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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-05-03, Page 34By the Rev. Tom WilsonThe Anglican Parish of Blyth and BrusselsThis is the last column that I will write for The Citizen. As most of you know by now, I will be leaving the Anglican Parish of Blyth and Brussels at the end of July. I am not going to another parish, but rather am accompanying my wife and our daughter Anissa to Nice, France for a year. My wife will be teaching at the University of Nice, and co-ordinating a third year abroad program between the University of Guelph, the University of Windsor, The University of Western Ontario and its affiliated colleges (Huron, Brescia and Kings University Colleges) and Memorial University in Newfoundland. While in Nice, I will be working on a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Theological School at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. My proposed thesis is exploring how to help rural churches continue their ministry with the changing demographics many are experiencing. This will be a huge change in lifestyle for me, having gotten used to the quiet, but active, lifestyle of northern Huron County. But, just as the book of Acts tells us, I certainly won’t be the first. Saul had a nice, secure job, as an “enforcer” for the Temple hierarchy in Jerusalem. This is the same hierarchy who schemed to have Jesus put to death. Saul was so good at his job that he was sent to the other major centre in the Middle East in the 1st century, Damascus, with what we would call “arrest warrants” for any followers of Jesus of Nazareth that he could find there. But things changed for Saul. He had a life altering experience on his way to Damascus. His whole point of view turned 180 degrees after encountering the risen Jesus Christ, experiencing temporary blindness and being healed in Damascus by Ananias, a follower of Jesus. From that time of healing, Saul, or as we better know him, Saint Paul, went on to become the most widely read, and quoted follower of Jesus Christ. His letters in response to questions raised by new Christian communities make up the majority of the New Testament in the Bible. Paul took the message of Jesus Christ to those that had never heard it before. He took it to the Gentile people, those who were not Jewish. Without Paul, we might never have had the explosive growth of the followers of Jesus, the beginnings of the Christian Church and its continuance down through the ages, to our small communities here in Huron County. Paul risked everything for his faith, and eventually paid thesupreme sacrifice for his beliefs, inbeing put to death in Rome. But hiswritings live on. Through them we learn much about being followers of Jesus Christ. Of course, Paul’s situation in the 1st century Mediterranean area is quite different than ours 2000 years later. But you know what? The truths that Jesus taught and were passed on through Saint Paul, namely: loving God with all your heart, with allyour soul, with all your mind andwith all your strength, and to loveyour neighbour as yourself; are just as valid today as they were in Paul’s time. We live in a world that in many ways is similar to that of 1st century Palestine. We have one dominant superpower, which can do pretty much what it wants, lots of satellite states, such as Canada, that support, grudgingly or otherwise, thedominant superpower, and thosecountries who the superpowerwishes to conquer. Everything, and nothing, has changed in 2000 years! But Paul took up a new trade, he became a tentmaker, and went out to spread the gospel to those who not heard it. I hope in my small way that my experiences as the Parish Priest and Rector of the Anglican Parish in Brussels and Blyth has prepared me to have the faith of Paul, to step out into the unknown, yet knowing that God is guiding me, Jesus is leading me and the Holy Spirit is helping my choices to take the Gospel message and my ministry to new places.I will miss all whom I haveencountered in my ministry inBrussels, Blyth and all over Huron and Perth Counties over the past six or so years. About the only thing I won’t miss is all the snow and winter driving! I am blessed to be going to Nice on the Mediterranean Sea, where the coolest it gets in the winter is about 4°C! I look forward to returning to Brussels for the 150th anniversary of St John’s Anglican Church in 2010 and hopefully seeing many of you again then. Good bye, good luck and God Bless you All! PAGE 34. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2007.From the Minister’s StudyLeaving, and New (or Old) ministries Dig in! Eight-year-old Nicole Menheere gets ready to dig in to her turkey at Melville’s Springtime Supper in Brussels last Sunday. As the dinner started at 4:30 p.m., Menheere and many others came early and ready to eat. (Shawn Loughlin photo) FOR ALL AGES SUNDAY ~ 9:45 to 10:45 am WORSHIP SERVICE AT 11:00 am Phone 519-440-8379 308 Blyth Rd. E. ~ Pastor Les Cook 519-523-4590 BB ll yy tt hh CC oo mm mm uu nn ii ttyy CChhuurrcchh ooff GGooddLooking for a Great Sunday School Experience? THIS IS IT! P U P P E T S S T O R IE S DRAMAMUSIC Sunday 9:30 a.m. - Sunday School 10:30 a.m. - Sunday Worship Service 7:30 p.m. - Evening Worship Service Wednesday 6:30 p.m. - Family Night with “Olympians” 7:00 p.m. - Adult & Youth Bible Study Something for everyone! Call the church for current Youth events HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH Auburn - 519-526-1131 PASTOR DAVE WOOD & PASTOR DON PLANT JR. MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS SUNDAY, MAY 6 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 Brussels Mennonite Fellowship leads the Worship Service at Huronlea Home for the Aged, Brussels Sunday, May 6 ~ 10:30 am No worship service at Brussels Mennonite Fellowship Pastor Brent Kipfer 519-887-6388 BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA Sandra Cable, Worship Leader Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship Sunday, May 6 Ethel United Church Worship Service & Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Brussels United Church Worship Service & Sunday School 11:00 a.m. THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA Welcomes you to come and worship with us SUNDAY, MAY 6 The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 519-887-9273 Trinity, Blyth 9:30 a.m. St. John's, Brussels 11:15 a.m. 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 Sun., May 6: Rev. 2-3 Evangelical Missionary Church Living Water Christian Fellowship at Blyth Public School, corner of King & Mill 10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School Mondays 7:30 pm -Prayer Warriors Tuesdays 7:30 pm -Wingham Small Group Fridays 7:30 pm -Youth Group “Jesus Post-Easter (B): What Does He Want?” Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street Blyth United Church Office: 519-523-4224 Worship Service, Sunday School & Nursery ~11:00 a.m. Sunday, May 6 All Welcome