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