HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-04-08, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010. PAGE 23. By Rev. Dr. Peter Kugba-NyandePastor, Walton and BluevaleUnited ChurchesIn the New Testament there is no
question that Jesus’ resurrection is
the absolute centre of our faith.
Jesus’ birth receives only four
chapters of attention in two gospels.
The story of Jesus’ suffering, death
and resurrection fills a third of each
of the four gospels.
The Easter story in John begins
with Mary visiting the tomb early in
the morning and she is greeted by
angels who announce that Jesus is
alive. Mary returns to the disciples
and tell them the news and how do
the disciples respond?
Luke 24 v.11, says, “But they (the
disciples) would not believe Mary
because her words seem to them like
nonsense”. However, Peter rushes to
the tomb to see for himself and Luke
says, “Peter went away wondering to
himself what had happened”.
Jesus’ resurrection is the centre of
the New Testament. The apostle
Peter writes about the “new birth
into a living hope” coming about
“through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead”. By God’s
great mercy God has given us a new
birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead.” If you want to celebrate a
birth story, celebrate our new birth
into a living hope through Jesus’
resurrection.
The writer (possibly John)
explained that his purpose of writing
this Gospel was that people might
contemplate and perceive the
theological significance of Jesus’
miracles.
The Easter season celebrates thetriumph of Jesus over the grave. Inits wisdom the church continues tocelebrate this most important event
in salvation history for the 50 days
until Pentecost. It is time when we
can concentrate on the great hope
which Jesus gives us through his
resurrection. The triumph over
death, his ability to make possible
the impossible must be our source of
hope.
In a world in which we hear about
terrorist attacks in several parts of
the world including Iraq, Pakistan,
Afghanistan, India and Russia,
armed and religious conflicts in
Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Guinea
Bissau, Iran, nuclear ambitions in
North Korea and the recent natural
earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, it is
unthinkable to count the cost of lives
and properties.
In Haiti alone, records show of
more than 221,000 deaths and
300,000 injured, in addition to the
destruction of the entire capital and
surrounding cities. We ask ourselves
“why would a loving God allow
such things to happen?” We are led
to despair, disappointment, or even
possibly anger.
Under the conditions of
uncertainties of life we seem at
times to be barely treading water. We
don’t seem to be swimming toward
our goal. Life seems a day-to-day
struggle to keep our head above
water and to avoid drowning in the
rough seas of contemporary life.
Jesus’conquest of death has restored
hope to a world shrouded in sadness
and darkness.
The picture the Bible gives us is
that the lives of the disciples were inruins. For three years they haddevoted their lives to Jesus. They had left their homes and
families, jobs and security, to follow
him.
They had seen him do wonders.
He cured the sick, raised the dead
and proclaimed the love of God. The
response of all these was death on
the cross.
The worst of their fears had come
true and now they found themselves
caught up in a whirlpool of anxiety.
Their leader, teacher, rabbi and their
Lord was dead.
They were left with only a
nightmare of memories – a Passover
meal that had become a nightmare
with revelation that one of their own
would betray him. There was the
dream-like time in the Garden of
Gethsemane that ended when the
high priest’s soldiers came with
weapons to arrest him. Even the
brave vows of Peter, the boldest of
them all, were followed by words of
denial.
The mocking, the beating, the
horror of his death had left the
disciples a shell-shocked, frightened
and disbelieving bunch whose worst
fears seemed reality now.
Many of us live with the
functional atheism of reality
television. Resurrection reality is
completely contrary to that. It is
living in the conviction that God is
not asleep or in a coma, but that he
will act with you and through you,
empowering you to accomplish the
impossible for God’s kingdom.
This is what is boldly expressed in
the New Creed, “We are not alone,
we live in God’s world …. In life, indeath, in life beyond death, God iswith us. We are not alone” VU P.918). God is with us, in history and
in our lives, transforming them with
a resurrection reality.
The good news that resurrection
brings is that, there are no closed
doors that can keep the love of God
away from us. There is no lock that
can shut us apart from God. There is
no dark room that God will not enter
and there is no one that God does not
love.
The resurrection offers peace for a
purpose with power. Jesus says to us
that with his presence, peace is
possible. I don’t care how bad
tomorrow looks, how gloomy the
prospect may seem, how dreadful
the problem is, or how hopeless
everything seems. It breaks through
locked doors and banishes fear.
John the Seer tells us that Jesus
transformed the negative to positive,
the darkness to light and defeat into
triumph.
If we have sufficient trust and
faith, the same will be true for us.
Therefore, as we continue to derive
enjoyment in the glory of Easter’s
light, let us be people of hope,
confident that Christ has
transformed defeat into victory, he
can transform us and our world into
a new spring, filled with the hope
which God alone can bring. He is the
One who is, who was and who is to
come.
When all hope seemed lost at his
passion, Jesus restores trust and faith
through the rising from the dead. Jesus is the alpha and omega, thebeginning and the end, the first andthe last and the one who brings
totality to a hopeless world.
Believers are now a kingdom and
priests with the purpose of serving
God. Jesus said to Thomas, “you
have believed because you have seen
me? Blessed are those who have not
seen and yet believe”
The resurrected Jesus comes to all
who seek to follow him, as he did
long ago, at the point of our need,
strengthening us for ministry in
Christ’s name.
As we struggle in our day-to-day
livelihoods, may this Easter bring
renewed hopes in our lives.
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, April 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:
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Chris McMichael 519.482.1644 YOU ARE WELCOME
9:45 a.m. Sunday School for all ages
10:30 a.m. - Sunday Morning Worship
Mid-week Bible Study
C H U R C H O F G O D ,ANDERS
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Timeless Truths
For Today
308 Blyth Rd. E., Blyth
Pastor Les Cook ~ 519-523-4590
Blyth Community Church of God
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
519-523-9595
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, April 11
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, April 11
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
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224 Rev. Gary Clark
All Welcome
Sunday, April 11
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 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 Bible Study
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women at the Well
Fridays 7:30 pm - Youth Group
Christ-centred, Bible-believing,
Fellowship-friendly, Growth-geared
April 11
“Soup Kitchen
Ministry
- Nancy Buttar”
Holy
Communion
From the Minister’s StudyJesus’ resurrection focal point for faith
North Huron supports relay
North Huron Township Council
approved a request from the
Canadian Cancer Society
support the Relay for Life on several
fronts.
The relay, which will occur on
Friday, August 6 at the F.E. Madill
Secondary School track, requires the
approval and support of the
township to run.
The first approved request will see
the noise bylaw’s hours changed for
the event.
The event will be able to have live
entertainment as late as 1:30 a.m. on
Saturday,August 7, and as early as 5
a.m.
The township will deliver and
pickup 40 to 50 eight-foot tables, 26
garbage cans and garbage bags, 12
barricades for parking, and
recycling bins.
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, APRIL 11
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday SchoolNote:
New
Time
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth
REV. DAVID WOOD
119 John’s Ave.,Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
9:30 a.m.
Sunday School & Small Groups
10:30 a.m.
Morning Worship Service
MISSIONS CONFERENCE
WEEKEND
April 9th - 11th
Friday
8:00 pm - Article One Concert
Saturday
10:00 am - Raney Brown speaking
6:00 pm - Owen & Diane Simon
speaking as well as Filipino food
prepared by Lil of Lil’s Diner
Sunday
10:30 am - Morning Worship
with Tim & Cathy Whately
By Denny Scott
The Citizen