The Citizen, 1991-04-17, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1991.
From the Minister’s Study
Events of the first Easter impact upon us today
BY DOUGLAS MADGE
TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH,
BELGRAVE
ST. PAUL’S ANGLICAN CHURCH
WINGHAM
“Now on the first day of the
week, Mary Magdalene came to
the tomb early - while it was still
dark and saw that the stone had
been rolled away from the tomb”
(John 20:1. With these words John
begins the great proclamation of
Easter - the Lord Jesus Christ
raised from the dead. With these
words John invites every man,
woman and child to enter into the
life of Jesus Christ, here, now, so
that they may enjoy the quality of a
God-like beginning on this side of
death.
At the centre, at the core of our
Christian faith is not a set of ideals,
not a book of rules, not a philoso
phical argument, but an historic
fact - that Jesus Christ was raised
from the dead by God. Nothing but
this firm conviction explains the
continuing existence of the Chris
tian Church for over 20 centuries;
nothing explains the power of
the Holy Communion and its place
in our lives except a living Lord.
Nothing explains the power and
results of prayer except a God who
is with us. Nothing explains the joy
we have in living except a Jesus
who shares joys with us. Faith
declares that this is the final
dimension of life, the real meaning
of love. Without the Resurrection
we shall always live in a world of
darkness, fear, pain, sorrow and
grief - a world of vice, corruption
and sin - a world where death is a
finality - a descent into nothing
ness.
Mary Magdalene comes to the
tomb at dawn. Her coming symbol
izes the defeat of the world of
darkness by light and the coming of
a new form of life into our lives.
Mary Magdalene leads the parade
of Ressurection believers.
John uses Mary Magdaline to
illustrate other important facts of
the Resurrection: Jesus made it
clear that the Kingdom of God
would be built by the efforts of
those whom society had cast out or
ignored - the poor, the peacemak
ers, the righteous, the merciful, the
pure of heart, the meek, those
wounded by life. Mary Magdalene
represents all who have been
rescued by Jesus from the world
and from themselves. Mary Mag
daline was lifted from the destruc
tive and degrading life of a
prostitute by Jesus and now she is
at the forefront of those who will
proclaim the Resurrection.
It should also be noted that Mary
Magdalene was a woman - a
woman in a society that regarded
women as “things” or “chattels”.
By his actions Jesus recognized
women as people; by his live god
gave to a woman from whom life
springs, the opportunity to be the
first to view the new life of the
Resurrection.
The events of that first Easter
day, some 2,000 years ago, impact
upon us and our world everyday in
every way. The Resurrection puts
God back into the centre of human
life. Jesus is now able to be in
people more and more and to be in
more and more people than when
he walked this earth as a man.
Beginning with Mary Magdalene
and continuing down to us and our
children and our grandchildren,
there has been an unending stream
of people who have heard of Jesus,
then learned of him, then prayed to
him and then brought him into
their hearts. When we bring him
our needs and our hearts, the
“dear Christ enters in” and we,
with Mary Magdalene, become
part of the Resurrection.
ANGLICAN CHURCH
OF CANADA
REV. DAVID FULLER, B.A., M. DIV.
April 21 Easter 04
HOLY EUCHARIST
Brussels
11:15a.m.
Blyth
9:30a.m.
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
Wednesday - Prayer & Bible Study
Friday 7:30 - Youth
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Rev. Cameron McMillan
Church Office 887-6259 Manse 887-9313
Area women elected to Conference
For the first time in the 29 year
history of London Conference Unit
ed Church Women (U.C.W.) a lady
from Huron-Perth Presbyterial has
been elected as President.
Mrs. Muriel Coultes of Belgrave
was elected President during the
conference held in Sault Ste. Marie
on April 8 and 9. Also at this
meeting Susan Howson of Blyth
was elected Secretary. Over 225
women attended the conference (56
from Huron-Perth).
The local ladies left early Sunday
morning for the 10-hour bus trip
and were billeted in homes
throughout Sault Ste. Marie for
their stay.
Very special guest speaker was
Dr. Betty Bridgeman. Dr. Bridge-
man has just recently returned to
Canada after spending 37 years as
a U.C. missionary in Africa (An
gola.
She was instrumental in starting
the “Seeds for Africa” project to
which all U.C.W.s in Canada
contribute. London Conference
alone sent over $4,000 for this
project this year.
Group ponders God’s presence
The Sunshine Unit of the Blyth
United Church Women met in the
Church parlor for their April meet
ing. Twenty-one members answer
ed the roll call.
Devotions were led by Alma
McCallum and Vera Hesselwood.
Vera opened with a poem entitled
“To help one another on life’s
way”. The hymn “For the Beauty
of the Earth” was sung with Melda
McElroy at the piano. Alma gave
the scripture reading from Leviti
cus chap. 19, verse 18 and then
gave the devotion entitled “Who is
my Neighbour”, a true story
written by Dr. R. W. Ross, an uncle
of Clare and Ida McGcwan, former
ly of the Blyth area. Vera lead in
prayer. The offering was taken and
dedicated by Vera. The closing
hymn was “We plough the fields
and scatter”. Vera closed the
devotions with a poem.
Myrtle Vodden gave a very
intersting study on the subject
“Where’s God in the Gulf War”.
Myrtle stated there was a lot of
“God talk” in those early hours of
the war as both sides scrambled to
take the moral high ground. Sad
dam Hussein was shown regularly
kneely and calling on his faithful to
follow him in to a Holy war, and
George Bush holding an all night
vigial with evangalist Billy Graham
and proclaiming that God sanction
ed their part in the war. Both sides
genuinely believed God was in
their corner. The question where is
God in this dreadful war: at
Saddam Hussein prayer rug?
George Bush’s prayer room? or is
God where humanity in its insanity
always puts him, hanging on a
cross with a dagger in his heart? In
the midst of this awful tragedy is
God with those to whom this war is
doing the same. Some discussion
followed. Bea Chambers, presi
dent, conducted the business por
tion with Melda McElroy as secre
tary in the absence of Feme
McDowell. Bea read a poem “1 met
God in the morning”. Then all
repeated the U.C.W. purpose.
Bea thanked all those who help
ed with the meeting. Lenore David
son gave the card report and read
an invitation to Auburn for their
East Spring Offering, April 22 with
Gary Jewitt as guest speaker,
telling of his year in Africa.
Marjorie East gave the treasur
er’s report. Gene Snell recorded
the birthdays. The garage sale will
be on May 3 opening at 7 p.m. with
a bake table and many interesting
articles for sale. The meeting
closed with the U.C.W. benediction
and singing grace. A social time
followed with a lovely lunch served
by Erma Cook, Shirley Rutledge
and Phyllis Boak.
Belgrave UCW looks at TV's affect
The Afternoon Unit of the
U.C.W. met at the home of Mrs.
James Hunter on April 8 with an
attendance of 11. She opened the
meeting with the singing of “We
are gathered together” and wel
comed the ladies.
After the secretary's and trea
surer’s reports were given, Mrs.
Alice Scott had the worship service
using an Easter programme
“Christ’s Legacy of Peace”,
The hymn “O God of Love, O
King of Peace” was read in unison.
Mrs. Scott read variuos passages of
scripture and after each reading a
number of the ladies read a
meditation pertaining to each part.
The hymn, “These things shall be”
was read in unison.
Mrs. Harold Vincent continued
the study of the Lord’s Prayer from
Matthew and the part of “Our
Daily Bread”, the interpretation of
the Lord’s Supper, the bread of life
and the living bread and living one
day at a time.
Mrs. Glenn Coultes had the
Mission Study from special Man
date “Modern Mythmaker” on
television and story telling, how
things work, what they are up to
television, which brought discus
sion as to the part that television
has changed our lives and what we
think of various programmes and
the news broadcasts and the media
images of women.
The next meeting is to be at Mrs.
Glenn Coultes’ home. The closing
hymn was “God be with you till we
meet again”. Mrs. Hunter pro
nounced the benediction. A social
time followed and the hostess
served a dessert, tea and coffee.
-A
11:00 a.m. Morning Worship
Sunday, Sermon: “Following Jesus’ Way”
April 21 Church School Nursery
9:30 a.m. Ethel Morning Worship
Thy hand, O God, has guided thy
flock from age to age
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMEDCHURCH
HIGHWAY4, BLYTH
DR. W. H. LAMMERS
Sunday at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.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, Global T.V.
ALL VISITORS WELCOME
Melville
Presbyterian Church
BRUSSELS
Rev. Carolyn McAvoy
11:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
- Morning Service
- Sunday School
- Belgrave Service
We welcome you to come and worship with us!
Hope to see you there!
Elder: John Baan
887-6967
BRUSSELS MENNONITE
FELLOWSHIP
Iffriendly faces and God’s word is what you like to
see.
Well, then Brussels Mennonite Fellowship’s the
place you ought to be!
9:30 a.m. - Worship Service
10:30 a.m. - Christian Ed. Hour for All Ages
Pastor: Gordon Bauman
887-6388
Designed by
Christine Knorr