HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-02-05, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015.
By Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
Blyth Christian Reformed
Church
A little while ago, I had a couple
in my study was planning their
wedding for this summer. In
preparation for that wedding, we
have been talking about expectations
and the like, and it has been a good
conversation. Through the course of
that conversation, I was reminded
what marriage is: it is a covenant
between two people.
We don’t use the word covenant
too much nowadays. We are far more
likely to use the term, contract. A
contract is a helpful agreement,
especially if we are building a house.
In the contract, the contractor will
give me a house built to
specifications to which we both
agreed, and I will give him money.
In such a situation it is important to
have a good relationship with the
contractor because we are going to
have to make decisions as the house
progresses. But the relationship is
not the most important thing. What
is far more important is that I get my
house and he gets his money. In a
contract, what is important is what
we get.
A covenant is rather the opposite
of that. In a covenant, like a contract,
there are certain stipulations. When
we say our marriage vows, for
example, we make promises, and
those promises, if we understand
what marriage is to be, are about
being faithful, being supportive, and
being loving as long as our lives
shall last. In a covenant, what is
more important is not what we get
but what we give. We give our
promises on our wedding days and
we live out those promises for the
rest of our lives.
The difference between a covenant
and a contract is an important
distinction. Again, in a contract, the
emphasis is on what I get. In a
covenant the emphasis is on what I
give. Sadly, it seems to me, too often
times we enter into marriage
thinking it to be more like a contract
than a covenant. How many times do
marriages break up simply because
one or both of the married couple are
not “getting” out of the marriage that
which they think they should?
Rarely, if ever, have I encountered a
marriage that is in trouble where
both husband and wife talk about
how they have done on the giving
end. A husband, for example,
doesn’t have an affair because he has
given all he has to his wife (as he
promised). Rather, he has an affair
because he doesn’t think he is
getting enough understanding, love,
companion-ship, etc. from his
wife.
There is much more that I could
say about marriage, but what I really
want to talk about is our relationship
with God. As we read through
scripture, we notice that God talks
often about his covenant with us. His
relationship with us is formed
around covenant, not contract. God
makes promises, and then he keeps
them. He promises to protect us,
care for us, provide for us, help us
and, eventually, give us a place with
him in eternal life, often referred to
as heaven, or “a better place.” In
order to make that covenant work, he
does ask that we live by his rules.
We can understand why, for if God is
going to bless us, it is very helpful
for us to live in such a way that we
don’t ruin his blessings. The Ten
Commandments are one example of
the rules God expects us to live by,
and they are summarized nicely by
Jesus when he says, “Love God and
love your neighbour as yourself.” If
we don’t love God or our neighbour,
God really can’t make his promises
true in our lives. It becomes very
difficult for God to offer the promise
of peace if we don’t participate in
that peace ourselves.
God makes a covenant with us,
and in that covenant he makes
promises to us. We receive those
promises, and we promise, in return,
to live according to his ways. Sadly,
however, we often treat God’s
covenant with us like a contract. And
that is where we run into problems.
If I have hired a contractor to build
my house, I demand perfection. I
will not pay him if he has put only a
half-hearted attempt into finishing
my house. I will withhold money.
Most of us would, especially if we
have a signed contract in hand with
the expectations clearly laid out.
And yet, far too often, we act like
contractors and become offended if
God, for whom we are doing the
work, sets high standards for us.
The Bible is quite clear that God
demands perfection, but if most us
are honest, the best we give to God is
very seldom more than a half-
hearted attempt. For example, in the
rather simple example to love our
neighbours as ourselves, we eagerly
spend money on ourselves when our
neighbour struggles to get by.
And, in a global economy, our
neighbour almost certainly includes
the people who make our cell phones
and clothing. We would never
work in conditions and for the pay
that we ask them to endure, so we
don’t really love our neighbours if
we are truly honest about it. And,
yet, although we understand that
God asks much better of us, we
don’t deliver. Still, we expect him to
come up with what we think we
should get. We want him to heal us,
bless us and take us into heaven.
But we aren’t really willing to admit
that we didn’t do a very good
job and therefore don’t deserve
to be paid when we present the
bill.
It seems to me that many people
today treat what is between us and
God like a contract. It’s all about
what we get. Sadly, if we are honest,
we fail to make the grade.
In a way, how we expect God to
act is a lot more like our relationship
with a contractor than our
relationship with a spouse. In a
contract, we have to get along,
minimally, to make it work. In a
marriage we have to give our all. A
covenant, like marriage or our
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.
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, February 8
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 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8
Nursery care available
519-887-9017
Worship & Sunday School - 10 am
Coffee & Snacks - 11 am
We invite you to join our church family in:
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.
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS
MINISTER
Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
All Welcome
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224
Sunday, February 8 ~Bring Life to Love
Sunday, February 15 ~Really love your loved ones...
bring them to church
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.
Children
Welcome
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
BRUSSELS
WORSHIP SERVICE
AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00 am
All Welcome
United Church
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
getlivingwater.org
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Feb. 8: Jn. 2:1-11
Evangelical Missionary Church
Small Groups Weekly in Blyth & Wingham
“Jesus’ Response When We Run Dry”
FREE MOVIE: Fri., Feb. 20 ~ 7:30 p.m.
We have seen lots of new people
coming to Huron Chapel this
winter and we still have room for
you. Sundays @ 10:30am
huronchapel.com
From the Minister’s Study
In a covenant, examine what you give
Continued on page 16