HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-03-07, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013.
By Rev. Dr. Peter Kugba-Nyande
Duff’s United Church, Walton
In the context of the two reports
concerning those who died, (a) the
massacre of some Galileans by
Pilate in the temple and (b) the
collapse of a tower in Siloam which
left eighteen people dead, Jesus
taught about the parable of the
barren fig tree. What is frustrating
about this fig tree is that it didn’t
bear fruit. It didn’t do what it was
supposed to do, year after year for
three years and the owner decided to
have the gardener cut the tree down.
Hoping and expecting that the fig
tree will bear fruit, the gardener
convinced the owner to wait another
year. The gardener would dig
around it and put manure on it. "If it
bears fruit next year, well and
good; but if not, you can cut it
down."
The vineyard owner represents
God, the one who rightly expects to
see fruit on His tree and who justly
decides to destroy it when He finds
none. The gardener, or vineyard
keeper who cares for the trees,
watering and fertilizing them to
bring them to their peak of
fruitfulness, represents Jesus, who
feeds His people and gives them
living water. The tree itself has two
symbolic meanings: the nation of
Israel and the individual.
During the period of Lent we ask
ourselves these questions: What is
the purpose of my life? Am I living
to my full potential? Do I make a
difference? Or Are we fruitful for
God? Are our branches bare, and our
limbs naked? The apparently healthy
fig tree without fruit symbolizes an
apparently healthy Christian life that
does not produce actions and
behaviours that God wants from
us. Just as the fig tree exists to bear
fruit, humanity exists to participate
in the Triune Life as the children of
the Father (Eph. 1:5), but we also are
not living up to our purpose. If
something isn’t achieving its
purpose it might as well not exist,
that’s why the vineyard owner says
that he might as well destroy the
tree. Not because he hates the tree
but because he recognizes the
pointlessness of having a tree that
doesn’t bear fruit and his desire is to
see it achieve its purpose.
There is very good news in this
little parable, first, the gardener is
humble and patient. He says, “I will
keep tendering the tree, feeding it
and nurturing it, until it bears fruit.
If it doesn’t bear fruit in the
next season, then you can cut it
down.”
It seems we have a little more time
to learn to be tender-hearted. Even
when we’ve been fruitless, God’s
heart is not to cut us down and throw
us in the fire. God’s heart is to give
us more time for him to work on us.
These fruits include prayers and
praise, reverence and love, trust and
confidence, pure spiritual worship,
and every other duty that we owe to
God.
Second, the Master Gardener
knows how to make us healthy
enough to fulfill our purpose.
Because of our fallen-ness we, like a
fig tree, are incapable of fixing
ourselves. So, the Father sends the
Son – the greatest Master Gardener
of all time – to heal us, make us
whole, and enable us to grow up to
be the children of the Father that we
were created to be. He nourishes our
lives in his Holy Spirit – the fertilizer
that brings the fruit of the Triune
Life. Amen.
Third, as Christians, we are
reminded that Jesus often invites us
to repent; turns our lives around, get
rid of old bad habits and produce the
genuine fruits of repentance. Jesus
believes in us, that we can repent and
turn our lives around and get rid of
old unhealthy habits, routines and
patterns. Wouldn't this be a good
time and a good place to ask
ourselves whether we are bearing the
fruit that Christ means for us to bear
- in our jobs, in our homes, in our
communities, in serving him?
Fourth and finally, we have
another chance, another moment,
another space, another period of
grace that begins now…to
change…to live the quality of lives
that God wants from us…to produce
the life of love that the Lord God
expects from us. The Lord God gives
us more time to shape up, to live life
as God wants us to. The Lord God
wants to give us another chance, one
more chance, another season,
another year, some more space to
begin living our lives in ways that
the Lord God expects.
May each of us use that time in the
way that he intends for us to use it, to
use it in growing in the way we
should go and bearing the fruit we
are meant to bear.
From the Minister’s StudyUse your time wisely says Kugba-Nyande
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
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St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
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Sacred Heart
Sunday
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220 Carling Terrace
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St. Joseph
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
H URONC HAPEL.org
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@ 10:30am
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
SUNDAYS
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Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Interim Minister: Pastor Gary Klumpenhower 519-523-9233
Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743
www.blythcrc.ca
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, MARCH 10
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-9017
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
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
MARCH 10 ~ The Nose Knows
MARCH 17 ~ Salty, Sour, Bitter and Sweet
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, March 10
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 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
BRUSSELS
Sandra Cable, Pastor
Church Office 519-887-6259
E-mail - beunitedchurch@gmail.com
SUNDAY SERVICE 11:00 am
Sunday School
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
United Church
getlivingwater.org
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
Wingham Bible Study - Tuesdays 7:30 pm
Youth Group - Tuesdays 7:30 pm (at CRC)
Women At The Well - 1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Evangelical Missionary Church
Mar. 10: Matt. 11:25ff
“Road to
Recovery” #3:
“Letting Go”
March 24 ~ 6:30-9:00 pm: Inter-church
“Walk through Holy Week”
March 29 8:30-10:30 am at Mem. Hall:
FREE BREAKFAST &
Good Friday Worship
250 Princess St., Brussels
519-887-6388
www.bmfchurch.com
Pastor Jim Whitehead
Guests Welcome
Jesus Is Lord!
Brussels
Mennonite
Fellowship
Worship Service 10:00 am
Sunday School 11:15 am
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