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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-04-30, Page 15THE CITIZEN. THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2009. PAGE 15.By Pastor Brent KipferBrussels Mennonite FellowshipFear can be enslaving...or freeing.Well-placed fear can be a good thing. What parent does not want to instill a fear of moving cars, deep rushing water and red-hot stove-tops in their growing toddler? It is a basic, early step in learning how to live wisely. When I took drivers’ ed (back in 1986!), instructors tried to penetrate our teenage sense of invincibility with graphic videos of car crashes and accident victims. They hoped that a bit of healthy fear would motivate us to use our brains when we sat down in the driver’s seat of a car. Still, fear is very limited in what it can accomplish - and when it is misdirected, it can take on a life of its own. A man named Fredd Culbertson has scoured reference books and medical papers and found more than 500 fears identified by researchers. His collection is posted at phobialist.com. Some would be easier to cope with than others. Did you know that geniophobia is a fear of chins? What strategies could you use to tackle that one? A fear of your mother-in-law is known as entheraphobia (it's surprisingly common!). Fear of Friday the 13th is paraskavedekatriaphobia (my kids had fun learning to pronounce that one!). Fear of bald people is peladophobia. (Someone out there must consider me their worst nightmare!) Although some phobias seem unusual or even exotic, living in fear is no fun. That is why many people wonder why the Bible urges us - dozens and dozens of times - to fear God. Those who fear the Lord receive great promises in Scripture: wisdom, joy, justice, prosperity, long life. Why is that? It is a bit puzzling. How is fear of God different from other fears? Everybody fears something. Some fear going hungry. Some are afraid of what others think of them. Some fear losing control of their lives (even though none of us ever have that control!). Some fear death. Most fears have great power to enslave us. Only one can free us -and that is a fear of God. Fear of Jesus breaks all other fear.For those who know him, it sounds strange to talk about fearing him - because he is the one who loves us. He is the one who died for us. He is the one who became weak so we could be strong. He is the one who suffered so we could be healed. Heis the one who took on hell so thatwe could receive heaven. There is good news here. If Jesus is the one who receives our fear (our ultimate respect) and our honour, if we care about his opinion more than any other - then other fears are broken. Our heart may still pound if a bear invades our camping site (amomentary fear designed to prod usinto a wise response), but our fearsno longer enslave us. If Jesus is the one we fear, then we find other fears swallowed up in his love. We are set free, because, as the first letter of John insists: “There is no fear in love...perfect love drives out fear....” It is a paradox - an unexpec- ted miracle: a wholehearted fear of God leads to freedom as we discover his love chasing the fear away. From the Minister’s StudyFear — is it enslaving or freeing? 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 Evangelical Missionary Church May 3: 1 Jn 2:28ffWho are really‘God’s Children’? Fri. Sat.30-Hour Famine for World Vision Yumm Grace McHardy, five, enjoyed the Springtime Supper at Melville Presbyterian Church on Saturday evening. (Vicky Bremner photo) 308 Blyth Rd. E. ~ Pastor Les Cook 519-523-4590 B l y t h C o m m u n i ty Church of God C H U R C H O F G O D ,ANDERS O N , I N D I A N A “The Church is not a building, it is people touching people Sunday School 9:45 a.m. - Christian Education for all ages 11:00 a.m. - Worship Service Mid-week Bible Studies See you Sunday! BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA Sandra Cable, Worship Leader Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca Sunday, May 3 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 Please join us for worship SUNDAYS Morning Service 10:00am Evening Service 7:30pm BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Pastor John Kuperus Hwy. 4, Blyth MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS SUNDAY, MAY 3 Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available 519-887-9831 11:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship - Sunday School 9:30 am - Sunday Belgrave Service Youre Invited to come worship with us Sunday, May 3 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 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 Parish of New Beginnings May 3 Eucharist - the Service of Holy Thanksgiving Rev. Perry Chuipka PASTOR 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 YARD SALE! SATURDAY, MAY 2 We are are holding a “Yard Sale” at the church in conjunction with the Town of Auburn’s Annual Yard Sale. Along with yard sale items, we will also have home-made baked goods. All proceeds go toward the next mission’s trip to El Salvador in 2010. Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street Blyth United Church Office: 519-523-4224 Rev. Gary Clark All Welcome Sunday, May 3 Morning Worship Service Baptism and Food Bank Sunday and Sunday School 11:00 a.m. May 10 - Confirmation