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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2013-11-07, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013.By Rev. Mark Royall Huron Chapel Evangelical Missionary Church Recently one Sunday I asked our Huron Chapel congregation to tell me what came to their mind when they heard the word, “slave”. Their response was not very positive as their answers tended to reflect that dismal time in history when African men and women were brought to America to work in the fields for plantation owners. These slaves were often abused. They were not treated with respect. The only value they had was what they could bring to their master’s pocketbook. They sacrificed, but it was for the benefit of their master. Then I asked the congregation to tell me what thoughts they had when they heard the word, “child”. As you would expect their answers were quite different than the ones they gave for “slave”. The word child brought to mind images of love, value and fun. In this type of relationship the parent sacrifices for the benefit of their child. I know this because my parents certainly did this for me. Whether we realize it or not, when it comes to our relationship with God, many of us default to the position “Slave/Master”. We don’t see our connection with God in terms of the “Child/Parent” relationship. We tend to see God as this task-driven angry master waiting for us to mess up so that He can punish us. We are His slave. We do what we do to appease Him and hope He will not bring us any harm. But here is the thing God is shouting in the pages of His Book, the Bible, that He wants to be our loving Heavenly Father. This is the relationship He desires to have with us. Like any loving parent, He will discipline us sometimes but only because He loves us. When you and I disciplined our children they thought we were being mean but in reality we were just loving them. We want them to develop and grow into successful healthy adults. Sometimes that means you guide them by correcting them. You do this, not out of anger but, out of love, right? God will do that for us too. He loves us that much. The relationship between a slave and his master is quite a different than the one that exists between a loving parent and their child. A slave sacrifices for the benefit of the master, a parent sacrifices for the benefit of the child. God is our loving Heavenly Father and through Jesus Christ He sacrificed Himself so that we may be in a saving, not a slaving, but in a saving relationship with Him forever. Jesus once told a story we have come to know as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The son believes he can do a better job of living his life if he separates himself from his father. So he demands his inheritance right away and then he takes off to live apart from his father in a far-off, distant land. If you know the story, then you know the son doesn’t make great choices. Then to make matters worse, famine comes, his money runs out, his friends desert him and he is all alone and desolate. Jesus tells us that one day this son came to his senses and realizes how wrong he was. He decides to go back to his father and tell him, “I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” (ESV) Luke 15:19 The son feels that he no longer deserves to be his father’s son but he is hoping he may be able to return as his father’s slave. We will feel the same way. When we humble ourselves and see who we really are, sinners who have disobeyed our Heavenly Father and have followed our own agenda, we don’t feel that we have the right to be treated and accepted as one of God’s children. But listen to the language of how the father wants to receive his son, “Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.” Luke 15:22b-24 The Prodigal was hoping he could be received as his father’s slave, but the father was ready to receive him as his child. And the son accepted it. He knew he didn’t deserve it, he wasn’t worthy of it... but he received and accepted his father’s pronouncement over him, “For this is my son...” Jesus tells us this story because it is our story. All of us have tried to live our life apart from our Heavenly Father and He will allow us to do so. He gives us the freedom to choose. Love does this. Hopefully you have arrived to the point, as this son did in the story and you come to the Father and in all sincerity you tell Him how sorry you are. Your agenda was wrong. When you do this you may expect to find a slave master to take you to task but what you will find is a loving heavenly Father who tells you, ‘my son, my daughter, we must celebrate.’ Love does this too. From the Minister’s StudyParable shows God’s unconditional love: Royall 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. 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, November 10 “Try to Remember” Worship Service & Sunday School at 10 a.m. PASTOR Sandra Cable, DLM MUSIC DIRECTOR Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.getlivingwater.org Living Water Christian Fellowship 10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School Tuesday - Wingham Bible Study 7:30 pm Thursday - Youth Group at CRC 7:30 pm Women At The Well - 1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God) Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848 Nov. 10: POTLUCK “The College of Christ” Evangelical Missionary Church Emmanuel Bible College President Dr. Mark Boughan 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 Youre Invited to come worship with us Sunday, November 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 An Adventurous Life Awaits You... Sunday @ 10:30am huronchapel.com MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Rev. Elwin Garland SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10 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. 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 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 See histories and historic photographs on the Huron History section of our website www.northhuron.on.ca