HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-07-12, Page 12Office 887-6259
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Church
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- Morning Service.
- Sunday School
- Belgrave Service
11:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Tim Purvis, interim Moderator
We welcome you to come and worship with us.
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
HIGHWAY 4, BLYTH--523-9233
Sunday 10:00 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Rev. Adrian A. Van Geest
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.
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
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Rev. Cameron McMillan
Manse 887-9313
Summer Worship Service
Brussels United/Melville
Presbyterian at Brussels United
9:30 a.m. Ethel Summer Worship Service
God who fills the earth with beauty.
Teach us now to laugh and praise you.
Welcome
PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1995.
From the Minister's Study
What is more commercialized than sports?
By Rev. Randy Banks
Walton-Bluevale Pastoral Charge
It represents perhaps my version
of a misspent youth — hundreds of
hours given over to watching
televised Maple Leaf games:
Wednesday on CTV (joined in
progress at 8:30 p.m.) and
Saturdays on CBC, the original
Hockey Night In Canada.
Further gorging of my insatiable
hockey appetite was possible most
Sunday evenings as the immortal
Foster Hewitt called the play-by-
play on radio for Leaf away games.
In those days, I could rhyme off
statistics and team rosters with the
alacrity of a Jerry Howarth.
While living in Manitoba I
hauled my radio outside on many a
summer evening and listened to
Blue Jays broadcasts as I worked in
the yard or caught up on my
reading. In the 1970s, I had also
developed an addiction to watching
televised Canadian Football League
games.
For the last two years, I have
probably watched no more than an
hour or two of hockey and baseball
combined. And, with the increasing
Americanization of Canadian
football, my avidity for that sport is
on the wane.
The appetite of the most
voracious hockey fan must have
been well-sated despite this past
season's shortness. I am
dumbfounded that the NHL season
ended June 24! Canada's winter
pastime has become a spring and
summer sport. Only in Canada
would we fritter away the most
glorious time of the year parked on
our sofas watching hockey and
dignifying the vacuous ramblings
of Don Cherry on Coach's Corner.
Just think, three more games and
the season would have extended
almost into July.
What has happened to this
ertswhile sportaholic? Work and
family responsibilities and
community involvements have
assumed priority,' but that does not
account for my growing indiffer-
ence toward professional sports.
The recent baseball strike and the
hockey lockout have watered the
seeds of disillusion and cyncism
that have already been growing in
me. The outlandish multi-year,
multi-million dollar contracts
secured through free agency have
placed sports in something of an
inaccessible stratosphere. An
average patron could hardly take
one other family member to a
hockey or baseball game in
Toronto for less than $100 once
tickets, travel, parking, food, and
souvenirs are factored in.
Contrast this with the average
player who probably makes that
much in the first five minutes of the
game even if he drops a routine fly
ball or misses an open net.
The love of the game no longer
seems to be the primary motivation
for playing. Perhaps, nostalgia
clouds my judgement, but I cannot
help concluding that a favourite
hockey player of mine, such as
Dave Keon, must have played
mostly for the love of the game
because I doubt that it made him a
millionaire several times over.
We in the church are forever
lamenting the commercialization of
Christmas or Easter. What is more
commercialized than sports? It
could actually be the case by the
time this article is printed that the
reigning Stanley Cup Champion
New Jersey Devils may be defunct,
only to be resurrected in the name
of more money and greater
marketability as 'The Nashville
Country Twangers.' (I wonder what
kind of job Garth Brooks or Reba
McEntyre might do of Canada's
national Anthem when The
Vancouver Canucks come to town).
Huston Horn was a writer for
eight years with Sports Illustrated.
One day he said to himself: "Boy,
add all this up and who the heck
cares! Here's a picture in The
Birmingham News of a police dog
being set on a man protesting for
human dignity and here I am
writing this junk about Don
Drysdale who used to lose his
temper and break bats, and boy,
what a man he is."
Mr. Horn eventually felt called to
a new vocation - the Episcopalian
priesthood.
Ever since organized religion and
organized minor sports reached an
accommodation that Sunday.
afternoon hockey, baseball, and
soccer tournaments were
acceptable, it was not long before it
became expedient to use Sunday in
its entirety. The church has been
griping and regretting ever since.
Today's synagogues, churches,
and mosques are arenas, golf
courses, stadiums. They come
complete with idols to worship (the
star player's) and a multitude of
rituals including singing the
national anthem; the wave;
chanting, cheering, booing, and
hissing; a book of rules; and a
'eucharist of hot dogs, peanuts and
beer, not to mention the millions of
dollars that are forked over by
those who are finding their spiritual
fulfillment in helping to fill the
coffers of players, managers and
owners.
One major different from church,
of course, is that, at sports matches,.
people will pay top dollar to sit at
or near the front row.
• I certainly value the role of sports
and recreation in our society. God
has given us a physical body which
we have a responsibility to keep fit.
The last time I checked, it was clear
to me that I could stand a little
more cardiovascular activity. Body,
mind, and spirit all need attention
for the sake of one's complete well-
being.
An interesting footnote to these
summertime ruminations has to do
with the question of who, recently,
has packed more people into the
SkyDome: the Blue Jays? The
Argos? (not!) Rita McNeil? The
Stones? None of the above. The
Rev. Billy Graham, that's who.
Is there unfulfilled spiritual
hunger out there, sports fans? You
wanna believe it. Whaddya have to
say about that Grapes?
Elwin Garland leads service
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
You are welcome this Sunday
JULY 16 - PENTECOST 6
HOLY EUCHARIST
Rev. Nancy Beale
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
Elwin Garland brought the
message to the congregation at
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship on
Sunday, July 2. He chose
Philippians 3 as the scripture
reading. The message was based
on verse 13 - "But one thing I do;
Forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead."
We all remember some things,
and forget many, he said.
Memories can cause us to
experience the same emotions as
we did at the time of the actual
event. Therefore, if we live only in
the past, we go in circles. Yet we
do need to remember some things.
A balance of remembering and
It was the fifth Sunday after
Pentecost for the service at Blyth
United Church, July 9. The
seasonal colour was green. Greeters
were Joann MacDonald and Lenora
Davidson. Ushers were Hary and
Ferne McDowell, Jim Walsh and
Jack Blake.
Rev. Stephen Huntley opened
with Call to Worship, Words of
Welcome and announcements. The
"beautiful" flowers he said, were
from the Cudmore wedding.
Also, next Sunday will be his last
virginia Stright sang a solo at
Auburn Missionary Church on
Sunday, July 9. Her rendition of He
is Here, Hallelujah was enjoyed by
all.
Pastor Carne's message, "Count
your blessings" had scripture from
Job 1 and Romans 8: 28,31. "What
does one do when he loses
everything?" he asked.
Job's wife didn't give any
comfort when she told Job to curse
God and die but, Job had faith. Job
forgetting is necessary for growth.
We must consider what is worth
keeping.
There are three basic kinds of
forgetting. Insignificant events will
naturally fade from memory while
significant events will stay.
Secondly, if remembering becomes
too painful, minds will suppress
these memories which are too
much to bear. However, this is not
the natural way to forget.
Thirdly, Christ offers the gift of
forgetting through repentance. The
memories may still be there, but the
pain is gone. The forgiveness
accompanying repentance, frees us
and enables us to forget and go
before departing for Australia on a
six month exchange. Rev. George
Cowan will fill in the following
two Sundays. The exchange
minister from Australia will then be
here for six months.
Everyone was happy to see
former minister Rev. Lorenzo
Ramirez, his wife Norma and
family seated in the congregation.
They are holidaying in this area.
The sermon Rev. Huntley
delivered was entitled, "Eye of the
never got past his resources, he had
God. Job had an unshakable
conviction because he knew he was
right with God.
Bad things are bound to happen
to everyone. Disaster is universal
but the real disaster is in facing the
disaster alone.
Then here is the counter balance,
which is; the power of God, Pastor
Came said. God is still in control,
he said. God brings that control as
shown in Psalm 34: 7. The angel
forward. God forgives us in spite
of the pain we have caused him.
Elwin encouraged us, as Christians,
to accept God's gift of remember-
ing and forgetting so that we can
press forward.
Linda Campbell was worship
leader and Lucy Hesse accom-
panied by Christy Pardys was song
leader. Andra Dettweiler played a
piano solo for the offertory.
Next Sunday, Thelma Steinman
will give the message.
Following the Christian Educa-
tion Hour next Sunday, there will
be a fellowship meal and a shower
for baby Daniel Winger, son of
Lowel and Tracy Winger.
Storm". He talked about a severe
storm he ran into while crossing a
long bay in Newfoundland during,
his time as pastor there. There is a
calm that exists as we trudge along
life's storms, trusting in God,
showing us the way," he said.
Rev. Huntley, accompanying
himself on guitar, beautifully sang
Christ is the Light of the World.
Following choral response and
benediction, coffee and muffins
were served and a social time was
held.
of the Lord encamps around those
who fear Him and He delivers
them. God is available to those who
love Him. Job was a man of faith
so he made it easy for God to come
to him.
In conclusion, he said Job came
out of this disaster well blessed. He
lost 3,000 camels but gained 6,000
camels. He lost 7,000 sheep but he
was restored 14,000 sheep.
There is certainly in the text 'And
we know...Romans 8: 28.
"Do you know?" he asked.
Blyth United exchanges pastor
Pastor says 'Count your blessings'