The Citizen, 2011-04-14, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2011.By Brent KipferBrussels Mennonite Fellowship
“The best excuses for bad
behaviour are found in religion,”
proclaimed an opinion piece in the
National Post this February.
To make their case, the authors
point to Christian teaching about the
grace of God, quoting from a classic
Anglican statement that says, “we
are accounted righteous before God,
only for the merit of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and
not for our own works or
deservings.”
That indeed is the heart of our
faith – that we are saved, not because
we manage to live a life that is good
enough for God, but because of the
mercy shown to us through Jesus.
Salvation is a gift that we receive by
faith.
That is an excuse for bad
behaviour, the writers say. A person
does not need to do good things in
order to go to heaven; he can sin all
he wants, as long as he makes a
good, full and heartfelt confession
before dying. The poet W.H. Auden once had a
character protest against grace,
saying: “Every crook will argue: ‘I
like committing crimes. God likes
forgiving them. Really the world is
admirably arranged.’”
Is that where faith in Jesus leads –
or is there some misunderstanding
here? Does faith mean that we can
live however we want because we
know that we can always be forgiven
in the end?
The apostle James asks: “What
good is it, my brothers and sisters, if
people claim to have faith but have
no deeds? Can such faith save
them?”
If you claim to believe in Jesus,
but it makes no difference in the way
you live, do you really have faith?
James does not argue against faith
here, but against a certain kind of
faith, or something that passes as
faith.
Suppose a brother or sister is
without clothes and daily food. If
one of you says to them, “Go in
peace; keep warm and well fed,” butdoes nothing about their physical
needs, what good is it? In the same
way, faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied by action, is dead.
Faith and action are not opposites.
James does not favour one above the
other. What we believe, though,
always gets worked out in our lives.
If our faith does not actually do
anything, what kind of life does it
have?
There’s a story about a little girl
who was troubled by the fact that her
older brother trapped rabbits. She
begged him to stop but he just
ignored her.
One night her mother heard her
praying, “Dear God, please stop
Tommy from trapping rabbits.
Please don’t let them get trapped.
They can’t. They won’t! Amen.”
Her mother was perplexed and
asked, “Darling, how can you be so
sure that God won’t let the rabbits be
trapped?” The girl calmly replied:
“Because I jumped on the traps and
sprung them!”
Her passion for those rabbits couldnot just stay in her heart; she needed
to act on it.
This is how Menno Simons
described living faith in 1539:
“True evangelical faith...cannot lie
dormant, but spreads itself out in all
kinds of righteousness and fruits of
love:
It dies to flesh and blood, it
destroys all lusts and forbidden
desires, it seeks, serves and fears
God in its inmost soul, it clothes the
naked, it feeds the hungry, it
comforts the sorrowful, it sheltersthe destitute, it aids and consoles the
sad, it does good to those who do it
harm, it serves those that harm it, it
prays for those who persecute it, it
teaches, admonishes and judges us
with the Word of the Lord, it seeks
those who are lost, it binds up what
is wounded, it heals the sick, it saves
what is strong and it becomes all
things to all people.”
May the Spirit of God empower us
with such faith!
The Auxiliary to Clinton Public
Hospital held its annual meeting on
Monday, April 4 with 33 members in
attendance. The new executive and
committee chairs were inducted by
Peggy Menzies with Ann MacLean
becoming the new president. Linda
Dunford was thanked for her years
as president.
Darren Stevenson, Chair of CPH
Foundation, was presented with a
cheque for $15,500. Over 10,825
hours of volunteer time was given by
members to assist the hospital. This
time includes many fundraising
activities such as the penny sale, the
card cavalcade, the Irish stew
luncheon, tag day, gift of lights, yard
sale, hot dog days, draw tickets for a
quilt and managing the hospital gift
shop. Thanks to the community as
they generously support these
efforts. Plans are in place to host the
upcoming HAAO South Central
region at the White Carnation in
Holmesville on Monday, April 18.
From the Minister’s StudyBelieving in Jesus is shown through actions
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.
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - beunitedchurch@gmail.com
Sunday, April 17
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
UPCOMING EVENTS AT
BRUSSELS & ETHEL UNITED CHURCHES
April 17 - Palm Sunday and Confirmation at Ethel
April 18, 19 & 20 - Holy Week Services - Brussels United at 12 noon
April 22 - Good Friday Service 9:30 at Brussels
April 24 -Easter Sunday Services 9:30 Ethel - 11:00 Brussels
May 8 - Mother’s Day and Baptism
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, April 17
Brussels Public School
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age (mornings only)
Childcare provided for infants and toddlers
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact:
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Chris McMichael 519.482.1644
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, APRIL 17
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
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
April 17th ~ Sunday School Palm Parade 11 am
~ Join us in Walk The Story (see advertisement)
April 18th-21st ~ 7 pm-7:15 pm, each night Mini-Mediation
April 22nd ~ 7 pm, Good Friday Service of Shadows
April 29th ~ Easter Morning Service, Everyone Welcome
Please join us for worship
Hwy. 4, Blyth
519-523-4743
www.blythcrc.ca
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service “Walk the Story”
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor Gary Klumpenhower 519-523-9233
Sunday, April 17, 6:30-9 pm “Walk the Story” of Holy Week with
Blyth churches: Begins at Blyth Community Church of God.
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, April 17
Rev. Perry Chuipka
www.nabcom.ca/church
ABC LADIES
SPRING BREAKFAST
119 John’s Ave., Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
9:30 a.m.
Sunday School
10:30 a.m.
Morning Worship Service
Guest Speaker:
Rev. Eugene Neudorf
7:30 p.m.
Evening Service
Guest Speaker:
Missionary Keith Elliott
at Heartland Community
Church, Clinton
Guest Speaker is Cheryl Welch
Tickets are $8.00 and can
be purchased at
The Dutch Store, Clinton,
The Gift Cupboard, Blyth
or Radiant Life, Goderich
Saturday, April 16th
9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Tuesdays 7:30 pm - Wingham Small Group
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women’s Ministry
Fridays 7:00 pm - Youth Group
April 17: Romans 6:1-14
“Crucifying the Old
Self with Christ”
Evangelical Missionary Church
April 22: FREE Community Breakfast
at Mem. Hall 8:30 - 10:30 am
Sun. 6:30 pm:
Blyth Churches “Walk the Story
of Holy Week” - Ch. of God
Auxiliary holds annual meeting
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