The Citizen, 1991-11-13, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13,1991.
From the Minister's Study
Country’s defenders should be commended
BY REV. E. PAUL ACTON
TRINITY ANGLICAN
CHURCH, BLYTH
ST. JOHN'S ANGLICAN
CHURCH, BRUSSELS
There is a rather nice cenotaph
on the Legion lawn in Brussels
which serves as a year-round
reminder to us of those who left
this town to fight for freedom over
the last two generations. Almost
every town from here to London
has a Legion which serves the same
purpose.
There are many today who have
a great deal of trouble understand
ing that phrase, ‘fight for freedom*.
There was a time however when it
made perfect sense. It was a time
when liberty could not be taken for
granted as it is today in this coun
try. Unfortunately, within the last
generation the well-founded cry for
peace and disarmament has been
coupled with a lack of respect,
understanding and appreciation for
things military. Further, in an effort
Mennonites host
Coffee House
Church Council and the elders
held meetings al the Brussels Men-
nonite Fellowship during the week.
On Friday evening, a “Coffee
House” was held in the gymnasi
um. Admission was a donation of
food for the food bank. The dona
tions will be delivered within the
next week.
Eight members of the Youth
Group, accompanied by Rob
Demaray spent the weekend with
the North Leamington Mcnnonite
Church Youth Group. Members
from North Waterloo and St.
Catharines Mennonite Youth
Groups were also guests in Leam
ington.
Pastor Tom Warner preached on
the topic “The Lord of Peace”, bas
ing his message on the scripture
John 14: 25-31. Thelma Steinman
gave a children's story and was also
song leader for the congregational
singing.
The children have begun practis
ing for a Christmas Program to be
held in mid-December. Plans are
underway for a “Guess Who's
Coming to Supper” event to be held
later this month.
Sympathy is extended to Alice
Martin and Florence Frey in the
passing of their father, Tobias
Brubaker of Elmira.
Sep. Sch. Bd looks
at teacher shortage
The Chair of the Huron-Perth
Roman Catholic Separate School
Board, B. Murray, told the trustees
at the meeting on October 28 about
two main issues regarding the pos
sible shortage of Catholic teachers
and the concern about entrance
requirements to faculties of educa
tion based only on academic
achievements. Mr. Murray suggest
ed a recommendation to be made to
the Ministry of Education.
The first part of the recommenda
tion is to suggest that a program
should be developed and imple
mented at the faculties of education
in Ontario universities to prepare
Roman Catholic teachers to teach
Religious Education in Roman
Catholic school.
Secondly, that Religious Educa
tion be recognized as a subject in
which teachers may obtain teacher
qualification.
Finally, the board suggests that
representatives of school boards be
involved in the process of deter
mining entrance criteria and selec
tion procedures for applicants to
faculties of education in the univer
sities.
to appear socially relevant, the
church has taken up the cry, but
without due reflection or adequate
forethought. While those of the
Christian community who are paci
fists are given the right and the
respect of their position, the Church
has always held firmly to quite
another perspective.
There is no other community in
the world as eager to see the fulfill
ment of Isaiah's vision of the
nations turning their swords into
pruning hooks and plowshares as
the Church. The point is not that
some are peace-loving and the
others are war mongers. The ques
tion is, ‘how will we bring peace to
the world?’
The well-meaning person who
thinks that we are entering some
golden age of universal peace
where the threat of aggression is so
very negligible that we should lay
down our defenses is mistaken.
History does not support that idea,
and neither does Scripture.
When verses are quoted such as
‘Turn the other cheek* or ‘Love
your enemies’, every good Chris
tian agrees and obeys their Lord.
Both of these commands work
wonderfully well in the life of the
believer who is willing to yield up
his or her rights for the good of
others. However, it was not in
tended by our Lord to be a formula
for international relations - at least
not in this world order. It is one
thing if a person wanting to follow
this great path chooses not to insist
on her personal rights, it is quite
another for that person not to stand
up for the rights of others, or not to
stand up for what is right at all. The
first way is the way of personal
sacrifice for the benefit of your
neighbour.
Christ had rights, he had all the
perogative of heaven, yet he didn't
stand up on his rights as God the
Son. Instead, knowing that it was
for our good and our salvation, he
opened himself up to the abuse of
those rights - and died. Every
Christian should be willing to do
the same. That is personal sacrifice,
calculated to bring real peace and
true forgiveness to a world full of
troubled hearts.
But remember, it is one thing if a
person slaps me and I decide to
absorb the blow as a testimony
against him or as an act of sacrifice
in order to win him to the way of
Christ. It is quite another if he
strikes my wife or threatens to
abuse my children. If I choose not
to defend myself, personally, well
and good. However, God has given
me the responsibility to protect and
defend my family. So too with the
leaders of the nation. They may
suffer whatever insults they want to
on a personal level, but they are
responsible to defend the rights of
those committed to their charge and
entrusted to their care.
I am not naive enough to think
that every war in which Canadians
have involved themselves is a ‘just
war’, or that the lines between right
and wrong are always as clearly
defined as they were in 1939.
Nevertheless, to defend the weak
against unjustified aggression and
to patrol for peace-keeping's sake
with the United Nations are mili
ANGLICAN CHURCH
OF CANADA
Rev. E. Paul Acton 887-9273
tary actions which ought to be com
mended by those who enjoy the
universal benefits brought to them
and the world as a result.
NOVEMBER 17 - PENTECOST 26
TRINITY, BLYTH ST. JOHN’S , BRUSSELS
9:30 A.M. 11:15 A.M.
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Rev. Cameron McMillan
Church Office 887-6259 Manse 887-9313
11:00 a.m.
7:30 p;m.
8:00 p.m.
9:30 a.m.
-Worship Service
- "Coping With Failure"
- Sacrament of Infant Baptism
- Church School - Nursery
-Adult Church Membership Class
-Session Meeting
-Tuesday, November 19th
-Ethel Worship Service
■Church School
Let all of us pray and work for peace
HURON CHAPEL MISSIONARY
CHURCH
PASTOR JAMES H. CARNE AUBURN 526-7515
10 a.m. - Family Bible Hour
11 a.m. -Morning Service
8 p.m. - Evening Service
Wednesday - Prayer & Bible Study
Friday 7:30 p.m. - Youth
Which is true??
Creation
or
Evolution
You will see an excellent
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Carolyn McAvoy
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. -Belgrave Service
We welcome you to come and worship with us
presentation, on 4 video tapes
Time: Friday, November 15 8:00 p.m.
Place: Blyth Christian Reformed Church
Refreshments Served BabysittingProvided
Free Admission
LONDESBOROUGH UNITED CHURCH
November 17,1991
Anniversary Service - 11:15 a.m.
Guest Speaker: Mr. Tom Lyons
Special Music
Potluck Sandwich and Square Lunch after the
Service
COME AND CELEBRATE WITH US
/ IP 60 TO Ct-IURCM
' BUT... IT‘5 JUST FPR
'WOftAEM e CHILDREN 7
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
HIGHWAY 4, BLYTH
SPEAKERS:
Mr. Martin Wilts at 10 a.m.
Mr. Fred Vandersterre at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Sunday School 11:00 a.m.
The Church of the "Back to God Hour" and "Faith 20"
Back to God Hour 10:30 a.m. CKNX Sunday
Faith 20 5:00 a.m. Weekdays, Global T.V.
All Visitors ‘Welcome ‘Wheelchair accessible
If you’re prone to making
excuses, consider the benefits
of being part of a church family:
Friendship. Service. Love.
Worship. Purpose in living.
Hope.
We ivarmly incite you to
check us out. We believe
you'll feel at home.
9:30 a.m. - Worship Service
10:30 a.m. - Christian
Education Hour for all ages
BRUSSELS MENNONITE
FELLOWSHIP
Pastor Tom Warner Elder John Baan
887-6388 887-6967
V__________________________________________________