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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2012-01-26, Page 17THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012. PAGE 17. By Madelaine Higgins This week at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School a quiet week began in preparation for exams which will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 24. During this week, assessments and assignments are kept to a minimum so that students can focus on studying and all co-curricular activities are put on hold until after exams. On Monday, Jan. 16, the Junior and Senior Boys basketball teams had games at Goderich District Collegiate Institute and the boys hockey team played in Clinton, while the girls team played in Stratford. Also on Monday, the curling and swimming teams had practice at Vanastra. The Nordic Ski team competed at Duntroon. Congratulations to our swim team for winning four pennants at the Huron Perth championship. On both Wednesday and Thursday, the Grade 9 students participated in EQAO math testing. Jan. 24 was the last day for course changes for semester two, and all exams that began in the afternoon on this day. Semester one final report cards will be given out on Feb. 10 and semester two begins on Quiet week at St. Anne’s By Rev. Mark RoyallHuron Chapel Evangelical Missionary Church At Huron Chapel we are in a Sunday series right now called, “OUCH! What To Do When Life Hurts.” This past Wednesday night as we were doing our mid-week study in this series I was reminded of this story: JOHN 8: 1- 8 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginningwith the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” Some religious men, wearing religious clothes, with religious authority brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery. The religious men wanted this woman to be condemned for her sin. The woman knew she was guilty. She humbly stood before Jesus and not once do we hear her trying to deny or make excuses for what she had done. Jesus knelt down and began to write something in the dust on the ground. The religious men took notice of what He was writing. Then Jesus spoke, “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Whatever Jesus wrote in the ground convicted the religious men that they too were sinners and just as guilty as this woman they had brought to be condemned. Realizing their guilt, they began to walk away. What Jesus does with this woman in our story is remarkable. He never condones her sin. He never says what she did was right but, get this, He didn’t condemn her either.Instead He forgave her and then told her to go and sin no more. Jesus forgives her, but more than that, He gives her direction for a better life. He loves her too much to leave here where she is, so He tells her, “You are free. Now go and live differently than you have been or you will be right back where you have been. You don’t want that and I don’t want that for you, so go and sin no more.” Jesus gives her hope for a better life. The woman found freedom. She thought she would be stoned that day but instead she was set free. The religious men, however, that is a different story. They too were convicted of their sin. Jesus made it clear to them that they were just as guilty and in need of forgiveness. If they would have humbled themselves and had confessed their sins, Jesus would have forgiven them as well. But because of pride they walked away still in sin. The woman walked away free from sin. How about you? I ask because in Romans 3:23 it says, “For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” I think we all know that. I’ve never met a person who would say I’ve never sinned. We all know there's something in us that is broken. Each one of us could have been that woman dragged before Jesus to becondemned because all of us are guilty of falling short. As much as we know this is true, there is something in every one of us that wants to hide from that truth; that just wants to pretend that it's not there and cover it over instead of just being honest about it. We can be like those religious leaders who when confronted with our own sin just walk away. If we confess our sin Jesus will forgive us too and then direct us to live differently than we have been. So don’t be like those religious men and allow pride to keep you from experiencing the freedom offered you by Jesus Christ. “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free…” Galatians 5:1. 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. Youre Invited to come worship with us Sunday, January 29 Brussels Public School at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday School for children 4 to 11 years of age at 9:15 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 Chris McMichael 519.482.1644 BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA Sandra Cable, Worship Leader Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca Sunday, January 29 Brussels United Church Worship Service and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m. Ethel United Church Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m. - Annual Meeting to follow Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Rev. Elwin Garland SUNDAY, JANUARY 29 Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available 519-887-2664 10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship - Sunday School getlivingwater.org Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848 Living Water Christian Fellowship January 29: Eph. 4:1-7, 11-16 “Equipping the Body for Mature Ministry” 10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School at Blyth Public School, corner of King & Mill Tuesdays 7:30 pm - Wingham Bible Study 1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women At The Well Evangelical Missionary Church Tickets now available for Feb. 17 Faith-In-Song! 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 JANUARY 29 Every Step Counts THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA Welcomes you to come and worship with us Trinity, Blyth 9:15 a.m. Church Office: 519-357-4883 St. John's, Brussels 11:15 a.m. 519-887-6862 Sunday, January 29 Rev. Perry Chuipka www.nabcom.ca/church You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743 www.blythcrc.ca SUNDAYS Morning Service 10:00 am Evening Service 7:30 pm BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH 119 John’s Ave., Auburn 519-526-1131 www.huronchapel.org Rev. Mark Royall, Sr. Pastor 9:25 a.m. Sunday School for all ages 10:30 a.m Morning Worship Service What To Do When Life Hurts Begins this Sunday New Year, New Sermon Series From the Minister’s StudyConfess your sins and receive direction Continued on page 7