The Citizen, 2007-05-31, Page 14By Pastor Ernest DowLiving Water ChristianFellowship (EMC), BlythHave you ever felt hesitant or
fearful about launching into
something new you sensed God
calling you to do?
The early church showed a great
receptivity and openness to do what
God asked them. They were tuned in
to God’s will, making themselves
available after Jesus’ resurrection
and ascension for whatever God was
going to put into action next.
In Acts 1:14 we read that about
120 of the believers “all joined
together constantly in prayer.”
The coming of the Holy Spirit on
the day of Pentecost pushed them
out of their comfort zone, into new
territory.
“What looked like flames or
tongues of fire appeared and settled
on each one of them. And everyone
present was filled with the Holy
Spirit and began speaking in other
languages, as the Holy Spirit gave
them this ability.” (Acts 2:3f NLT)
God was re-shaping followers to
accomplish His mission.
Bystanders from all parts of the
Roman Empire suddenly could hear
these Galileans speaking in their
own language about the wonderful
things God had done! They couldn’t
hold it in - they just had to give
expression to recounting the Lord’s
deeds. A new thing was happening.
This same receptivity and sense of
willing adventure is apparent in
chapter four, after Peter and John are
commanded and threatened by
religious officials not to speak or
teach any more in the name of Jesus.
The gathered church responds to
the threat by first of all
acknowledging (4:24ff) God is in
control – He’s sovereign, made
everything, even permitted the trial
and death of Jesus at the hands of the
governing officials, as foreseen by
prophets centuries ago.
What’s the church to do in the face
of these new threats - recoil in fear?
No, they ask for power to be bolder.
Vv29-30, “Now, Lord, consider their
threats and enable your servants to
speak your word with great
boldness. Stretch out your hand to
heal and perform miraculous signs
and wonders through the name of
your holy servant Jesus.”
They asked for enablement,
boldness; to be stretched and grow
even as the Heavenly Father
stretched out His hand to perform
wonders.
And so it happened. Luke records
after they prayed the place where
they met was shaken, “and they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit and
spoke the word of God boldly.” The
Holy Spirit was freeing them up to
get the good news out about Jesus’
victory over sin and death, that a
fresh start was possible for those
who turned to God for forgiveness. The Holy Spirit was God’s boostjump-starting the church in missionand witness to His goodness and
grace. Christianity boomed because
believers were willing to take risks
and be obedient to the new thing
God was doing; they placed
themselves at the service of the Holy
Spirit, in terms of their words, their
actions, and their material wealth.
Gary Morsch and Eddy Hall
explode myths about discovering
God’s call in our lives in their book,
When There’s No Burning Bush:
Following Your Passions to Discover
God’s Call (Grand Rapids: Baker,
2004). One myth is, “It’s best to play
it safe.”
Fear and faith don’t mix. Peter,
John and the early church weren’t
afraid of the Sanhedrin’s threats;
they dared to go boldly on, whatever
the cost. Unfortunately today fear
holds back many churches from
stepping out in the new ventures
through which God would have
them minister to people’s needs.
In many churches, if someone’s
interested in starting a new ministry,
they’re advised to present a proposal
to the appropriate committee. If the
committee can be sold on the idea, it
then presents the proposal to the
church’s governing board. If the
board approves it, the new ministry
is given an opportunity.
However, most ministries
proposed in this way never see the
light of day, partly because boards
don’t want to be responsible for
authorizing failed programs. Even in
innovative churches, only about one
of every three newly-attempted
ministries actually flies.
Also, approval isn’t likely in the
first place because God hasn’t called
most of the board or committee
members to that ministry.Established religious communitieswith their traditions may beunusually resistant to new things
God would do. This can be fatal.
Texas pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell
declares, “We will not be able to be
who God is calling us to be without
change. I’d even suggest that without
change the church will die. So either
you choose to change, or you choose
to die.”
Contrast fear with the
entrepreneurship necessary to
succeed in the work world. Morsch
and Hall quote Gordon Moore,
founder of Intel: “If everything you
try works, you aren’t trying hard
enough.”
Thomas Edison was no stranger to
failure. He noted, “I recall that after
we had conducted thousands of
experiments on a certain project
without solving the problem, one of
my associates, after we had
conducted the crowning experiment
and it had proved a failure,
expressed discouragement and
disgust over our having failed to find
out anything. I cheerily assured him
that we had learned something. For
we had learned for a certainty that
the thing couldn’t be done that way,
and that we would have to try some
other way.”
Charles Kettering was the founder
of Delco and later vice president and
director of research for General
Motors. His many inventions
included the electric cash register
and the electric starter. He was
awarded more patents by the US
Patent Office than any other person
except Edison.
In a 1940 speech, Kettering said:
“An inventor is almost always
failing. He tries and fails maybe a
thousand times. If he succeeds once
then he’s in...We often say that thebiggest job we have is to teach anewly hired employee how to failintelligently. We have to train him to
experiment over and over and to
keep on trying and failing until he
learns what will work.”
God can use failures for His
purposes. Gary Morsch heads up
Heart to Heart International, which
conducts medical airlifts to needy
countries. At first it was amazing
how things fell into place, for
numerous projects. Gary warned his
staff that someday they would have
to cope with failure.
Later, planning an airlift to China,
they couldn’t find anyone to donate
the use of a plane. Since they were
unable to take a planeload of
medicines, they greatly expanded
the medical training offered by their
volunteers, making training the
focus of their trip.
The failure to find a plane led to a
new approach that’s impacting many
more lives. Volunteers are teaching
courses on the care of critically-ill
newborns to thousands of medical
professionals across China. These in
turn train others in hundreds ofChinese hospitals. In one provincealone, an estimated 40,000 newbornlives have already been saved
because of this training, and an even
greater number of disabling birth
defects have also been prevented!
Praise God for such ‘failures’, that
lead to life.
PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2007.
The regular monthly meeting of
the Blyth United Church Women
was called to order on May 24 by
chair Marilyn Craig.
The speaker was Heather Van
Dorp. She demonstrated how to
make cards. The results were a
varied assortment of beautiful cards
to give to family.
Sharon Bromley led a discussion
and passed around material on
service refrigerators.
The UCW bought two chafing
dishes.
The next meeting is Sept. 27 at 2
p.m.
From the Minister’s StudyPastor says faith risks not playing it safe
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
Sunday 9:45 a.m.
- Christian Education
for all ages
11:00 a.m. - Worship Service
Mid-week Bible Studies
“The Church
is not a building,
it is people
touching people
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224
Worship Service will be held at Camp Menesetung
north of Goderich beginning at 11 am.
The service will be hosted by the Sunday School - led by Lorna Fraser.
Potluck lunch to follow.
There will be no service in Blyth on June 3rd.
Sunday, June 3
Everyone Welcome
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
SUNDAY, JUNE 3
The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 519-887-9273
Trinity, Blyth
9:30 a.m.
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
Sunday, June 3
Ethel United Church
11 33 00 tt hh AA nn nn ii vv ee rr ss aa rr yy
at the Ethel church at 11 am
Mark Graves guest speaker.
Special music by the Cunningham family &
Brussels United Church choir
There will be NO church in Brussels
Sunday 9:30 a.m. - Sunday School
10:30 a.m. - Sunday Worship Service
7:30 p.m. - Evening Worship Service
Wednesday 6:30 p.m. - Family Night with “Olympians”
7:00 p.m. - Adult & Youth Bible Study
Something for everyone!
Call the church for current Youth events
HURON CHAPEL
EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH
Auburn - 519-526-1131
PASTOR DAVE WOOD
& PASTOR DON PLANT JR.
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, JUNE 3
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 519-887-9831
11:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
9:30 am - Sunday Belgrave Service
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Sunday, June 3: Acts 2:22ff
Evangelical Missionary Church
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
Mondays 7:30 pm -Prayer Warriors
Tuesdays 7:30 pm -Wingham Small Group
“Share
Good News -
Confrontationally”
Blyth UCW
meets