HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-09-08, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2005. PAGE 11.
From the Minister's Study
Speech talks of companions along the way
By Rev. Robin McGauley
Blyth United Church
As many of you know I am a
newly ordained minister in the
United Church of Canada. The
celebration took place at the meeting
of London Conference in May. It
was a day that I had been
anticipating for many years since the
preparation for ordained ministry
requires years of study at University
and years of process through the
Church.
The final requirement for
ordination at London conference is
to address the court of conference by
way of a speech. The topic of this
speech is to be on the theme of
conference. This year’s theme was
Companions Along the Way.
The following is the speech I gave
at the gathering of London
conference in May:
“Over the past few years the most
common reaction that I have
received from people in the church
when they found out that I was
'becoming a minister’ was, “well,
you are entering ministry at a very
interesting time.”
We all know about these so called
'interesting times.’ The comment
speaks truth about the state of the
1914 Fall Fair
at Doon Village
Step back in time and take part in
a 1914 Fall Fair at Doon Heritage
Crossroads on Sunday, Sept. 18
from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Enjoy the
musical entertainment, take in the
fair exhibits, watch the sheep dog
demonstrations, sawmill
demonstrations,, have a horse-
drawn wagon ride and spend some
time visiting with the villagers and
farmers.
Set in the autumn amidst the
blazing colours and cool, crisp air,
fall fairs were an important event to
the rural community. It was the
culmination of a year’s worth of
effort - the best of the best was
ready for competition. Musical
entertainment, the penny carnival
and the display of fair entries made
it a special event for everyone in the
community.
Call 748-1914 for entry rules for
competitions in baking, produce
and crafts. Doon will be accepting
entries on Saturday, Sept. 17
between 1 and 4 p.m. and Sunday,
Sept. 18 between 9 and 10 a.m.
Receive a free pass to the fall fair
when you enter the competition.
church today. It speaks of the church
that no longer holds the same status
in society that it once enjoyed. It
speaks of the church that no longer
has a clear sense of vision or purpose
in a society that does not
acknowledge the importance of the
religious institution. It speaks of the
church that often hears the words
'dying’ and ‘burnout’ when we
attempt to sum up the state of affairs.
The truth is the church just isn't
what it used to be.
And so, ‘entering the church at an
interesting time’ speaks to the
changing nature of the ministry that
the leaders in the church are called to
do. It seems that the ministry of the
church has spent so much time
trying to be relevant to secular
society that the church now has very
few distinguishing features from the
culture in which we live. We seem to
have lost the ability to speak the odd
and foreign language of our faith and
we seem to have lost the ability to
understand the strange practices that
mark us as Christian.
I believe that it is the role of the
minister in these interesting times to
begin to reclaim the odd language
and practice of our faith. It is as if
being a minister is to be a language
teacher; to help the community to
learn and live out the faith in radical
ways, radical because the origin of
the word radical is rooted, grounded.
Saying we are to live radically in the
faith means that we are to be
grounded in it.
When we begin to understand
ourselves as language teachers we
find that words, words like
companion take on significant
meaning for how the church
practices to live out radically in the
faith. You see, the root of the word
companion is Latin and it means
'bread together’ (com and panis).
Those who break bread together arc
those who can name themselves as
companions.
Our practice of breading together,
of being companions, is realized
when we remember that at the very
heart of the Christian faith is a table.
The most basic call of the church is
to be a people who eat together.
But, when we keep in mind the
odd practice of our faith, a practice
that is different from contemporary
society, we are reminded that our
companioning, our breading
together, is to be done as Jesus did;
as a people of gratitude, generosity.
openness and acceptance. Gathering
at the table as Jesus did is an odd
practice because it operates under an
alternative set of table manners,
manners that don’t prize
unnecessary consumption or uphold
a mind-set of scarcity, but rather
manners that reflect the abundant
promises and gifts of God.
It is my hope that in these
interesting times the church will be a
people who companion; a people
who live out the odd language and
practice of our faith so that we can
truly encounter that Christ is made
known in the breaking of bread."
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
TfleicMted (face to ctMie
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Christian Tdlaw&fup
Christ-centred, Bible-believing,
Fellowship-friendly, Growth-geared
Saturday 8:45 a.m. at
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian
Church, Wingham: Women’s
Discovery Morning (357-1923)
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 523-4848
http://getlivingwater.org
// Donation-based N.
PASTORAL COUNSELLING
• Marriage
• Family
• Budgeting
Fellowship Bible Chapel
• GAMES • SINGING
• BIBLE STORIES
Over 30 k*4» attend cock week!
Starting September 15th
Ages - Senior K to Grade 6
Thursday Evenings
- 7 to 6:30 pm -
Hullett Central Public School
Londesboro
For Info Contact
Glen & Elaine Steinson
AT 482-5218
Sunday, September 11
Morning Worship Service - 10 a.m.
Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m.
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Trinity, Blyth
9:30 a.m.
St. John's, Brussels
ll:l5a.m.
The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 887-9273
^^Oiro'““tyC',UreAo/(;o<z
"The Church is not a
Building,
It is People Touching
> People"
Sunday 9:15 a.m. - Prayer Meeting
11:00 a.m. - Worship Service
Phone 523-4875 308 Blyth Rd. E. - Pastor Les Cook 523-4590
HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL
MISSIONARY CHURCH
SING A SONCj OF Auburn - 526-1131
PASTOR DAVE WOOD
Sunday 9:30 a.m.Family Bible Hour
Tuesday
Wednesday
IS
10:30 a.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:15 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
Morning Worship Service
- Evening Worship Service
- Jr. & Sr. Youth Bible Study
- Olympians (starts Sept. 14th)
- Adult Bible Study
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
Wheelchair accessible
Blyth United Church
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Sunday, September 11
Worship Service
11:00 a.m.
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Sunday., Se.p.te.m.H.e.’c 11
11:OO am - Sunday Morning Worship
9:30 am - Sunday Belgrave Service
Wheelchair accessible
Nursery care available
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, September 11
Ethel United Church
9:30 a.m.
Worship Service and Sunday School
Brussels United Church
11:00 a.m.
Worship Service and Sunday School
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
Minister: Rev. Robin McGauley
• 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.
grow
in Love
with Jesui
together
Grow with us
this fall through...
... Sunday morning Worship 9:30 a.m.
... Sunday School for all ages 11:00 a.m
... Small Groups (groups for men, women, couples)
... Youth Group
250 Princess Street, Box 159
Brussels, Ontario
NOG 1H0
(519) 887-6388
brusselsmennonite @on.aibn.com
Pastor Brent Kipfer