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The Citizen, 2018-01-18, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2018. PAGE 13. From the Minister's Study Be faithful in y our decisions: MacDonald Hillary MacDonald Blyth and Brussels United Churches This 2018 year brings lots of conversation regarding the future of The United Church of Canada. We are at a crossroads in the church. We are running out of money at a rapid rate, and we are losing membership at roughly the same rate - because, as you know, these two things go hand in hand. As I have said before, it's not just the United Church of Canada; Christianity in general has been in a state of decline, slowly but surely, since the late 1960s and early 1970s; it's just more obvious in the last few years. There are so many factors that affect this; it's not one symptom, or one mitigating factor at play. Society has changed and the church is running to catch up to the needs of the general population. What once worked, what once was the norm, is no longer and it is time we start to let go of the things that are keeping us from once again becoming a place where people want to be. We spend our lives trying to make big decisions, to trust in the work that others have done for us, and trust that the places they are calling us to go won't be dangerous, or places of fear. This brings us to Matthew 14:22- 33. In this familiar passage, we have the disciples with Jesus and he asks them to do what they do best - get in their boat and head out to sea. After Jesus heads up the mountain to pray he comes back down to meet them, but a storm that has suddenly come up has caused the boat to drift quite far from the shore by this time. So Jesus does what he does, he makes the impossible happen; he walks on top of the water towards the boat. The disciples are terrified; they assume that the man they are seeing, their teacher and friend, is a ghost. Even when he speaks to them to reassure them, they are still sceptical. It is Peter who steps up and offers to take one for the team. He says: "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." Jesus complies and Peter steps out of the boat, but then it happens. He realizes that he has followed Christ, and in doing so is actually standing out on the water, with nothing below to hold him up. Instead of trusting in Jesus, he starts to panic and doubt, he lets the fear set in and starts to sink. But Jesus of course doesn't let him sink. He reaches out and takes his hand and says "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" I know why he doubted, and I'm sure you do too - our minds are hardwired for the flight or fight response. In moments when our lives are in danger for most of us our 9 & 11 AM automatic response is panic, or run away. Would any of us believe that we would be able to walk on water? Most of the time I can trust in something, but as I'm doing it, the panic response still kicks in. For example, I love going on the roller coasters at Canada's Wonderland. I love the feeling of the wind whipping against me as the rides take me higher and higher into the air; spinning and whirling, upside down, sideways and backwards. It's exhilarating and, at times, terrifying. As soon as you get out of the car in the parking lot you can hear screams and squeals of people on the rides. They are having a great time, but at the same time, they are scared. Their bodies and minds are telling them that they are in a potentially dangerous place. I wonder if this is sometimes how we feel we need to operate in the church. We feel we need to sugar- coat things to get people to understand, to deceive them, even just a little bit to get them on board with something we know they will love once they actually try it. We are more driven by our fears than our visions; our dreams, but why? What is it about today's Gospel passage that can help us with those fears? That can help us to let go of them, to let go of the doubt and trust in the process, trust in the Spirit, trust in God? Trust that when we get out of the boat, we will be safe? I read a story about a farmer who wanted to impress his hunting buddies. So he went out and bought the smartest, most expensive hunting dog he could find. He trained this dog to do things no other dog on earth could do - impossible feats that would surely amaze anyone. Then he invited his neighbours to go duck hunting with him. After a long patient wait in the boat a group of ducks flew over and the hunters were able to shoot a few of them down. Several ducks fell in the water. The farmer looked at the dog and said, "Go get em!" The dog leaped out of the boat, walked on the water, and picked up a bird and returned to the boat. As soon as he dropped the duck in the boat he trotted off across the water again and grabbed another duck and brought it back to the boat. The owner kind of swelled up with pride as his dog #1 And We IIlo Still Harder! Recent circulation figures show The Citizen has the highest circulation in the northern part of Huron County, #3 in the entire county. The Citizen Proudly Community - Owned Since 1985 ,Vou re e�nvitecl a join `Js 9n Worshi SUNDAYS Morning Service Evening Service 10:00 am 7:30 pm BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH • Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen J (� Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743 MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS SUNDAY, JANUARY 21 We invite you to join our church fami,y in: Worship & Sunday School - 11 am Coffee & Snacks following the service Come out and meet our new minister, Rev. Charmila Ireland Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Soup & More 2 - a free community meal held in Melville's basement, and made possible by the Brussels churches working together. Nursery care available 519-887-6687 Blyth United Church Est. 1875 And Jesus said to them "Follow Me" Sunday, January 21 Worship at 9:30 am followed by Congregational Annual Meeting C Hillary MacDonald OFFICE: 519-523-4224 walked across the water and retrieved each of the birds one by one. Kind of smugly, he looked at one of his buddies and asked, "Do you notice anything unusual about my dog?" One of them sat back and rubbed his chin and thought about it for a little while and finally said, "Yeah, come to think of it, I do! That stupid dog doesn't know how to swim does he?" Many give Peter the same reaction. Instead of recognizing that he was the only disciple who was willing to get out of the boat, he is more often than not criticized for his lack of faith once he got out. But the bigger picture if we look at it, is that he dared to get out. He dared to believe and trust in Christ and follow him to what seemed to be an impossible place - walking on top of the water. As we journey into the new year let us pray that we will be faithful in our decisions, that we will dare to get out of the boat, even if it means sinking a little bit and having to reach again for Christ. As our own faith journeys take twists and turns that may seem scary, and invoke out panic mode, or fight or flight response, let us turn to Christ to lead us safely to shore. The world can be a scary place, but if we simply stay in the boat, and never accept the invitation to believe in Jesus and follow him across the waters, we will never know what possibilities lie ahead. Let us be bold, let us be faithful, let us dare to get out of the boat. Amen. The Regional Ministry of Hope Trinity Anglican Church BLYTH rt7A-el 66 9:15 am Everyone Welcome! St. John's Anglican Church BRUSSELS 11:15 am MINISTRY OFFICE 519-357-4883 Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca The Regional Ministry of Hope COME WORSHIP WITH US! BRUSSELS United Church Welcome to Sunday morning worship & Sunday School at 11:00 am Hillary MacDonald (905) 246-7386 Macdonald.hillary@gmail.com Everyone welcome Sunday, January 21 at 10:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. 650 Alexander St. (former Brussels Public School) Sunday School for children 4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m. Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers during the sermon. Coffee & cookies after the moming service. For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621 Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173 THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS. OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Brussels: St. Ambrose Saturday 6:00 p.m. 17 Flora Street Winaham: Sacred Heart Sunday 9:00 a.m. 220 Carling Terrace Listowel: St. Joseph's Sunday 11:00 a.m. 1025 Wallace Avenue N.