The Citizen, 2015-04-09, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2015. PAGE 19.
By Pastor Ernest Dow, Living
Water Christian Fellowship
(EMC), Blyth
In the muddle of that first Easter
morning, a solitary woeful voice
rings out. “Mary stood outside the
tomb, crying.” (Jn. 20:11) These are
not muffled sobs, but loud wailing.
Why might this be affecting this
person this much?
In Mark 16(9) we’re told Jesus
“had driven seven demons” out of
Mary Magdalene. Perhaps there had
been some occult involvement in her
background and these were definite
evil spirit-beings. Or, maybe it was
more what we’d call
“schizophrenia” today, or some
other psychotic condition, such as
hearing voices, seeing things. The
movie A Beautiful Mind featured
Russell Crowe starring as a brilliant
mathematician who suffered from
delusions: he was seeing people who
just weren’t there. Medication
helped control it, but that interfered
with his mental ability, so he learned
to get by with less medication and
just determined not to pay attention
to the illusory voices and figures
who attempted to distract him.
What might Mary have been
feeling as she stood there outside the
disturbed tomb? Disturbed even
more herself? Jesus, her Master who
had driven out the demons was gone.
She had learned to function
normally again the last three years as
she followed Him on His preaching
and healing forays; how would she
carry on? Would the demons come
back? What was the point in living if
not even the most innocent, pure,
loving man alive, a miracle-worker
who could walk on water, calm
storms and raise the dead – if not
even He could stand against the
forces of evil in “the system”? Most
of all, she felt so awfully alone. She
had drawn strength from this
incredible Teacher, and now He was
gone.
She turns around and sees
someone standing there. They
inquire why she’s crying, whom
she’s seeking. She offers to retrieve
the body if the groundskeeper has
carried it somewhere. Her driving
focus is to find Jesus, be with
Him...even if He’s dead. She knows
herself only in relation to Him.
And then comes a single word
floating gently and lovingly through
the early-morning stillness that must
have shook her soul like a sonic
boom: “Mary.” It was Jesus’ voice!
Her name had been said in a way
only He would have said it! Could it
be true? Was her mind playing tricks
on her again? No, she definitely
heard it – He’s alive!
The single word of Mary’s name,
as spoken by her Lord, carries great
impact. The syllables rang with the
essence of their relationship,
echoing the history they’d had
together, the new person she’d
become under His influence, the
restoration of soul for which His
miraculous healing power had been
responsible. It was the Shepherd
calling His sheep, His vulnerable
little lamb. A Shepherd who knew
her only the way a God-man could.
In connection with Him, Mary felt
truly known.
Back when He was teaching about
being the Good Shepherd Jesus had
said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I
know them, and they follow me.”
(John 10:27) Whoever you are –
Jesus knows you. He not only knows
your past, He also knows the great
future you can have in fellowship
with Him, if you let Him lead.
Recognizing Him, Mary
impulsively turns toward Him,
possibly falling down and grasping
His feet, crying out, “My Teacher!”
But Jesus has more to do, so He bids
Mary not keep on clinging to Him;
He adds, “Go instead to my
brothers...”(Jn.20:17) Meeting Jesus,
we discover we are not only known,
we are also needed. He has a task for
us to do, a purpose for our being, a
mission to carry out suited
specifically to us. Mary Magdalene,
this once-broken “crazy woman”
afflicted with seven demons, is
chosen to become the very first
evangelist, the first eyewitness to
Jesus’ bodily resurrection. He
commissioned her to be the bearer of
awesomely important news, a
cosmos-shattering announcement.
Likewise, Jesus has a job for each
of us who come to Him for meaning,
purpose, and direction. If you trust
in Him, Christ blesses you with a
gift to serve or minister to others in
His name, as His body
(Eph.4:8,11f). You are needed.
Jesus also gives us next of kin.
When Mary had her previous
affliction, what toll had it taken on
her relationships? Had her relatives
and family learned to avoid her
because of social unconventionality?
Had her neighbours shunned her?
But suddenly, Jesus is implying
she has a whole new family! He said,
“Go...to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am returning to my Father and
your Father, to my God and your
God.’”
Take the last part first: “my Father
and your Father...” The disciples had
witnessed Jesus praying to His
heavenly Abba/ Papa and probably
wistfully yearned for a connection to
God so intimate, so familiar, so
open, cherished as in a loving
parent’s care. Such closeness was
unheard-of in Judaism. It was
shocking to the religious leaders that
Jesus dared call God His “father”
(Jn. 5:18).
Yet that’s exactly how Jesus taught
His followers to address God
routinely in what we call the Lord’s
Prayer: “Our Father in heaven...”
(Mt. 6:9) And now, this side of the
cross, the dividing wall of guilt that
separated us from such a Holy
Almighty Being has been torn down
and removed. Paul writes, “You are
all sons of God through faith in
Christ Jesus... Because you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into
our hearts, the Spirit who calls out,
‘Abba, Father.’” (Gal. 3:26, 4:4-6)
What a privilege, that we can
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.
An Adventurous Life
Awaits You...
Sunday @ 10:30am huronchapel.com
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, April 12 ~ Seeding is Believing
Sunday, April 19 ~ The Weed Debate
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.
Children
Welcome
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
April 12: Jn.20:19ff
Evangelical Missionary Church
Small Groups Weekly in Blyth & Wingham
“Reaching & Receiving”
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
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.
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, April 12
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
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
From the Minister’s Study
Easter can lead to the needed next-of-kin
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
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