The Citizen, 2003-12-24, Page 21THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2003. PAGE 21.
From the Minister’s Study
Pastor says, ‘Have a Happy Herdman Christmas5
By Pastor Ernest Dow
Living Water Christian
Fellowship, Blyth
Walking in a Winter Wonderland...
O Holy Night... Here Comes Santa
Claus...
Hearing all these seasonal songs
while browsing for several hours
amongst the stores, sacred and
secular mingled together without
distinction, can leave us a little
dazed about the true meaning of
Christmas. The pace of the season
doesn’t help: we charge around from
school concerts to family gatherings
to church services to gift shopping,
and — say, when are we going to get
a Christmas tree? So it’s easy to just
focus on the next thing that needs to
be done in our pre-Christmas
preparation whirl and not have time
to reflect on what all the fuss is
about. We need a reality check,
something that will help us stop long
enough to hear the news about
Jesus's birth in a fresh way.
Enter the Herdmans. Not familiar
with this family?
“The Herdmans were absolutely
the worst kids in the history of the
world.” begins the story The Best
Christmas Pageant Ever. For over
15 years this tale by Barbara
Robinson has been a treasured part
of our family’s Christmas traditions.
Just the other night we read it again
aloud after supper, even though our
children are now grown. What is it
about this classic that keeps its
charm and adds meaning to our
festivity?
Briefly, though the Herdmans are
such awful kids - a teacher’s worst
nightmare - they somehow become
involved with the local church’s
annual Christmas pageant. Their
rough ways and religious ignorance
are a scandal to some of the
traditional attenders who think
church programs should always be
done a certain way. But the
narrator’s mother, who is in charge
of the pageant, decides to give them
a chance — even though they have
gotten into the main roles by
intimidating the usual actors! The
Herdmans’ lack of church
instruction leads them to question
everything that’s unusual about the
Christmas story.
And in the process, we gain a fresh
appreciation for the extraordinary
circumstances surrounding the
Messiah’s birth.
For instance, the night of the big
production, Imogene Herdman
makes her grand entrance as Mary in
an unconventional manner.
she poked me again. 'Do you
suppose he could have had colic?’ I
said, ‘I don’t know why not,’ and I
didn’t. He could have had colic, or
been fussy, or hungry like any other
baby. After all, that was the whole
point of Jesus — that he didn’t come
down on a cloud like something out
St. Michael's
Roman Catholic Church
254 Drummond St. E., Blyth
Saturday Night Mass
at 7:00 pm
Father John Johnson, Pastor
357-2435
of ‘Ama/ing Comics’, but that he God’s promise through the prophet
was born and lived .. a real person." Isaiah
This brings a little closer to home
H
S3
S3I®Blyth Community Church of God
y HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL >
Wed., Dec. 31
MISSIONARY CHURCH
Auburn - 526-1131
PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-4941
Wed., Dec. 24
Sunday
7:30 p.m.
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
8:00 p.m.
6
Coffee House
will resume
Sunday, Jan. 4
at 7:30 pm
Meet in the basement
308 Blyth Rd. E.
For information call 523-4590
Fun and. games for the whole family
Christmas Eve Service
Family Bible Hour
Morning Worship Service
New Year's Eve Service
'PCea&e
Sunday, December 28
Morning Worship Service - 10 a.m.
Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m.
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
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
December 28
Ethel United Church
9:30 a.m.
Intergenerational Worship Service
December 24th Christmas Eve Service at 7:30 p.m.
Brussels United Church
11:00 a.m.
Intergenerational Worship Service-
IVe Celebrate the Season of Christmas
- Communion
~ Family Bible Hour and Sunday School
~ Evening Worship Service
- Prayer & Bible Study
- Youth (ages 12 & up)
“Imogene had the baby doll but
she wasn’t carrying it the way she
was supposed to, cradled in her
arms. She had it slung up over her
shoulder, and before she put it in the
manger she thumped it twice on the
back. I heard Alice gasp and she
poked me. T don’t think it’s very
nice to burp the baby Jesus,’ she
whispered, ‘as if he had colic.’ Then
Dee. 28: Isaiah 52:7-12
Christ-centred, Bible-believing,
Fellowship-friendly, Growth-geared
'The Delivery"
Christmas Eve Family Worship
7:30 pm
"What Angels &
Shepherds Have
tW In Common"
QI £ £ £
lilting. WterS
Cfirulimi Teltamfup f
s s s33333
Dec. 24: Luke 2:1-20
10:30 a.m. ~ Contemporary Worship
□ at T ’ ’ ~ ‘
"■ corner
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 523-4848 n
I www.tcc.on.ca/~dowfam £
Blyth Public School, JL
>rner of King & Mill C^i gj
Cornerstone
Bible
Fellowship
Ethel
Sunday: 9:45-10:30
11:00-12:00
7:00 pm
Tuesday: 7:30 pm
Wednesday: 7:00 - 9:00 pm
John 14:6 - Jesus said, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, no
one comes to the Father, but through Me."
Call Pastor Andrew at 887-6123
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
7:30 p.m. - Christmas Eve Carol Service
11:00 a.m. - Sunday Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. - Sunday Belgrave Service
MetiMe wi£t fee 150 tpecutA old in 2004
came and celefbiate with ua.
New Year's Eve Communion Service at 7:30 p.m.
New Year's Day Levee 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. in the Church Hall
Wheelchair accessible
Nursery care available
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
'WetctMcee cftuc to tune cutcC cwtA&Tfz caitd oca
DECEMBER 28
FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS
MORNING PRAYER
JANUARY 4
EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
HOLY EUCHARIST
r Trinity, Blyth
^1 9:30 a.m.
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 887-9273
Sunday
"The Church is not a
Building,
It is People Touching
People"
9:15 a.m. - Prayer Meeti ig
9:45 a.m. - Sunday School
11:00 a.m. - Worship Service
Several mid-week events
Phone 523-4875 308 Blyth Rd. E. - Pastor Les Cook 523-4590
Cue
Come Celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
250 Princess Street, Brussels
Blyth United Church
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Sunday, December 28
Worship Service & Sunday School - 11:00 am
□Ju
Wednesday, December 24
7:30 pm
"The gift of God's Son is yours!
^tfji\Gnwrap it and receive.
Pastor Brent Kipfer
887-6388
CAROLS - MUSIC SUNDAY - OLLIE CRAIG
SUNDAY SCHOOL CHOIR
Sunday, January 4
1 50th anniversary year
/111
Minister: Rev. Dr. Eugen Bannerman
Office: 523-4224
J
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.