Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-08-12, Page 15THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12,1992. PAGE 15. From the Minister's Study. Life abundant is ours if we want it, says pastor BY PETER D. TUCKER BELGRAVE UNITED CHURCH THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA Some years ago, a man was isked how he happened to move rom another town to the one in vhich he was now living. “It was juite simple,” he said, “as I was on ny way to work one morning, I ooked down the main street and ;aid to myself: “I'm leaving. I don't [ike this place any more.” His move to his new place began with his rejection of the old. That's the way it often happens. We start by discovering what we don't want. Then we are free to start thinking about what we do want. As we look at the circumstances of our lives, from time to time we feel stirrings of restlessness. One of the modern drummers of a rock band, upon finding sudden fame, riches and popularity said “Is that all there is?” Don't you find yourself asking the same question occasionally? Should not life hold more for us than we are currently experiencing? Is that all life is? Like the man we have mentioned, our road to something new begins with a dissatisfaction with what we have! Deep within us a voice cries out for something more satisfying than mere existence. Life is meant to be lived to the full, and not simply endured. Just a week or so ago, I had the pleasure of attending a rose show in Waterloo. The moment I entered the building I was surrounded by the aroma of hundreds of cut flowers, all throwing out with all their might the essence of their lives. The scene was simply stunning in its beauty. Wherever the eye wandered, display after display delighted the onlooker, ciated. Pallbearers were Bill Beimers, John Beimers, Fritz Datema, John De Vries, Larry Johnston and Harry Arthur. Inter­ Great care had accompanied this show. Hundreds of hours had been lovingly surrendered so that for a brief time beauty should reign supreme. But if we had been able to return to the same untouched display a week later, we would have seen a lifeless, forlorn and dismal sight. The living memorials to God's grand design would have been dead. So it is with us human beings. Our lives apart from God, like the flowers cut from their roots, may yield beauty and pleasure for a while, but sooner or later disillusionment breaks in. As that disillusionment overcomes us, we meet with a perfect moment to make a change. Our move to a new place also takes place with the rejection of the old. God is not interested in what we were, but is passionately concerned with what we can become. He has, after all, as Saint Augustine said, “made us for Himself, and our hearts are restless ment was at Ball's Cemetery. Arrangements were entrusted to the Beattie-Falconer Funeral Home "Tasker Chapel" in Blyth. until they find their rest in Him.” That yearning for “something more” which we experience at times is a yearning for a return to our roots, to the God who has created us. Only when we return to Him are we able to discover life's true meaning. As we return, we discover not a God of wrath and fury, who waits to pour out upon us the anger of years for our sin, but instead a gentle God of forgiveness and grace. Life does hold more, lots more than we are currently experiencing. When we discover that we do not want more of the same, but need instead a new start, God grants us forgiveness and presents us with a gift, the gift of life with and in Him. This true life, what the Bible calls “Life abundant.” the beauty of this is that it is ours if we want it. God insists on no preconditions. “Return,” He says. “You are my child.” BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH Rev. Cameron McMillan Church Office 887-6259 Manse 887-9313 11:00 a.m. - Joint Summer Worship Service at Melville Presbyterian Church "This Is my Father's world" JOHN NICHOLAS WAMMES Mr. John Nicholas Wammes or RR1, Clinton, passed away on Monday, August 3, 1992 at Clinton Public Hospital. He was 41. Born December 4, 1950 in Chatham, Ontario, to the late Johannes Wammes and the former Maria Van Raay, now of Clinton, Mr. Wammes farmed throughout his life in Hullett township. He was a member of the St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Clinton. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife the former Catherine Van Den Hoven. He was the dear father of Teresa, Brian, Christine and Joanne, all at home. Mr. Wammes was the beloved brother of Adrian (Ed) and his wife Nellie of RR2, Seaforth, Coory and her husband Leo Sanders of RR4, Brussels, Tina and her husband Marris Bos of RR2, Seaforth and Mary and her husband Clifford Brindley of RR1, Holyrood. Also left to mourn his passing are his parents-in law Tony and Catherine Van Den Hoven of Mitchell. A sister Ria Wammes prede­ ceased him. Mr. Wammes rested at the Ball Chapel of the Beattie Falconer Funeral Home. Prayers were held there on Wednesday evening. Rev. Ray Renaud officiated at the funer­ al mass at St. Joseph's at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6. Carrying Mr. Wammes to his final resting place at Clinton Ceme­ tery were Peter DeJong, Carl Mem- er, John Moore, Ed Salverda, John Salverda and Jim Segeren. GERRITT BEIMERS Mr. Gerritt Beimers of Blyth and formerly of Hullett township died on Saturday, Aug. 8, 1992 at Strathroy Middlesex General Hos­ pital. He was 85. Bom in St. Jacobic Parochie, The Netherlands, Mr. Beimers was employed throughout his life as a farmer. He was predeceased by his wife the former Cornelia Elizabeth Reede in 1985. The couple had no children. Mr. Beimers was the dear brother-in-law of Bertha and Grace Beimers and Shana Oostwood. He is survived as well by many nieces and nephews. A sister Weike Elzin- ga and five brothers, Peter, Henry, Lykle, John and Paul also prede­ ceased him. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11 at Blyth Christian Reformed Church where Mr. Beimers had been a member. Rev. Jack Quarter of Goderich offi- Workplace drug tests, a controversial issue This feature is first in a series by the Addiction Research Foundation designed to inform the public about the ARF's programs and resources as well as alcohol and other drug issues. Experts at the Addiction Research Foundation predict drug testing in the workplace will be one of the most controversial issues in labor relations in the nineties. Bruce Cunningham, senior program consultant for Workforce Health Programs across Ontario, and Martin Shain, head of the Foundation's Workplace Program, are two of the authors of the ARFs new updated guidelines, Best Advice on Drug Testing in the Workplace: “Where to Draw the Line.” “Drug testing was controversial when we developed our first set of guidelines four years ago,” says Cunningham,” and the issue certainly isn't going away. In fact, both employers and workers are giving more attention to the impact of drug abuse on job safety and performance.” According to Foundation statistics, about 10 per cent of Ontario adults have a drinking problem. “There's no doubt that the costs of the excessive drinking are high,” says Cunningham. “Heavy consumers of alcohol and other drugs are known to have between two and three times the rate of absenteeism and accidents experienced by ‘average’ employees. Other costs are harder to measure - like lost productivity, poor morale and discipline.” Dick Barr, vice-president of ARF administration, says those figures have contributed to the growing practice of drug testing by employers. “One of the highest-profile examples, of course, is Transport Canada, which announced a drug testing policy last year that would apply to about 250,000 workers. And a recent ARF survey found that twenty per cent were planning such programs,” says Barr. “That's a significant number for what is essentially a highly invasive activity.” Barr says the problem with drug tests is that they show whether an individual has been using drugs, but don't indicate when, how much, or in what form. Unlike tests which examine the blood alcohol content, tests of other substance use don't indicate when, how much, or in what form. Unlike tests which examine the blood alcohol content, tests of other substance use don't show the level of impairment - whether an individual is “fit” for work. “That means drug tests can amount to an indictment of lifestyle, rather than being used to identify an employee who has a drug or alcohol problem. And that's been an important factor for the Foundation throughout this debate. When this issue first came up, we said drug testing is only one approach to the problem - that the real solution’ lies in supportive management and counselling. After four years of research, we're still saying the same thing.” Some highlights from the ARFs guidelines: • The Foundation recommends against mass or random alcohol and drug screening for all employees or job applicants, and says scientific evidence of a link between drug use and workplace accidents is inconclusive. • Alcohol and drug testing should be considered only when an employee's on-the-job behavior provides reasonable grounds to believe he is impaired by drugs or alcohol. • Random tests for alcohol only may be justified for safety-sensitive positions in which workers are unsupervised. (An alcohol breathalyzer or blood test can indicate impairment while a drug test cannot tell whether the individual is “fit” for work, only that he or she has used the drug recently.) • The current, legal climate appears to permit few instances in which drug tests are likely to be considered lawful, or in which medical exams as part of the initial job application process would not appear to contravene the province's Human Rights legislation. Barr says the ARF's “Best Advice on Drug Testing in the Workplace” is likely to become a Continued on page 18 THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA You are welcome this Sunday Pentecost 10 - August 16 Holy Eucharist - BAS Trinity, Blyth St. John's, Brussels 9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m. The Rev'd E. Paul Acton, 887-9273 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 Wednesday - 8 p.m. - Prayer & Bible Study Friday - 7:30 p.m. - Youth you are, ‘Welcome, at the BLYTH CHURCH OF GOD 9:45 a.m. - Sunday School for Children and Adults 11 -12:15 - Morning Worship Bible Studies - Wednesday 10 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. Phone 523-4590 McCONNELL ST., BLYTH MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Rev. Carolyn McAvoy Joint summer worship service with Brussels United at Melville Presbyterian Church in August 11:00 a.m. - Morning Service We welcome you to come and worship with us. BLYTH UNITED CHURCH Invites you to join them-jW in Worship at 11 a.m. Guest Speaker: George Cowan Phone 523-4224 A BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH HIGHWAY 4, BLYTH GUEST SPEAKER: Rev. J. Verhoog from Exeter Sunday at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.******** 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. All Visitors ‘Welcome. ‘Wheelchair accessible