The Citizen, 2016-03-24, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE 13.
From the Minister's Study
Resurrection at the heart of Christianity
By Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
Blyth Christian Reformed
Church
If resurrections don't happen, then
the whole system of Christianity is
an exercise in futility. If, on the other
hand, resurrections do happen, and if
Jesus did rise from the dead, then
there must be something to the
Christian faith. So says the apostle
Paul in 1 Corinthians 15.
In fact, Paul would say that the
whole of the Christian teaching and
all of Christian practice rests on
whether or not Jesus was raised from
the dead.
On Easter, we celebrate the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. The
Bible says that the tomb where he
was laid was empty, not because his
body had been misplaced or had
been stolen but because he was alive.
Rumours were being circulated at
that time that there had been some
negligence on the part of the Roman
contingent of soldiers which had
been charged with keeping guard
Liles Water
C1rithl
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Evangelical Missionary
Church
Good Friday - March 25
FREE
COMMUNITY BREAKFAST
8:30 - 10:30 am
at
Blyth Memorial Hall
(Optional short worship
to follow)
EASTER SUNDAY - March 27
So n-hiSe Sentee
7:30 am SonRise Service
at LWCF followed by
potluck breakfast, then
9:00 am
EASTER CELEBRATION
"God's Power in Grave & Grace"
1 Cor.15:1-11)
Sunday, April 10, 7:30 p.m.
"Faith -In -Song" Christian Music
Concert at CRC
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 519-523-4848
getlivingwaterorg
over the tomb, but that rumour was
not easy to believe. The Roman
soldiers were very qualified in
killing people and in making sure
that no one would empty a tomb to
start rumours that the person who
had been killed was still alive,
especially if the person they had
killed was an insurrectionist as
Jesus' accusers claimed he was.
Certainly, when we think about the
biblical accounts, we must carefully
evaluate whether or not Jesus is alive
today, having risen from the dead. If
he is alive, then that should have
some implications about how we
live and what we believe.
So, let's think about those
implications. First, if Jesus is alive
today, then his death can mean
something. I have the privilege of
conducting funerals, and, in my
BRUSSELS
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
mind, every death is tragic. No one
should have to die, and although
death is sometimes a release from
pain, that pain should not have been
there in the first place. But death
does not really accomplish anything.
Jesus' death was different. Jesus'
death on the cross accomplished
forgiveness for our sins. So writes
Paul, also in 2 Corinthians 15.
Because we have forgiveness of sins,
we also gain a new relationship with
our God. All sin breaks down
relationships.
If I do you wrong, our relationship
suffers. When we do God wrong by
not caring for his creation or by not
caring for others as he wants us to,
we also cause tension and
brokenness in our relationship with
Him. In dying on the cross, Jesus
took our sin upon Himself so that we
i•
Yon re 9711'ited jo Join ?Ls J'fl
Friday, March 25
Good Friday Service 10:00 am
Sunday, March 27
Easter Sunday 10:00 am
No evening service
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, MARCH 27
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
ONE HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE
YOUR LIFE FOREVER!
•
COME 10:3OAM TO HURON CHAPEL IN AUBURN
THIS SUNDAY AND HEAR HOW!
huronchapel.com
could have a renewed relationship
with God. We know that to be true,
not because He died, but because He
rose again from the tomb. Because
of his resurrection, His death had
meaning.
Second, his resurrection makes
our resurrection possible.
Resurrection, we should be aware, is
not the same as reincarnation.
Reincarnation, as it is taught in some
religions, is the teaching that our
souls leave our physical bodies after
we die and then, after a time, come
back to inhabit another living
creature. That is not resurrection.
Resurrection is a coming to life of
the person we always have been, but
in a new way.
Those who are resurrected are
made perfect. They are made into all
that they can be. We can become all
that we were meant to be through
Continued on page 16
ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS
BLYTH
Trinity
ex. 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!
Vauaaee4 eosiorc?Zitltv
You're Invited
to come worsh p
with us
Sunday, March 27
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.
Friday, March 25
Good Friday Service
"Blue Friday"
Service at 11 a.m.
Sunday, March 27
Easter Service
"Easter: Dis-Covered"
Service at 10 a.m.
A[[ Welcome
MINISTER: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
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.