HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-11-24, Page 17THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 24,1999. PAGE 17.
From the Minister’s Study
Story of farmer gives reason to think
By Rev. Ernest Dow
Blyth United Church
The story of the retired farmer I
was visiting caused me to stop and
think.
He was not altogether in favour
of the new farming methods. For
example, he remembered in his
younger years doing some plough
ing for a seasoned neighbour.
Before he was finished the job, the
neighbour provided my host with a
small wooden scraper, about the
size and shape of a modern paint
scraper. The neighbour instructed
my host to scrape off the
moldboards before leaving the
field.
Apparently hp did not want the
least bit of soil carted away and
wasted on the track or road;
scraping the moldboards would
guarantee every last spoonful of
earth was kept in his field.
Nowadays we smile at the
cautiousness of the neighbour.
Multi-furrow ploughs, tractors with
hundreds of horsepower, farms of
hundreds of acres, and multi-digit
bank loans make the idea of
stopping to scrape soil off the
plough ridiculous. But in terms of
stewardship of resources, the
neighbour had a point.
Soil had great significance in
scripture. Naaman, an Aramean
army commander wno was healed
of his leprosy, askeo for two mule
loads of earth to take back with him
to his own country in order that he
might worship Elisha’s God; the
soil of Palestine would help him
keep “in touch” with his healer. (2
Kings 5:17) Jesus told his disciples
to shake the dust off their feet when
a town would not welcome them;
somehow even a spoonful of soil
associated them with the stubborn
residents. (Matt. 10:14)
Perhaps most significant for our
reflection, God warned the people
of Israel that disobedience would
result in their eviction from the
land; “Then the land will enjoy its
sabbath years all the time that it lies
desolate and you are in the country
of your enemies; then the land will
rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the
time that it lies desolate, the land
J. Bewley, M. Work
lead Guild meeting
will have the rest it did not have
during the sabbaths you lived in it.”
(Lev. 26:34,35).
The Biblical writers saw the
Babylonian exile as a fulfillment of
God's protectiveness of the land,
for we read, "’’The land enjoyed its
sabbath rests; all the time of its
desolation it rested, until the 70
years were completed...” (2 Chron.
36:21)
Although scripture does not
elevate the soil to the level of an
animal or organism, it does seem to
have almost “a life of its own” and
to be as deserving of God’s
protection as any other creature.
We do depend greatly on the
productivity and careful
. management of this resource. The
dust bowl of the Great Depression
resulted partly from a switch to
new methods of tillage, coupled
with lack of windbreaks. Several
inches of topsoil were permanently
lost from the Midwest.
In recent times, farmers have
become more conscious of leaving
“green belts” and grass waterways
to help cut down on erosion;
leaving fencerows and field comers
as havens for shrubs and wildlife
makes farmland less of a “desert”
ecologically speaking.
We mine the soil at our own risk.
God put us in the Garden “to work
it and take care of it.” (Gen. 2:15)
If we misuse our resources, the
exile incident shows that God will
hold us accountable, quite apart
from the matter of yield. We all
need our rest, our Sabbath. When
we hurry and continuously perform
under pressure, we risk damaging
not only our resources but also our
own physical and emotional
wellness.
In olden times, when farmers
ploughed with horses, the team
would need a rest every so often;
this gave the cultivator time to pull
a book out of his back pocket and
read a page or two, thus cultivating
his mind as well as the earth.
Today, after non-stop hours and
endless rows atop a noisy tractor
without break, the weary
agriculturalist comes in and is fit
for little more than to plop in front
of the tube and vegetate.
”Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest,” Jesus says. “Learn
from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls.”
Humble as in taking a scraper to
remove soil from th£ plough?
Perhaps we don’t need to go quite
that far.
But if we demanded less of our
resources and cared for the soil and
our families as God does, not only
would it prosper; fewer of us would
have to have someone else come
along and scrape US up off the
floor.
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Church Office 887-6259 E-mail: bepc@wcl.on.ca
November 28, 1999
Guest Speaker for November will be Mrs. Joan Golden
9:30 a.m. - Ethel Morning Worship
11:00 a.m. - Brussels Morning Worship
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
you are welcome this Sunday
NOVEMBER 28 - ADVENT 1
MORNING PRAYER
The Women’s Guild of Melville
Presbyterian Church met in the
church parlour on Tuesday, Nov.
16 at 8 p.m. with 11 members
present. Jean Bewley and Margaret
Work were in charge of the
meeting.
The meeting opened with the
singing of All the Way my Saviour
Leads Me. Jean Bewley read a
story entitled Day of Remembrance
followed by the scripture reading,
Ecclesiastes 3i verses 1- 8.
Margaret Work led in prayer. Mrs.
Bewley read a humorous article on
Happy Aging and Mrs. Work read
a poem about grandma on a
winter’s day.
Mrs. Bewley showed an
interesting but alarming video on
Phone Busters, which cautioned
everyone again illegal phone calls.
Many different people who were
featured on the video had lost
thousands of dollars because of
fraud calls. Members had a good
discussion on the subject. If anyone
gets one of these calls they are
advised to call 1-888-495-8501.
Mrs. Work read a poem, 65 and
Counting.
Alice Marks presided for the
business part of the meeting. She
thanked Mrs. Bewley and Mrs.
Work for their part of the meeting.
The minutes of the September and
October meetings were read by
secretary Leona Armstrong and
Jeanne Ireland, treasurer gave her
report.
Poinsettias will be delivered to
the sick and shut-ins.
Mrs. Marks offered her home for
the December meeting on Tuesday,
Dec. 21.
MS FACT #21
Multiple sclerosis can cause loss of
balance, impaired speech, extreme
fatigue and double vision.
Multiple Sclerosis
Society of Canada
1 -800-268-7582
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 EVANGELICAL
MISSIONARY CHURCH
Auburn - 526-7555
PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-9017
ASSOCIATE PASTOR - YOUTH JEREMY SHUART 523-9788
Sunday 8:45 a.m.Morning Worship Service
10:00 a.m.Family Bible Hour
11 a.m.Morning Worship Service
8 p.m.Evening Service
Wednesday 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. -Family Night (Kids' Club)
Friday 7:30 p.m.Youth
DECEMBER 5
White Gift Sunday
Sunday School Concert at 11:00 a.m.
Blyth United Church
ICome Worship The Lord With Us
Sundays - 11:00 a.m.
Worship Service & Sunday School
Minister ~ Rev. Ernest Dow
ALL ARE WELCOME
523-4224
Cornerstone
Bible
Communion - 9:45 - 10:30
Family Bible Hour and Sunday School
11:00 - 12:00
Prayer & Bible Study
Tuesday 8 p.m.
Ethel
John 14:6 - Jesus said, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, no
one comes to the Father, but through Me."
Everyone Welcome
For more information call 887-6665
Trinity, Blyth St. John's,
9:30 a.m. Brussels
Wheelchair accessible 11:15 a.m.
Rev. Nancy Beale - Rector - 887-9273
/ata ua ULM<tp tlii& Sunday,
Morning Worship Service ~ 10 a.m.
Evening Worship Service ~ 7:30 p.m.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you many declare the praises of Him who called
you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Rev. Adrian A. Van Geest
Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
Wheelchair accessible
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. - Belgrave Service
Wheelchair accessible
Nursery care available
We welcome you to come and worship with us.
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831
‘RuumU Mennanite
invites you
to Worship each Sunday
during Advent
Worship Service
9:30 a.m.
Christian Education
10:45 a.m.
Pastor Ben Wiebe
887-6388
Everyone Welcome!
Let every heart prepare
for Christ's coming