HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-01-06, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2005.
From the Minister’s Study
Pastor talks about living in the ‘dash’
By Pastor Brent Kipfer
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
When she died in the mid-1990s,
Jeanne Calment was the oldest living
human whose age could be verified.
On her 120th birthday, she was
asked to describe her vision for the
future. “Very brief.” she said.
“Teach us to count our days,” the
writer of Psalm 90 prays, “that we
may gain a wise heart.”
I recently heard an Amish
Mennonite church leader describe a
walk through a cemetery. All around,
one can see memorials to life: each
of the many stones speak of a parent
or chdd or friend or sister or brother.
Beneath most names there are two
dates written: the day of birth and
the day of death. Between those
numbers is a hyphen - a short dash
which marks the full span of our
lives. That is where we are living: in
the dash.
1 suspect that even Jeanne
Calment’s 120 years seemed short to
her. What does it mean to count our
days? How does that lead to
wisdom?
There’s a story circulating on the
internet about a 55-year-old man
who calculated that if the average
person lives to be about 75 years,
that average person has about 3900
Saturdays in their entire lifetime.
He realized that he had already
lived through over 2800 Saturdays.
If he lived to be 75, he had only
about 1,000 of them left to enjoy.
He went to a toy store and bought
every single marble he could find.
Three toy store visits later, he had a
1,000 marbles. He took them home
and put inside a large, clear plastic
container. Every Saturday after that,
he took one marble out and threw it
away.
He found that by watching the
marbles diminish, his life became
focused on more important things.
His priorities became clearer. One
day, he took the very last marble out
of the container. He decided that if
he lived to the next Saturday, he had
By counting his days, he learned to
make his days count.
None of us knows how many days
we have been given to live on earth
- but we can still echo the prayer of
the psalmist:
“Teach us to count our days that
we may gain a wise heart.”
What would it mean to make the
days of 2005 count? How would it
affect the time you spend with
family? Your work priorities? Your
response to those who cross your
path?
Psalm 90 reminds us that life is
short - but it does more than that.
The writer invites us to see the
shortness of our lives within the
scope of God’s eternal presence -
and to find our security in him:
Lord, you have been our dwelling
place in all generations.
“Before the mountains were
brought forth,
or ever You had formed the earth
and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting
Over the Christmas season,
Christians celebrate that our
everlasting God stepped into the
world of time in the person of Jesus
Christ. For a few short years, God
stepped into the limits of life in the
dash.
Jesus identified with us in our
hiknan frailty and, in the end, gave
his life for us. Today, He still offers
to walk with us through our time in
the dash. His friendship makes our
life full and good; He shows us how
to make our days count.
But He does even more than make
life in the dash meaningful and rich:
He also invites us into the dwelling
place of God - an everlasting gift
that transcends the dash. The dash of
this life may be very brief, but the
joy of walking with Christ lasts
forever. Just follow Him, and see.
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
to cwte
attd (44
SUNDAY, JANUARY 9
Trinity, Blyth
9:30 a.m.
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 887-9273
Progress fuels hope for
victims of Alzheimer’s
Almost 100 years ago,
Alzheimer’s disease was identified.
On the eve of this anniversary.
Canadians have reason for hope with
indicators that significant progress is
being made to improve the lives of
people affected by this devastating
disease.
“So much has changed in the
history of the disease that it feels
today like we’re beginning a new
chapter in the care and treatment of
people with Alzheimer’s disease,”
explains Stephen Rudin, executive
director of the Alzheimer Society of
Canada. “Thanks to earlier diagnosis
and more awareness of how to cope
with the disease, Canadians can live
a more enjoyable and fulfilled life.”
Advances in the last 10 years
include the following:
• Earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s
disease now regularly takes place,
giving those affected a better
chance ot benefiting from
treatment and support.
• Treatments that ease symptoms
and improve quality of life are now
available and promising new
advances are being tested.
• Support groups across Canada for
the person with the disease have
increased from eight to 85 in the
last five years.
• People with the disease are more
likely today to speak publicly about
their condition and direct then-
care.
• New and updated programs,
resources and information to help
caregivers, people with the disease
and their families are available
online and through 140 local
Alzheimer Society offices.
• There has been a sizeable
increase in the amount of money
allocated by the Alzheimer Society
towards research funding with $1
million in 1996 growing to almost
$3.4 million this year.
• Twenty-seven years ago,
Canada’s Alzheimer Society was
formed and became the first
organization of its kind in the
world. Today, there are Alzheimer
associations in countries around
the globe helping people affected
by the disease and working towards
finding a cure.
“The climate for Alzheimer’s
disease has altered drastically in the
last decade,” says Carl Parsons,
president. Alzheimer Society of
Canada board of directors. “For
example, the Alzheimer Society has
directors on its boards with
Alzheimer’s disease - something
that would have been unheard of just
a short time ago. There’s a whole
new paradigm shift and it’s very
positive.”
10:30 a.m. - Contemporary Worship
& Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 523-4848
January 9 ~ 1 Thess. 1
Christ-centred, Bible-believing,
Fellowship-friendly, Growth-geared
(S-
“Although there's a great deal of
progress to be celebrated, this isn’t
the time to relax. With the first wave
of baby boomers reaching 65 in
2011, this disease is now an ur
gent research priority,” says
Rudin.
The Society provides grants to
Canadian researchers and training
support to young researchers to
study biomedical research into the
cause and cure of Alzheimer’s
disease and funds social and
psychosocial research to find
improved methods of diagnosis,
caregiving and service delivery.
“We are working hard on many
fronts to solve the riddle of this
disease,” says Dr. Jack Diamond,
scientific director of the Alzheimer
Society of Canada.
“To date, we have gained
understanding of the progress of the
disease and some of the risk factors
involved, but we’re still searching
for the cure or a way to prevent the
disease. Only with more research
will we be able to reach our goal
of eradicating Alzheimer’s disease
so we can finally close the
book.”
foot (4& fat
Sunday, January 9
Morning Worship Service - 10 a.m.
Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m.
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
Wheelchair accessible
received the gift of some extra time. You are God.”
HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL't
MISSIONARY CHURCH
SNGASON^OF
Sunday
Auburn - 526-1131
PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-4941
Wednesday
stor: trnest uow - 5Z3-4848 II
www.getlivingwater.org
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
7:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
7:15 - 8:30 p.m.
7:15 p.m.
- Family Bible Hour
Morning Worship Service
- Evening Worship Service
- Crusaders for grades JK-6
- Youth
Adult Bible Study
’’The Church is not a
Building,
It is People Touching
People"
Sunday 9:15 a.m.
9:45 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
- Prayer Meeting
- Sunday School
- Worship Service
Phone 523-4875 308 Blyth Rd. E. ~ Pastor Les Cook 523-4590
Blyth United Church
CorrfeTof Dinsley & Mill Street
Sunday, January 9
Worship Service & Sunday School
11.00 a.m.
'Wetemne
Minister: Rev. Dr. Eugen Bannerman
Office: 523-4224
Blyth United. Church is a welcoming community of faith.
We celebrate God's presence through worship and study, and through
responding to the needs and gifts of each other.
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Joan Golden - Diaconal Student Minister
Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wcl.on.ca
Sunday, January 9
Ethel United Church
9:30 a.m.
Worship Service & Sunday School
Brussels United Church
11:00 a.m.
Worship Service & Sunday School
Celebration of the Baptism of Jesus
as we continue our journey in the Season of Epiphany
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
January 9
11:00 a.m. - Sunday Morning Service
- Sunday School
- Service of Holy Communion
9:30 a.m. - Sunday Belgrave Service
- Service of Holy Communion
Special Collection for Tsunami Relief through
Presbyterian World Service and Development
Wheelchair accessible
Nursery care available
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831