The Citizen, 2003-02-19, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2003.
From the Minister’s Study
Bible’s healing stories give comfort, hope
By Rev. Cathrine Campbell
Melville, Brussels
Knox, Belgrave
Presbyterian Churches
The stories of healing we read in
the Bible are stories that give us,
today, comfort and hope. We hear
that Jesus did not flinch from the
diseased and down heartened but,
without thought for himself, gave his
hand and his healing to all. There
were no questions that needed to be
asked or answered, only a wish to be
whole once more"
In the Gospels of Matthew and
Mark we hear of the healing of the
many who are brought by others to
Jesus so that he may cure them.
These unnamed folk are guides for
us for they reinforce, again, that we
are our “brothers’ and sisters’
keepers” We are called and are able
to do God’s will, to bring people to a
community of care, a place of
healing and to tell them of the one
who cares and calms all fears.
And in that we all rejoice.
We have no excuse to not do this.
As John Donne said “ No man is an
island, entire of itself, every man is a
piece of a continent, a part of the
main , if a clod is washed away by
the sea, Europe is the less.......any
man’s death diminishes me, because
1 am involved in mankind.”
And this is why the present time is
so distressing for us. We are being
called not to cures and care, not to
peace but to war and this affects us
all.
We know that war does not bring
health and wholeness, we know that
it is antithetical to the thoughts and
hopes expressed in Psalm 15:
Lord who may dwell in your
sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
Those whose walk blamelessly and
do what is right,
And speak the truth from their
heart,
who do not slander with their
tongue and do no evil to their
friends, nor take up a reproach
against their neighbours,
in whose eye the wicked are
despised but who honour those who
fear the LORD;
who stand by their oath even to
their hurt;
who lend money without usury
and do not take a bribe against the
innocent
Those who do these things shall
never be moved. (NRSV)
This is a Psalm to inspire
confidence and well being and also a
Psalm that Jean Calvin refers to
when he defines what neighbour
means.
Calvin says: “By the word
neighbour the Psalmist means not
only those with whom we enjoy
familiar oiscussion and live on terms
of intimate friendship, but all people,
to whom we are bound by ties of
humanity and common nature. The
Psalmist employs these terms to
show more clearly the odiousness of
what he condemns, and that the
saints may have the greater
abhorrence of all wrong dealing,
since every person who hurts his or
her neighbour violates the
fundamental law of human society.”
(Hearts Aflame: Daily Readings
from Calvin on the Psalms p. 34)
Included in the Mary Stewart
Collect which is said at Women’s
Institute meetings are these
thoughts: “Grant that we may realize
that it is the little things that create
differences, that in the big things of
life we are one. And may we strive
to touch and know the great human
heart common to us all;...”
We know we are not an island,
and, definitely, not SELF sufficient.
That understanding is what John
Donne says, that is what the Psalmist
says, that is what John Calvin says
and that is what the Mary Stewart
Collect affirms but what do you say?
Do you say: “That is all well and
good, for them, but I say it is not my
problem - it is happening to people
who are not like me, it is not my
country that is threatened so let
events unfold as they will”.
or...
Do you say: “7 have a Creator who
cares for all creation, a Spirit to
guide me in the right paths and a
Saviour who came as the Prince of
.Peace and of Salvation ”.
In that saying you will be saying
what is true, and be giving thanks for
the fact that you do not live in
isolation but in a caring community
with all who have heard the words of
the Saving Son.
From those words and works come
healing, wholeness, and peace in our
lives. We are able to follow the
example of the Christ who gave and
gives so freely the ability to know
that we are all God’s creatures and
God wants only the best for us:
Peace in our hearts, peace in our
homes and peace in our world.
If you are interested in learning
more about the Canadian Churches’
response to the current situation in
the Middle East it is .available at:
http://www.ploughshares.ca
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
you, Cd come dtrct (MFtdAcfd cactA,
Sunday, February 23 W
MORNING PRAYER - 7TH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
Blyth United Church
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Sunday, February 23
Worship Service & Sunday School
11:00 a.m.
Minister: Rev. Dr. Eugen Bannerman
Office: 523-4224
St. Michael's
Roman Catholic Church
254 Drummond St. E., Biyth
Sunday Mass 9:00 a.m.
Father Lance Magdziak, Pastor
519-527-0142
email: stjames@rcec.london.on.ca
Trinity, Blyth
9:30 a.m.
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 887-9273
foil an Welcome at the
BLYTH COMMUNITY CHURCH OF GOD
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£__________
§ 10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School §
s
s
February 23 - Mark 2:13IT
Christ-centred. Bible-believing.
Fellowship-friendly. Growth-geared
3
3
at Blyth Public School,
comer of King & Mill
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 523-4848 L
fel www.tcc.on.ca/~dowfam §
Hah sure
you get your wish.
Tell your family you want to he an organ donor.
www.kidney.a W
HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL
,. MISSIONARY CHURCH
Auburn-526-1131
PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-4941
’ "FOLLOW
ME # 4:
Off*™# ~
Y'-Crf2^Tax or Thanks?"
9:30 a.m. - Family Bible Hour
10:30 a.m. - Morning Worship Service
7:30 p.m. - Evening Worship
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.- Crusaders & Youth
7:15 p.m. - Adult Bible Study
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. - Belgrave Service
Wheelchair accessible
Nursery care available
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831
Cornerstone
Bible
Fellowship
Ethel
Communion - 9:45 -10:30
Family Bible Hour and Sunday School ~ 11:00 -12:00
Prayer & Bible Study ~ Tuesday 8 p.m.
Ladies' Time Out - The last Thursday of each month
7:30 - 9:00 p.m. - starting again February 27
John 14:6 - Jesus said, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, no
one comes to the Father, but through Me.“
Everyone Welcome
Call Pastor Andrew Thursdays or Fridays at 887-6123
10:00 a.m. - Sunday School for all ages
11:00 a.m. - Morning Worship
(Junior Church during service)
7:30 p.m. - Evening Worship
Bible Studies - Wednesday morning 10 a.m.
Wednesday evening 7:30 p.m.
Phone 523-4590 308 Blyth Rd., Blyth________
'Please facet cm ftvt awM&ifa.
Sunday, February 23
Morning Worship Service -10 a.m.
Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m.
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For
what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a
little time, and then vanisheth away.
~ fames 4:14
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
Wheelchair accessible
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Joan Golden - Diaconal Student Minister
Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wcl.on.ca
February 23
Ethel United Church
9:30 a.m.
Worship Service & Sunday School
Brussels United Church
11:00 a.m.
Worship Service & Sunday School
Come to celebrate with us the starlight and wonder
in this Season of Epiphany
Alpha
You are invited to an
Alpha
Introductory Brunch
- an opportunity to find out more about the Alpha Course
- a practical introduction to the Christian faith.
Wednesday, February 26, 9:30 a.m. at
Brent & Sarah Kipfer's home
764 James Street, Brussels
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
10:00 - 10:50 a.m.
10:50 - 12:00 noon
What is Alpha?
Video presentation: "Christianity:
Boring, Irrelevant, Untrue?"
Discussion and Brunch
There is no cost for Alpha Course events. Childcare provided.
RSVP to Brent Kipfer (887-6388)
by Monday, February 24