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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-09-22, Page 25t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016. PAGE 25. From the Minister's Study Evaluate your debt, take God up on his offer By Pastor Gary van Leeuwen Blyth Christian Reformed Church A while ago a mother told me the following story: her daughter had lost her sweater. Her mother decided to use the opportunity to teach her daughter the value of possessions. "That sweater was worth about $25," she said. "I would like you to go to your room and count all your sweaters and figure out how much they are worth." She then told her daughter how much she made per hour and asked her to figure out how many hours she had to work to keep her daughter equipped with sweaters. When she had figured it out, the daughter said to her mom, "Mom, do I have to get a job?" Knowing the real cost of things is helpful. Our children need to know that there is not an endless supply of money in the ATM. It has to get there somehow. Sweaters and gas and insurance cost money. And if we lose something or damage it, the money that we spend replacing what was lost or damaged can no longer be spent on food or entertainment. It is hard to think that there are many people for whom there is never quite enough money. The number of hours they work each week might cover normal expenses, but should the car break down or even an item of clothing need replacing before it's worn out, it quickly becomes evident there isn't enough time in the week. When we think in terms of economics, when we put a cash value on things, we can quantify costs and expenses. It might be helpful to do that with other areas of life. But it may be a little bit hard to name a real value for many things. In the movie, Erin Brockovich, a big corporation has contaminated a water system with chemicals from their manufacturing process. When they are caught, Erin, who has taken the role of defending those who have become ill, demands appropriate settlement. As the corporation is about to leave the meeting to discuss compensation, Erin says to them, "Before you come back with a number, ask yourself how much your womb is worth or what value you would put on your own child." It is impossible, of course, for we can't really place a value on our health or our family. In that light let's think about life more generally. What kind of harm do we do to another when we pick on a man who is developmentally delayed? Can we put a dollar figure on the hurt we have caused him? Or what value can we place on a community that has been displaced and scattered because a Canadian mining corporation has discovered precious metal beneath its houses and gardens and fields? Can we 1V- C%itian Tel1Azfiip Sept. 25: Col. 1:21-29 "Marvelous Mystery: From Enemies to Embodiment" Sun. Oct. 2: Our 15th Anniversary! Guest Speaker EMCC Pres. Phil Delsaut Evangelical Missionary Church Tues. 7:30 pm Small Group at R&S Howson's 1st Wed. each month - Women's Ministry 10:30 a.m. - Worship & Sunday School at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God) Pastor: Ernest Dow - 519-523-4848 getlivingwater.org, place value on the destruction we cause to our own families that results from a careless one-night stand? We might think that the solution would be to simply stop doing harm to others. But does that really solve the problem? Are we really creating a positive balance when we do good, or are we merely not adding to the deficit? The latter is probably true. While not harming others or the world is the right thing to do, we don't earn points if we do what is right, for we are merely doing what we should be doing. We still haven't dealt with the debt. In Romans 6:23 we read these words, "The wages of sin is death." That means is that if we sin (and sin is simply missing the mark), then what we are going to eventually do is kill the world. If that corporation in Erin Brockovich stops contaminating the soil, that does not clean up the soil. The problem persists. If we are honest with ourselves, we are deeply in debt, and no amount of doing what is right is going to decrease the debt. Someone has to pay, and since we owe, we rightly have to pay. If we were asked to put a dollar figure on the harm we have done to others just by carelessly using our words, all of us would have gone bankrupt long ago. We can't pay back what is owed. Again, doing good doesn't get rid of the debt; it only keeps the debt from growing bigger. The wages of sin is death, says the Bible. But that does not mean that there is no hope. The verse in Romans continues: "but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." As we read the Bible, we discover that God sent Jesus to the world to die in our place. That doesn't eliminate the wrong we have done, but it does pay the debt. When we put our faith in Jesus, our debt with God disappears. But there is more: we also gain eternal life. Now that doesn't mean that we will spend eternity sitting on a cloud somewhere. Rather, the Bible teaches that one day God, United Church WORSHIP SERVICE AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00 am Everyone Welcome Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div. Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224 blythunited@tcc.on.ca E 6. Church bookings: 519-887-6377 Other concerns: 226-963-1175 ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS BLYTH BRUSSELS Trinity St. John's 4 (f� 9:15 am 11:15 am Church Office Church Office V 1 519-357-4883 519-887-6862 Everyone Welcome! COME WORSHIP WITH US! etea4e4 6)00404 Sae e4V2 et r Sunday, September 25 You're Znv1,tec Brussels Business & Cultural Centre to come worshiy at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. ., Sunday School for children With u5 4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m. '' `4` (` Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers el, ' 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 is Blyth United Church Est. 1875 Worship Service & Sunday School '� at 11:00 a.m. Sunday, September 25 0111 Joseph in Egypt Gen. 39 Pilgrim's Way Baptism Sunday A« ANe[come MINISTER: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div. OFFICE: 519-523-4224 through Jesus, will make all things new. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. And somehow, in a way we don't now understand, when we find ourselves in that new creation, we will no longer sin and we will no longer rack up a debt. Rather, we will live as we ought, not harming anything. Again, I don't understand exactly what that will look like, but it is possible. My challenge to you then, is this: try putting a dollar value on the what you have damaged or lost. Ask yourself if you can ever pay that off. Remember that doing good doesn't necessarily get rid of the problems you have already caused. Doing good merely slows the increase in debt. If you total it up, I suspect that you, like me, will never be able to pay back what we owe. And when we have discovered that, it is the time to accept what God has offered. He has offered to eliminate our debt through Jesus Christ. Accept what he offered, and be thankful that he offered it. We may not be able to pay our debts, but if we trust in Jesus, we do not owe anything. La 1'2 -1nvited 7 _+ SUNDAYS Morning Service Evening Service Dill tts y�1 (t.ors ip A \ 1 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, SEPTEMBER 25 Join our church family in worshipping with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Molesworth on the occasion of their 153rd anniversary at 10:00 a.m. (No service at Melville this week) 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 Always A Place For You Every Sunday @ 1O:30am huronchapel.com 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.