HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-6-7, Page 17THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2018. PAGE 17.
From the Minister's Study
Overlapping circles represent intersection
By Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector
The Anglican Regional
Ministry of Hope
The first course that I took when I
started my undergraduate degree
was an introduction to social work
and there was much information
about social systems theories.
That was years ago and I've
forgotten many of the finer points of
the theories, but what remains in my
memory are diagrams with circles,
overlapping circles of individuals
and groups representing how we all
intersect with each other.
People, while individuals, don't
live in isolation. Many aspects of our
lives interact, overlap and impact
others in multiple ways.
Think about that for a minute - it
makes sense! You come from a
family, so interact with your family
members. If you are married, you
have interactions with your spouse,
your spouse's family, your children,
your grandchildren and these all
interact with each other too in
multiple overlapping connections.
And then you are a part of other
social circles, like church, various
friends and maybe a service club.
So, we move in multiple circles or
social systems.
The circles are a way to show
relationships that we have with
others. Where the circles overlap is
where the relationships overlap. For
example, you, your sister and your
friend from school and your friend
from church overlap with each other.
You are in relationship with each
other. You are part of many social
systems. Okay, so what you're
probably asking now is, "What is the
purpose of all this drivel"?
When humanity tries to grasp a
concept that is challenging to the
intellectual mind, we often try to
find visual constructs to help us
understand. This brings forward the
idea of the Godhead, the three
"aspects" or the "three persons" or
"personas" within the one God
Almighty - a way to help us
understand the doctrine of the
Trinity, which is truly one of those
very difficult theological
conundrums that is nearly
impossible for us to fully wrap our
intellects around.
Yet, on Sundays, most Christians
will say the Apostle's Creed; we
regularly say that we believe in One
God, the Father, the Almighty... and
we believe in the one Lord Jesus
Christ, son of God... and we believe
in the Holy Spirit. Meaning that as
Christians we believe that the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit are
manifestations of the One God,
although if asked to explain it, we'd
be hard pressed to do so!
It's one of those beliefs that over
time, if you really spend any time
considering this at all, you do get a
sense of it - kind of within yourself,
in your heart, your soul, but to
rationally explain it - well,
according to one source I read this
past week, we shouldn't feel bad
about it if we don't really get it
completely, or are not able to explain
it, because the church fought about
it for over a century before they
came up with an agreed-upon
Doctrine of the Trinity. There is no
explicit doctrine of the Trinity In the
Bible per se; this was developed by
the church years later after decades
of many scholars diligently working
on it.
The Godhead, of course, is not
perfect. How could we as humans
come up with a perfect image of
God? However, it appeals to me in
that it shows the interrelatedness
between the three aspects or
personas of God, who all together
are God, they are within themselves
a social system. This image shows
that there is an ever flowing
relationship between the Father, the
Son and the Holy Spirit, who
together are the fullness of God.
They are by their very nature
relational, and invite us into that
relationship with them. How do
know we are invited into that
relationship with them?
In the story from John's Gospel of
Nicodemus coming to meet Jesus at
night, Jesus says to Nicodemus "the
wind blows where it chooses". And
we know that the word `wind' when
used in the Bible can mean the Spirit
of God and/or the breath of God.
And the wind, as we know, we
sometimes can hear it, we feel it, but
can't see it. That is what it is like to
feel the touch, the presence of the
Spirit.
The Spirit is forever moving; the
Spirit is there like the blowing wind,
touching us all. But we're not always
fully aware of its presence, or
completely understand that presence
when it blows over us. But the Holy
Spirit nudges us nonetheless. It's a
bit like in Nicodemus' situation - he
had been touched by the Spirit's
presence working in Jesus. He knew
there was something about this man;
something was nudging him on to
find out more. So he sought Jesus
out, at night, on the sly so the other
religious leaders wouldn't know -
for if they found out, he would put
himself and his position as a leader
of the synagogue at risk. He just
knew that he needed to know more
about this special man from God.
Yet, when Jesus tried to explain it to
him, he found it too challenging to
jump on board totally with Jesus'
teachings - this went against his
training as a Pharisee. Being re -born
into the faith it seems isn't any easier
than being born from the womb!
BRUSSELS
United Church
Join us June 10 at 11:00 am
Worship leadership by pastors
from Huron/Perth
Everyone Welcome
The Regional Ministry of Hope
cy2-0
Everyone Welcome!
Trinity Anglican Church St. John's Anglican Church
BLYTH BRUSSELS
0. 9:15 am 11:15 am
MINISTRY OFFICE
519-357-4883
Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector
email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca
The Regional Ministry of Hope
COME WORSHIP WITH USI
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, JUNE 10
We invite you to join our church family in:
Worship & Sunday School - 11 am
Coffee & Snacks following the service
Come out and meet our new minister, Rev. Charmila Ireland
Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Soup & More 2
- a free community meal held in Melville's basement, and
made possible by the Brussels churches working together.
Nursery care available
519-887-6687
Blyth United Church
Est. 1875
Worship Service
at 9:30 am
Office Hours:
Tuesday & Thursday
9:30 am - 2:00 pm
blythunited @tcc.on.ca
. Accessible n Facebook: Blyth and Brussels United Churches
OFFICE: 519-523-4224
Jesus is inviting Nicodemus into a
new faith with him, inviting him into
relationship with him, the Son of
God, and with God the Father
through the indwelling of the
Spirit. That's what Jesus means by
being born again. A new life, a life
directed by God's Spirit living in
us. This coming to faith, this
being infused by the breath, the
Spirit of God and being so full of
the Spirit of God changes your life
to being God -centered in your
living. That is the re -birth of oneself
as a child of God - to be in
constant relationship with all
personas of God, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit, to have the love of God
within you guiding your life, your
decision making, your interaction
with others, instead of your own
ego and personal agendas and
other worldly influences guiding
your life.
God wants nothing more than for
us to be in a relationship with God.
How do we know that? Just even the
briefest look at the Bible shows us a
book full of writings by many
people's experiences with God over
thousands of years, how God
affected them and their lives. Over
and over God calls us back to
Continued on page 18
Huron Chapel Summer Services
Will Be @ 10:OOam
beginning this Sunday in Auburn
huronchapel.com
ou re 9nvited join us Al 'Worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
• Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
You're gnvite d
to come horshp
with us
Sunday, June 10
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
650 Alexander St. (former Brussels Public School)
SundaVP)
y School for children
4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers
during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service.
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Coming Soon! Vacation Bible School
July 2-6 -- Ages 5-12
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph's
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.