The Citizen, 1996-05-22, Page 16You're invited to join us for worship Pentecost Sunday
May 26,1996
Morning Worship Service - 10 a.m
Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m.
- Rev. Adrian A. Van Geest
'Create in me a clean heart, 0 God;
and renew a right spirit within me.' Psalm 5.I:10
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
Wheelchair accessible
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Rev. Cameron McMillan
Church Office 887-6259 Manse 887-9313
11:00 a.m. Pentecost Sunday
Service will be led by Members
of Session
Church School - Nursery
9:30 a.m. Ethel Pentecost Sunday
Service will be led by
Church School Members
God of grace and God of glory
On Thy people pour Thy power
"Welcome to Brussels and Ethel United"
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Cathrine Campbell
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. - Belgrave Service
We welcome you to come and worship with us.
887-9831 Wheelchair Accessible
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
You are wet-come this Sunday
MAY 26 - THE DAY OF PENTECOST
HOLY EUCHARIST
Rev. Nancy Beale
Trinity, Blyth St. John's, Brussels
9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m.
HURON CHAPEL MISSIONARY
CHURCH
PASTOR JAMES H. CARNE AUBURN 526-7515
Sunday 10 a.m. - Family Bible Hour
11 a.m. - Morning Service
8 p.m. - Evening Service
Monday 7:30 p.m. - Addictions Support Group
Wednesday 8 p.m. - Prayer & Bible Study
Friday 7:30 p.m. - Youth
BLYTH UNITED CHURCH
"THE WAY"
presents
HOMEWARD BOUND
SUNDAY, MAY 26, 1996 7:00 P.M.
Based on Luke 15:11-32
The Prbdigal Son
SKITS MUSIC WORSHIP FELLOWSHIP SINGING
PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1996
From the Minister's Study
Young man discovers spritual insight
By James H. Came, Pastor
The Missionary Church,
Auburn
"It's not religion but a
relationship." When I heard that, I
knew that the young man sitting
across from me had some real
spiritual insight.
He had had enough experience
with "religion," he had been raised
in a liturgical church until boredom
had forced him out at the age of 17.
Now, at 25, church had played no
part in his life in recent years until
he met a girl at work, who was a
"born-again" Christian. She invited
him to attend with her, and for the
past two months, he has been front
and centre, under the sound of the
gospel.
A couple of sundays ago he made
his first comment about the
Worshippers were greeted at
Blyth United Church Sunday, by
Bev and Cliff Snell. Ushers were
Margaret Caldwell, Faye Bolger
and Tammy and Stephanie Root.
Organist was Barbara Bosman.
Debbie Cook was in charge of the
nursery. The Bible was placed on
the pulpit by Heather Elliott.
Welcome and Call to Worship
were given by Rev. Stephen
Huntley, followed by introit The
Celebration Song. The opening
hymn was Praise to the Lord, the
Almighty. This was followed by
Prayer of Confession, repeated in
unison.
The children's hymn Step by Step
was sung, followed by a story to
them regarding "My Special
Friend". No matter how they feel,
Rev. Huntley said, Jesus is always
their very special friend.
The choral anthem, Something
Worth Living For was accompanied
by Mrs. Bosman. The Psalm was
"0 God you are my God". The Old
Testament lesson, Acts 1: 6-14;
New Testament Lesson I Peter 4:
12-14, 5: 6-11 and gospel reading
John 15: 9-17 were read by Rev.
Huntley.
The anthem The Gift of Love was
sung by Kate Huntley and Christa
Cameron, accompanied by Mrs.
Bosman at the piano.
Rev. Huntley's sermon was
"Friendship" the second in his
sermon series on Love. In John 15:
8-15 it says "Greater love has no
man than this, that a man lay down
his life for his friends. No longer do
I call you servants, for the servant
does not know what his master is
doing, but I have called you friends."
Bob Heywood of Exeter was
guest musician at Auburn
Missionary Church on Sunday,
May 19. The congregation enjoyed
the medley of songs which
included, When My Heart is Filled
with Pain, Remind Me of Calvary,
He's More than Enough and The
God of the Mountain is the God of
the Valley.
Elizabeth Bowman, delegate to
District Conference of the
Evangelical Missionary Church,
Canada East, gave half of her
report. More will be given next
week.
Pastor Carne's message, "The
Guidance of God," had scripture
from Exodus 33: 1-3; 12-16.
services: "You really spoke to me
this morning," he said to me at the
door. When I asked him whether or
not it was time to talk, he agreed
quickly that it was. The next day he
sat across from me and told me
what he knew about being right
with God.
When I asked him whether or not
he experienced this relationship
with God, through Christ, about
which he had been speaking, he
gave an interesting response: "I
think so, because I am about to
dispose of a "heavy metal"
collection which I have valued." (I
don't know how he had come to
conviction over his music). I
replied that this was a good sign,
probably, but, if I had asked him
whether or not he was married, he
wouldn't have replied, "I think so."
I went on to say that, becoming a
"Truly Jesus calls us friends,"
Rev. Huntley said, "for he laid
down his life for us. In the cross we
discover the greatest gift there is to
receive, God's gift of salvation
through the sacrifice of His Son for
our sins."
To some, friendship, might not
be thought of as love." We hear a
great deal in our world today about
Eros and affection or family love
but not much on friendship. The
modern world tends to ignore it.
The ancient world. on the other
hand celebrated the love of friend-
ship and gave it a high placing.
How has this change occurred?"
The possibility of going through
life without friendship is rooted in
the fact which separates love from
other loves, Rev. Huntley said.
Friendship is the least organic of
theloves. "Without eros we would
not have been born, without affec-
tion we would not have been raised
or nurtured, however we can go
through life without friends and
survive, although few of us would
choose or desire this."
A definition of friendship is
"Seeing the same truth." Friendship
occurs when two or more indivi-
duals share the same truth. Those
who have nothing can share nothing;
those who are going nowhere can
have no fellow travellers.
Friendship is that love which
takes place unexpectedly. A key
characteristic in friendship is
sharing, Rev. Huntley said. "When
we have a friend we want to share
that friendship with others. This is
not the case with eros or affection."
This thing, which draws persons
together, is what causes friendship
People get hopelessly lost without a
map. The greatest need is guidance
and it is very essential to be guided
by God. He said, "When we were
young we never thought life could
become so complicated, but by the
Christian was much like becoming
a husband: on the basis of promises
given and made, on a specific date
in a specific place, one enters
deliberately into a relationship of
marriage. I told him that God had
gone on record as to His love for
him and, on Calvary's cross, He
had proffered to him mercy,
forgiveness and peace. I assured
him that everything that God
needed to do to save him had been
done; it was necessary, only, for
him to say to God,' "As You have
chosen me, I choose You." I
indicated that he could enter into
that relationship right there and
then, if he was ready.
When he assured me that he was
ready, I prayed with him and
invited him to pray that most
simple prayer: "Lord be merciful to
me, a sinner."
its greatest misery, although misery
only to those who have no great
appreciation or value of friendship,
Rev. Huntley said. The very nature
of friendship draws people away
from others. By its very definition
friendship separates and is socially
disruptive. It does not seek to bring
together, but to come apart. Suspi-
cion finds fertile breeding ground.
Friendships can occur between
people of completely different
backgrounds. True friendship
knows no boundaries of class,
education, age or even sex.
Fred Craddaen, Homeletics
Professor, notes a caution in the
friendship which Jesus offers. The
church, in drawing friends together
to be the church, can be viewed as
elitist. Remember a group of friends
immediately separates and excludes
unless they are sensitive to this.
"Jesus chose us, We did not
choose Him," Rev. Huntley said.
Humility is with all friendships.
Choose each other to do God's will
side by side. The thing or truth
which is sacred in friendship with
Jesus is love.
Hymn What a Friend We have in
Jesus was sung. Prayer of
Dedication, Pastoral Prayer and
The Lord's Prayer were said. The
closing hymn Breathe on Me
Breath of God was followed by
Benediction and Choral Response
"Go Now In Peace".
The yellow mums placed in the
sanctuary were in loving memory
of Dorothy Wallace and Gertrude
Bennett, by Shirley and Les
Rutledge.
In hospital are Tilly Mains, Clin-
ton and Marian Wright, Wingham.
the time we got older we wished
we could stop and just remain as
we are. A stoic suffers but even in
his marriage he has no help, but
Moses said, "I need you God to go
Continued on page 18
After prayer, his sense of peace
and joy was immediate. He has
been "flying high" ever since.
Many people have a religion; I
wonder how many have a
relationship?
Snells greet at Blyth United
Missionaries hear special music
You are Welcome at
the
BLYTH COMMUNITY CHURCH OF GOD
9:45 a.m. - Sunday School for Children and Adults
11:00 a.m. - Morning Worship
Bible Studies - Wednesday 10 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Phone 523-4590 McConnell St., Blyth