HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-11-04, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4,1992.
From the Minister's Study:
All heaven broke loose at camp-meeting service
by James H. Came, Pastor
The Missionary Church, Auburn
The soloist got up to sing and all
heaven broke loose! Before that, it
had been the usual, ordinary,
annual church camp-meeting
service.
Now, I am willing to admit some
camp-meeting services can become
quite emotionally charged, but that
was not the case on this occasion. I
remember thinking that even the
soloist seemed something less than
spectacular. But when he sang half
way through the first stanza of the
contemporary Gospel song, “I Fell
On My Knees and Cried ‘Holy’,” a
phenomenon occurred which I have
rarely seen in church services.
People began to weep; one man,
both arms raised to heaven, shouted
the praises of God as he strode
back and forth across the front of
the church.
Do you still want your pastor to
pray the Invocation on Sunday
morning and invite God into your
midst? I suspect, should He come,
one would have no doubt of His
presence. They knew, certainly He
was there when God came down on
Mt. Sinai to give to Moses the Ten
Commandments. When Solomon
dedicated the temple, God's holy
and awesome presence so filled the
place the priests had to vacate the
premises.
Whatever would happen if God
accepted our invitation and came
actually into our church services on
a Sunday morning? Some folks
wouldn’t appreciate it. It became
apparent soon after the camp
meeting service described above
that while many sensed the glory of
God's majesty and holiness and
worshiped in His presence, there
were a number of people who
dismissed the event as an emotional
excess and were quite indignant
about the whole affair. Another
consequence of God's presence is
an accompanying conviction of sin
and judgment. Even the prophet
Isaiah experienced this when He
met God unexpectedly in the
temple (Isa. 6). The Israelites
sensed it certainly when God came
down on Mt. Sinai; they were
terrified. I heard of an occasion
when God came suddenly into an
assembly of church people; half the
crowd fell on their faces in awe and
worship; the other half got up and
ran out in fear.
Two Sundays ago, a visiting
singer asked my wife if the
presence of God, which she sensed,
was present in all of our services.
How did the visitor know the
presence of God was there?
Probably because after the visiting >
preacher had presented the Word of
God, quite spontaneously and
without invitation, a person got up
out of her seat, walked to the front
of the church and knelt at the altar
to do business with God. Others
began to stand to their feet and
speak of marvellous answers to
prayer and how God was dealing
with them. God's presence
disturbed the usual format of the
service and the usual complacency
of our lives. When we got up to go
home we were surprised to
discover it was one o'clock; we had
worshiped God for two hours.
That's enough to turn off some
Being a Christian can be lonely says minister
Leroy Winger was worship
leader at Brussels Mennonite
Fellowship on Nov. 1. Lena Seigers
and Kathy Procter were in charge
of the congregational singing.
Pastor Tom Warner preached
from Matthew 8: 18-34. He spoke
on what it means to be a Christian.
A Christian is one who has made a
choice to follow Christ. There may
be no material gain for a Christian
for he/she cannot bargain with God.
Being a Christian will sometimes
mean aloneness for he will not
always be able to follow the crowd.
Others may comfort you and
support you in a crisis but you still
are standing in that crisis alone. A
Christian can expect some
rejection. Life with Christ is a
straight and narrow path; it is not
meandering like a stream which
takes the path of least resistance.
Christ must come first, even ahead
of friends and family.
On Sunday evening a hymn-sing
service was held at the Church.
The Venture Club held a
successful evening of fun and
games for participants and their
families on Oct. 29. The youth also
had an evening of fun on Oct. 30.
The grade 7-8s have planned an
activity for Friday, Nov. 6.
Next Sunday the monthly
fellowship meal will be held after
the Christian Education Hour.
‘Living the Message’ sermon title at CRC
Ushering guests and members at
Blyth Christian Reformed Church,
on Sunday, Nov. 1, were Angela
Verburg and Tony Vanderlei.
Serving as worship leader, in the
absence of a pastor, was Mr. Fred
VanderSterre. A warm welcome
was extended to guests, along with
an invitation to join in fellowship
and refreshment after the service.
The Law was read from
Deuteronomy 5. The sermon title,
“Living the Message”, was based
on scripture taken from Ezekiel 33,
and Ephesians 2. The message
focused on the point that we are
saved by God's grace and through
faith in Jesus Christ, not by good
deeds or the work we do as
Christians. Mr. VanderSterre asked,
“Are you living out the message?”
Although we are not perfect as
humans we need to attempt to do
our very best. In the era of the
1500's A.D. the message of “being
saved by grace” was hidden under
the rubble of human thoughts,
interpretation, and added rules.
When we examine scripture we see
such examples as Zaccheus the
crooked tax collector in the Gospel
of Luke and we realize we are
saved most certainly by “the grace
of Christ”, as was Zaccheus, who
turned his life around for Christ.
As Christians we can face life
with an attitude of hope and joyful
expectation even in times of trouble
and despair, as the psalmist David
remarks in Chapter 23. The Lord
works quietly and patiently through
the Holy Spirit in every child that is
adopted into the Family of God.
The result of reflecting on our
“own work” as Christians is either
“spiritual pride or spiritual despair”
if we feel we are not doing enough.
Our focus needs to remain on the
“Grace” of Jesus Christ. As
Christians do we rejoice when
others are saved and Christ begins a
“good work” in them? Do we think
the message is for “good people
only”? Or can we accept salvation
as a Gift of Grace, given to all
sinners who accept Christ into their
lives?
The morning message concluded
with singing “God Is Our Refuge .
and Our Strength.” The second
service of worship was a combined
“Reformation Day Rally” with
several local CRC's, in Clinton at
7 p.m.
Richmonds greet at Blyth United
On Sunday, Nov. 1 the greeters
at Blyth United Church were Terry
and Barb Richmond. Ushers were
David Craig, Tim Caldwell, and
Pat and Jennifer Brigham.
Rev. Ramirez opened the service
with the Call to Worship, Prayer of
Approach, Prayer of Confession,
Silent Confession and Assurance of
Pardon, followed by the hymn ‘O
Word of God Incarnate.’
The responsive reading was
taken from Psalm 65 “To You our
Praise is Due.” The quartet of
Shane Snell, Garth Walden, Dennis
Snell and John McDowell, sang
“No One Stands Alone”. The
scripture reading was from Luke
19: 1-10. The hymn “O Jesus Full
of Pardoning Grace” was sung.
During the children's conversa
tion, Rev. Ramirez talked to them
about discipline. Then he explained
the scripture story and sang “Magic
Penny.”
To be remembered in prayers this
week are Irene Ament and Melda
McElroy who are in nursing homes,
Mae MacDonald and Betty Nethery
who are in hospital. Someone is
needed to lead the Tyro.
The sermon, ‘God's Love to All
People’, told how by giving God's
love you can and will give birth to
another life. Open your heart to
God's love. May God's love
towards us give birth of love for
others.
The closing hymn “Take My Life
and Let It Be.”
Diabetes canvassers are coming
An estimated one million
Canadians have some form of
diabetes, and 50 per cent of them
do not know that they have it. New
cases are being diagnosed at a rate
of six per cent per year. These facts
are from the Canadian Diabetes
Association.
The CDA also says, about 20 per
cent of those afflicted with diabetes
depend on daily injections of
insulin to survive. The rest depend
on diet, exercise and medication to
cope. The incidence of diabetes
increases with age - reinforcing the
need for nutritional guidance,
health education and healthier
lifestyle.
The goals of the Canadian
Diabetes Association through
research, education, well being, and
advocacy for all Canadians with
diabetes and their families can be
achieved through donations when a
canvasser calls.
The canvassers in the town of
Blyth for the month of November
are: Debbie Ansley, Bette Lee,
Mary Lou Stewart, Kathy Bromley,
Connie Bromley, Joan Clark, Rose
de Boer, Candice Howson, Teresa
Machan, Doris Hicks and Lisa
Kolkman.
people! Yet, in that service, while isn't it a terrible indictment, as
opportunity was given for people to. someone has charged, that should
leave, few did.
If God cannot come into our
midst without impact and power,
God remove His Holy Spirit from
the church, the church wouldn’t
even notice His absence?
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
You are welcome this Sunday
Pentecost 22 - November 8
Morning Prayer - BCP
Trinity, Blyth St. John’s, Brussels
9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m.
The Rev'd E. Paul Acton, 887-9273
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Rev. Cameron McMillan
Church Office 887-6259 Manse 887-9313
- Morning Worship
"Justice, Kindness and Mercy
- Church School/Nursery ********
- Ethel Morning Worship
- Church School
"There’s a wideness to God’s mercy.
11:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
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
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. - Belgrave Service
We welcome you to come
and worship with us.
i BLYTH CHRISTIAN
A REFORMED CHURCH
HIGHWAY 4, BLYTH
GUEST SPEAKER:
Rev. Koops of Cambridge
Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 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
BRUSSELS MENNONITE
FELLOWSHIP
invites you to
WW/73
9:25 a.m. Worship Service
10:30 a.m. Sunday School for All Ages
Fellowship Meal to Follow
Saturday, December 5 - Self-Help Craft Sale
Pastor Tom Warner
887-6388
Elder Sharon Freeman
887-6564