The Citizen, 2000-07-05, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 2000.
From the Minister’s Study
Time to clean out earthy storage rooms
By Rev. Lynn Nichol
Knox Cranhrook
Three good friends of mine and
my sister are all getting ready to
move. It must be the season for it.
And so begins the process of pack
ing. You get the boxes, and some old
newspaper to wrap the breakables,
put all the stuff in the boxes and
move.
Simple right?
Anyone who has ever moved
knows that it’s not always that sim
ple. When we start to go through the
accumulated junk of several or many
years, we inevitably discover that we
have more stuff than we would have
believed could fit in the space in
which we live.
We find things that we bought
once that have never been used.
(Mango forks and fondue pots?!)We
find papers that once were important
but now can be recycled. (There is
some encouragement in reading
three-year-old “to do” lists; most of
the items are now checked off!) We
find toys long outgrown, clothing
long outgrown, piles of broken
things that we thought we’d get
around to fixing but never did.
And when we’ve sorted through
everything and there’s a huge pile of
stuff to go in the garage sale or to the
organized than I am, and wouldn't
have found yourselves in this situa
tion. I hope my friends who are
packing right now do not end up so
frantic.
But even those with the least
excess material stuff can stand to lis
ten to Jesus’ advice from the Sermon
dump, we still find that we need
twice as many boxes as we thought
we would.
I remember one time when J was
the one moving. I had sorted every
thing and decided what I needed to
keep and what I could get rid of.
The funny thing was, that as the
deadline approached, I decided more on the Mount,
and more stuff really didn't need to
be packed, because I didn’t need it.
Forty-five minutes before the
movers were to arrive, I was getting
rid of lots of stuff that simply would
take longer to pack than to throw
away.
Most of you are probably more
• - «>60 attend WMS spring rally
at Knox church, Mitchell
He said: “Do not store up for your
selves treasures on earth...but store
up for yourselves treasures in heav
en...for where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also.” (Matthew
6:19-21).
Whether or not you believe in
heaven, I invite you to think for a
moment about those things that are
true “treasures”, the things that can
not be packed into boxes but are with
you wherever you go. Friendship.
Love. Truth. Honour. Joy. Faith.
When a long-time neighbour
moves away, do you miss his nifty
model car collection? Or do you
miss the heart-to-heart conversations
and the helping hand?
When you leave this life, what do
you want people to remember about
you? What will you take with you?
Even if you do not believe in heav
en, heaven’s treasures are lighter to
carry and more fulfilling than all our
material possessions.
And that goes double for those of
you who do believe in heaven.
Maybe it’s time to clean out our
earthy storage rooms, and start
focussing more on the treasure that
lasts. “For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.”
Happy sorting!
About 60 women attended the
spnng rally of Huron-Perth Women’s
Missionary Society in Knox
Presbyterian Church, Mitchell. The
theme was “Bloom Where You’re
Planted. There was a good display of
articles for the Camp Kintail kitchen
shower.
Vice-President Shirley Aitcheson
presided for the afternoon and
evening sessions which began with a
sing-song.
Following a welcome from Jean
Edmunds, Ina McMillan, Atwood,
introduced the guest speaker,
Barbara Hicks, who spoke on the
importance of forgiveness in the
afternoon and the need to be a spoon
for Christ and not a knife which cuts
ora fork which pricks in the evening.
Mrs. Hicks has worked at the United
Church’s Camp Menesetung for 18
years and has the nickname Spoony.
Janet Gibson, St. Marys, gave a
talk on her family heirlooms and col
lections. Many ongoing projects for
WMS groups were suggested such as
toys for the Salvation Army, caps and
baby supplies and school supplies for
Haiti and Guatemala, pennies for the
Leprosy Mission, teddy bears for cri
sis situations or Alzheimers' patients,
Sleeping Children around the World,
Mitts for Northern Ontario, etc.
Following a salad supper, the
Mitchell Presbyterian Bell Ringers
played Amazing Grace, Jericho, The
Rose and accompanied Marion
McKay as she sang Lord, 1 Lift Your
Name on High.
In the Garden was sung with
Audrey Vorstenbosch at the organ.
The Presbyterial President, Pat
White, Goderich, explained how the
theme of FLAMES was developed.
The fall rally will be held in Exeter
when there will be a collection of
small articles such as toiletries and
toothpaste or money for Evangel
Hall.
The evening vespers were taken by
Avonton ladies, Barbara Taylor,
Barbara Scott, Rita McKay and Jean
Aitcheson, using the theme.
Courtesy remarks were given by
Jean Evans of Motherwell.
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Worshiping with the Brussels United Church
at the United Church for the month of July.
We welcome you to come and worship with us.
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831
Christian
^ Instrumental Musics
with the
Paraguayan Folk Harp
•A
Harpist: Eduard Klassen
Saturday, July 8
7:00 p.m.
Outdoor Service
at
Brussels Mennonite
Fellowship
Bring Lawn Chairs
•A For more information - 357-3557
• • • • • • ••»•••
Doing Business
Without
Advertising is
Like Flexing Your
Muscles in the
Dark...
You Know What
You’re Doing
But No One
Else Does!
!•
•___________•••••••••••••••• • •
join u& [<nt uwt&fup. Sunday,
Morning Worship Service ~ 10 a.m.
Evening Worship Service ~ 7:30 p.m.
Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."
1 Corinthians 15:33
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Rev. Adrian A. Van Geest
Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
Wheelchair accessible
HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL
MISSIONARY CHURCH
Auburn - 526-7555
PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-9017
Sunday, July 9
Wednesday
Friday
10:30 a.m.
7:30 p.m.
7 :30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
- Outdoor Worship Service and Sunday
School Picnic at Wawanosh Park
- Evening Service
• Prayer & Bible Study
- Youth
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
cute atelcatne tfiib Sunday
JULY 9 - PENTECOST 4
HOLY EUCHARIST
Trinity, Blyth St. John s,
9:30 a.m. Brussels
Wheelchair accessible 11:15a.m.
Rev. Nancy Beale - Rector - 887-9273
74.
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Joan Golden - Supply Minister
Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wcl.on.ca
July 9
Ethel United Church
9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
11:00 a.m.
All are welcome to come and worship with us
Communion - 9:45 - 10:30
Family Bible Hour and Sunday School
11:00 - 12:00
Prayer & Bible Study
Tuesday 8 p.m.
^<tu a-<.e incited
at
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
10:00 a.m. each Sunday
during
July and August
(no Sunday School)
Everyone Welcome
Pastor Ben Wiebe 887-6388
Cornerstone
Bible
Fellowship
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
K Blyth United Church
^2ome Worship The Lord With Us
Sj Sundays - 11:00 a.m.
Worship Service
I July 9 - Guest Minister
Rev. Cecil Wittich
A special welcome to our guests, The Blyth
Church of God, for the month of July
The congregations of the
Blyth Community Church
of God and the Blyth United
Church will meet together for
the month of July at the
Blyth United Church
Minister ~ Rev. Ernest Dow
ALL ARE WELCOME
x j 523-4224
_____________
Morning Worship Service
Sunday at 11 a.m.
Please join us for worship