The Citizen, 1991-01-16, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1991.
From the Minister's Study
Minister tells us, ‘By faith we understand’
BY JAMES H. CARNE, PASTOR
THE MISSIONARY CHURCH
AUBURN
He didn’t startle me as much as
he thought, perhaps, he might, but
it was somewhat disconcerting to
hear my nephew say that he had
given up his childhood faith and
that he believed now in only that
which science could validate.
We had not seen Rick for quite a
long while. When he and his
younger sister were just beginning
public school they had lived for five
years in our home after the
disintegration of my brother-in-
law’s marriage. During that time
Rick seemed to assimilate quite
eagerly the teachings of the Bible
that he heard proclaimed in the
church and in our home and he
professed faith in Christ as his
Saviour. Now he is a university
student and, when we had occasion
to drive him back to his school after
a recent family gathering, he told
us gently about his loss of faith.
The ensuing discussion was
friendly but quite intense. 1 asked
him if there were not some myster
ies in the field of science, such as a
lack of precise understanding as to
the nature of electricity, that had to
be accepted by “faith”. He agreed
that there was, but rebutted by
saying that there were recognized
laws, at least, which seemed to
operate in these cases. I pointed
out that, with all our scientific
expertise and out sophistication,
rather than solving the problems of
our world, we seemed to be going
from bad to wrose.
I couid have asked him, although
1 didn’t think at the time to do it,
how he would have encouraged the
man to whom 1 had ministered a
couple of days earlier, who was so
depressed because of the debilitat
ing stroke which he had suffered,
or the man with such a severe case
of Emphysema that he was tied for
the rest of his life to an oxygen
tank, if he could offer just the
“facts” that science provides.
In her book “Out Of The
Saltshaker And Into The World”,
Rebecca Pippert talks about a
biology professor who stated the
first day of class, “Man is merely a
fortuitous concourse of atoms, a
meaningless piece of protoplasm in
an absurd world.” Some time later
he told the class in despair that his
13-year-old daughter had run away
to live with an older man. “She will
be deeply wounded,” he said
grimly, “she will scar, and I can’t
do anything to help. 1 must sit back
and watch a tragedy.”
Becky Pippert raised her hand
and said quietly, “According to
your system, protoplasm cannot
scar. ’ ’ His answer was devastating:
“Touche. I could never regard my
daughter as a set of chemicals,
never. 1 can’t take my beliefs that
far. Class dismissed.”
That’s the problem with Secular
Humanism: however much it may
satisfy one’s insistence on ration
ality, it is powerless to meei other
needs, to lift burdens. It is simply
an inadequate philosophy. The
shambles in which Soviet Commun
ism finds itself and its almost
universal overthrow in Europe is
conclusive proof of this.
I suspect that my nephew will not
long confront the stern realities of
life before he will remember that it
was Jesus who said, “I am the way,
the truth and the life ...,” and, as
someone has commented, “unless
Jesus is The Way, there is no
going; unless He is The Truth,
there is no knowing; unless He is
The Life, there is no living.” “And
without faith it is impossible to
please God, because anyone who
comes to Him must believe that He
exists and that He rewards those
who earnestly seek Him.” (He
brews 11:6) As difficult as it may be
for those who insist on scientific
proof before they will believe, the
Bible is right when it says, “By
faith we understand ....” (Hebrews
11:3)
1Part-time pastor appointed
ANGLICAN CHURCH
OF CANADA
REV. DAVID FULLER, B. A., M. DIV.
January 20 Epiphany 2
MORNING PRAYER
Blyth Brussels
11:15 a.m. Please note time change. 9:30 a m.
A BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMEDCHURCH
HIGHWAY4, BLYTH
DR. W. H. LAMMERS
Sunday at 10a.m. and 2:30p.m.
Sunday School 11:00a.m.
The Church of the “Back to God Hour”and “Faith 20’’
Back to God Hour 10:30a.m. CKNX Sunday
Faith20 5:00a.m. Weekdays, GlobalT.V.
ALL VISITORS WELCOME
HURON CHAPEL MISSIONARY
CHURCH
PASTOR JAMES H. CARNE
AUBURN 526-7515
10:00 a.m. - Family Bible Hour
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service
8:00 p.m. - Evening Service
Tuesday, 4:15 - Kids’ Klub
Wednesday - Livestyle Evangelism
Friday, 7:30 - Youth
Interim pastor
A resident of Tavistock Gordon Bauman, has taken the
position of interim pastor at Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
Hall. Pastor Bauman spent 10 years preaching in Tavistock,
then spent two years in British Columbia before coming to
Brussels. He will serve part-time here until a full-time pastor
is appointed.
Pastor Gordon Bauman began
his duties as imterim pastor at
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship on
November 1.
A resident .of Tavistock. Pastor
Bauman will provide leadership
and pastoral care to the parish
members on a part-time basis until
the summer when it is hoped a
full-time pastor will be appointed.
He explains that the Mennonite
Conference of East Canada
(MCEC) recommends an interim
pastor be selected after a long-term
pastor has served. Doug Zehr, the
former Mennonite pastor, who left
almost one year ago, served the
parish for 10 years. “When a
pastor has been in a church for a
long time there is a strong attach
ment that forms with the congrega
tion and for them it takes time to
grieve the loss,” said Pastor Bau
man. “So our denomination feels
it’s better to have an interim in his
place before another full-time mini
ster takes over."
To find a new church leader the
congregation appoints a pastoral
search committee which works with
MCEC Leadership Commission.
Names are made available td the
committee with profiles and a
selection is made to introduce to
the congregation. “When they
introduced me the entire congrega
tion spent an afternoon together
and it was agreed by consensus to
call me,” said Pastor Bauman. “It
was kind of a practice run having
me processed.”
Prior to his Brussels charge he
was pastor in Tavistock from
1978-88. Then the next two years
were spent in voluntary service
with Mennonite Central Commit
tee, a relief and service agency.
During that time he worked as a
marriage and family counsellor on
Vancouver Island. His wife Erma,
became involved with the Selfhelp
craft store there called Global
Handshake. Now back home she is
doing volunteer work with the store
in New Hamburg, which is on the
same premises as Selfhelp’s
national warehouse.
The couple have five children:
one son and his wife are with MCC
in Labrador among the Inuit, a
daughter is in Holland on an MCC
exchange program, one is a nurse
in London, another girl is married
to a dairy farmer and lives near
Plattsville, while the second son is
a truck driver and lives in Drumbo.
The Bauman’s have seven grand
children.
For Pastor Bauman the idea of an
interim ministry at this point
seemed “a nice compromise”. He
says, “When we returned from
Vancouver Island 1 was not caring
to take on a full-time ministry. At
my age I imagined that I would find
it too demanding - my last parish
was fairly large and they’re a lot of
work - yet, I'm not ready to retire.
This seemed the ideal solution.”
The goal Pastor Bauman sees for
himself during this time with the
Brussels Congregation is to “pro
vide supportive leadership to their
leadership team. They do a lot of
leading, but need some guidance
which they look to me for.”
For the members of his short
term parish he has tremendous
respect. “They are a very vibrant,
active group, alive and full of
energy. I am impressed by the
degree of caring they show for each
other and for the community as
well." he said.
Melville
Presbyterian Church
BRUSSELS
Rev. Carolyn McAvoy
We welcome
11:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
you to come
- Morning Service
- Sunday School
- Belgrave Service
and worship with us!
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Rev. Cameron McMillan
Church Office 887-6259 Manse 887-9313
11:00 a.m.
Sunday,
January 20
Morning Worship
“Listening to God’s Voice’’
Church School Nursery
9:30 a.m. Ethel Worship Service
Be still, and know that I am God
“She will give birth to a son,
and you are to give Him the
name of Jesus. “
The celebration of Christ’s birth
is over for another year.
Join us in our search for a
personal relationship with
the living Christ.
9:30 a.m. - Worship Service
10:30 a.m. - Christian Education Hour
for all ages
Pastor: Gordon Bauman
887-6388
BRUSSELS
MENNONITE
FELLOWSHIP
Elder: Elwin Garland
887-9017
GUESTS EXPECTED