HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1996-03-27, Page 17You're invited to join us for Worship
Sunday 10:00 a.m. - Morning Service
Guest Speaker: Rev. John Devries of London
7:30 p.m. - Evening Service
Guest Speaker: Rev. Verhoog of Exeter
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
Rev. Adrian A. Van Geest
"The flowers appear on the earth; the time of
the singing of birds is come." - Song of Solomon 2:12
Wheelchair accessible
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
You are wet-come this Sunday
March 31 - Palm Sunday
Holy Eucharist - BAS
Rev. Nancy Beale
Trinity, Blyth St. John's, Brussels
9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m.
BLYTH UNITED CHURCH
Palm Sunday/Communion
March 31 — 11:00 a.m. Service
Good Friday Service — 10:00 a.m.
Easter Sun Rise Service —
6:30 a.m. (new time) at
Howson's elevators (weather permitting)
Bring a lawn chair
, (Look for sign at church for location)
Easter Service — 11:00 a.m.
Rev. Stephen Huntley
Brussels Mennonite
Fellowship
9:30 a.m. Worship Service
Our youth sharing what they experienced
during March Break: Service Ventures at
Hamilton Welcome Inn and
Montreal House of Friendship
10:30 a.m. Sunday School (for all ages)
Everyone Welcome
What is
this
all
about?
L
O
V
E
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Rev. Cameron McMillan
Church Office 887-6259 Manse 887-9313
11:00 a.m. Palm Sunday Service
"The Donkey and the Palms"
Communion
Church School/Nursery
9:30 a.m.• Ethel Palm Sunday Service
Communion
Church School
"Hosanna, loud Hosanna the little children sang"
Welcome to all
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
We welcome you to come and worship with us.
887-.9831 Wheelchair Accessible
BRUSSELS
Rev. Cathrine Campbell
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. - Belgrave Service
FREE APRIL
OOL'S DINNER
All You Can Eat
SPAGHETTI
ENTERTAINMENT
N P AY, APRIL 1, 1996*
BLYTH & DISTRICT COMMUNITY CENTRE - 6:30pm - PAY WY FOR POUR MERV!
ADULTS $2.50 Each Utensil CHILDREN UNDER 6 FREE
Proceeds to Blyth Church of God Building Fund
Phone 523-4590 for information
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
PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1996
From the Minister's Study
Lent, time to relect on Christ's suffering
By Rev. Adrian A. Van Geest
Blyth Christian Reformed
Church
This column is written during the
season of Lent. This is a time in
which we reflect on the suffering of
Jesus Christ for our sins. This led
my thoughts to the brokenness that
Jesus experienced as part of his
suffering. And brokenness is
something to which we human
beings can relate.
We don't have to go very far to
see brokenness in this world. We
see it in marriage breakdowns, in
street people dying from the winter
cold, in victims of social injustice,
in divisions within churches, in
racial discrimination, in armed
conflicts, in terrorist attacks, in
suicides, in sexual abuse, in
political dictatorships, in street
violence, etc. etc.
The Bible records a good deal of
human brokenness. Take the story
of Job. When Satan was allowed to
inflict him, he was broken in both
body and spirit. But what may have
hurt him most was the brokenness
in relationships.
Chapter 19 in the book of Job
puts it in these words: "He has
alienated my brothers from me; my
acquaintances are completely
estranged from me. My kinsmen
have gone away; my friends have
forgotten me. My breath is
offensive to my wife; I am
loathsome to my own brothers.
Even the little boys scorn me, when
I appear, they ridicule me." That is
brokenness.
Many a psalm deals with
brokenness as well. In Psalm 31 we
read: "Because of all my enemies, I
am the utter contempt of my
neighbours; I am a dread to my
friends — those who see me on the
street flee from me. I am forgotten
by them as though I were dead; I
have become like broken pottery."
David too suffered the painful
brokenness in human relationships.
Psalm 31 was prophetic of the
suffering of Jesus. The same is true
of Psalm 69, where we read: "Scorn
has broken my heart and has left
me helpless; I looked for sympathy,
but there was none, for comforters,
but I found none. The put gall in
my food and gave me vinegar for
my thirst." These were the things
that happened to Jesus many years
later.
Jesus came to suffer the fullness
of God's wrath against sin in our
place. That's why Jesus had to
suffer brokenness caused by sin. He
had to suffer the denial.of Peter. He
had to bear the betrayal by Judas.
He had to bear the rejection of
those he came to save. As Isaiah
wrote, "the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all."
Jesus suffered the full weight of
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the brokenness of man's
relationship with his God, and of
all other brokenness that issued
forth from that. And he did it so
that we might have a healer for the
brokenness in our lives.
Whatever brokenness we see, it
all finds its cause in the brokenness
of man's relationship with God. It is
this root cause with which we have
to deal. Healing of brokenness
begins with finding wholeness in
our relationship with God.
The God who is the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ is a gracious
God. Psalm 147:3 says of him that
he "heals the broken-hearted and
binds up their wounds. And Psalm
It was the Fifth Sunday in Lent,
with the seasonal colour being
purple at Blyth United Church
March 24. Greeters were Rick and
Ann Elliott, while ushers were Lois
van Vliet, Lenora Davidson,
Brenda McDonald and Mary
Walden. Phyllis Boak, director of
music, was organist.
Harvey Snell, filling in for Rev.
Huntley, conducted the service.
Mr. Snell opened with Call to
Worship, greetings and announce-
ments. He expressed sympathy to
the family of the late Charles
Smith, who passed away last
Thursday at age 95.
For the children's time, Lorna
Fraser had a' special message. She
had some dried up corn seeds
which she gave out. She told the
children that with a little water,
light and warmth after being
planted, the seeds would come to
life. She compared this to Jesus,
coming alive after dying on the
cross.
The choir rendered an anthem
Come Thou Fount of Every
Blessing, accompanied by Mrs.
Boak on piano.
The Old Testament lesson was
from Ezekiel and the New
Testament lesson from Romans
were both read by Lenora
Davidson. Harvey Snell read the
Gospel reading from John, chapter_
8, verses 6-13.
The sermon Harvey Snell
delivered was entitled, "Resurrec-
tion from Death to Life!"
Mr. Snell said, "Do we fully
understand the meaning of
34:18 says that "the Lord is close to
the brokenhearted and saves those
who are crushed in spirit."
The life, death, and resurrection
of Jesus opened the door to such
wholeness for all those who turn to
him for healing. Jesus came to heal
the brokenness of human life. As a,
familiar Afro-American spiritual
puts it: "There is a balm in Gilead
to make the wounded whole, there
is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-
sick soul." So I Peter 2:24 says of
Jesus: "he himself bore our sins in
his body on the tree . . . by his
wounds you have been healed."
That is the wonderful message
that God has for people in their
physical, social and spiritual
'resurrection'? Webster's dictionary
says, 'to rise from the dead' or
'rising to a new life'. Death and life
after death are very debatable
subjects. The two mainstream
religious leaders in Jesus' time of
ministry had very different beliefs
concerning resurrection and life
after death. The Pharisees believed
in it but the Sadducees didn't.
In closing he said that given the
choice of living out life with the
blessed hope of life eternal with
Jesus or staying young in this
world forever which would each
choose?" "My mind is made up, I
chose Jesus and I hope and pray
you will too," he said.
Following.the sermon, Emily
Phillips read "Minute for
Missions". She stated that the new
nursery in the church is officially
opened and welcomed everyone to
see it.
Parenting is very important as
our children are our most important
assets," she said.
The service concluded with
choral response "Go Now In
Peace".
In the hospital are Tilley Maines
and Lillian Riehl, both in Clinton.
Next Sunday, Palm Sunday is
Communion. Following the
service, the choir will be hosting a
hot buffet lunch. All profits will go
to the talent auction.
Easter Sunrise Service will be at
Howson's Mill at 6:30 a.m. Bring a
lawn chair. If weather is inclement
a sign will be posted at the location.
The regular Easter Service will
be held at 11 a.m.
brokenness: In the midst of life's
brokenness, we can find wholeness
through Jesus. That gives new
purpose to this life and assurance of
complete wholeness in the world to
come. And Jesus' resurrection from
the dead is a guarantee of these
things.
Elliotts greet at Blyth UC