HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-12-08, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011. PAGE 19. By Rev. Dr. Peter Kugba-Nyande
Pastor,Walton and Bluevale
United Churches
Advent is marked by a spirit of
expectation, of anticipation, of
preparation and of longing. The
anticipation of the Coming of the
Messiah throughout the Old
Testament and Judaism was not in
connection with remembrance of
sins. Rather, it was in the context of
oppression and injustice, the
longing for redemption, not from
personal guilt and sin but from the
systemic evil of the world expressed
in evil empires and tyrants. It is in
that sense that all creation goans for
its redemption as we witness the evil
that so dominates our world (Rom 8:
18-25). There is a yearning for
deliverance from the evils of the
world.
As we anticipate the coming of
the Messiah, three main challenges
remain. These are the issues of good
governance, poverty and global
warming. The impact of global
warming is huge. Farmers will find
it hard to grow crops in the face of
droughts and other natural disasters.
Diseases and fungi will attack crops
lowering the quality and production.
Natural disasters such as flooding
and drought will destroy existing
crops. This will eventually lead to
the death of thousands due to the
lack of food and spread of epidemic
diseases.
As the United Nations global
warming summit in Durban, South
Africa takes place, the people are
demanding that world leaders take
the urgent and resolute action that is
needed to prevent the catastrophic
destabilization of global climate, so
that the entire world can move as
rapidly as possible to a stronger
emissions reductions treaty which is
both equitable and effective in
preventing dangerous climate
change.
The media would have us believe
that the popular discontent is solely
due to the dictatorships and
repressions in the Arab world. But
there is more to it than that. A lot of
disenchantment is also the result of
peoples being crushed by an
exploitative economic system that
undermines essential public
services, reduces nations to little
more than sweat shops that
concentrates wealth in the hands of
a wealthy elite and well-connected
or crony corporation. As John Pilger
writes, “The revolt in the Arab
world is not merely against a
resident dictator but a worldwide
economic tyranny designed by the
International Monetary Fund and
World Bank, which entrusted rich
countries like Egypt are reduced to
vast sweatshops, with half of the
population earning less than $2 a
day.”
The Occupy Wall Street
movement in New York as well as
other cities in the world are
indications of the severity and
desperation about the lives of many
people. The people are angry about
the way that corporations and
politics and money control their
lives. They envision a different
world that exists outside of greed,
racism, patriarchy, corporate power
and political oppression. The
situation of the First Nations
Attawapiskat community is one of
the proofs of their dependency on
government handouts without which
life is impossible.
Advent is not about staying the
way we used to be or the way we are
now. Jesus came to make changes.
The incarnation is all about God
intervening and breaking into your
world and mine, and changing the
way we live. When Jesus comes into
our lives, He invites us into His
family, He makes us His brothers
and sisters, and zhe gives us a home.
Advent brings love, new life and
light into the darkness. Advent
brings a future. What we see and
experience right now is not all there
is. Now is not everything. Jesus
brings our future.
The prophet Isaiah prophesied to
the Hebrews before, during, and
after the infamous Babylonian exile.
Fifty years before, the majority of
the Jews were away from their
homeland and, in their minds
possibly, forgotten by God. Having
returned to their homeland, the
prophet encourages the people to
reflect upon the new beginnings
God has provided them by
reminding them of the past and
instructing them of what the future
will hold. The season of Advent,
which inaugurates a new liturgical
year in our church, encourages us to
prepare for the coming of Christ.
The people remembered how God
fought on the side of Israel,
eliminating their enemies when after
their long sojourn in the desert; they
finally reached the Promised Land.
God then raised up judges, kings
and prophets to aid the people and
gave them direction in their life.
God did so much for the people, all
of which was expected, to
demonstrate his loyalty to the
covenant and his love for his chosen
people.
Our reflection upon the future
coming of Christ to our world
should begin with the recognition of
our need for God. As we enter into
the season of Advent, we sing,
preach and pray about how, in the
“fullness of time” God intervened in
human affairs in the coming of
Jesus, the Christ. The Advent wreath
reminds us of God’s time: a time of
joy, of peace, of hope, of love and
most especially of looking forward
to new beginnings. In our
remembrance of the birth of Jesus,
we are asking God to “do it again.”
Paul proclaims, “God is faithful.”
Our faith God is with us while we
wait. God will strengthen us to the
end. God offers us the company that
makes waiting easier because God
has called us “into fellowship of his
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 - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, December 11
Ethel United Church
Communion, White Gift Service,
Penny Auction and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service and Communion
and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
Saturday, December 24th
Ethel United Church ~ 5:30 pm
Brussels United Church ~ 7:00 pm
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 Annual Blyth & Area
Community Christmas Service at the Blyth
Memorial Hall at 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH Celebrating the Birth
of our Saviour
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11
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
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
What’s there toRejoice in?December 11: Isaiah 61:6-11
7:30 pm at Memorial Hall
Community Christmas Service
Dec. 24, 7:00 pm at BPS:
Christmas Eve Pageant
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 11
Christmas Stories Series, Christmas Vacation.
DECEMBER 18
Sunday School Pageant.
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, December 11
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
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, December 11
Rev. Perry Chuipka
www.nabcom.ca/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.
HOW FAR IS IT TO
BETHLEHEM?
Christmas Musical
at Huron Chapel
Sunday, December 18th
at 6:30 pm
Everyone is invited to
experience this
heart-warming event.
A fellowship time will follow
with many Christmas delights!
From the Minister’s StudyAdvent is about changing our ways
Continued on page 24