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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2012-03-15, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012. By Pastor Tom Murray Knox United, Belgrave As a pastor in the Christian church, I have always felt that my first obligation is devotion to creative release of all that can proceed to make the reproduction of healthy disciples, leaders, churches and movements the best and greatest thing to happen! And so, there is little else that I see relevant in these times of rapidly shifting change. This is what gets me up in the morning and keeps me up at night. One of the reasons I believe our conventional churches are not multiplying is because God doesn’t want to multiply them. Frankly, he doesn’t want more of the problems we currently face as laity, clergy and as churches. We, as God’s people, must become better so that when we are multiplied the world will be better. Some of you know that in my previous vocational life, I was a computer systems analyst/ programmer. In the earlier years of computing and software design, there was always a rapid progression of new versions. Something that happened in those days that occurred frequently now comes more often than not, in five or 10-year cycles. Although I must say, good software design suggests that the previous practice is what fulfills not only the best but the greatest practice of all! Likewise, in our churches, God wants his church to exercise the best practices of growth in development, maturing disciples, leading God’s followers and engaging the social needs of our day, which will ultimately lead to an authentic increase in sharing and devotion. New practices or new traditions in the church come at a much slower pace. For some reason, the church of humanity has always been the slowest to change its best practices. Usually, this is so, because historically our conservative nature which often borders on superstition tends to make everything sacred and thus untouchable. For example, if you look at the fundamental changes in the history of the Christian church, after its emergence in Jerusalem and subsequent growth in Antioch, Galatia, Corinth and Ephesus, we see two that occurred between Jesus’ resurrection and went on to the present time. The first happened during the rule of Emperor Constantine in the 300s, when the church shifted from an underground, grassroots, organic movement to an institutional entity. This was as a direct result of Emperor Constantine’s action in making Christianity a state church. It saw next, the separation of the church into the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church, and then for hundreds of years very few changes. In spite of the differences, the institutional churches remained mostly unchanged. Then over the 1500-1600s we saw the Reformation split the Western church into the Roman Catholic Church and the volatile Protestant (or pro-testant, if you will) church or churches depending on your historic take of the period. While changes take place and emerge in the Presbyterian, Lutheran, Reformed, Baptist, Brethren, Mennonite and Methodist Churches, among others; the changes in church life are relatively untouched over the centuries. For whether we are talking about high church or low, music or no music, pipe organ or guitar, stained glass windows or no windows, the actual system of church has gone relatively unchanged. From the fourth century until now, you have priests or pastors, Sunday singing and a sermon, the weekly offering, the pulpit without pews or with pews and a church building. The second is happening now, in our lifetime! And yet, many people want to go back to the beginning again. As much as we might like that to happen, we simply cannot go back; we can only go forward. Without question, the world has changed in dramatic fashion, right under us. God has already called a few brave people to lead the way with changes regarding how we see ourselves and how we see church. People like Diana Butler Bass, sociologist, author and theologian, who explains of our global culture: “People are not interested in what we believe; they’re interested in how to believe.” So back to the title of this article; being born is not enough! Changes are not just coming, they are already here! Our church, your church, no matter what kind it is, will do well to meet the future that is already here. The shift which has already begun has largely to do with our being better and more fulfilling in regard to our mission; the mission God has always called us to. Becoming healthier, relating to one another more naturally and empowering all of God’s people on mission together. As I see it, the task at this time is simple: to look at several ways in which we the church can accomplish our mission better in the future than we have in the past. The change we face is a shift from a program-driven and clergy-led institutional approach of church to one that is relational, simple, and viral in its spread. Instead of seeing church as something that serves its people, church becomes people who serve – 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, March 18 Brussels Public School at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday School for children 4 to 11 years of age at 9:30 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 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, March 18 Ethel United Church Worship Service and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m. Brussels United Church Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m. Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Rev. Elwin Garland SUNDAY, MARCH 18 Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available 519-887-9017 10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship - Sunday School getlivingwater.org Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848 Living Water Christian Fellowship March 18: Mark 10:2-12 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 “Jesus’ High View of Marriage” 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 18 ~ If Charged With Being a Christian, Would There Be Evidence to Convict You? MARCH 25 ~ Heaven Is For Real 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 Sermon Series continues with The Sharing Choice! 250 Princess St., Brussels Pastor Brent Kipfer 519-887-6388 www.bmfchurch.com Guests Welcome Jesus Is Lord! Worship Service 10:00 am Sunday School 11:15 am From the Minister’s StudyBeing born is a good thing, but not enough NOT SO LITTLE! Over the years many people have complimented The Citizen as “a nice little paper”. Today The Citizen is #3 in paid circulation of the 8 newspapers serving Huron County. The Citizen Proudly Community- Owned Since 1985 Continued on page 21