The Citizen, 2011-10-20, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2011.By Brent Kipfer Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
There’s an old story about a
farming community that held a
prayer meeting in the middle of a
drought.
As the local pastor was preparing
to begin, he noticed an 11-year-old
girl sitting in the front row. Her face
was beaming with excitement.
Next to her, poised and ready for
use, was a bright red umbrella.
Everyone came to pray for rain, but
the girl expected God to answer.
I love that posture of expectancy...
and yet we know that God does not
cause rain to pour from the sky every
time we ask for it. How can we keep
that kind of eager faith alive when
we pray for rain and it does not rain
or when we ask for healing and we
see no healing or we beg for God to
lift us out of a crisis and the crisis
continues?
How do we pray in faith – boldly
asking God for a miracle, but still
saying, “Not my will, but yours be
done”? What does it look like to
pray passionately and persistently –
and still trust God to answer
according to his love and sovereign
wisdom?
In Acts Chapter 12, the church
earnestly begs God to rescue Peter,
who is in jail because of his faith.
They pray from the heart, with faith
in Jesus Christ and with love for
their friend. Even as they pray for
Peter, though, they are grieving the
death of James – another one of the
first twelve apostles.
You can be sure that they prayed
for James just as fervently as for
Peter. With just as much love, they
begged God to spare their friend –
and James was put to death by
Herod. There was no rescue – at
least not a physical one. As far as weknow, God chose not to intervene,
not to interrupt Herod’s plan.
What do you make of that? The
Book of Acts reflects the reality of
our experience with God. There are
glorious stories of intervention: a
blinding light and a voice from
heaven on the Damascus road, a
lame beggar getting healed, God
speaking through visions and
softening hearts. But plenty of times
God chooses not to step in and
override the plans of human beings.
In Acts 5, for example, when the
apostles are flogged, God neither
stops the whipping nor turns the
whips into spaghetti noodles. Later,
God allows Stephen to be martyred
and Paul to get beaten up, kicked out
of cities, shipwrecked, imprisoned
and stoned. In the early church,
there are people who sometimes feel
left out, there are disagreements and
quarrels. As much as we can tell,
God does not always choose to
intervene.
That is also our story.
Consider your own history of
praying – and what you have seen of
God’s answers. What combination
of miracles and non-miracles do you
see?
In response to the prayers of the
church, Peter will experience a
dramatic and surprising rescue.
Before we can fully celebrate
miracles like Peter’s, however, we
need to come to peace with the story
of James – because when we face a
serious non-miracle, we have a
choice to make.
Consider the girl who brought her
umbrella to that prayer meeting. In
response to such praying, God maywell say, “The time has come. Let
the rain fall,” and the people would
rejoice and the girl’s faith would be
confirmed and everyone would go
home encouraged. What happens,
though, if God decides that the time
is not right? How do we respond
then? This is where faith really gets
its workout.
In moments like this, some
abandon faith altogether, their
disappointment is so great. More
common perhaps, others continue to
believe but with reduced expectancy,
maybe with some underlying doubt,
probably with less passion. Maybe
at one point or another, you have
been there. Maybe that is where you
are right now.
But there is another option, one
that takes faith to even deeper
maturity – and which keeps us close
to Jesus, full of expectancy. Is it
possible to receive even a non-
miracle as a gift from a loving
Father in heaven, who delights in
giving only good gifts to his
children? Can we do that even when
we are hurting, even when we don’t
understand?
A Christian named Dave says, “Ihave learned that God's silence to
my questions is not a door slammed
in my face. I may not have answers.
But I do have him.”
Do we know how to pray in faith,
trusting Jesus with the answer –
rescue or no rescue, intervention or
no intervention?
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.
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
OCTOBER 23 - Parenting: --- A Little Help!
Roast Beef Supper - Saturday, October 29, 4:30-7:00 pm
For cost and tickets call 519-523-4224
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, October 23
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 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, October 23
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, OCTOBER 23
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
October 23: Stewardship Sunday
Sherri Grosz, Mennonite
Foundation of Canada
POTLUCK luncheon seminar:
“Wills & Estate Planning”
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
Saturday, Oct. 29 8:30-10:30 am
at Memorial Hall
FREE Community Breakfast!
Saturday, October 22 - Women’s ABC
Fall Renewal 9-3 at Huron Chapel, Auburn
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
Church Office: 519-357-4883
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, October 23
Rev. Perry Chuipka
www.nabcom.ca/church
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.
Rev. Mark Royall speaking
ABC Ladies Fall
Renewal
Saturday, October 22nd
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
at Huron Chapel, Auburn
Guest Speaker:
Donna Thorne
Ministry in Music:
Suzanne MacVicar
Tickets $15 can be purchased at...
The Gift Cupboard - Blyth,
Radiant Life - Goderich,
Perfect Designs - Clinton
or any of the participating churches.
Wives!
Don’t Miss
Two-gether Intimately
(www.intimacyseminar.com)
A humorous, insightful,
Biblically-based seminar
TUESDAY, NOV. 1
9 am - 3 pm
Blyth Christian Reformed
Church
Cost: $35.
For information call:
519-523-9436
From the Minister’s StudyLearning to pray in faith, trust Jesus
ON $6.00 THURSDAYS
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Thursday with your word classified
(maximum 20 words) and pay only
$6.00 + HST (paid in advance).
That’s $1.00 off regular rates.
The Citizen
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Welcomes you to come and worship with us