The Citizen, 2003-07-30, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2003.
From the Minister’s Study
Dead bones, living faith HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL
By Pastor Ernest Dow
Living Water Christian ’
Fellowship, 14£>th
For several weeks late in 2002, the
“James Ossuary” was on display to
large crowds at the Royal Ontario
Museum as an authentic artifact
dating from the first century AD. The
box, used in ancient times as a
container for the bones of the dead,
carried an inscription: “James, son of
Joseph, brother of Jesus” and was
accepted as authentic by various
authorities. Discovered by Tel Aviv
antiquities dealer Oded Golan, the
bones box was hailed by some as
indirect archeological evidence for
the authenticity of early Christian
origins.
Apparently it was too good to be
true. In June, Israeli authorities
announced that further investigation
showed the inscription was a fraud.
This month, Mr. Golan appeared in
court charged with forgery involving
the ossuary and another item. Police
introduced as evidence stencils,
stones, and partially completed
forgeries.
The heralded artifact must join the
ranks of other historical frauds such
as Piltdown Man and Nebraska Man.
Such disappointments tend to make
one cynical, noting with Mark Twain,
“There is something fascinating about
science. One gets such wholesale
returns of conjectures out of such a
trifling investment of facts.”
Before we come down too hard on
practise what they preach”. (15:14;
23:3,16,24,33).
In a comparison that recalls the
debated ossuary, our Lord termed
religious frauds “whitewashed tombs,
which look beautiful on the outside
but on the inside are full of dead
men’s bones and everything unclean.
In the same way, on the outside you
appear to people as righteous but on
the inside you are full of hypocrisy
and wickedness.” (23:27f)
Before we’re too critical of the
shady antiquities huckster, we ought
to conduct a reality check ourselves
and examine what tainted religious
pretense we may be trying to pass off
on those we meet.
What’s really motivating us? What
idolatries do our priorities,
chequebook, and calendar truly
reveal? People are longing for real
spirituality, the genuine article, not
sham religion.
One man who came close to
overcoming the “gap between life and
lip” was Bill Bright, founder of
Campus Crusade for Christ who died
July 19 at the age of 81. Mr. Bright
made a huge impact on the religious
world through the organization he
founded and his writings. In recent
years Bright emphasized the role of
prayer in life, including fasting. He
was awarded the prestigious
Templeton Prize for Progress in
Religion.
But Mr. Bright’s spiritual
accomplishments really began when
he and his wife committed their
whole being and belongings to
Christ’s service. One report says, “In
1951, he and his wife Vonette drew up
a contract with Christ, joyfully
vowing to renounce their earthly ;
interests in order to commit to lives of
advancing the ‘Great Commission’
worldwide.” Mathew Staver of
Liberty Counsel in Orlando observed,
“He was a true role model and
spiritual mentor because he modeled
Christ and he loved him with all of his
soul.” Not faking it.
The apostle Paul made every effort
to guard his life against hypocrisy, so
that he could recommend his “way of
life” as an example for young
believers, adding, “The Kingdom of
God is not a matter of talk but of
power.” (1 Corinthians 4:17,20) It is
genuine faith that withstands trials
and will result in praise, glory, and
honour when Jesus is finally revealed.
(1 Peter 1:7) Such faith goes deeper
than the surface — just as the
inscription on the ossuary, if genuine,
would not have been confined to the
crust (or patina) but been part of the
underlying stone layer. So be the
genuine article, putting faith into
practice; not a whitewashed tomb or
fake bones box!
MISSIONARY CHURCH
SNGAsowjoF Auburn-526-1131
PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-4941
Sunday 9:30 a.m. - Family Bible Hour
10:30 a.m. - Morning Worship Service
7:30 p.m. - Evening Worship Servie
Wednesday 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.- 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
Sunday, August 3
Morning Worship Service -10 a.m.
Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m.
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Mr. Golan, we must admit that many
of us are guilty of fraud in other ways.
Spiritually it is all too common to
“fake it”. Some claim they are
“Christian” for census purposes yet
can produce no hard evidence of it in
daily life. Some say they believe the
Bible, yet conveniently adopt a
relativistic approach to morality,
claiming there are no absolutes when
it comes to deciding what’s right and
wroub. Still others go through all the
right religious motions and make the
right noises - attending church
regularly, singing hymns, serving on
committees or in ministries - yet their
heart is not in it. If pressed, they
would have to admit a real intimacy
with God is lacking.
Those of us who are religious
“professionals” can also become
guilty of such spiritual fakery, and it
was no different in Jesus’ time. Our
Lord reserved His harshest criticism
St. Michael's
Roman Catholic Church
254 Drummond St. E., Blyth
Saturday Night Mass
at 7:00 pm
Father John Johnson, Pastor
357-2435
A
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
Wheelchair accessible
Coflinuimfy Chur^ of
"The Church is not a VO#
Building,
People Touching
People"
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Joan Golden - Diaconal Student Minister
Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wcl.on.ca
SUMMER SCHEDULE
Sunday 11:00 am Worship Service
(Junior Church during service)
Spiritual Healing Seminar - Thurs., July 31 & Fri., Aug. 1 at 7:00 pm
For more information call: Gail Bailey 523-9796, Mary Marsh 482-9623
(No products or services will be sold)
Phone 523-4875 308 Blyth Rd. E. ~ Pastor Les Cook 523-4590
Shuting Uugudt ute atilt 6-e gaining- in
utaiAtiip utitli aux neigM-o-uiA
at Melttille ftieAt-yteiian (Zfitvicll,
for religious leaders, including the
widely respected Pharisees. “You
hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he
prophesied about you: “These people
honour me with their lips, but their
hearts are far from me.” (Matthew
15:7f) Jesus also called them “blind
guides”, “snakes”, those who “do not
Cornerstone
Bible
Fellowship
Ethel
Communion - 9:45 - 10:30
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
'IfJefeomed cyoa to- ewie and wondfaft adt&- ad
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3
Feast of St Stephen, Deacon & Martyr
HOLY EUCHARIST
August 3:
Speaker: Bob Pike
"Being a
Christian
in the
Workplace"
August 10:
Professor John Schuit
Emmanuel Bible College
Church Beyond the Box
3
3
3
3
3
3
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IS Is
s
£
£___________
j 10:30 a.m. - Contemporary Worship j
at Blyih Public School,
® corner of Kins & Mill
h
£
3
3comer of King & Mill
Pastor. Ernest Dow ~ 523-4848 iS
www.tcc.on.ca/-dowfam
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.
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
Cuenitty Clatdaai C&avcft £e«aice
7:30 p.m.
at Blyth Lions Pa'rfl
Blyth Christian Reformed Chi
Welcome
(Please bring lawn chairs)
•«-..
SUNDAY, AUGUST 10
9th Sunday after Pentecost
MORNING PRAYER
[Tn Trinity, Blyth St. John's, Brussels
l^l 9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m.
The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 887-9273
Blyth United Church
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Sunday, August 3
Worship Service & Sunday School
11:00 a.m.
Introduction and
Perilous Pirate's Daughter
Sunday, August 10
Leaving Home & hippie
rfCt TUe-CcotM
Minister: Rev. Dr. Eugen Bannerman
Office: 523-4224
Blyth United Church is a welcoming community of faith.
We celebrate God's presence through worship and study, and through
responding to the needs and gifts of each other.