, we encounter Zacharias and Elizabeth. They were "advanced in years" and had been unable to have children. So they were living with family sorrows. Things had not turned out the way they had hoped for their family. Later, in chapter two, we meet a lady named Anna. She had been married for seven years and her husband died and she had lived from that point on as a widow. We meet her at the age of 84. She reminds me of a lady that I met recently in a retirement home. When she was younger she had planned to marry and had looked forward to having a family, but her fiance passed away before they were married and she lived her life with none of her dreams being fulfilled. What about the shepherds in the field? In those days that job was reserved for the lower class. These people did not get very far in the social strata of the day. They were kind of despised and not trusted as honest upright people. Their job required them to work even on Christmas day. You can imagine them out there during the long cold nights, maybe dreaming about a better lot in life, but living with the reality that things would not change much. We are told about Mary and Joseph, but mostly about Mary. A young woman waiting to get married to Joseph and the Lord comes to her and tells her that she is going to give birth to Jesus and suddenly her life is turned upside down. Joseph doesn't understand at first and wants to divorce her and cancel the wedding. And though she understands that her child is the promised Savior she is also told by Simeon in the temple that the suffering that Jesus will endure will crush her own soul as well - ("a sword will pierce even your own soul"). So what about the joy? Where is the joy in all of this? Where is the joy in Christmas for us? The joy is in understanding what God was doing for us in sending His Son. I find it amazing that all of these characters ou i'e 'nrile(l 17 join ?/s c I C r kip SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 Morning Service 10:00 am Evening Christmas Program 7:00 pm led by the Sunday School children. BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743 ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS BLYTFI Trinity 6. 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! MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 We invite you to join our church family in: Worship & Sunday School - 11 am Coffee & Snacks following the service Come out and meet our new minister, Rev. Charmila Ireland 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 Huron Chapel Welcomes To Their Church Staff Team: Rev. Ernest Dow (Associate Pastor) & Jacoby Pike (Children's Ministry Leader) TWO SERVICES To Choose From Every Sunday in Auburn at 9am and 11 am Christmas Eve Service @ 7pm huronchapel.com Blyth United Church Est. 1875 Worship Service at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, December 17 FrlRD SUNDRY oFuoufNT Third Sunday in Advent Socks & Undies Party! Collecting new underwear & socks for the Women's Shelter were rejoicing in spite of their circumstances. They were rejoicing in what God was doing not necessarily to deliver them from their circumstances but to give them hope and joy in their circumstances. The joy comes in understanding and believing that Jesus was coming into the world to deliver us from our sin, which is our greatest enemy. The angel said to Joseph: "you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sin" (Matthew 1:21). Sin is turning away from God and going our own way and it has brought sorrow into our lives at every level. Most of all it has estranged us from God and has brought His judgment upon us. But God promised many years ago with Adam and Eve that He would send someone to deliver us from our sin. That someone we know today is Continued on page 23 L BRUSSELS United Church lcome to Sunday morning worship & Sunday School at 11:00 am Hillary MacDonald (905) 246-7386 Macdonald.hillary@gmail.com Everyone welcome You're Invited " to come worship 41. with, us Sunday, December 17 at 10:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. 650 Alexander St. (former Brussels Public School) 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 Hillary MacDonald OFFICE: 519-523-4224 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.