HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-03-21, Page 54PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 1990.
‘Jesus-The Living Water’ topic of minister’s sermon
Greeters at Blyth United Church
on Sunday, March 18 were John
and Vera Hesselwood.
The service opened with a sing
song led by Chery! Cronin followed
with the call to worship and prayers
of approach and confession for the
third Sunday in Lent. Scripture
reading was John 4 (5-26) read by
two members of the Grades 5 and 6
boy’s class, Darryl Shannon and
Chad Haggitt.
In charge of Junior Congregation
was Faye Bolger. Nursery leader
was Susan Haggitt. The anthem
was entitled “Thank God for the
Promise of Spring’’ sung by the
senior choir accompanied by Mrs.
Phyllis Boak. Passing the offertory
plates were Lenora Davidson, Vera
Badley, Jim Walsh and John
Hesselwood.
It was announced that there will
be an Evening Unit meeting on
Wednesday, March 28 at 8 p.m.
with guest speaker Edelgard Hoba
who will share her experiences
from her trip to Cuba, everyone is
welcome. This year’s garage sale
will be held May 4 from 7 - 9 p.m.
Pickup can be arranged by phoning
Joan Clark (523-9659) or Bonnie
Shannon (623-9326). Donations of
clothing suitable for rags would be
gratefully accepted and may be left
in specially marked boxes in the
church narthex.
The title of the sermon was
“Jesus - The Living Water’’. The
scripture reading revealed the
story of Jesus arriving at Jacob’s
well and asking a young Samaritan
woman for a drink of water. The
woman at first was shocked that
Jesus had even talked to her as
Jews and Samaritans were not to
associate with each other. As the
conversation progressed, however,
the young woman found herself
opening up, as Jesus talked about
“living water’’ and those who drink
this water will never thirst, the
water he gives will become in him a
spring of water welling up to
eternal life.” The Samaritan wo
man became open to the inner
message and realized she had a
thirst for a living faith. She shared
this faith with Jesus when she said.
“I know that the Messiah is
coming, and when he comes he will
explain everything to us.”
From the beginning Jesus had
been open with her and offered to
the woman a chance for her to help.
He gave her the opportunity to
minister. Rev. Ramirez said we are
called not just to salvation but also
we are called to share and to help.
Jesus told this woman that God is
spirit. He is everywhere and we
must worship in spirit and truth.
The Samaritan woman left happy,
her spiritual thirst was quenched.
Even though her life of sin had
been exposed, she knew she was
forgiven and she wanted to tell
others about Jesus.
Rev. Ramirez concluded with the
hope that we may all see Jesus in
everything around us, that if we
open ourselves to His words and
drink His living water, we will
thirst no more.
ANGLICAN CHURCH
OF CANADA
REV. DAVID FULLER, B.A., M. DIV.
From the Minister’s Study
Mission work has rewards
BY JAMES H. CARNE, PASTOR
THE MISSIONARY CHURCH
AUBURN
When asked what she would like
to be when she grew up, the little
girl replied, “A returned mission
ary!”
The little lass may have been
wiser than her years! A returned
missionary can bask in the glow of
admiring people and need no
longer face the rigours of one’s
previous field of labour. Having
just returned from a three-week
work experience in Ecuador, I know
now a little of both sides.
To be a missionary on the
northern coast of Ecuador, where
we worked, means to swelter in a
year-round temperature of a very
humid 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It
means the constant threat of dehy
dration, sunstroke and skin cancer.
The equatorial sun is unrelenting,
even when partly obscured. Every
seasoned and sun-tanned mission
ary must still include sun-screen as
a regular part of daily attire.
They are perpetual pill-poppers,
too. Time does not distance them
from diarrhea and malaria. They
must contend continually with
giant cockroaches not much smaller
than mice. I found it disconcerting
one night to be awakened by one
crawling up my arm. My roommate
had one run across his face during
another night. When a missionary
who was working with us drove
home for the weekend his wife
wisely had him empty his suitcase
out on the steps; he had conveyed
four passengers home in his
clothes!
Cockroaches aren’t the only pro
blem. We learned quickly to rap
smartly on the sugar bowl so as to
disperse the tiny ants that delight
in dwelling there.
My observation is that mission
aries have to be both energetic and
versatile. The three missionaries
who worked along with us laboured
from 7:15 in the morning until 6:30
at night, with an hour and a quarter
break at 1:00 p.m. They were adept
at welding, cement work, electric
ity, and block-laying. They demon
strated that which I had learned on
a similar work experience in Haiti a
number of years ago; in a setting
where there is a shortage of
professional help, if a missionary
can’t do everything he can hardly
do anything.
What would keep a missionary at
the job, year after year, in those
inclement circumstances? The an
swer is that the circumstances are
not all negative. Ecuador is a
beautiful country with great variet-
ty. Quito, the capital city, sits
10,000 feet high in the Andes
mountains, and the temperature
stays at 70-80 degrees most of the
year. In this city of one million
people the amenities are all there:
indoor plumbing, the finest restau
rants where a T-bone steak dinner,
complete with travelling musicians,
can be had for $4.00 or less,
modern supermarkets, home
grown products so low in price that
a stalk of 125 bananas can be
bought for one dollar.
During my time in Ecuador I had
the privilege of assisting at a
riverside baptismal service in a
remote banana plantation. As I
listened to testimonies and watch
ed the glowing faces of eight
people who had “come out of
darkness into the light,” I saw the
reward that keeps a missionary at
his task, even if the circumstances
are difficult.
Pauline Musselman is a mission
ary who has been retired officially
for two years, but she never seems
to get around to going “home.” As
she labours in a little store-front
church in a fishing village on the
Pacific coast she always finds too
much to do to be a “returned”
missionary. I know something of
the pull; as I left for home I found it
rather easy to say, “Hasta luego.”
(“I’ll see you again.”)
Voice for Life banquet in Apr.
\
The March meeting of the Wing
ham Voice for Life board was held
at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ed
Skinn.
Rev. John Vaudry led the open
ing devotions with a meditational
reading titled, “Let Martha and
Mary join hands.” We are instruc
ted to strike a Christian balance
between prayer and action, he said.
We must be doers as well as
listeners.
Chairman Jim Bakelaar welcom-
Club meets
Ethel I members held their third
meeting at Karen Bowles’ on Feb.
26.
They opened the meeting with
the 4H pledge followed by the roll
call. It asked “How many forms of
bread did you enjoy today?” Many
of the answers were similar. The
minutes from the last meeting were
read and signed by the President.
Members then read about
“Beating Breakfast Boredom” and
all the ways to highlight this starter
meal.
ed all members and informed us of
some upcoming events. On April 18
Dr. Jean Garton, President of
Lutherans for Life, will be the guest
speaker at St. Peters Lutheran
Church in Stratford. Dr. Garton is
the author of “Who Broke the
Babv”. Also, on April 23 the
Wingham annual banquet will be
held at St. Andrews Presybterian
Church. Tickets are now available
from the board.
On June 2 a national day of
prayer and praise is to be held on
Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Also in
June there is to be a pro-life day at
the Martyr’s Shrine in Midland.
Sally Campeau, educational con
venor, informed the board of the
purchase of two video tapes for Bev
Hadland called, “Chastity - A
Question of Choice” and “Ask Me
I’ve Been there.” These tapes are
available for group presentations.
The board will continue to sponsor
radio as well as television adver
tisements. The next meeting will
be held April 2 in Wingham.
HURON
SUPERIOR MEMORIALS
‘ ‘ Established over 60 years”
Serving Blyth, Brussels
and all of Huron County
Neil Elliott
153 High Street, Clinton
Bus. 482-9441 Res. 482-1748
“Evening appointments available’ ’
Melville
Presbyterian Church
BRUSSELS
Rev. Carolyn McAvoy
11:00-Morning Service
Sunday School
9:30 a.m.-Belgrave Service
L 111 We welcome you to come and worship with us!
March 25,1990
MORNING PRAYER
Blyth
9:30 a.m.
Lent 4
Brussels
11:15 a.m.
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
King Street 887-9313
Rev. Cameron McMillan
God, our staff and rod, is our Shepherd
through the wilderness.
J’S
Sunday,Morning Worship
March 25
11:00 a.m.
Church School
12:15 p.m.Teenage Membership Class
7:30 p.m.Scripture Study Session
HURON CHAPEL MISSIONARY
CHURCH
AUBURN
PASTOR JAMES H. CARNE 526-7515
10:00 a.m. - Sunday School
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service-
Heather Rutledge, soloist
8:00 p.m. - Evening Service
Wed., 8:00 p.m. - Sally Campeau,
“Right to Life”
Sat., 10:30 a.m. - Kid’s Klub
4.BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMEDCHURCH
HIGHWAY4, BLYTH
Rev. W.H. Lammers
Sunday at10a.m.and2:30p.m.
Sunday School 11:00a.m.
The Church of the ‘ ‘ Back to God Hour” and ‘ ‘ Faith 20’ ’
Back to God Hour 10:30a.m. CKNX, Sunday
Faith 205:00a.m. weekdays, Global T.V.
ALL VISITORS WELCOME
Charting
your course
for the future
Planning for the future may not be as difficult as you
might expect. Charting your course ahead involves
financial planning, making a will, and pre-arranging your
funeral.
Abankmanager, or accountant, can help with the
financial side. When making a will, you should consult a
lawyer.
For funeral pre-arrangements, come and see us. We
can help you plan the details and ease the burden on you
and your family. Some people also choose to pre-pay their
funeral. Please call us.
Betts
Funeral Home
BRUSSELS
887-6336
GMAHlO H.NE RAl
ASSOI.IAIION
GORRIE
335-3571