The Citizen, 1992-01-08, Page 17THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8,1992. PAGE 17.
From the Minister's Study
’The camel continues to creep,’ minister warns
BY JAMES H. CARNE,
PASTOR,
THE MISSIONARY
CHURCH, AUBURN
“The Case of the Creeping
Camel” is not a new Agatha
Christie novel. It's an old story,
really, about a camel sleeping out
in the cold requesting permission of
its owner to insert its nose, for the
sake of comfort, into its master's
tent.
Upon finding this slight intrusion
to be an improvement indeed, this
“ship of the desert” begs further to
be allowed to house its whole head
within the tent. As the story goes,
the process is repeated until the
camel has taken over the entire tent
and the master finds himself out
side in the cold in the place of the
camel!
While the story is old, the princi
ple which the story illustrates is
not. Politicians use it all the time,
particularly when endeavouring to
introduce a new tax. The GST was
proposed originally at nine per
cent. When the public outcry
demanded seven per cent, the gov
ernment complied with apparent
unwillingness, yet knowing full
well that it had succeeded; its nose
was in the tent! nine per cent would
come later.
The liquor industry uses the same
“creeping camel” philosophy: first,
push for licensed restaurants, move
on to beer and liquor stores and,
voila! soon the supermarkets and
comer stores are pushing a product
that is devastating our country.
Back in the sixties when the issue
of Sunday sports was introduced,
assurances were given that sporting
events would not begin until 2:00
p.m.
Two years had yet to pass after
its inception in the little town
where I was serving before I, repre
senting the local ministerial associ
ation, had need to remind the town
fathers of the agreement and the
fact that the town should not be
seen to be in competition with the
church in respect to the betterment
of its youth. If there was ever such
an agreement in this area some Fair
Boards, sporting sponsors and
organizers of other community
events have let it slide into the sea
of corporate forgetfulness. I did see
recently, however, a TV ad that
indicated that a certain business
would open “after church”. Perhaps
that little tid-bit was intended to
justify being open on Sunday at all!
The camel continues to creep.
This Christmas past an outcry was
raised by a vocal minority that reli
gious Christmas carols were includ
ed in some public school Christmas
progammes. In reaction, some
teachers who have been tradi
tionally responsible for such
programmes have refused to
produce secular ones and have
dropped out of the whole process.
Good for them! Good for the
parents who will refuse to attend
strictly secular Christmas pro
grammes! It's time to take back the
tent!
It's strange that the broadcasting
media ensure that the public know
that the opinions expressed on reli
gious programmes are not neces
sarily those of the station, yet no
similar disclaimer is ever made in
regard to any secular production,
with many of which it would seem
that one would hardly wish to be
identified. It seems strange that
teachers are feeling forced to leave
the public school system because it
has become illegal for them to say
grace at the noon lunch pro
gramme.
Back at the tent, meanwhile, the
camel and its master are striving for
mutual understanding and co-exis-
tence: why not share the accommo
dations? Why not equality?
According to the outcome of the
story, such is not practical, from the
camel's point of view; the master
finds himself out in the cold. And
so has it ever been. Christianity and
secular humanism are so diverse
that one or the other is out in the
cold. Too bad that, in the name of
equality and the rights and free
doms of minorities the rights of the
majority are being progressively
repressed until it may well be
against the law, in time, to profess
to be a Christian. Too bad that we
should be heading in the direction
from which Eastern Europe is now
retreating.
Perhaps that is the way it will
have to go: Canadians may well
have to lose all of their religious
rights before they realize that the
camel even keeps the comforter!
Blyth United celebrates new year
The congregation of Blyth Unit
ed Church was greeted on Sunday,
January 5 by Linda and Don Stew
art. Ushers were the Bruce Howson
family. Debbie Root was looking
after the nursery and Rose DeBoer
led the Junior Congregation.
The service was led by Rev.
Ramirez with Phyllis Boak at the
organ. The choir sang “There's a
Quiet Understanding”.
The sermon “The Invitation to
God’s Kingdom” was based on
Luke 14: 15-24. The new year has
arrived and now is a time for new
beginnings. It is the time to think of
all the possibilities of what we can
do in 1992. The year is new like a
freshly cleaned chalkboard with no
scratches or scribbles.
We can keep all that we have for
someone is sick or dies or some
other tragedy occurs, do so many of
us call on Him.
All that we have (property,
money, etc.) is good, but when we
realize that it is God who provides,
these things are better. Like the
stained glass windows in a church -
they in themselves (as made by
man) are beautiful, but when God's
sun shines through them they
become glorious and far more
beautiful and radiant.
We need the power of self-will
and initiative, economic power and
political power and that is fine, but
let's not forget that it is not our
power alone. It is God who gives us
that power and don't let those pow
ers become an obsession.
It is good to have a home, a fami-
ourselves or we can accept God’s
invitation and use ourselves and
our worth for Gobi's purposes and
work. Now is the time to spend
time God to get to know Him and
His love and to love Him back.
Like the invitations to the feast in
Luke 14, we can accept and
acknowledge God's invitation or
ignore it and send our regrets. Jesus
is God's personal invitation to all of
us. The scripture still speaks to us
today as a reminder. As we conduct
our daily lives who are we going to
invite to spend it with us - our fam
ily, friends and acquaintances.
What bout God? Sometimes like in
the scripture we send our regrets to
God and make excuses for not par
ticipating in God's way (we are too
busy, we don't need it). Not until
ly, personal affairs and commit
ments - we can't live without them,
but without a love of God and com
mittment to Him our lives will be
empty. God should always be our
first priority. God is the head of our
home, the silent guest in our house,
at every meal. Jesus Christ our
Lord is our personal invitation to
God's Kingdom in 1992. Let us
accept that invitation and respond
to God's call. “Seek ye the Lord
while He may be found”.
May 1992 be truly a blessing to
us all. The congregation was asked
to remember in prayers those who
are in hospital: Irvine Wallace,
Bailie Parrot, Cliff Hoegy and Mae
McDonald. Seniors and disabled
adults who would like to know
what services and programs are
available to you, call the Commun
ity Information Service 482-5666.
Go Ahead, Buy a
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Brussels, Ont. Blyth, Ont.
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ANGLICAN CHURCH
OF CANADA
Rev. E. Paul Acton 887-9273
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD - JAN. 12 (H.E.)
TRINITY, BLVTH ST. JOHN'S , BRUSSELS
9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m.
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
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.
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
A REFORMED CHURCH
A-|-A HIGHWAY 4, BLYTH
DR. W. H. LAMMERS
Sunday at 10 a.m. & 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.
AU Visitors Welcome Wfieelcftair accessible
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Rev. Cameron McMillan
Church Office 887-6259 Manse 887-9313
11:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
-Morning Worship
"U.C.W. celebrates 30 years of Service
Guest Speaker "Lynn Westwood"
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship
Church School and Nursery
********
-Ethel Morning Worship
"All our hopes in God are founded
Pastor: Tom Warner
887-6388
"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.
BRUSSELS
MENNONITE
FELLOWSHIP
9:30 a.m. - Worship Service
10:30 a.m. - Christian Education Hour
for all ages
12 noon - Potluck Fellowship Lunch
Elder: Elwin Garland
887-9017
GUESTS EXPECTED