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The Citizen, 2017-09-21, Page 3THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017. PAGE 3. Dow, MacDonald lead Memory Garden service An annual tradition The Blyth Memory Garden's annual remembrance and dedication service was held over the weekend. Blyth and Brussels United Churches minister Hillary MacDonald was the guest speaker for the service, while Ernest Dow of Living Water Christian Fellowship also performed. (Quinn Talbot photo) UCW craft, bake sale set Nov. 9 Greeting worshippers at Blyth United Church on Sunday Sept. 17 was Marilyn Craig. Ushering were Nicole Kerr and Lissa Kolkman. Susanna Lyman was guest pianist and Katie Dockstader, choir director. Hillary MacDonald welcomed everyone to the church service. She drew everyone's attention to the announcements printed in the bulletin. Special mention that the ladies are making meat pies beginning Oct. 4 for turkey and Oct. 11 for beef. Fruit pies can be ordered as well by calling Donna Moore at 519-523-9855. The choir is reminded that choir practice will resume after the church services beginning on Sept. 24. Hillary also mentioned that the UCW is holding a craft and bake sale with additional vendors on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Blyth United church from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The UCW will meet in the church parlour on Thursday Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. Emily Phillips thanked all the volunteers who helped in any way with the renovations to the sanctuary – without them the improvements would not have happened. Hillary invited everyone to greet one another and to remain standing while singing the first hymn "Let Us Build a House." The call to worship was said responsively followed by the prayer of approach. The scripture readings were from Exodus 15:1-11, 20-22 and Romans 14:1-12. Hillary explained that a dream of someone to renovate the sanctuary grew and became a committee and then a reality and now we celebrate in this new welcoming place. The choir sang the hymn, "How Great Thou Art" as their anthem. Hillary's message to the congregation was "Creating a New Vision." In the scriptures, Paul tries to deal with two different groups of people with different ideas. One follows the rules and customs while the other group wants to try new things and ideas. Paul says neither should be judged, as both are God's people. Society also struggles with who should be welcome. Jesus never sides with one side or the other. He considers them all God's people. Let's be ready and fully welcome everyone who comes through the doors. The next hymn "Draw the Circle Wide" was sung. The offering was received followed by the offertory response "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow", the offertory prayer, the singing of "Where Two Or Three Are Gathered", leading into the prayers for the people, silent prayers and the singing of the Lord's Prayer. The last hymn, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" was sung. The benediction was followed by the singing of the response "Take Up His Song". Everyone was invited for coffee and treats and fellowship with one another. A long-term project Throughout several years, and a significant number of staff changes, the Mill Street infrastructure project has remained high on North Huron Township's to-do list. The project, which includes digging up portions of Mill and Westmoreland Streets, finally started earlier this month. Westmoreland and parts of Mill Street will be inaccessible during this first phase of the project. (DennyScottphoto) Special Meeting NORTH of Council HURON Monday, September 25, 2017 7:00 p.m. Wingham Town Hall Theatre 274 Josephine St., Wingham, ON Representatives from the OPP will present a Police Service Costing to service the Town of Wingham. Members of the public are welcome to attend and hear the presentation. www.northhuron.ca From Marilyn's Desk By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318 Happy birthday to Bruce Wheeler who celebrates Sept. 21; Hunter MacDonald, Sept. 22 and Sadie Chalmers, Sept. 25. Shoot winners for Sept. 12 were: first, Brock Vodden; second, Dorothy Carter; third, Sharon Freeman; most shoots, Mae Ritchie, four. Shoot is played every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at Blyth Trinity Anglican Church Hall. Come out and enjoy the fun and fellowship. Next shoot will be Sept. 26 at 1 p.m. Coffee break at the Christian Reformed Church is starting Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. Clinton's Miki Nott will be speaking. Everyone is welcome. Many family and friends attended the annual Memory Garden remembrance and dedication service held at the garden on Sunday, Sept. 17. Hillary MacDonald, minister at Blyth and Brussels United Churches was guest speaker. Pastor Ernest Dow accompanied the hymns with his guitar. Brock Vodden brought greetings from North Huron Council. Diane Ferguson gave a short history of the garden and volunteers who look after the garden. Donna Moore closed the service and invited everyone for treats and refreshments and encouraged everyone to take a look around the gardens. Diane had displayed pictures of the garden at different times throughout the year. Next year the date for the service is changing to June to get a different view of the garden. FROM BLYTH MURDERED! (From Spurgeon's autobiography) Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Romans 4:25 There was a day, as I took my walks abroad, when I came by a spot forever engraved upon my memory, for there I saw this Friend, my best, my only Friend...MURDERED! I shuddered, for I had known this Friend full well, He never had a fault — He was the purest of the pure, the holiest of the holy. Who could have injured Him? For He never injured any man — all His life long He "went about doing good." He had healed the sick, He had fed the hungry, He had rased the dead — for which of these works did they kill Him? He had never breathed out anything else but love — and as I looked into the poor sorrowful face, so full of agony, and yet so full of love — I wondered who could have been a wretch so vile as to pierce hands like His. I said within myself, "Where can these traitors live? Who are these that could have smitten such a One as this? And as I looked upon that corpse, I heard a footstep, and wondered where it was. I listened, and I clearly perceived that the murderer was close at hand! It was dark, and I groped about to find him. I found that, somehow or other, wherever I put out my hand, I could not meet with him, for he was NEARER to me than my hand would go. At last I put my hand upon my bosom. "I have you now!" said I — for lo, he was in my own heart — the murderer was hiding within my own bosom, dwelling in the recesses of my inmost soul! MY SINS were the scourges which lacerated those blessed shoulders, and crowned those bleeding brows with thorns! My sins cried, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" and laid the cross upon His gracious shoulders. His being led forth to die is sorrow enough for one eternity — but MY having been His murderer, is more, infinity more grief than one poor fountain of tears can express. If Christ has died for me, as ungodly as I am, without strength as I am — then I cannot live in sin any longer, but must arouse myself to love and serve Him who has redeemed me. I cannot trifle with the evil which slew my best Friend. I must be holy for His sake. How can I live in sin — when He has died to save me from it? A Grace Gem Submitted by Immanuel United Reformed Church, Listowel, ON 519-291-1956