The Citizen, 2008-08-21, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2008.By John Schwartzentruber,Interim Pastor,Brussels Mennonite FellowshipIn a sibling spat, a five-year-oldhit his older sister. In her
peacemaking effort, Mother
suggested that sister should forgive
her little brother. After some
thought, the little girl said, “Alright,
I’ll forgive him, but only after I
smack him back!”
What is your definition of
forgiveness? Do you use terms like
“forgive and forget, don’t worry
about it, just turn the other cheek”
or perhaps “never forgive, never
forget. . .”
Because of our human
imperfections, sooner or later we all
find that we need to forgive
someone else or need forgiveness
ourselves.
Matthew 18, which gives
extensive teaching about
forgiveness and accountability, is
best known for the story of the
servant who was forgiven an
outrageous debt (amounting to two
hundred thousand years wages!) by
his master, but then went out and
ruthlessly tried to extract a much
smaller debt (two days wages) from
a fellow servant.
The message is clearly about
receiving full pardon for our own
immeasurable sin-debt from our
Heavenly Father and then, foolishly,
not forgiving those who harm us in
much smaller ways. Jesus said that
if we fail to forgive others, God will
not forgive us either!
Yet, most of us have had our
difficulties with forgiveness.
However, not releasing the hurts,
fears and resentments from our past
leads to physical, psychological and
spiritual problems, eventually
harming victim more than offender.Knowing this, could it be that ourstruggle with forgiving comes froma misunderstanding of what itinvolves? Is it more than simply
letting go of a wrong that we have
suffered?
My earlier understanding of
forgiveness left me feeling
vulnerable to those who had
wronged me. If I simply forgive,
does that not leave me open to
further injury while allowing them
to re-offend with impunity? In some
cases, it seems senseless to “forgive
and forget”. Somehow, I wrongly
connected forgiveness with
powerlessness.
Perhaps we can find a better
answer to these questions by
noticing that Jesus’ teaching
about forgiveness follows his
earlier instructions about
interpersonal responsibility and
accountability.
Before he spoke of forgiveness,
he pointed out how we must
respond to someone who had
“sinned” against us. We are to take
the necessary steps of corrective
action, either as an individual or as
a corporate effort - a challenge
when employing a redemptive
approach.Subsequently then, having aproper understanding of forgivenesscan facilitate its practice. The Greekroot word of “forgive” means to
“send away” or “make apart”. Thus,
forgiving means that I “send away”
the responsibility for the wrong
suffered, no longer holding the
offender responsible or accountable
to me.
This seems ridiculous because if I
do not hold the offender
responsible, who will? As I
pondered this dichotomy between
forgiveness and self-preservation, it
gradually came to me that by
releasing the offender to God, he or
she would most certainly be held
accountable by God, while giving
them the opportunity to accept
God’s forgiveness and redeeming
power.
There is only one way that we can
be enabled to forgive as we need to.
It comes from looking to the cross
where Jesus was crucified. While
hanging there Jesus said “Father,
forgive them, for they do not know
what they are doing”.
Who were “they”? In addition to
those who nailed him there, I
believe he spoke of my sins, your
sins and those of everyone who everhas walked or will walk on theearth. So by refusing to forgive others,we are in a sense trying to undo
what Jesus has already done on the
Cross of Calvary. How do you
suppose God views that?
Can there be accountability and
forgiveness at the same time? For
the follower of Jesus Christ, they
inseparably go hand in hand.
Accountability on its own lacks
Christ’s compassion. Forgiveness
without the counterbalance of
accountability can lead to further
victimization.
Forgiving someone for a wrong
suffered does not mean that we
overlook the wrong, rather, we no
longer hold our offender
accountable to us for the wrong(s)
they did.
It means that we release them to
the only One who can bring true
justice with redemption, whileacting redemptively to restore ouroffender where possible. From the Minister’s StudyFinding the strength to release by forgiving
308 Blyth Rd. E. ~ Pastor Les Cook 519-523-4590
B l y t h C o m m u n ity Church of God
C
H U R C H O F G O D ,ANDERS
O
N
,
I
N
D
I
A
N
A
“The Church
is not a building,
it is people
touching people
Worship Service
10:30 a.m.
for the month of August
See you
Sunday!
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth
Messages:
10 a.m. - Revelation 2:12-17 “Pressure to conform”
7:30 p.m. - Joshua 11 “Follow through”
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, August 24
Brussels Arena at 10:30 a.m.
In various homes at 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age (mornings only)
Childcare provided for infants and toddlers
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact:
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Guest speaker: Friends of Israel
~ Charles McCracken
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, August 24
Ethel United Church
Worship Service - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow
519-523-4848
WW ee ww ee ll cc oo mm ee yy oo uu tt oo ww oo rr ss hh ii pp ww ii tt hh uu ss
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
August: Combined worship
at Blyth Community
Church of God,
10:30 a.m.
Pastor Les Cook
preaching this month.
Christ-centred, Bible-believing,
Fellowship-friendly, Growth-geared
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
Parish of New Beginnings
Holy Eucharist - August 24
Rev. Perry Chuipka
Trinity, Blyth
9:30 a.m.
519-523-9595
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, August 24 11:00 am
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
will be worshipping at
Point Farms Provincial Park
No worship service at the church
519-887-6388Student Pastor
John Schwartzentruber
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 519-887-9831
For the month of August there will be no services at
Melville or Knox, Belgrave. In that month we will be worshiping
at the United Church. Services resume September 7th.
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224
Rev. Gary Clark
All Welcome
Sunday, August 24
Worship Service at 11:00 a.m.
Sunday school will resume September 14th
PASTOR DAVID WOOD
119 John’s Ave.,Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
10:30 a.m.
Morning Worship
JODI KING FREEDOM
CONCERT
In Cooperation with International Justice Mission
Saturday, August 30 - 8:00 p.m.
at Huron Chapel
Please Note...
For the summer months, Sunday
Small Groups and
Evening Services are cancelled
Tickets: Advance $10,
At Door: $12
Ticket Locations: Huron Chapel,
Pupil’s Purchase, The Gift Chest