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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-07-19, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2000. From the Minister’s Study fcWater anyone? How’s your outflow,’ asks minister By Rev. Ernest Dow Blyth United Church Ever since the Walkerton epidem­ ic. people have been hyper-con­ scious of water quality issues. The July 12 Citizen was full of examples of concern about water. We're told the Middle Maitland is “unsafe for any purpose”; run-off of pesticides, manure and chemicals should alarm residents; and E.coli counts have regularly been above acceptable levels. Last year six of 18 county beaches tested unsuitable for swimming over half the time. Hundreds of commu­ nal wells in our county need to be assessed, it’s reported; while the effect of large livestock barns is weighed against “malfunctioning municipal water systems that dump large amounts of raw sewage into Lake Huron.” A recent heavy rainfall in the Zurich-Hensall-Exeter area resulted in a “boil water” advisory for sever­ al communities. Meanwhile, we dis­ cover the storage tank for Blyth and Brussels has been leaking sludge through cracks! As a native Ontarion, it is taking some adjusting for me to get used to the thought of so much water all around being polluted instead of crystal pure. Aren’t we “a land of lakes and a land of snow”, home of the largest freshwater body in the world? What happened? On the physical plane, such news alerts us to the need for better stewardship of water. I agree with Pastor Ben Wiebe, who wrote in that same issue, “To pollute the water or the air is to contaminate the relationships within which I live and exist.” Water is a precious gift from our Creator that we need to stop taking for granted and conserve and protect. As we stop and take a second thought before drinking water from an unfamiliar faucet, this situation can also prompt us to consider our owr> individual output on a spiritual plane. As persons we each have a relational “outflow” which can be either life-giving or deadening. We test our physical wells; what about the quality of the “well” of our soul? “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Our heart is like a well: it can be good and healthy, or bad and sickly. Scripture contrasts these two atti­ tudes or outflows. James observes, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s like­ ness. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” (2) Some people are so negative when we meet them, it’s like a swig of brackish water! By contrast, Psalm 84 speaks of others who pass through a valley and “make it a place of springs”. Their secret? They find strength in God. (3) The fundamental problem, as Scripture sees it, is that we tend to turn away from God and try to han­ dle everything on our own. Failures and trials then force us to realize our limitations and can make us become bitter. God analyzed it this way to the prophet Jeremiah: “My people have committed two sins: They have for­ saken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, bro­ ken cisterns that cannot hold water.” Selfishness, the attempt to satisfy our desires at others’ expense, leads us to approach people with the attitude, “What can I get from them?” rather than “How can I encourage them?” There is another way - an external source which cleanses and refreshes our personal outflow. God urges us to turn to Him and find the outside guidance and resources we need to face life’s troubles. “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (5) Jesus came specifical­ ly so we could find spiritual refresh­ ment at the core of our being in him. Sitting beside a well in Samaria he said, “Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (6) Isn’t that what we long for? On another occasion he called out to the crowd, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (7) For pure water on a physical plane we rely on filters, chemicals, or radiation. On the plane of our spir­ its however, God has provided his Holy Spirit to those who trust Christ. Then our outflow becomes “infec­ tious” not with E. coli but joy, love, forgiveness, grace, and compassion. These are things for which our world is extremely thirsty! It all begins with testing the well­ spring of our heart. [Endnotes; (l) Proverbs 4:23 (2) James 3:9, ll (3) Psalm 84:5,6 (4) Jeremiah 2; 13 (5) Isaiah 12:3 (6) John 4:14 (7) John 7:37,38] 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 BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA Joan Golden - Supply Minister Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wcl.on.ca July 23 Ethel United Church 9:30 a.m. Brussels United Church 11:00 a.m. All are welcome to come and worship with us HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH Auburn - 526-7555 PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-9017 Sunday, July 23 9:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday 7:30 p.m. Friday 7:30 p.m. - Family Bible Hour • Morning Worship Service Guest Speaker: Rev. Wilbert Schwindt - No Evening Worship Service ■ Prayer & Bible Study • Youth THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA cue tuelcatne tfiun Sunday JULY 23 - PENTECOST 6 MORNING PRAYER - BLYTH BAPTISM - BRUSSELS Trinity, Blyth St. John's, 9:30 a.m. Brussels Wheelchair accessible 11:15a.m. Rev. Nancy Beale - Rector - 887-9273 Communion - 9:45 - 10:30 Family Bible Hour and Sunday School 11:00 - 12.00 Prayer & Bible Study Tuesday 8 p.m. 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 - - ' A special welcome to our guests, The Blyth Church of God, for the month of July Vacation Bible School July 24 to 28 9:30 to 11:30 Blyth Christian Reformed Church and Blyth United Church Come Worship The Lord With Us Sundays - 11:00 a.m. Worship Service Blyth United Church Minister ~ Rev. Ernest Dow ALL ARE WELCOME 523-4224 Oh give thanks to the ty&u, aw inuited to* at Brussels Mennonite Fellowship 10:00 a.m. each Sunday during July and August (no Sunday School) Everyone Welcome Pastor Ben Wiebe 887-6388 join {m uimbip Sunday, Morning Worship Service ~ 10 a.m. Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power, that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations. ” Ephesians 3:20 BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH A - Rev. Adrian A. Van Geest Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233 Wheelchair accessible The congregations of the Blyth Community Church *5^ of God and the Blyth United Church will meet together for the month of July at the Blyth United Church Morning Worship Service Sunday at 11 a.m. Please'join us for worship BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH July 24-28, 2000 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.