HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-08-19, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2010. By Pastor Perry ChuipkaTrinity, BlythSt. John’s, BrusselsAnglican Churches
In the middle of a jungle, there
was a hunter who was suddenly
confronted by a huge, mean lion. In
his fear, all attempts to shoot the lion
were unsuccessful. Finally, he
turned and ran as fast as he could.
The hunter ran and ran and ran,
until he ended up at the edge of a
very steep cliff. His hopes were dim.
Seeing no way out of his
predicament, and with the bear
closing in rather quickly, the hunter
got down on his knees, opened his
arms and exclaimed “Dear God!
Please make this lion religious!”
The skies darkened and there was
lightning in the air. Just a few feet
short of the hunter, the lion came to
an abrupt stop and glanced around,
somewhat confused.
Suddenly, the lion looked up into
the sky and said, Thank you, God,
for the food I’m about to receive.”
The man asked God to make the
lion religious. But what does it mean
to be religious?
Often when we speak about
having faith in our day and age,
people mix it up with being
religious. Our goal should never be
to become religious but to become
rich with God’s love.
The other day my wife had an
interesting conversation with some
people about this term religious.
After a 30-minute discussion, we
decided that a religious person was
someone who feels compelled to
quote scripture, use biblical clichés
and someone who supplies pat
answers for difficult and complex
questions.
In that conversation, I also
admitted that since my early days as
a pastor, I have often said to people
who label me as religious that I am
not a religious person (at least in the
way that people talk about it) I don’t
quote scripture and I respect the
dignity of every human being.
Then I added, I do not want to
look like a so-called PREACHER. I
remember people calling me a man
of the cloth.
Perhaps our culture’s stereotype of
the person of the cloth, offends me
because when I would watch movies
where there was a clergy person
involved, the role would often be
played by a white haired elderly man
that looked like he was near death.
He was also often pompous,
speaking old clichés, a person on theoutside of life, separate fromeveryone else. Now let me makemyself clear, I’m not saying I don’t
like older people or clergy with
white hair, just the older clergy
portrayed as religious in the movies.
What is also interesting to me is
that even Jesus Christ is not
portrayed as a so-called “religious
person” in the Bible. Nowhere in the
Bible can you find the word
religious describing Jesus and
nowhere in the Bible can I find the
goal of Christian mission to be that
of making one religious. But rather,
the goal is to set one free, to call one
to life, to invite one to love.
For me, love is about others,
being religious is all about the
individual.
For instance, take this reading
where Jesus is asked to settle a
financial dispute between siblings.
He refuses to enter into this financial
dispute not because money is not
important but the fighting over
money or possessions should not be
important. Jesus tells them, Take
care! Be on your guard against all
kinds of greed; for one’s life does
not consist in the abundance of
possessions.”
The fighting over money and
possessions becomes a fighting over
what I get. It becomes an individual
gain.
Then he tells them a parable about
a farmer who has done well and has
an abundance of crops. It is
interesting to me that the farmer is
not portrayed as wicked - that is, he
has not gained his wealth illegally or
by taking advantage of others.
Further, he is not portrayed as
particularly greedy. In fact, he seems
to be somewhat surprised by his
good fortune as he makes what
appears to be reasonable plans to
reap the abundance of the harvest.
So, what is wrong with building
larger barns to store away some oftoday’s good fortune for a rainy dayin the future? Nothing, except fortwo things.
First, notice the farmer’s
consistent focus throughout the
conversation that he has with
himself: “What should I do, for I
have no place to store my crops?”
Then he said, “I will do this: I will
pull down my barns and build larger
ones, and there I will store all my
grain and my goods. And I will say
to my soul....”
Notice the use of the words “I”
and “my”. There is no thought to
using the abundance to help others,
no expression of gratitude for his
good fortune, no recognition of God
at all. The farmer has fallen prey to
worshiping the most popular of
gods: the Unholy Trinity of “me,
myself, and I.”
Secondly, the farmer is not foolish
because he makes provision for the
future; he is foolish because hebelieves that by his wealth he cansecure his future: He says to himself,“Soul, you have ample goods laid up
for many years; relax, eat, drink, be
merry.”
This summer my wife and I
relaxed by travelling to the eastern
part of Canada. We discovered in our
time there that the people may not be
rich but they sure know how to reach
out and love each other. On one
occasion, when we had been
shopping for three hours, all we
wanted to do was sit down, have a
coffee and give our feet a rest.
However, at this time, all the stores
where closing. And yet, a store
owner saw our situation and
reopened for us. Not only did he do
that, but he also put on a whole new
fresh pot of coffee. To me, this was
the testimony of the humbling
generosity of those eastern people.
Perhaps it’s their lifestyle that
enables them not to fall into the trapof fooling themselves that materialgoods can save or transform them.So let me say again, in this story,
Jesus is not saying that we shouldn’t
relax, eat, drink and be happy. Nor is
he suggesting that we should not
become rich. However, he is
suggesting that we not become rich
just for ourselves but rich toward
God. For me, we become rich
toward God when we recognize that
being religious is not our goal. When
we work on being rich with God’s
love by sharing it with others, then
there is more love in the world and
less religious jargon.
Self advocate conference
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
O
N
,
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D
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A
Timeless Truths
For Today
308 Blyth Rd. E., Blyth
Pastor Les Cook ~ 519-523-4590
Blyth Community Church of God
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, August 22
Brussels Arena at 10:30 a.m.
and various homes at 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
119 John’s Ave.,Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
10:30 a.m.
Morning Worship Service
Guest Speaker: Tim Whately
Water Baptismal Sunday
No Sunday School
for summer months
(Watch
for more
details
to come
soon!)
STARTING IN
SEPTEMBER
One month special
on Prayer and Fasting
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth
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, August 22
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, AUGUST 22
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
Evangelical Missionary Church
of Canada
August 1 - August 29
Shared summer services
at Blyth Community
Church of God at 10:30 am.
Preaching in
August:
Pastor
Les Cook
From the Minister’s StudyBeing religious should not be the goal
Back by popular demand and
building on the successes of three
previous events for southwestern
Ontario, a two-day, two-night
conference for self advocates will be
held from September 24-26 at the
Canadian Auto Workers Family
Conference Centre in Port Elgin.
This conference is easily accessible.
Workshops, accommodation, meals
and entertainment are all
included.
Representatives from several self
advocates groups work together to
plan and run this exciting
conference. New Day Leaders of
Today (Essex), Dream Weavers
(Burlington), New Vision Advocates
(London), and The Action
Committee (Walkerton), are assisted
by others from Fergus, Milton and
Ajax. “We hope to empower people
to be active participants in their
communities” says J.P Regan, past
chair of the New Vision Advocates.
“Communities are stronger when
they include all people.” Keynote
speaker will be John Davidson from
“Jesse’s Journey”.
For more information contact the
Walkerton Action Committee at
519-881-3713 ext. 118 or visit
www.speakingoutconference.com
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224 Rev. Gary Clark
All Welcome
Sunday, August 22
Worship Service
at 11:00 a.m.
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, August 22
Ethel United Church
Worship Service - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship