HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1991-12-23, Page 33THE CITIZEN, MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1991. PAGE 33.
Minister's Study_
Open your
door for
Christmas
BY PETER D. TUCKER
BELGRAVE UNITED
CHURCH
Most of us who are surrounded
by our loved ones have little under
standing of what the Christmas
Season is like for those who must
spend it alone! For us, the joy of
reunion with our family and
friends; the festivity of people call
ing on us in our homes; the warmth
of the fireside; the singing of songs
of the Nativity: for others, the
dreary dragging hours of watching
the celebration of others, a crushing
sense of isolation and deprivation;
a desperate wish that there was
some human relationship which
had deep meaning for them.
Too often we are so busy with
our own rejoicing that we are
unable to see the old, the lonely,
the sick, the miserable. True, some
of them are that way because of
their own neglect of relationships
which they have chosen to crush.
Some of them are sick because they
have too often abused their bodies,
and they are now paying for their
past mistakes. Some of them are
now miserable because they have,
in the past, thought only of them
selves: they have “sown the wind,
and are reaping the whirlwind.”
Whether such people are respon
sible for their present state or not
appears to be irrelevant. The situa
tion in which they find themselves
demands that we who are more for
tunate do something to help them.
After all, we are not perfect our
selves, nor can we readily stand in
judgement upon others. As an
ancient judge once said after sen
tencing a man for murder “There
but for the grace of God go I.”
So what can we do for those who
look with longing into our happy
homes? We can invite one lonely
other into our lives, into our festivi
ties, into our celebrations. We can
lake a Christmas meal in to our
neighbour. We can send a card to
the one person in our community
for whom no one has much use. We
can ask the authorities at Western
University if there is a foreign stu
dent who has no place- to go this
Christmas. My wife and I are still
enjoying the warm friendship of
one student who shared our Christ
mas celebrations in 1966. He now
has a wife and family of his own,
about whom we receive regular
news bulletins.
No one really knows what the
ripple effects of such small and
insignificant actions might be! For
you it might be the beginnings of a
similar friendship which will last
across the years and enrich your
life. But whether it turns out to be
for you either enriching or a disap
pointment, you will have the assur
ance that this Christmas the door of
a stable was opened to the Christ
Himself. He Himself said these
words “When you do these things
for one of my little ones, you do
them for me!”
Seated at your table this year
could be a Christmas guest you
never dreamed that you would ever
entertain. Open your door! This
year the Christ might enter.
May the blessings of Christmas
be with
you
always.
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Carolyn McAvoy
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. -Belgrave Service
The Cantata 'Heaven's Child' on Sunday evening.
December 22 at 7:30 p.m. Come , enjoy and
celebrate the glorious birth in song,
HURON CHAPEL MISSIONARY
CHURCH
PASTOR JAMES H. CARNE AUBURN 526-7515
10 a.m. - Family Bible Hour
11 a.m. - Morning Service
8 p.m. - Evening Service
Friday 7:30 p.m. - Youth
Christmas Eve - Dec. 24-8 p.m. - Carol Sing
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Rev. Cameron McMillan
Church Office 887-6259 Manse 887-9313
7:30 p.m. -Community Carol Sing
Monday December 23rd
Come, bring the family and enjoy an evening
of Christmas carols and songs
7:30 p.m.-Christmas Eve
Tuesday December 24th
ANGLICAN CHURCH
OF CANADA
Rev. E. Paul Acton 887-9273
Traditional Family Worship Service
Brussels United and Melville
Presbyterian Congregations
"Can you tell me the way
to Bethlehem?"
All Welcome
1st SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS - DEC. 29 (H.E.)
TRINITY, BLYTH ST. JOHN'S , BRUSSELS
9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m.
Christmas greetings of joy andTeace
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
HIGHWAY 4, BLYTH
DR. W. H. LAMMERS
(Sunday at 10 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Sunday School 11:00 a.m.
Special Services
December 25-10 a.m.
Dec. 31 - 8:00 p.m.
January 1-10 a.m.
All Visitors ‘Welcome ‘Wheelchair accessible
The Church of the "Back to God Hour" and "Faith 20"
Back to God Hour 10:30 a.m. CKNX Sunday
Faith 20 5:00 a.m. Weekdays, Global T.V.
Before Santa arrives
Come and celebrate the
birth of Jesus Christ
Dec. 24 7:00 p.m. - Christmas
Eve Candlelight Service
Brussels Mennonite
Fellowship
Pastor Tom Warner A
887-6388
Dec. 25 4:00 p.m. Christmas Dinner at BMF
Come early for fun & fellowship
Dec. 29 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship Service
10:30 a.m. Sunday School for all ages
Dec. 31 New Year’s Eve
Celebration (free)
6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Skating at
Brussels Community Centre
8:30 - midnight: A 'Dutch’
New Year's
11:00 a.m.-Brussels Family Worship Service
December 29th
"Where does God Fit?"
9:30 a.m. -Ethel Worship Service
"God bless you all this Christmas season"
This Christmas, Give
Your Children Superheroes
They Can Really Depend On.
Children love superheroes.. bold characters who can best any foe.. .who
use might for right. They’re great fun and fantasy. Even more, though,
kids need real-life heroes.. .Dads they can depend on for love and
attention and time. Moms that will model how real people live. This
Christmas, give your children the superheroes they most need in life...
you. This Christmas, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who came that
you and your children might be all that you can be.
P.O. Box 159, Brussels Ont. NOG 1H0
PASTOR
Tom Warner
Office: 887-6388
Home: 887-9490
15-15