HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-01-18, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1989.
From the Minister's Study
Don't leave it too late to turn to your Bible
BY JAMES H. CARNE, PASTOR
THE MISSIONARY CHURCH
AUBURN
His statement jarred me: “This
will wash away your sins.’’ My
response was immediate: “No, that
vvpn’t do it.” “Does that mean that
your sins are very great?” “No, it
means simply that I happen to
know something about the Bible.”
That interchange took place at
the table of a restaurant where I
had stopped for the first time for
lunch. I had been driving truck that
Sunshine
UCW unit
names
officers
The Sunshine Unit of the Blyth
United Church held their first
meeting of the year Thursday
afternoon, January 12.
Lenore Davidson and Vera Bad-
ley were in charge of the devotions.
Lenore opened reading “We re
solve to Remember”, Psalm 90 was
read in unison. A New Year’s peom
was read by Vera who also read a
beautiful, warm, story entitled “A
Farewell on the Mountain”. Lenore
closed this part of the meeting with
a reading “Walking into a New
Year”.
Ruby Pattison lead the study on
South Africa. She told of the many
oppressions imposed on the youth
and children by the whites. One
was that blacks have to pay for
their education while the whites get
theirs free, making it hard for them
to improve their conditions. Every
day there are shootings and a great
deal of terrorism.
The two retiring co-leaders Mary
Wightman and Evelyn Smith
thanked everyone for their co-oper
ation while they were in office the
last two years and Evelyn read the
executive for 1989 and 1990. They
are as follows: Co-Leaders, Eva-
lena Webster and Bernice Cham
bers; Recording Secretary, Ferne
McDowell; assistant Secretary,
Melda McElroy; Treasurer, Mar
jorie East; assistant Treasurer,
Mary Holland; Program Convenor,
Ollie Craig; Corresponding Secre
tary, Lenora Davidson; Pianists,
Ella Richmond, Rena Watt, Ruby
Philp; Birthday money, Gene Snell;
Social Convenors and Phoning
committee for catering, Hanny
Meier, and Ida Proctor; Phoning
Committee for special events, Mel
da McElroy and Marion Wright;
Press Secretary, Mary Walden;
Nominating Committee for 1991
and 1992, Evalena Webster, Ber
nice Chambers, Mary Wightman,
Evelyn Smith and Ferne McDowell.
Rev. Ramirez installed the new
officers for 1989-90. Co-leader Eva
lena Webster chaired the remain
der of the meeting. Melda McElroy
favoured the group with a choral
reading entitled “Don’t stop pray
ing” accompanying herself on the
piano.
The business part of the meeting
was conducted. It was decided to
continue with the craft table, the
travelling apron and the Sunshine
Bags. Shut-in visits are to be
recorded.
There were 25 members present.
Evalena Webster has the study for
February. Dorothy Daer and Ida
Procter the worship. Roll call is to
be given with the word love in it.
The meeting closed with the
singing of grace and tasty lunch
served by Mary Holland. Evalena
Webster and Marjorie East.
Send a UNICEF card,
Save a child's life.
day and, having crammed my
18-wheeler into the too-small park
ing lot, I had placed my order
which, by this time, had been
brought to my table by a waitress
who had since finished her shift
and left for home. So it was the
owner himself, coffee-pot in hand,
who had refilled my cup and had
started me with his comment about
the coffee.
My reaction had stirred his
interest, apparently, because my
affiable host returned to the table,
introduced himself, and sat down.
“You know, you remind me of my
brother,” was his next comment,
“and your reference to the
Bible....”
It was then that I told him that I
was a minister when I was dressed
up. After we had discussed the
Bible for a moment, he said simply,
“It’s a book that I have never
opened.” Never opened! I could
hardly credit it, yet a multitude
more could probably make the
same honest confession.
You can be sure that my friendly
restuaranteur has gained himself a
customer, at least for a time, for I
want to visit with him again. I want
to ask him if he has ever had
occasion to use a road map. It’s a
rhetorical question, of course;
everyone has had occasion to
consult a map: truckers never leave
home without one. There is simply
little other recourse when one does
not know where he is going. That is
the problem, of course; everyone
thinks that he knows where he is
going. Yet, how many people,
seemingly confident and compe
tent, arrive at a place in their lives
when they find it necessary to
“find themselves,” or “to get it all
together?”
How many young people, all
breathless and starry-eyed, stand
before Goa and a church full of
witnesses, to pledge love and
fidelity to one another, “for better,
for worse, ‘till death us do part,”
only to end up glaring at one
another across a cold and comfort
less divorce court while a magi
strate makes final the rending that
has already taken place? How
many parents cry despairingly, “I
don’t know what to do with these
; rebellious kids?” And when one
comes to die and to face the
question of where he will be going
for the rest of time and eternity,
who has any certainty then? Only
those who have “opened the Book”
and have lived by it.
Often when it is too late a
grieving family turns to the Bible
and to the church for some direc
tion that they hope might in some
way apply to their sorely lost loved
one. Buy a computer or a car,
complete with all the latest elec
tronic gadgetry and “never open
the book!”
I’m so glad that I met the Author
of the Book many years ago, and
when I did, the Bible took on
meaning and made sense when
little else did. Having passed
through may disillusionments and
discouragements during the inter
vening years I am convinced still
that the old Book is reliable and is
the last word on life as it now is and
as it is to come. Richard Bradbury
sums it up for me when he says,
“Holy Bible, book divine,/Precious
treasure, though art mine;/ Mine
to fell me whence I came;/Mine to
teach me what I am;/Mine to chide
me when I rove;/ Mine to show a
Saviour’s love;/ Mine thou art to
guide and guard;/ Mine to punish
or reward;/ Mine to tell of joys to
come,/ And the rebel sinner’s
doom;/ 0 thou holy book divine,/
precious treasure, thou art mine.”
Business & Professional
RESIDENTIAL,
AGRICULTURAL,
COMMERCIAL
Brussels 887-6561
The class
are wall-to-wall values I
Wanted!
Livestock
barbecue pigs,
ruptures, rhinitis,
poor doers, feedlot
rejects.
Also sows & boars
fittobutcher
CALL 335-3151
IVAN DAVE
WATTAM'S
•Backhoe & Dozer Work
•Septic Systems installed or
repaired
•Farm & Residential tiling
•Trenching, [water & hydro
lines]
•Foundations dug
•Landscaping
FreeEstimates
523-9714
Henry F. Exel
Construction
For all occasions, big or small, we do them all!
J
CHAIN SAW SHARPENING
$3.00
nonaay
rent-a-car system
We have a full
line of:
CARS-TRUCKS-VANS
•WEEKEND RATES
AVAILABLE
STRICKLANDS
344 Huron Rd . Codench
524-8311
YOUR
ONE-STOP WINDOW
DOORCENTRE
•Sales«Service*lnstallation
□ASHWOOD
Window & Door Centre
1196 Wallace Av. N. 451 Erie St.
Listowel Stratford
291-1612_________ 273-5757
s24?5
Including 100 km.
Free on cars only
Directory
Beth Earl
887-6401
Joan Smith
887-6341
Country Cooks
Catering
Frank Workman
Electric
20years
serving
Brussels
&area
• Farm •Home
•Commercial
R.R.3, BRUSSELS
887-6867
TRIPPLE T
SMALL ENGINE SALES
AND SERVICE
HOURS: MON.-FRI.6-9p.m.
SAT.9-5p.m.
Located behind B & G Electric
BRUSSELS 887-9627
•12 ft. - 16 ft. - 20 ft.
Vans Available
Lyle
Youngblut
and son
Plumbing and
Heating
BLYTH - 523-9585
Pannell
Kerr
MacGillivray
Chartered Accountants
Typing
Services
BRUSSELS 887-9852
Fast - Accurate - Neat -
Professional
‘ We make you look good
on paper!
Cal Burke Electric<-Z?q
Electrical L,d
Contractors
> Appliances Refrigeration
Sales & Service
- SALES&WARRANTY SERVICE
Wingham 357-2450
or 1-800-265-3025
Over 40 Years Built by Quality & Service 0pen6daysaweek
TIRF and auto1 ,r,l“ SERVICE
Lisfowel, Ontario
Days - 291-1841
Nights - 291 -2309, or 3S6-24O3
Open8-6daily,
Saturdays8-4p.m
ON THE FARM & 24 HR.
ROAD SERVICE
TED MORAN
MECHANICAL LTD
D&J
CONSTRUCTION
Bill Bromley
Electric
•General
Carpentry
Roofing
• New Buildings
& Renovations
DOUG MACHAN 887-9345
JIM MCDONALD 887-9607
LONDESBORO
PHONE 523-4506
1-800-265-9255
I.D. #3648
Brian Bromley
523-9483
Brad Bromley
523-9308
24 Hour Emergency Service
191 Josephine St
WINGHAM 357-2904
•Plumbing
•Heating •Sheet Metal
•Air Conditioning •High
Efficiency Furnaces