HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-08-02, Page 15THE CITIZEN. THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2007. PAGE 15.By Pastor John KuperusBlyth Christian Reformed ChurchOn my father’s dairy farm, one of
my favourite aspects of farming was
running the equipment.
The tractor that I used most was a
Ford 5000. I spent many hours on the
tractor. After school I would spread
the manure with that tractor. In the
dead of winter, my hands would get
so cold that I would warm them up in
the exhaust of the tractor. In the
summer I was on the tractor mowing
hay, raking hay and baling hay.
Then a tragedy struck when my
father’s barn burned and the tractor
was inside the barn. Much of the
tractor was fried yet firefighters were
able to drive it away from the
wreckage.
The tractor was fixed and looked
great. Then while I was studying in
Europe, I was informed the tractor
was traded in for a new one. I was not
consulted, just informed. I cried. I
had spent many hours on that tractor
and I was attached to it.
Am I the only one who gets
attached to things? I was talking to
our neighbour who has a 1991 Ford
truck. They had some trouble with
their truck this winter so I asked
when they were going to upgrade. He
said he loves his truck, that he did not
plan on buying another and would
take this truck to the grave with him.
In fact, his wife said they have corner
lots at the cemetery and the truck
could be driven over the hill so that it
would be there for him when he
needs to use it. I guess they are a little
attached to their vehicle.
On July 22, at 12:01 a.m., the new
book called Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows, came to the market.
This is the last and seventh book of
the series. I was told that people lined
up a block and a half long in
Goderich to get the book at midnight.
Around the world the book was in the
hands of millions of readers and they
would find out if Harry Potter would
live or die.
Harry Potter fans are so attached to
those books that they cannot wait to
get the book and willing to be out in
the middle of the night to get it.
In light of God’s word, how do we
understand our attachment to the
things of this world? Jesus says, “Do
not store up for yourselves treasures
on earth, where moth and rust
destroy, and where thieves break in
and steal. But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where moth and
rust do not destroy and where thieves
do not break in and steal” (Matthew
6: 19-20).
I guess that tractor was a treasure to
me. The loss of that treasure was
painful. The lesson I learned was that
things in this world do not last
forever. As I think about the tractor, I
have had good memories. Even
though I probably never put words to
my feelings, when I evaluate my
relationship with the tractor, thetractor was something I could counton. It was always there. It did not talk
back to me or make fun of me, unlike
some of my friends.
When I was on the tractor, I felt
like this is a place I felt safe and in
charge, even though New Jersey has
some steep hills and maneuvering on
those hills could be a challenge. The
tractor was my friend. When it wastraded in, I had a loss and I needed togrieve.
All of us need to evaluate what we
are attached to. In Mark 12, 29-31
Jesus speaks to us about what the
most important commandment is or
what we ought to be attached to and
he says this, “The most important one
is this” ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our
God, the Lord is one. Love the Lordyour God with all your heart and withall your strength.’ The second is this:
‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
There is no commandment greater
than these.”
Our attachment needs to be first to
God. The commandment begins with
a call to “Hear.” We need to be
listening to God. If we want to love
God with all of our minds, we need to
be thinking about him. If we love
God with all of our hearts, then we
will not simply say the right words,
but to speak to him from our heart.
This is called walking with God.
When we walk with another person,
we are going in the same direction.
As the walk goes forward, we share
different things on our heart and
mind. As we walk with God we get to
know him and he gets to know us.
Our walk is enhanced when we read
and meditate and memorize his word.
Our walk or attachment grows when
we observe the wonders of God in his
creation. Our walk with God
develops when we pray to him and
pour out our hearts to him.
Our attachment to God grows as
we worship him with other believers.
Over time of walking with God, we
discover the fruit of the Spirit in our
lives of love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness and self-control. The beautyof our attachment to God is there isnothing that can separate us from
God “neither death or no life, neither
angels nor demons” (Romans 8: 38)
nor fire nor the decisions of our
parents.
There is a lot of comfort in being
attached to God. Jesus says the
greatest commandment is to love God
with our whole being, although
attachment to God takes effort on our
part. The apostle John says we love
because he first loved us. The beauty
is that nothing can break that
attachment.
The second commandment is that
we love our neighbours as ourselves.
This commandment is a sign of our
attachment to God. John says “We
love because he first loved us. If
anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates
his brother, he is a liar. For anyone
who does not love his brother, whom
he has seen, cannot love God, whom
he has not seen” (I John 4: 19-20).
Yes, we do get attached to things.
God calls us to be good stewards of
what he has given to us. God wants us
to keep perspective that our
attachment to him is to be first and
foremost. A sign of our attachment to
God is we will love our neighbours as
ourselves.
Easy over
Greg Ducharme got cracking early Saturday morning,
cooking the eggs for the attendees at the Brussels United
Church breakfast. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
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
We welcome
Living Water Christian Fellowship
to worship with us
during August
Sundays at 10:30 a.m.
“The Church
is not a building,
it is people
touching people
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth
Sunday 10:30 a.m. - Sunday Worship Service
7:30 p.m. - Evening Worship Service
Wednesday 7:00 p.m. - Adult Bible Study
Something for everyone!
Call the church for current Youth events
HURON CHAPEL
EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH
Auburn - 519-526-1131
PASTOR DAVE WOOD
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224
Worship Service 11 a.m.
Sunday, August 5
All Welcome
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5
The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 519-887-9273
St.John’s,Brussels 9:30 a.m.
Rev. Tom’s last service
Trinity,Blyth 11:15 a.m.
with luncheon to follow
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5
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 - 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, August 5
Ethel United Church
Worship Service - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service - 11:00 a.m.
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
August 5: 1 Kings 19
Evangelical Missionary Church
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
NOTE:
Joint services for summer at
Church of God
308 Blyth Rd. E., Blyth
Speaker:
Pastor
Ernest Dow
“Divine Direction when
Discouraged”
From the Minister’s StudyBeing neighbourly a sign of attachment to God