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The Citizen, 1996-08-14, Page 15MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Rev. Cathrine Campbell 11:00 a.m. - Morning Service - Sunday School 9:30 a.m. - Belgrave Service We welcome you to come and worship with us. 887 -9831 Wheelchair Accessible BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH Rev. Christine Johnson - Minister Church Office 887-6259 Home 887-6540 11:00 a.m. Joint Service of Worship at Melville Presbyterian Church for the congregations of Brussels United, Ethel United and Melville Presbyterian churches. "As summer days are come again With fields of ripening grains and breath of August days We lift our songs to Him." Welcome You are Welcome at the BLYTH COMMUNITY CHURCH OF GOD 9:45 a.m. - Sunday School for Children and Adults 11:00 a.m. - Morning Worship Bible Studies - Wednesday 10 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. Phone 523-4590 McConnell St., Blyth 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 Monday 7:30 p.m. - Addictions Support Group Wednesday 7:30 p.m. - Prayer & Bible Study Friday 7:30 p.m. - Youth THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA You are wet-come this Sunday AUGUST 18 - PENTECOST 12 MORNING PRAYER Rev. Nancy Beale Trinity, Blyth St. John's, Brussels 9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m. you're invited to worship with us this Sunday Morning Worship Service - 10 a.m Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m. Rev. Adrian A. Van Geest Be still my soul, 'The Lord is on they side; Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; Leave to thy God to order and provide; In every change the faithful will remain. Be still my soul; '14 best, 'Thy heavenly Father. 'Aro' thorny ways leads to a joyful ea. Katharina Von Schlegel BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233 Wheelchair accessible ..1 11•=16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1996 PAGE 15. From the Minister's Study Reverend says, 'You can walk on water' By James Murray Walton & Bluevale United Churches A few months ago I attended a meeting which was discussing some financial planning for our congregations and missions projects across the country. We had been talking about finances and how to give enough grants so we could keep our heads above water. We were pretty discouraged, wondering if we would have enough money to keep some of our projects afloat. Then someone asked a rather surprising question. "What kind of faith does it take to WALK ON THE WATER?" At first I thought, "It is impossible, isn't it?" Deep down, we all know that we can't physically walk on the water. Yet we all wish we could believe it is possible. Do you think it is possible? Close your eyes for a moment and try to picture this. Imagine you are Peter. You are in the boat with the other disciples. You see Jesus walking on the water towards you. Jesus invites you to come to him. Imagine putting your foot over the Greeters at Blyth United Church on Sunday, Aug. 11 were Mary Walden and Joann McDonald. Ushers were Fred and Linda Meier and daughters Laura and Heidi. In charge of the nursery was Lorie Falconer. Director of music Michael Duthie played the organ. Greetings and Call to Worship given by Rev. Stephen Huntley were followed with Introit "Celebration Song", accompanied by Rev. Huntley on the guitar. Hymn Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven was followed by prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon. The children's hymn was Come Children Join and Sing. A beautiful anthem Pie Jesu from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem was sung by Christa Cameron and Catherine Huntley, accompanied by Michael on the organ. Psalm 115 "Not to Us, 0 Lord" was read responsively. The Old Testament lesson, Genesis 37:1-4, The Huron and Perth Boards of Health have approved resolutions to work towards a plan to merge and restructure, Board Chairs Ron Murray and Kathy Rae have announced. The merger will support the continued viability of mandatory public health services for residents by combining resources in the face of reduced provincial budgets and growing service pressures. Both agreed that Ontario's health care system is being restructured. There is a need to take action locally to achieve administrative and operational cost savings to continue to sustain public health services and programs for communities. The restructuring is expected to be completed by September 1997 when a single board should be in place. A Merger Steering Commit- tee made up of members and senior staff of each current board will be named shortly to oversee planning side of the boat. Lightly you let your foot touch the top of the water. Does the water hold it up? Or does your foot simply sink? Can you feel the water holding you up? Now open your eyes. The first time I did this exercise it was in a room full of very committed church workers. Not one of us could even 'successfully imagine the water holding us up. We had just spent three days believing most of what we wanted to do for our church was impossible, and thinking up practical solutions for the problems faced by local congregations. As a result of our narrow focus we forgot that as Christians, we are invited to dream of the impossible, which God has invited us to live. We were told to try that little visualization several more times. The idea takes some getting used to. You have to exercise your mind just to be able to successfully imagine that walking on the water is possible. I failed to do this visualization because I was trapped in the idea that everything in life should be treated like a problem to solve. 12-28 and New Testament lesson, Romans 10:5-15, were read by Catherine Huntley. Gospel Reading Matthew 14:22-33, was read by Rev. Huntley. The theme of his sermon was "The Dreamer". Joseph made a great deal about dreams and dreamers, Rev. Huntley said, "Dreams give us hope and keep us alive. Without hope we wither and die. Dreams allow us to visualLe what we cannot see. They can cause us to rise above any circumstances." Young Joseph was a dreamer. This frightened his brothers and made them resentful. "Perhaps Joseph's brothers had no vision for their own lives, they ran scared and their fear and anxiety drove them to an irrational and evil act to do away with Joseph. Are we going to allow dreams and visions to grow and flourish or put them in a hole and put a lid over them as Joseph did?" and implementation. The restructuring will be based on: — an open, equal and mutually beneficial partnership — commitment to communities and tradition of service — achieving administrative and operational savings to sustain mandatory services — addressing change with staff in a fair and open manner Rae said that wherever possible, the restructuring will support communities to preserve the local delivery and accessibility of Board services. The focus will be on maintaining front line services and combining resources. The delivery of services will be centred on the existing main offices of each board, located in Clinton and Stratford. Murray noted that a number of options were considered by each board to address restructuring needs. Both boards believed that a The truth is, there is not a rational answer for everything. Life is a mystery. We must learn to accept the uncertainties of this world. We are to live the mystery of life. Our lives do include the certainties of science. It also includes those feelings and dreams which make us human. The things we feel and imagine are just as real and important to us as the physical objects which we know are real. Because life does contain this mystery, we must learn to live by faith. To live by faith is to believe that any idea or feeling, which is noble, great or beautiful, can be accomplished. Even if it seems impossible, by faith, all things are possible. Jesus invited Peter and the others to come walk on the water with him. Jesus believed that Peter should be able to walk on the water. Just as important, Jesus had faith that Peter could do it. Peter accepted this trust which was put in him, and he did, at first, walk on the water. Then Peter began to wonder if such a thing should be possible. It was then, in his moment of doubt, that he began Rev. Huntley asked everyone to think of their dreams. "Do you have a vision or a goal? Without a goal we are directionless, flounder and die a slow or quiet death." He asked them if they allowed dreams in their church and community to flourish or do they just keep the doors open? "Dreams give us hope, a map in a wilderness of choices." God honoured Joseph when he followed the dream. Joseph chose to follow the dream that God gave him. "The Lord was with Joseph." May the Lord also be with you. Hymn Simply Trusting Everyday was sung followed by Pastoral Prayer and The Lord's Prayer. The closing hymn was Rejoice The Lord is King. The Stewards would appreciate support for the Garage/Bake Sale which will be held during the Blyth Threshers Reunion weekend. Contact any member to make a donation. Huron-Perth partnership was the best solution to ensure the long- term integrity and viability of public health services for the communities served by both Boards. "We share similar populations, public health needs and have a tradition of co-operation already." The Joint Steering Committee will be established during the summer to oversee the planning and implementation of the merger. A workplan will be developed and implementation 'will commence in the fall. In addition, there will be consultation on the implementation of the merger and regular communications with communities, stakeholders and employees on progress. Both Rae and Murray noted that the merger will position the areas' public health services for the future and enable them to continue to make a positive contribution to the communities which are served. to sink below the water's surface. To do the impossible, is something God believes we should all be able to do. Remember: You can walk on water. `The Dreamer', sermon topic Huron, Perth Health Bds. merge