HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-05-23, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013. PAGE 13.
By Rev. Tom Murray,
Knox United Church, Belgrave
On the morning the King of Rock
and Roll, Elvis Presley, died, a good-
sized earthquake hit Hawaii. How
appropriate it seemed to this group
of teenagers to have the whole world
around them shake, rattle, and roll as
news of Elvis’ death came over the
airwaves.
Shaking isn’t usually seen as a
good thing. In the 1950s Elvis
scandalized parents and delighted
teenagers with his shaking hips.
Another shaking iconoclast, who
first made his appearance in Ian
Fleming’s Casino Royale, was the
unique James Bond, 007.
The reigning powers on alcoholic
libations at the time insisted that a
fine martini (the “It” drink among
the 50s “fashionista”) was to be
gently stirred and never shaken. But
Mr. Bond insisted that his drink be
shaken not stirred. Bond's martinis
and Elvis’ hips shook up our world.
Bond even shook us up in the latest
movie: Skyfall!
Despite the very real terror of
nuclear weapons stockpiling that
made life in the 1950s a Cold War
era. Those sociological shakings
seem so innocent and trivial when
compared to today's culture of global
terrorism. In the Cold War era,
empires were huge and hard-to-miss,
not like the “hiding-under-the-hood”
axis of evil we face today.
In Hebrews 13: 1-8 (upon which
this article is based), the writer of
Hebrews concludes his remarks on
the cosmic-wide shaking and
quaking that will accompany God's
final housecleaning with a point-by-
point, action-by-action laundry list
of good acts disciples of Jesus
should practice daily and be seen
doing widely.
Here’s one of the great contrasts of
the Bible: the shaking of heaven and
earth versus the stirring of love and
care in human relationships. At first
flush they seem almost comically
bizarre.
What does it matter what each one
of us may or may not do in our own
lives, families, or church? And yet it
does matter; it matters a whole lot to
many! To make a difference is the
writer’s whole message! Our
behaviour, our relationships, our
outreach to others; those who share
our faith, those who absolutely don’t
(the strangers), our relationships
with our family and our outreach to
those outside of them, are all
opportunities to share the faith.
How can we really measure
whether we’re feeling a genuine
Christian style of loving others? Or
are we egging, as we grind and
gnash our teeth, to get home and
trash those who regularly rub us the
wrong way! Among those who are
the most powerless, most voiceless,
who’ll declare to the world we’ve
supported and stood by them? To
those who do serve prisoners of
poverty, addictions, ignorance, or
weakness, who’ll be able to testify
on their behalf? This text says
nothing about the judgment that may
befall those who slip into infidelity
from human courts or judgments.
Instead God is declared the one,
true and ultimate judge. Whether or
not any member of the human
community knows of those
infidelities or acts of unfaithfulness:
God knows and God will judge
accordingly. These behaviours,
required of faith, are behaviours that
continually stir the pot. They stir up
the societal notion that the “other”
may be dismissed, discounted or
disenfranchised. They stir up the
established notion that caring
includes only those with whom we
have a blood relationship. They stir
up the common notion these days
that we're only wrong or bad if we
get caught and punished by human
powers. They stir up the customary
notion that there are those deeply
different than us: jailbirds, villains
and bad dudes (people of both
sexes).
They stir up an unspoken notion
that we must only follow those who
stand before us today, and not to
Health and wellness has a lot to do
with what we eat. When kids have a
hands-on opportunity to prepare the
food they consume, they just might
choose something healthy over
‘junk’. Laura Peach, a student of
nutrition and dietetics at the
University of Western Ontario, has
teamed up with Kathy Douglas,
Huron-Perth United Church Youth
Minister, to bring a hands-on
cooking and nutrition education
program for children ages eight to
12 to two United Churches in Huron
County this summer.
“Kids in the Kitchen” will offer
fun educational activities and a
chance to prepare and sample
healthy recipes each day. Children
will also learn food and kitchen
safety while sharing in the cooking
and cleanup. This day camp is a
half-day, Monday-Friday program
being offered at Blyth United
Church (July 22-26) and
Egmondville United Church
(August 12-16) for a suggested
donation of between $15-30 per
child. The church recognizes how
eating and preparing food in
community offers nourishment to
the soul as much as to the body.
With that in mind, they are training
and paying young adults to run these
food camps, offering much needed
full time meaningful summer
employment to our youth.
Peach is excited and feels this is a
chance to live her dream of helping
children at a young age, learn to
appreciate growing, choosing,
preparing and sharing “real” food.
“Every kid needs to develop a
relationship with their food”, she
says, adding, “and it is not automatic
knowledge to know what
nourishes”. Each day will begin
with a gathering time of songs,
games and scripture and will end
with a time of communal thankful
eating. Douglas and Peach want to
instill a sense gratefulness through
this work. There is hope to grow this
program and offer it in other
communities next summer. Some
government funding has been
applied for, but the organizers would
welcome business or service club
financial support.
“Kids in the Kitchen” summer day
camp, 2013 has a limited number of
spaces and suggest families register
their children early. All children
between eight and 12 are welcome.
For more information or to register,
call Blyth United Church at 519-
523-4224, Egmondville United
Church 519-522-2130 or Kathy
Douglas, 519-523-4380.
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
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743
www.blythcrc.ca
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, MAY 26
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
MAY 26 ~ Your Feet. Your Journey.
JUNE 2 ~ Join us at Camp Menesetung
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, May 26
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
May 26: Luke 8:9-18
Evangelical Missionary Church
Unpacking
Kingdom
Secrets for a
Screen
Generation
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
From the Minister’s StudyStir, don’t shake, through this Pentecost
Youth minister hosts day camp
Continued on page 18