The Citizen, 2016-04-21, Page 15THE 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.
PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016.
From the Minister's Study
Pay attention to the doors opened by God
By Rev. Gary Clark
Blyth and Brussels
United Churches
The news this past weekend was
filled with stories of earthquakes.
Sadly among the dead in Ecuador
were a mother and her 12 -year-old
son from Quebec. As I thought about
all the destruction and death I am
struck with how lucky we are to live
in Southern Ontario. There are those
like myself who actually chose to
come here and I am sure that almost
none of us newcomers did any kind
of statistical safety analysis to
determine if this area had a low
natural disaster rate. I just took it for
granted that in Canada we are pretty
safe. I can't tell you how many times
I have thought that I've won the
lottery by just living here. I sure
hope that you feel that way too
because we're not just lucky, we're
blessed. When any of us is able to
take the leap away from the idea that
life is just a case of dumb luck then
we move into the area of blessing,
"why are we here?" and "by what
hand then were we placed here at
this specific time?" You can't have it
both ways, it is either a lottery or
divine intervention.
For me, hands down, it's divine
intervention or rather guidance.
Granted, as a minister that shouldn't
be too big of a surprise to you but
let's explore what that means. First
of all I think of the number of people
(over eight of them) on the search
committee some eight years ago that
called me to Blyth. I know that they
worked away at trying to figure out
what the congregation was needing
in a minister. They looked at the area
and what it offered. They looked at
the demographics of the
congregation and community. They
did questionnaires and focus groups
with the congregation to discern
ministry needs. And they prayed for
guidance.
As well, the Presbytery, which is
the next level of United Church
governance, sent two people who
walked with the committee every
step of the way. These two people
from two different neighbouring
congregations slowed the process
down a couple of times. I have heard
that the folks from Blyth wanted to
get on with it so slowing down was
somewhere between irritating and
infuriating. Yet had the process been
further down road or not exactly
where they were, Blyth would not
Get information
on Huron County
attractions on the
Stops Along The Way
section of our website
www.northhuron.on.ca
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April 24
Preparing to
Be a
Missionary
Jason Bechtel,
New Tribes
Mission,
Durham
Evangelical Missionary Church
Tues. 7:30 pm Wingham Small Group • GBM Lisle's
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,
have been ready for me nor I for
them. I marvel at all the schedules
that had to align over two years to
arrive at the right spot at the right
time.
The same is true for my life at the
other end of the equation. Kathy
was finishing her studies and
internship and I was preparing to
leave Winnipeg to follow her. We
were almost sent to a town outside of
Calgary and then almost sent to a
town in Saskatchewan and then
almost sent to Sarnia. But something
didn't feel right in each of those
situations. We felt it and though we
said we would go anywhere the
church needed us, we didn't hide
that we were not passionate about
those possibilities. Those on the
committee (about 24 people from all
over Canada) that send newly
minted ministers in the United
Church heard that feeling, that doubt
in our voices.
They listened and Kathy was
settled in Huron -Perth which meant
BRUSSELS
I was going to be looking for a
position somewhere in these two
large counties. I have wondered
about what would have happened
had those folks not heard the doubt
in our voices and not followed the
nudging of God to place us here. If
you are counting in your head, it is
over 30 people that had a hand in
placing us here. What are the odds of
30 people from all over Canada,
each playing their own part could
co-ordinate by themselves bringing
us to Blyth? No, I can't believe it is
pure chance that we are here.
That means that I am here in this
place at this time to do the work of
God. My job is to discern that work
and to get at it. What is true for me is
true for everyone, regardless of
whether you were born here or not.
God cares for each of us equally and
therefore you can bet that there are
countless people working around
you to make your life and the lives
here better. Of course we have to be
willing and ready to accept that help.
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 antcc.on.ca
Church bookings: 519-887-6377
Other concerns: 226-963-1175
You'iv yell iteci ,3citt � s y11 7(;� •lrs i�
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, APRIL 24
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
Blyth United Church
Est. 1875
Worship Service & Sunday School at 10 a.m.
Sunday, April 24th
Catty, Sunda*
Hi Ho Hi Ho
it's off the camp we Go!
All Welcome
MINISTER: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div. 6. OFFICE: 519-523-4224
God can lead us to water, but we are
the ones who have to drink.
Which really leads me to the last
question of this article. Are our eyes
and hearts paying attention to the
doors that God has spent so much
effort opening for us? I know it is
hard to see over the deep ruts that we
get into in our lives. Work, eat, play,
sleep and repeat. When I say that I
don't mean to belittle our lives as
they now are and I don't mean that
people have to leave somewhere to
do God's will or be a willing
participant in God's plan. The
folks on the search committee didn't
have to leave but they had to take a
risk on me, a total stranger.
Knowing that God is at work in our
lives ought to encourage us to be
aware of the times we have said 'no'
to something or someone new
simply because it/they were new and
different. Learning to trust in God is
not based on chance but rather
choice.
So I invite you to trust, to risk and
to feel the hand of God in your life.
We did and it means the world to us.
And finally remember that being
here is a choice so why not make
the best of it by being open to
everything it has to offer and that
God has placed in your life?
ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS
BLYTH
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!
Huron Chapel
10:30am every Sunday in Auburn
huronchapel.com
Vueddeed &opal/4 Vac &vet
Sunday, April 24
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