The Citizen, 2017-09-28, Page 7THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017. PAGE 7.
From the Minister's Study
Despite our differences, we are one: Hymers
By Minister Brian Hymers,
Knox United Church, Belgrave
The word for today's piece comes
from a Greek word Oikoumene
which means "The whole inhabited
world". Subsequently it was
referring to the Roman Empire.
The Ecumenical vision is
comprised of both the search for and
the vision of unity of the church.
Scripturally we can find many
references to this aspect of
togetherness, like in Ephesians 4:3
recorded by Paul in a letter to the
church of Ephesus "Make every
effort to keep yourselves united in
the spirit, binding yourselves
together with peace".
The Greek definition included the
words "The whole inhabited world"
we look further in scripture to the
written remarks of Matthew 24: 14
as a concern of all Christians "And
the Good News about the kingdom
will be preached throughout the
whole world, so that all nations will
hear it, and then the end will come".
The end of this passage may be the
most important, "And then the end
will come" The end of conflict
between Christian thought, practice
and individuality - I hope.
The Christian community has
spent far too much time defining
itself as different pockets of groups,
advising that we do things this way
or that way when in reality we all
have a common bond.
God is the creator of all the earth.
Jesus, the Son of God, was sent to
show us the way the light and the
truth and the Holy Spirit to surround
us and keep us in touch with our
humanness and mortality and
understand that all three are
combined together in each one of us.
We as a Christian community,
t
Living/ Water
C%tiaiv lrellduvip
October 1
Our 16'" Anniversary!
12 noon Potluck,
1:00 pm Worship Celebration
at H&B Shannon's
316 Hamilton Street, Blyth
Canadian Foodgrains Bank
- Ambassador Helen
Keenliside:
CFGB Work Tour in
Nicaragua (Feb. 2016)
Evangelical Missionary Church
Tuesdays 7:30 pm • Wingham Small Group at G&M Lisle's
Wednesdays 6:30 pm • Youth Group at Huron Chapel, Auburn
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 519-523-4848
getlivingwater.orJ
regardless of religious dogma and
services patented by historical
wishes of persons human who are
not the creator have come to realize
that we are all one and are truly all
the children of the Great Creator. We
have been able to drop the
boundaries and symbolism of
individual churches and celebrate
the "World Day of Communion" to
which Christ must be so pleased.
The problem is we are not
servicing it to the ones outside our
church doors; the questioning ones
who are scared to come in because
they do not know the secret
handshake, kneeling positions or
service times. They do not know the
protocol that we as Christians have
caused by the structuring of our
religion.
Christianity was meant to be so
simple so the pagans, the peasants
and beggars, the Jew, the slave and
the imprisoned can all find comfort
in knowing they belong.
Where did we go wrong? Simple:
we are human. We are flawed right
from the get -go. There is no shame
here, because it is the truth right
from the original sin when our
shame caused us to be clothed.
We are all different: different
sizes, different hair and different eye
colour, different temperament,
different opinions. We are different
just like the differences in the
scripture passage Old Testament
reading from Joshua 4: 1 "When the
people had crossed the Jordan, the
Lord said to Joshua "Now take 12
men, one from each tribe".
There was difference and
separation: 12 tribes 12 different
' BRUSSELS
": United Church
Welcome to Sunday morning worship
& Sunday School
at 11:00 am
Hillary MacDonald (905) 246-7386
Macdonald.hillary@gmail.com
Everyone welcome
ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS
B LYTH
Trinity
(S. 9:15 am
Church Office
519-357-4883
BRUSSELS
St. John's
1 1:15am
Church Office
519-887-6862
Everyone Welcome!
COME WORSHIP WITH US!
1'
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1
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
SAME HURON CHAPEL SERVICE
TWO TI ES
9wiotlloni
Beginning October 15th
Until then 10:30am - Every Sunday in Auburn
huronchapel.com
identifiable groups. But together,
they crossed the riverbed and each
one is instructed to identify
themselves with a large stone to be
placed together as a marker for
future generations. This is not new
stuff. This was right when the
promised land was granted. This was
not yesterday.
After further investigation into this
Greek word of "The Whole
Inhabited World" I came across the
writing of one Edward Schlink. In
1983 he wrote a great bedtime story.
If you're restless and need to sleep, I
suggest this theological read, a book
called Okumenische Dogmatick and
within it a comment that is very
important for us today. Mr. Schlink
records the following thoughts,
Christians who see the risen Christ
at work in the lives of various
Christians or in diverse churches
realize that the unity of Christ
church has never been lost: but has
Continued on page 14
You're :-Yn1'ite(l a loin (L.S (k,ors.hip
SUNDAYS I
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
LN
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
efuedeeid ettotsatatv &god
You're 'lnvitec(
to come worshp
with us
—40
Sunday, October 1
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
650 Alexander St. (former Blyth Public School)
Sunday 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
cVii
Blyth United Church
Est. 1875
Worship Service
at 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, October 1
Come celebrate our recent
renovations in making us
more accessible to you.
Worship held in our
newly renovated sanctuary.
Hillary MacDonald
All are welcome
OFFICE: 519-523-4224
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
—.1111111111
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.