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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1998-05-13, Page 13BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA Rev. Christine Johnson - Minister Church Office 887-6259 Home 887-6540 Sunday, May 17, 1998 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship Ethel 11:00 a.m. Morning Worship Brussels Please join us for worship this Sunday Morning Worship Service - 10 a.m. Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m. Jlis divine power has given us everything we need for life and Godliness through our knowledge Whin who called us byflis own glory and goodness. Through these Ile has given usilis every great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 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 7:30 p.m. - Tuesday Bible Study 2:00 p.m. - Wednesday Bible Study Wheelchair accessible Nursery care available We welcome you to come and worship with us. Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831 HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH PASTOR JAMES H. CARNE AUBURN 526-7515 ASSOCIATE PASTOR - YOUTH - JEREMY SHUART 523-9788 Sunday Monday Wednesday Friday 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 7:30 p.m. - New Hope Support Group 7:30 p.m. - Prayer & Bible Study 7:30 p.m. - Youth L j You are invited to worship with us at Brussels Mennonite Fellowship 9:30 a.m. Worship Service 10:45 a.m. Christian Education Everyone Welcome! Pastor Ben Wiebe 887-6388 ‘,1-J THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA You are weCcome this Sunday Rev. Nancy Beale MAY 1T - EASTER 6 HOLY EUCHARIST Trinity, Blyth St. John's, 9:30 a.m. Brussels Wheelchair accessible 11:15 a.m. You are WeCcome 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 THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1998. PAGE 13. From the Minister's Study `It takes grace to listen,' says minister By Rev. Adrian A. Van Geest Blyth Christian Reformed Church Anyone who has raised a few children knows how selective they can be in what they hear and don't hear. In our home we have often been amazed how our children could pick up our whispers when it wasn't intended for their ears and how they failed to hear us when we told them to do something. Children have keen ears when they want to hear and are deaf when they don't. They are selective listeners. What we discover in our own families can also be seen in other areas of life. For the longest time, people did not hear the cries of people who were being abused. Religious organizations closed their ears to reports of abuse committed in their institutions. Government "Much Ado About Missions" was the theme of the Hamilton-London Synodical Society held in Knox Presbyterian Church, Stratford April 21-22. President, Helen McLeish, Niagara Presbyterian presided for the meeting. Special guest, Helen Kuo from Taiwan brought greetings from the Taiwan Presbyterian Church and mentioned that after 126 years the first Presbyterian missionary, Dr. McKay from Harrington, Oxford County is a legend there. Margaret (Greig) Robertson, program secretary for WMS told of her experiences in Taiwan and Japan. Although only six per cent of the population in Taiwan is Christian, there are more Presbyterians than in Canada. Taiwanese Presbyterians are bold enough to speak out against political decisions they do not CWL members pass resolutions At the annual meeting of the London Diocesan Council of the Catholic Women's League of Canada held at the Westin Hotel in London recently, Gladys Dewey of Forest, Ontario was elected president of the 15,000 member council, the largest Diocesan Council in Canada. The over 700 delegates attending the convention debated two resolutions: 1. To amend the Health Care Consent Act to not permit minors under 16 years of age to give consent under the said Act; and 2. To make bicycle helmets mandatory for all ages. The first resolution was passed unanimously. The second resolution was passed with a small majority after a spirited debate - a similar resolution was defeated at last year's convention. Muriel Murphy of Goderich, the outgoing president of the League, in a speech at the closing banquet, urged her members to make a commitment to God and in making that commitment, she said, "We must never forget our roots — The care of the poor, the lonely, the homeless, the sick, "because God has no hands but ours to do his work." agencies closed their ears to reports of abuse at boarding schools for native people. And mothers sometimes closed their ears to complaints of their children that someone was sexually abusing them. People don't seem to hear what they don't want to hear. We are selective listeners. People often need to be forced to listen. That is what leads to protest marches, work stoppages, and sometimes much more violent actions. It is such public pressure that makes politicians change their tune or draft new legislation. A government that prides itself on reducing the deficit tends to hear the voices of those who support their methods of accomplishing that much more clearly than the voices of those who are hurt by these methods. They are selective agree with and the women are working hard to end the selling of children for prostitution, especially for tourists. They have halfway homes and counselling for these children. The people there love to sing a capello and will stop their work to sing to visitors. The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan sent $7,000 Canadian to assist the ice storm victims in Eastern Ontario and Quebec. Esther Powell, president of the WMS council, told of her trip to India to celebrate the jubilee of Rev. and Mrs. Buchanan's arrival to give medical assistance to the Bhil people in Northern India. The Bhils are considered the most lowly people in India. Each celebration began with dance accompanied by drums and shakers. Their radiant faces showed the love of Christ as they placed leis of flowers or peanuts around the necks of visitors. Since the arrival of the Buchanans and other missionaries, Christian hospitals, schools and churches have been built. While there the school of nursing held its listeners. When I read my Bible, and I hear what Gods wants me to do, I discover that I too can be a selective listener. I may not have any trouble with the literal meaning of such commandments as "You shall not murder" and "You shall not steal," but the Bible has a lot of "fine print" that gives deeper meaning to these commandments. It tells me that I haven't really kept them unless I love my neighbour as myself. His or her life must therefore be as dear to me as my own. And I should safeguard my neighbour's assets as much as , my own. When it comes to these finer details I can easily become a selective listener. The Bible teaches us to do many things which we have trouble putting into practice. That's because graduation. One school has a weaving project for mentally and physically challenged, who make bedding for the hospital. Powell also visited the Hindu Golden Temple in the Punjab where 20,000 people visit each day. She found the experience a special time to see the fruits of labour of our Canadian missionaries. Her tour guide was Pauline Brown, who has served as a missionary in India for 45 years and will receive an honorary Doctor of Divinity at the May Convocation at Knox College. The 1998-1999 executive was installed by Esther Powell. The Bruce Grey Presbyterial invited the Synodical to hold its 1999 annual meeting in Knox Presbyterian Church, Walkerton. There were 320 women registered and the book sales were $1,400. The delegates who attended from Huron Perth Presbyterial were: Robina Alexander, Pat White, Marie MdCloud, Margaret Peebles, Ina McMillan, Janet Bison, Jean Evans, Mary Scott, Rachel Schwalm, Diana Cressman. we are burdened with sinful inclinations. We have other priorities in our lives that put God's will for human life on the back burner. And that makes it so easy to close our ears to what God is saying to us. That's how we got many religious wars in the past. How they managed to go on crusades in the middle ages. That's how Christians in Northern Ireland could continue their hostilities for so long. That's why we have an economic system in which the rich become richer while the demand on food banks remains strong. That's why pollution is so hard to eliminate. That's why ... It takes grace to listen and grace to live by what we hear. That grace is available to those who submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives, who then sends his Spirit into our hearts to start renewing us from within. Then the laws of the kingdom of God will be taken to heart. Then there is hope for real change in the world. Stratford hosts WMS Synodical