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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2012-06-21, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012. By Pastor Perry ChuipkaSt. John’s and Trinity Anglican Churches Can you believe it? We are in the middle of June. Maybe you are like me and are feeling overworked and underpaid. I think it’s time for renewal. With the summer season just around the corner everyone needs to take some time to renew their body and minds. Some may say, “how do I renew myself?” My response to that is....renewal is as close as you want to find it! Let me begin as I often do with a funny story. When I went to get my driver’s license renewed, our local motor- vehicle bureau was packed. The line inched along for almost an hour until the man ahead of me finally got his licence. He inspected his photo for a moment and commented to the clerk, “I was standing in line so long, I ended up looking pretty grouchy in this picture.” The clerk looked at his picture closely, and reassured him, “It’s okay. That’s how you’re going to look when the cops pull you over anyway.” So often in life we get many things renewed like our licences, our library books, and our passports to name only a few. But what about renewing our lives. Last week I went to our Huron Diocese Synod of the Anglican Church held in London, Ontario. Four hundred people (two thirds the people from our churches and one third clergy) came together for two and a half days with the theme “RENEWAL: Behold I make all things new”. Our Bishop Bob gave his charge during an uplifting worship service at St Paul’s Cathedral. Let me take a bit from the bishop’s charge. Our world is filled with noise. There are those with dominant voices who want attention. There are distractions which keep us off track. There are chores, errands, functions that demand our time and energy. Life is complex and most of us are just trying to survive. The media doesn’t help since all we hear about are tragedies, atrocities, greedy corporations, etc. Consequently we get discouraged and we certainly don’t feel like singing. But let us remember where we came from. God’s love affair with humankind begins at creation. The ancient elders recount that at the beginning of all things, God acted. Over the face of the dark and formless void, a wind/Spirit from God swept over theface of the waters and God’s Spirit brought forth new life (Genesis 1.1- 2). And in response to the act of creation, God sang a most beautiful canticle of joy: “and God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1.10b). In that most holy moment, God could have easily sung another canticle: ‘See I am making all things new’. And then the Bishop went on to speak about this being the time of renewal in our Diocese. He spoke about the Renew financial campaign not as just an opportunity for us to be healthier in terms of finances but also as a time to renew our churches with mission work that reaches out into our communities. Our Bishop was saying, at least for me, is that renewing ourselves and our organizations is a part of life. Much like eating is a part of life. We can’t live without eating nor can we live without renewing ourselves. Sometimes, it takes someone else to help us see that we need to renew ourselves. For example listen to this story. Charles Swindoll tells the story about a conversation with his daughter, Colleen. He was overwhelmed with many commitments. In the process he found himself snapping at his wife,rushing through meals and irritated at every little interruption. One evening after supper Colleen desperately wanted to tell him something important that happened to her at school that day. She hurriedly began, “ Daddy, I wanna tell you something and I’ll tell you really fast.” Realizing her frustration, he answered, “ Honey, you can tell me…and you don’t have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly.” Then came the response that Swindoll will never forget. His daughter responded by saying, “Then listen slowly.” (from Chicken Soup for the Father’s Soul). The first step in renewal is listening to ourselves and our bodies. All you have to do is stop what you are doing and take some time to listen to yourself. The Forgotten Dream by S.K. Lindeman says it much better than I. “In the early morning a whisper comes to me A love so pure and tender beckoning to mecome hither say the voices crying out in dreams. Abandon inhibitions come to the angels’ den Where desire mixed with feeling and the golden light of love is sprinkled as a perfume throughout the holy air. Where is this poignant perfume that permeates the air? Breathe deeply the forgotten dream it is everywhere.” – S.K. Lindeman So take some time this summer to renew yourself. Put all your work behind you and take care of yourself by renewing your body and soul. Remember, renewal is as close as you want to find it! The challenge is on in Huron County to see who has the most in them to give to Canadian Blood Services. John Elliott, organizer of the Blyth blood donor clinic, now heading into its second year, said that last year Blyth and the surrounding communities donated more than they needed to justify the clinic, but not by much. “We had 78 units of blood donated,” he said. “Canadian Blood Services sets a quota for continuing a clinic, and we were pretty much just at the quota for it.” This year’s clinic will be held on June 27 at the upstairs hall of the Blyth and District Community Centre from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The need for blood is always high, according to Elliott, but beyond that he’s hoping to encourage people to get involved through a little healthy competition. “We’ve got trophies that we handed out last year,” he said. “We want to encourage people to donate, to generate interest in the community groups and benefit from it.” He said that the trophies, which are given to the highest donating business and community (other than the host of Blyth) last year, worked to a degree. “We were really pleased,” he said. “We had 12 units come from Brussels and 12 units come from St. Helens, so we had a tie for community involvement. The best business was the Blyth Centre for the Arts with five donations.” Elliott is calling on local communities, like Auburn, Belgrave, Walton and Londesborough, as well as the major employers in the area to dig deep and find the courage to roll up their Donor clinic returns to Blyth 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 JUNE 24 ~ Join us and others at Blyth Public School at 11:00 am for a Service of Celebration JULY 1 ~ Come pray for Canada 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 getlivingwater.org Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848 Living Water Christian Fellowship June 24: John 13:1ff at Blyth Public School, corner of King & Mill “Community Church Service” Evangelical Missionary Church Blyth Public School “Celebration of Education” 11:00 am OUTDOORS - please bring a lawn chair Special music; Preaching: Pastor Les Cook “The Teacher’s Lesson: Loving Service” 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 Teacher Appreciation Brussels Mennonite Fellowship Youre Invited to come worship with us Sunday, June 24 Brussels Legion at 10:30 a.m. and in various homes at 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 UNITED CHURCH Sandra Cable, Worship Leader Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - beunitedchurch@gmail.com Sunday, June 24 Guest speaker : John Watson Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m. Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship Brussels United Church is closed for holidays in July. MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Rev. Elwin Garland SUNDAY, JUNE 24 Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available 519-887-9017 10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship - Sunday School 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 GRADUATION SUNDAY Special music, drama, and much more! From the Minister’s StudyRenewal can be easier than you think By Denny Scott The Citizen Continued on page 19