HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-11-13, Page 15THE CITIZEN. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2008. PAGE 15.By Rev. Gary ClarkBlyth United ChurchFor the Remembrance Sundayservice we projected the images of
all the soldiers who have have been
killed in Afghanistan since the
beginning of the invasion. The
soldiers and one diplomat are of
varying ages, men, women, various
races and faiths.
And as John McCrae wrote
“Short days ago we lived, felt dawn,
saw sunset glow, loved and were
loved and now we lie in Flanders
fields.”
One of the major differences
between these dead and those of
whom John McCrae wrote, is that
our recent dead have been brought
home to Canada. There at least
family and friends might visit their
graves and that is a small comfort
for the families.
Before moving to Blyth I worked
at a church in Winnipeg. The church
secretary’s son-in-law was one of
those soldiers who came home to a
cold grave.
He will never watch his two
daughters grow up. He never again
will walk them to school nor down
a wedding aisle. They miss him
terribly and often bring little things
they have made at school to his
grave.
I also have a friend whose son has
come back alive but changed. She
has told me his marriage is in
serious trouble and that she cannot
believe that the stranger who came
home was the lovable son she sent
off.
From age to age the destructive
nature of war endures. It is hard to
bear and leaves the deepest wounds.
Yet we in Canada have not felt the
full force of war. That comes when
bombs are dropped on our houses,
when it becomes dangerous to step
out the door to go to work or school
or to the market.
In an attempt to “free” the people
of Afghanistan we have opened the
gates of hell. For every coalition
soldier who has been killed, there
have been thousands of civilian
deaths.
It really doesn’t matter if it was
the Taliban or the “friendly” forceswho did the killing, dead is deadand grief is grief. We in the west have said, “we will
stay until the job is done, or some
magic date is reached.”
But to what end. As the deathsmount peace becomes less and lesslikely. Violence simply begets moreviolence.
Can this be what Jesus meant
when he told Peter, “put your sword
back, for all who draw the swordwill die by the sword...”Centuries later a Hindu andadmirer of Jesus by the name of
Mahatma Ghandi, put forth his
vision of peace which is simply
stated as, “Truth is never illustrated
through the use of violence.”
This guiding vision born of Jesus,
helped Ghandi stand up against the
greatest empire of the day to win
freedom for his country.
Later in the 1960s Martin Luther
King used that same vision to
enshrine civil rights for 'all' in
America.
Yes in both cases there were
deaths, fire bombing, and threats
but victory through peaceful means
did come.
For me personally, Remembrance
Day is a time for me to remember
my father, who as a veteran, saw
death up close and who never
wanted his children to experience
the horror of war.
It is also a time to pray that we as
a people regardless of race, colouror creed catch the vision of peacethrough non-violence so that thehorrors of war become a distant
memory.
From the Minister’s Study‘Violence simply begets more violence’
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
,
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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!
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
Parish of New Beginnings
November 16
Eucharist - the Service of Holy Thanksgiving
Rev. Perry Chuipka
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
519-523-9595
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-9831
11:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
9:30 am - Sunday Belgrave Service
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
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Guest Speaker
ELLEN KRAHN
Co-ordinator of
EMCC Volunteer Teams
Evangelical Missionary Church
Tuesdays 7:30 pm - Wingham Bible Study
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women at the Well
Fridays 7:30 pm - Youth Group (at the school)
Sunday, November 16
Relief & Development Sunday
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224
Rev. Gary Clark
All Welcome
Sunday, November 16
11:00 a.m.
Baptism and Birthday Sunday
for November
Sunday, November 23
11:00 a.m.
Audibly Awesome are our guest musicians.
Join us for a luncheon after church. Donation at the door.
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, November 16
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
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, November 16
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
COFFEE HOUSE WITH
ERIN ROY
Sunday, November 23
at 7:30 pm at Huron Chapel
Erin will be sharing her amazing
experience of being an Olympic
Torchbearer in honour of her
late uncle Detective Constable
Robert Plunkett.
Everyone is Welcome!
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
7:30 p.m.
Evening Service & Youth Service
Operation
Christmas Child
Collection Schedule
November 25th & 27th
10 am - 6 pm;
November 28th 6 pm - 9 pm;
November 29th 9 am - 12 noon
Digging in
Willis and Marie Bromley filled their plates at the buffet
table during the Blyth United Church’s fall supper on
Sunday night. (Vicky Bremner photo)