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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1994-10-26, Page 23THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1994. PAGE 23. From the Minister’s Study Winter bleak for those not saved, says pastor By James H. Came, Pastor Auburn Missionary Church Fall must be the most satisfying season for the farmer. It must be so, especially, if it has been characterized by good weather, as has been the case this year, and all the crops are off, a good measure of the ploughing has been done and, perhaps, the winter wheat is in the ground. There's something satisfying about getting one's work completed successfully before the onset of winter. With all that fall represents of the opportunity to put provender in the bam and money in the bank, what pathos there is in these words: "The harvest is past, the summer is ended and we are not saved." (Jeremiah 8:20). Any number of scenarios accompany that baleful lament' the farmer met with an accident and missed the harvest and lost the summer because he was incapacitated (but surely his- neighbours would have come to this aid!); the weather was wet, the white beans mildewed and the com wouldn't dry; the farmer was slothful, or procrastinated, and presumed that, while he dreamed and dawdled, the weather would wait. Whatever the reason, that plaintive complaint represents an opportunity lost from which he might never recover. The seriousness of the situation is described in that closing wail, "...and we are not saved." Most farmers can accommodate a lost harvest, perhaps two, but there is something ominous and final about that dreadful dirge. The deeper dimension of the tragedy is that it sounds as if it need never have happened. We need not speculate, actually, about the facts in this case. The prophet Jeremiah supplies them for us and explains that the reason the harvest is lost and the summer is missed is due to the fact that the farmers never got on the land to do the work that had been done so routinely year after year. This year was different; this year invaders had come, conquered the country and deported the people. The farms had been left uninhabited. Jeremiah describes the circumstances that brought about this calamity; the Israelites forsook their God and Jehovah eventually forsook them. "Why, then, has this people...turned away in continual apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, they refuse to return...no man repented of his wickedness... everyone turned to his course... they have rejected the word of the Lord...I will surely snatch them away...there will be no grapes on the vine and no figs...and the leaf shall wither..." In spite of the prophet's repeated warnings they simply sat still and did nothing about their broken relationship with God. It seems to be so, always. Noah warned his neighbours for 50 years about impending judgement but they only laughed at him and doubted his sanity. Not one of them was saved when the flood came. The book of Revelation chronicles judgement upon judgement that is coming upon those who have resisted God or simply have neglected the matter of their need for salvation, but the majority is indifferent, if not hostile. Well, the weather is warm and the skies are clear an there is opportunity yet to make one's peace with God through the sacrifice of His Son. When the harvest is past and the summer has ended, however, should one not be saved, the eternal winter is bleak, indeed. HURON CHAPEL MISSIONARY CHURCH PASTOR JAMES H. CARNE AUBURN 526-7515 Sunday 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 - Pastor Bob Lewis, 526-7441 4^ United marks family Sunday Blyth United Church family Sunday was well attended Oct. 23, the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost. Greeters were Darcey Cook, Jeff Elliott, Brittany Peters, Eric Caldwell and Orie Falconer. Ushers were Rachel deBoer, Jennie Ritchie, Tammy Root and Jackie Falconer. Bev Blair looked after nursery. The service opened with the call to worship followed by the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful. This was followed by prayers of Confession and the Assurance of Pardon. / Am a New Creation was sung in unison with Rev. Stephen Huntley accompanying on the guitar. For the children's time Rev. Huntley explained about littering, how it is God's world and how they can take care and keep it clean. Erica Clark led in the reading of Psalm 24 while the Youth Group took part in reading conditions of different countries. Then they sang Take off Your Shoes, You're Standing on my Holy Ground, accompanied by Rev. Huntley singing and playing the guitar. The Choral kids sang Hands Left and Right. The Old Testament lesson, Joel 2: 21-27 and the Gospel lesson, Matthew 6: 25-33, were read by Ashley Howson, Julie Ritchie and Michelle McNichol. The dramatization of 'Stone Soup' was well taken by David Sparling who was the stranger, walking on his way to Londesboro. He was hungry and nobody had anything to give him. As he entered he tripped on a stone, which turned out to be a magic stone. He said he could make some stone soup, he asked for a kettle and he needed the items to make the soup. He called for potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, salt, pepper and many other items. The children came up and dropped them in the kettle. The magic of Slone Soup is that it feeds and brings people closer together. Can a Little Child like Me? was sung. Minute for Missions was told by Susan Howson. She said there are •two churches in South Western Ontario that need renovations and a new roof. They both need money and have projects to raise money but until they have these projects completed, they can borrow from Continued on page 30 Loading up John Nesbit, left and Mark Nesbit, were among the many loading up on the delicious fare cooked up at the annual Trinity roast beef supper last Thursday night in Memorial Hall. THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA You are welcome this Sunday October 30 - Pentecost 23 Morning Prayer Trinity, Blyth st. John's, Brussels 9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m. 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 BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH HIGHWAY 4, BLYTH-523-9233 Sunday 10:00 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. Rev. Adrian A. Van Geest Wl 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 5:30 a.m. Weekdays, Global T.V. 0 0 § 1 ‘Blyth United Church invites you to join them for their Anniversary Service Sunday, October 30 at 11:00 a.m . Guest Minister Rev. Arthur Watson S I ! I 0 f0J@EJ0I3I0J0ISI0fSI000I@JSJ0JSI0S0IS00lE!I@0I@00I@I@I000l 0 MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Rev. Tim Purvis, Interim Moderator 11:00 a.m.- Morning Service - Sunday School - Belgrave Service We welcome you to come and worship with us. 9:30 a.m. BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH Rev. Cameron McMillan Church Office 887-6259 11.00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. Manse 887-9313 Morning Worship Love God and Your Neighbour Church School - Nursery *********** Ethel Morning Worship Church School Saturday, Oct. 29 Family Halloween Party Brussels United Church Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee Welcome to Brussels United BRUSSELS MENNONITE FELLOWSHIP Sunday, October 30: 9:15 a.m. Singing Tune Up Time 9:30 a.m. WORSHIP SERVICE Pulpit Exchange with guest, Pastor Glen Zehr from Riverdale Mennonite Church 10:30 a.m. Sunday School For All Ages Pastor Elder Tom Warner qA n Elwin Garland 887-6388 VvClCOTTiC 887-9017