HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-07-26, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012. PAGE 13.
Clark nominated for national position
Blyth United Church Reverend
Gary Clark is moving up in the
United Church of Canada.
During the first week of May he
was named as a commissioner for
the church organization and,
following that, he was one of 15 of
500 commissioners nation-wide
who was nominated to run for
Moderator of the United Church of
Canada.
“The moderator is the national
leader,” he said. “They help guide
the church with their vision and
plans.”
The fact that there are 15
nominations is indicative of a
change, according to Clark.
“There’s a real sense of
excitement with the spirit of
leadership moving,” Clark said. “We
have 15 nominations, which is the
most ever I believe. The previous
highest was nine.”
Those 15 aren’t the only
competitors for the August 16
election, however, Clark said.
“The general council can
nominate from the floor,” he said.
“As a matter of fact, a nomination
from the floor came second last
time.”
Even if Clark doesn’t win, he still
feels that being a commissioner is a
great honour.
“Even if I’m not elected, I’ll still
be a commissioner for my three-year
term,” he said. “It’s an important
job, we don’t just help make the
decisions but also explain how those
decisions work.”
If Clark is elected to the
moderator position, he says being a
commissioner will be a good model
for how he wants to lead the church.
“I want to get back to the people
By Pastor Ernest Dow
Living Water Christian
Fellowship
At a church service recently, I
heard a speaker imply that the
drought currently affecting many
states south of the border is an
example of God’s judgment for sin.
Is this accurate?
Certainly the drought is of unusual
proportion. Grain and other livestock
feed prices are being dramatically
affected. In its July 15 statement, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture
estimated the following to be in
“poor to very poor” condition: 38
per cent of the nation’s corn crop, 30
per cent of soybeans, and 54 per cent
of pasture and rangeland. Some
1,297 counties in 29 states have been
declared disaster areas because of
drought. The U.S Drought Monitor
reports that 61 per cent of the
continental United States is in a
moderate to exceptional drought.
Locally here in Huron County, lawns
have turned brown, and people with
livestock are scrambling to find
sources of hay for their animals.
We should not be too quick to
jump to the conclusion that drought
is necessarily a direct act of God’s
judgment against sin. It is doubtful
that the nearly 1,300 counties most
severely affected are unarguably
worse sinners overall than their
neighbours in the U.S. In the Bible,
some famines are not attributed to
anything more than mere historical
fact, e.g. the famines in Genesis that
sent Abram and later Isaac to
neighbouring countries in search of
temporary relief (12:10; 26:1). Jesus
cautioned his disciples against
drawing too quickly a line
connecting physical disaster and
“just desserts” for sin (Jn 9:2f). In
fact, He maintained that their
heavenly Father “causes His sun to
rise on the evil and the good, and
sends rain on the righteous and the
unrighteous” – God’s mercy toward
sinners is one aspect of His
perfection (Mt 5:45, 47).
On the other hand, there are many
examples in the Bible of God using
drought and famine to warn people
about their sin and call them back to
Himself. The prophet Elijah
proclaimed to wicked King Ahab
that there would not be rain for three
years because he had abandoned the
Lord’s commands and followed the
Baals (1Kings 17:1; 18:18). Amos
describes God’s withholding of rain
so that fields dried up and stomachs
were empty, yet people did not
return to the Lord (Amos 4:6ff). The
occasion for Joel’s prophecy was an
infestation of locusts in conjunction
with a devastating drought: “The
fields are ruined, the ground is dried
up...Despair, you farmers, wail, you
vine growers; grieve for the wheat
and the barley, because the harvest
of the field is destroyed...Surely the
joy of mankind is withered away.”
(1:10-12) In the book of Haggai, the
Lord Almighty states that He has
called for a drought because the
people have been busy panelling
their own dwellings but have
neglected God’s house which still
lay in ruins; “Therefore, because of
you the heavens have withheld their
dew and the earth its crops.”
(1:10)
The question of fertility of the
land, and whether the Jews would
rely upon God to provide their
needs, was at the heart of the Old
Covenant. God revealed through
Moses that rain would be a reward
for obedience, but if the people
refused to listen to God, “I will break
down your stubborn pride and make
the sky above you like iron and the
ground beneath you like bronze.
Your strength will be spent in vain,
because your soil will not yield its
crops, nor will the trees of the land
yield their fruit.” (Lev 26:19-20; see
also Deut.28:23f) Moses clearly
warned people of the danger that
prosperity could bring – “then your
heart will become proud and you
will forget the Lord your God...You
may say to yourself, ‘My power and
the strength of my hands have
produced this wealth for me.’ But
remember the Lord your God, for it
is He who gives you the ability
to produce wealth...” (Deut 8:12,
17f)
This seems to be the key point. Are
we willing to admit our dependence
upon God for the harvest of crops,
food to eat, and success in life in
general – or do we view it all as
depending on us, attributable to our
brilliance? Are we too quick to be
proud and self-exalting when things
go well? The vagaries of weather
should be reminders of how
dependent we really are on God.
Humility predisposes one to be
quick to help others in trouble,
whereas pride can make one
defensive, over-protective, jealously
guarding what we call “ours” when
others are in need. The New
Testament records a severe famine in
the time of Emperor Claudius,
predicted by a prophet at Antioch
named Agabus. The famine became
an occasion for others to show their
love and concern; “The disciples,
each according to his ability, decided
to provide help for the brothers
living in Judea.” (Ac 11:29) Others’
distress can provide an opportunity
for us to show our love and share the
good things with which the Lord has
blessed us.
However wonderful or admirable
our individual abilities and
accomplishments may be, the
weather reminds us there are many
factors in life that are totally beyond
our control; factors for which we
need to trust God, and acknowledge
humbly our dependence upon His
mercy. Drought, crop failure, high
feed or food prices, and hunger can
point us back to heart-issues;
particularly pride, humility, and our
ultimate reliance upon the Lord’s
goodness and provision. As the
Apostle Peter exhorted, “All of you,
clothe yourselves with humility
toward one another, because, ‘God
opposes the proud but gives grace to
the humble.’ Humble yourselves,
therefore, under God’s mighty
hand, that he may lift you up in
due time. Cast all your anxiety
on him because he cares for you.”
(1Pet 5:5-7)
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
Faith In the Festival, Through the Eyes of the Blyth Festival Plays
JULY 29 ~ The Lonely Diner
AUGUST 5 ~ The Devil We Know
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
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, JULY 29
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
tJuly 29: 2 Sam. 12:1-14
“A King’s
Contempt,
A Poor
Man’s Lamb”
Evangelical Missionary Church
Worship with Communion
10:30 am
at 211 North St., Blyth
(home of E & Y Dow)
Please bring a lawn chair.
AUGUST: “Visitation Month”
at area churches
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, July 29
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
Daily Vacation Bible School ~ August 20-24 at Brussels Arena
9:30 am to 12:00 noon. Register on line at
brusselscommunitybiblechapel.com or call Rick Packer
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - beunitedchurch@gmail.com
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
Brussels United Church
is closed for holidays in July.
From the Minister’s StudyWeather reminds of factors beyond control
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 20
119 John’s Ave., Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
Rev. Mark Royall,
Sr. Pastor
10:30 a.m
Morning Worship Service
Got Married...
Call for pricing & details
519-523-4792
or 519-887-9114
Share your news by placing
your announcement in
The Citizen