HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-01-17, Page 12By Pastor Ernest Dow,Living Water ChristianFellowship (EMC), BlythRecently we borrowed the video
End of the Spear (2005) from our
local library.
While the PG-13 movie is
definitely not intended for viewing
by young children, it is presented
about as tastefully as any movie
could be that involves killing with
long spears by slimly-clad
tribesmen.
The movie tells the story of five
missionaries’ attempts in 1956 to
make contact with the Waodani tribe
deep in the Amazon basin of
Ecuador – a tribe that is in danger of
self-extinction because it has been
caught in a vicious loop of revenge
killings. Although the missionaries
do not survive – in large part due to
a deadly lie told by one of theWaodani – their families persist inreaching out to the natives with the‘trail markings’ of the Bible, and
eventually the violence is overcome.
(But you’ll have to borrow the movie
for yourself!)
Here in the ‘civilized’ world, we
have long ago given up using sharp
pointy spears to jab each other.
Unfortunately, though, we may
succumb to the temptation to hurt
one another with vicious or uncaring
words instead. Sometimes the verbal
‘spear’ comes hurtling back – with
fresh poison on the tip.
So the war of words continues,
spiralling downward in a vein that
becomes destructive to relationship.
Those engaging in this dynamic
ought to heed the Apostle Paul’s
advice, “If you keep on biting and
devouring each other, watch out or
you will be destroyed by each
other!” (Galatians 5:15)
Colorado Springs-based
counsellor John Regier identifies
two types of “evil-for-evil”
relationship: ‘obvious’ and ‘hidden’.
He observes, “Obvious evil for evil
is an attack on one’s spouse with the
intent to destroy with words and
anger. Name calling and verbalattacks are common in an obviousevil for evil relationship. When bothhusband and wife come from a
background of this type, they will
consider their responses as normal
behaviour.
“A hidden evil-for-evil
relationship occurs when two
people, both reaching out of their
pain of rejection and aloneness,
make statements that hurt one
another. For example, a wife asks
her husband to fix something. He
reacts, feeling criticized and
unappreciated for what he’s already
done. She retorts that she can’t
appreciate him since he never talks
to her. He lets her know that it’s not
much fun talking to a nagging wife.
The wife then feels criticized for
everything she does and locks her
pain within. Both of them feel hurt,
rejected, and frustrated, causing
them to emotionally withdraw from
one another – the end result being a
draining of all emotional energy
from out of the relationship,
blocking communication.”
Whether ‘obvious’or ‘hidden’, the
hurt resulting from such a pattern of
relating can be devastating. Like the
Waodani caught in their deadlyvengeance with real spears, truecommunity is in danger of beingextinguished by verbal jabs. How
can we discover personal change and
help that will transform our tendency
to interact negatively?
The Apostle Peter wrote, “Do not
repay evil with evil or insult with
insult, but with blessing, because to
this you were called so that you may
inherit a blessing. For, ‘Whoever
would love life and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil and
his lips from deceitful speech.’” (1Pe
3: 9-10)
Hard as it may be to fight the
impulse to ‘bite back’ when others
say bad things about us or attack us
verbally, responding with blessing
instead is necessary if we are to keep
the dialogue civil. Here the apostle’s
model is Jesus, who “died for sins
once for all, the righteous for the
unrighteous, to bring you to God.”(3:18)In End of the Spear, a crucialencounter occurs when the wives of
the slain missionaries come to move
in with the tribespeople. One of the
leading Waodani ask their
interpreter, a former tribeswoman
herself, why they shouldn’t continue
their pattern of killing. She explains
that God’s Son was himself
‘speared’ to death by men, but He
‘didn’t spear back’ - so they might
not die themselves, but have life.
So, when we feel the sharp
piercing of a hurtful word, let’s
follow the Lord’s example and
overcome evil with good. Counsellor
Regier advises that we can guard
against retaliation by guarding our
speech, avoiding evil, doing good,
and seeking peace. If it worked for
the fearsome Waodani – it just might
work for us!
PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2008.From the Minister’s StudyEnough with the word wounding, says pastor
On Jan. 26 Melville Presbyterian
Church, Brussels will take part in a
200-year-old tradition when it hosts
the Burns supper.
Held where Scots and
‘wannabees’ are in the world, the
supper are a nation’s tribute to its
poet laureate, ‘Rabbie’ Burns.
Begun soon after his death in
1796, each dinner begins with
Burns’ Address to a Haggis, that
particularly Scottish dish that is the
centrepiece of the evening’s meal.
When the Haggis has completed its
ceremonial entrance to the sound of
the pipes and been properly
eulogized the meal itself is served.
Surrounding the “Great Chieftain
o’ the puddin’-race!” will be a
traditional bill of fare featuring
smoked salmon, cock-a-leekie soup
and roast beef, tatties, bashed neeps,
scones and trifle.
Dinner starts at 6 p.m. at the
Brussels Legion, followed at 9 p.m.
by a traditional Ceilidh, hosted by
the Brussels Pipe band. The Ceilidh
will feature Scottish country
dancing and the traditional music of
the pipes from the pipes and drums
of the Brussels Legion Band.
Supper tickets are $14 adult and
$7 for public school children. Call
519-887-9831 or 519-887-2664.
Ceilidh tickets are $10 and will be
available at the door, or can be
purchased at the Legion.The God Rocks!®cartoon characters and
universe is based on Luke 19:40,
“If the people fall silent,
the stones will cry out.”
Fun rock characters, including
main character Chip Livingstone, live in the
imaginary town of Rocky Ridge,
where they live to sing and praise God
- just in case the people fall silent!
Beginning on Monday, January 7, 5-5:45 p.m.
Living Water Christian Fellowship will be offering children
aged 4-6 (JK-Grade 1) an opportunity to become energized with
the Good News. This program will be held at Blyth Public School from
5:00 - 5:45 pm. Overview:“Because God Created Me, I Am Special”
• I Will Worship God • I Will Trust God • I Will Be Kind
• I Will Forgive People • I Will Encourage People.
For more information about the God Rocks!Program in Blyth,
contact Angela at 519-523-4800 or email redcastle1@ezlink.ca
For general information visit the website www.godrocks.ca or watch
an episode on Saturday mornings at 8:00 am on the CTS network.
Using high quality animation, original music, books and other
creative resources,God Rocks! was designed to teach kids
important lessons from the Bible in a fun way.
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, January 20
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
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, JANUARY 20
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 519-887-9831
11:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
9:30 am - Sunday Belgrave Service
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
SUNDAY, JANUARY 20
Trinity, Blyth
9:30 a.m.
519-523-9595
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
308 Blyth Rd. E. ~ Pastor Les Cook 519-523-4590
B l y t h C o m m u n ity 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!
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224
Sunday, January 20
All Welcome
Worship Service and Sunday School - 11 a.m.
Guest Speaker: Sandy Morris
“Birthday Sunday” ~ Join the Sunday School
after the service to celebrate
the January birthdays with cake
Sunday 9:30 a.m. - Family Sunday School
10:30 a.m. - Morning Worship Service
7:30 p.m. - Evening Worship Service
Wednesday 6:30 p.m. - Olympians (JK to Grade 6)
7:00 p.m. - Youth and Adult Bible Study
HURON CHAPEL
EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH
Auburn - 519-526-1131
PASTOR DAVE WOOD
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
Tuesdays - Wingham Small Group
1st & 3rd Wednesdays - Women at the Well
Youth: Mondays - Senior
- Fridays - Junior
Sun., January 20: Ruth 3
Evangelical Missionary Church
“Ruth’s
Risky
Resourcefulness”
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Melville
hosts
Burns
supper