The Citizen, 2003-05-07, Page 15THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2003. PAGE 15.
From the Minister’s Study
Bible shows that God gives good gifts
By Brent Kipfer
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
My wife, Sarah, likes to make gift
giving easy for me. A couple of
years ago, she casually mentioned
that a power drill would make a nice
Christmas gift.
No one at the hardware store
believed that I was really buying this
tool for my wife.
Last year she dropped the hint that
a heat-resistant spatula would make
a good stocking stuffer. I was happy
to oblige.
Mother’s Day is coming. Last
Tuesday. Sarah let it slip that a lawn
edger would make a great gift.
Wonderful!
I recruited our son, Joel, and we
set off on our mission to the
hardware store. We carefully
examined the options. We selected
the right specimen and walked to the
check-out counter. As we waited,
Joel happily announced, “We’re
buying this lawn edger to give to my
mom on Mother’s Day!”
A fellow customer tried to come to
our rescue, to save us from making a
potentially fatal mistake. “That’s
nothing to boast about!” she said.
“Why don’t you try flowers?”
I explained that Sarah actually
wanted a lawn edger.
“You've buried yourself, buddy.”
The Bible introduces us to a God
who knows how to give good gifts.
James 1:17 summarizes one of the
recurring themes in scripture:
“Every generous act of giving, with
every perfect gift, is from above,
coming down from the Father of
lights...”
God’s gift-giving credentials are
impeccable. Our heavenly Father
does not fumble around picking out
mediocre gifts.
Since the creation of the world,
God has been at work for our ben
efit.
Mother Teresa said, “No one spoils
us as much as God Himself. See the
wonderful gifts He has given us
freely?...You can all see - if God
were to take money for your sight
what would happen? Continually we
are breathing and living on oxygen
we did not pay for.”
God is the master gift-giver.
Jesus Christ is the supreme gift of
all.
Christians have been celebrating
the good news of Easter - the
resurrection of Jesus - and every
good thing that has been released to
us through Christ’s victory over
death: the continuing presence of
Jesus in our lives, the forgiveness of
sin, the joy of being able to have a
relationship with God, the promise
of eternal life.
God’s gifts are practical; they
make a concrete difference in our
daily lives. But they are more than
that. In each one, God has a message
for us. With each one, the Father of
lights again whispers: “I love you;
you are worth everything to me.”
At best, our human gift-giving is a
shadow of God’s generous love for
us.
Maybe I should also pick up some
flowers...
254 Drummond St. E., Blyth
Sunday Mass 9:00 a.m.
Father Lance Magdziak, Pastor
519-527-0142
email: stjames@rcec.london.on.ca
IH/S leads Melville service
Mary Huether greeted
congregants to Melville Presbyterian
Church for the mission awareness
service, Sunday.
In the absence of Rev. Cathrine
Campbell,* the congregation
gathered to worship under the
leadership of members of the
Melville Women’s Missionary
Society with Janna Dodds taking the
chair for the service. Mary Douma
was the accompanying organist.
The children’s story was presented
by Mrs. Huether. She said that
people once believed the earth was
flat until explorers sailed around it
and proved it was round. This was
compared to doubting Thomas
having to see the wounds on Jesus
before he accepted that he was
indeed the resurrected Christ.
The lesson from the scriptures:
Psalm 133; Acts 4: 32-35; John 20:
19-31 was read by Isobel Gibson
and Alice Marks. Mrs. Dodds
presented a sermon, written by Rev.
Linda Reed, entitled, No One
Needed Anything. This was about
the early Christian church as it was
forming, and how members of the
group sold their property and
donated the funds to the whole
community so everyone would have
enough. Here was the concept of a
community based on common
belief, mission and purpose. This
early generosity to those in need and
a sharing with unfortunates is the
inspiration for today’s WMS, which
supports missionary families in
Nepal, India, El Salvador, Winnipeg
and the Cariboo.
Collection was taken by Frank
Schimanski, Doug McArter,
Maurice Douma.
a developing country.
Pick up Sunday school food orders
in the church basement on Thursday,
May 14, anytime after 11 a.m.
Last week, members of Melville
received a questionnaire from the
session. It is quite important to have
it completed and sent in. If you
missed getting your copy, contact
Mary Douma.
Congregants are invited to
participate in the collecting of
materials for relief kits to be sent to
Iraq. The Brussels Mennonite
Church is organizing an assembling
of materials on May 9. Items such as
bath soap, shampoo, laundry
detergent and toothpaste are needed.
The Sunday school Easter
breakfast raised approximately $400
to go towards Geni, a foster child in
lilting IVater^
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£ 10:30 a.m. - Worship & Sunday School §
at Blyth Public School, .
comer of King & Mill
j Pastor: Ernest Dow - 523-4848 j
www.tcc.on.ca/~dowfam
May 11 - Ephesians 2£
Ott? Mother's 2)ai/ SiuuicH
Saturday, May 10, 9-11 am
Heartland EMC. Clinton
"Glue
for
Fractured
Families”
3
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THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
cpw, to ctMte afa/t ccj
Sunday, May 11
4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Morning Prayer - Mother's Day
rrn Trinity, Blyth St. John's, Brussels
IO*I 9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m.
The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 887-9273
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Joan Golden - Diaconal Student Minister
Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wcl.on.ca
HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL
MISSIONARY CHURCH
Auburn - 526-1131
0x3**^ PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-4941
- Family Bible HourSunday9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m. - Morning Worship Service
7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.- Youth
7: IS p.m. - Adult Bible Study
- Concert by "Men of Note"
'PCeo&e fact, cm fa cwnfafr
1 "La Sunday, May 11
Morning Worship Service -10 a.m.
Genesis 2 - Are you lonely
I hank God
1 S Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.rti.
Daniel 2 ~ The Kingdom Dream
fmomS
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
Wheelchair accessible
Pastor John Kuperus
May 11
Ethel United Church
9:30 a.m.
Worship Service & Sunday School
Brussels United Church
11:00 a.m.
Worship Service & Sunday School
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
Blyth United Church
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Sunday, May 11
Worship Service & Sunday School
11:00 a.m.
Mother's Day
Minister: Rev. Dr. Eugen Bannerman
Office: 523-4224
Easter is not over!
Celebrate with us at
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
Worship Service
Coffee Break
Sunday School
9:30 am
10:45 am
11:00 am
Pastor Brent Kipfer 887-6388
Jesus says, 'I am the Good Shepherd." John 10:11
ChurC]j
"The Church is not a
Building,
It is People Touching
People"
Sunday - 10:00 a.m. - Sunday School for all ages
11:00 a.m. - Morning Worship
7:30 p.m. - Evening Worship
Wednesday - 10:00 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. - Bible Studies
Phone 523-4875 308 Blyth Rd. E.
Pastor Les Cook 523-4590
Cornerstone
Bible
Ethel
Communion - 9:45 - 10:30
Family Bible Hour and Sunday School ~ 1100 - 12:00
Prayer & Bible Study ~ Tuesday 8 p.m.
Ladies' Time Out - The last Thursday of each month
7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
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