HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-12-13, Page 20THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012. PAGE 19.
By Rev. Gary Clark
Blyth United Church
It is that time of year again when
you either have got it or you don’t.
You have had good hunting and
inspiration or you didn’t. What I am
referring to is the buying of the right
present. I think there is more tension
and second guessing of one’s
decision with the buying of the right
present than at most elections and
elective surgery!
Oh and I wish I was joking, but
when I look at the people around
who have their insides in a knot
about what they did or didn’t buy I
feel really sorry for them. The
Christmas present has done much to
add to the grey hairs and ulcers in
the world. I find this ironic since that
was never the intention. That first
Christmas present, the baby himself,
was a gift of love from the very heart
of God. The gifts of the Magi were
gifts that showed their adoration of
the promised child but in both cases
the gifts were well, quite natural.
After all what is a more natural out
come of love than a baby?
The Magi were simply giving the
gifts that might be given a Godly
King. In the book of Isaiah 60:6,
Isaiah describes how nations and
kings who are part of Jerusalem’s
restoration will come and bring
“gold and frankincense and shall
proclaim the praise of the Lord.”
Myrrh is a bit of a strange gift
because of the use of it in the burial
rites of the time. However we see in
other parts of the gospels that death
was forever stalking the average
person. Many tried to have myrrh
on hand to be ready to anoint the
body of the deceased if untimely
death should come. Of course
Biblical scholars propose that the
inclusion of myrrh in the gifts was a
foreshadowing of the death of Jesus.
I hate to break it to them but at our
birth is the beginning of our journey
towards death. We should all get a
little myrrh at the baby shower and
maybe then we would look at each
day as being precious.
All very interesting but not very
helpful information for you in the
area of buying the perfect present for
that special someone. Oh just a hint,
don’t give that special one you live
with myrrh. It might convey the
wrong message. It is up there with
giving your wife a new set of pots or
a new washing machine. Sure it will
make her life easier (if she does
most of the cooking and cleaning)
but are they signs of love? And
maybe that is the stumbling block.
Every advertisement is trying to tell
us how to show love to those special
people in our lives. Since kind words
or a hug or a shared walk along the
Greenway Trail or just time together
playing a game can not be packaged
and sold we rarely hear about them
as being the best Christmas present
ever.
But this is the truth if a Christmas
present is supposed to show how you
feel about that person, then the best
present is to make time in your life
for them. Well gifts are all right but
they rarely have the ability to feed
the heart like holding your loved
one’s hand. Your presence with the
family is the best Christmas present
ever! Maybe that is what God was
trying to say in the giving of the
baby Jesus. God wanted to be
present in the lives of Mary and
Joseph and present in our lives too.
And the best way to do that is to just
show up in the flesh. So as
Christmas approaches remember
that you can stop stressing over the
right gift, God has already shown
you what others really need and
want from you. And that is for you
to show up and be there for them on
Christmas Day and on as many days
through the year as possible!
Kathy and I wish you, one and all,
a Merry Christmas and a Blessed
New Year.
By Rachel Robinson
Last week St. Anne’s Catholic
Secondary School hosted its annual
Christmas Celebration of the Arts.
The junior, concert jazz and rock
bands of St. Anne’s played their
music for guests. The art and drama
classes were also involved in
presentations. The Social Justice
group held a Fair Christmas that sold
fair trade merchandise through
10,000 Villages.
Our God Squad is busy with the
Advent campaign as period four
classes bring in gently-used coats for
an Aboriginal community in
Kasheshewan. We’re also collecting
baby clothes for Room to Grow. On
Thursday the girls hockey team
played against Central Huron
Secondary School winning by a
score of 3-0. On Friday, students
from the elementary schools, St.
Boniface and Sacred Heart were
invited to experience St. Anne’s for a
day.
Student cabinet is busy preparing
for the school’s annual semi-formal
dance, “Suit Up” happening this
Friday. As Christmas break fast
approaches students are buckling
down in their courses and working
hard before the much deserved
holidays.
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.
Huron Chapel
Always A Place For You
Every Sunday@ 10:30am - www.huronchapel.org
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-9017
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
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
DECEMBER 16TH ~ Sunday School Christmas Play
& Blue Christmas Service at 7:00 pm
DECEMBER 23RD ~ Being the Little Drummer Boy
DECEMBER 24TH ~ Christmas Eve Service at 7:00 pm
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, December 16
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
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743
www.blythcrc.ca
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16
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
Evangelical Missionary Church
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
Wingham Bible Study - Tuesdays 7:30 pm
Youth Group - Tuesdays 7:30 pm (at CRC)
Women At The Well - 1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
Dec. 16: Php. 4:4-13
“The Secret to
Contentment
and Joy”
‘Fellowship of Cookies’
after worship
December 24
Christmas Eve Worship ~ 7:00 pm
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
From the Minister’s StudyTime with family the best Christmas present
St. Anne’s hosts
Christmas arts night
BUY? SELL?
TRY CLASSIFIED
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