HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-02-18, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016.
From the Minister's Study
Measuring life cycles over 1,000 years
By Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
Blyth Christian Reformed
Church
I am somewhat perplexed when oil
prices go down that there is often an
increase in the sales of larger, less
fuel efficient vehicles. I am
perplexed because I am wondering
what people are thinking. Do they
believe that oil prices will remain
low for as long as they own their
vehicle? We all know that the prices
at the pump will go up again, and
within a couple of years we might
see prices break record highs. What
will people with these gas guzzlers
do then?
On a different note, I was listening
to Michael Enright's Rewind on
CBC a few days ago, and they were
playing broadcasts from the late
1960s and early 1970s in which they
talked to teenagers, asking the
question if these teenagers were
serious enough and if they would
grow up to become upstanding
members of society. The same
questions they were asking nearly
half a century ago we are asking
today. It seems to me that those who
were teenagers 50 years ago and
who are now approaching retirement
turned out okay. They did grow up
and they did take life seriously. If
that is the case, why do we get so
worried about teenagers today?
Won't they also become upstanding
citizens given a little time and
experience?
These two illustrations may seem
rather unrelated, but it seems to me
that they are based in a common
problem, namely that we have a very
short view of history. We tend to live
almost exclusively in the present. We
don't look at the big picture.
When we make important
decisions about what kind of vehicle
to buy, we should not look at gas
prices today as that factor which
moves us to buy a larger vehicle. Nor
should we think that teenagers today
will suddenly be different from teens
of a few decades ago. Rather, if we
take a longer view of history, we can
live with a lot less heartache and
worry.
In Psalm 90, one of the oldest
psalms in the Bible, most probably
written 3,400 years ago, we read the
words, "A thousand years in your
sight are like a day that has just gone
by, or like a watch in the night." The
"you" in this verse is God. God, who
stands outside of time, does not live
only in the present. All of time is
before him. He can see history
repeating itself. Young people do
grow up to become responsible
adults, most of the time and they
have done so throughout history.
Economic dips and dives tend to
become mere blips on a screen when
viewed in light of centuries or even
millennia.
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C%itieut 7Fel1
"The Lord's
Lament for the
Lost"
TIFFANY &
DAWN UYL
Mission to
Haiti Report
Evangelical Missionary Church
Tues. 7:30 pm Small Group at G&M Lisle's
Wed. 10:00 am "Coffee Break" Women's Bible Study at CRC
Sun. Apr. 10, 7:00 pm "Faith -In -Song"
Christian Music Concert at CRC
10:30 a.m. -- Worship & Sunday School ri
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God) I
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 519-523-4848
getlivingwater.org,
Time levels things out, and what
may seem like a big event at the time
turns out to be something that is only
just outside of normal. God doesn't
get all worked up or excited when
things seem to be suddenly out of
control. He has seen it before. It
will happen again.
I find that to be remarkably
comforting. It is even more
comforting that this God who has
seen it all is also available to us to
give us wisdom to live through our
current situation. We live but a few
years, and those years pass quickly.
In our short time on this earth we
encounter situations we have never
seen before. We don't know how to
handle them.
For example, my daughter is now
a teenager, and I've never raised a
teenager before. But God has seen it
done many times, and he is available
to help me with this new challenge.
He can give me and my wife wisdom
to be good parents.
A thousand years are like a day to
God. What might be overwhelming
because it is new to us happened as
if it were yesterday from God's
perspective. And God has offered to
help us through this new challenge.
I suppose we could say that God is
the voice of experience. When an
apprentice mechanic sees something
he has never encountered before, he
might not see the solution. But
when the voice of experience takes
the place under the car beside him,
what seemed like an insurmountable
problem becomes much easier. God
is the voice of experience for us.
ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS
BLYTH
Trinity
(A 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!
?Imre ,-Yrt7'ited I, 7ailt ?I -9n ' I�cts ire
SUNDAYS
Morning Service
Evening Service
10:00 am
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
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21
We invite you to join our church family in:
Worship & Sunday School - 10 am
Coffee & Snacks - 11 am
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
519-887-9017
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.
To gain wisdom and understanding,
we need to listen to the One
who knows what to do.
For me, knowing that God is with
me makes all the difference. As I
trust in Jesus Christ, I know that he
BRUSSELS
will guide me through life. He's seen
it before. It will happen again. I may
get all worked up about something
that I have never seen before, but
God won't. He knows how to handle
Continued on page 19
United Church
WORSHIP SERVICE
AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 11:00 am
All Welcome
Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div.
Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224
blythunited@tcc.on.ca
Church bookings: 519-887-6377
Other concerns: 226-963-1175
eaueae(a eec:urc2ficctv ea& eitaftee
You're Invited"
to come worsh p
with. us
Sunday, February 21
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 10 a.m.
Sunday,
February 21
"The Wrong Number"
Sunday, February 28
"Are You Screening Your Calls"
AU Welcome
MINISTER: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
OFFICE: 519-523-4224
Every Sunday in Auburn @ 10:30am
HuronChapel.com