Perspectives by Rev. Arlyce Schiebout

December 28, 2011 Editor Opinion

 

Do you see what I see?

Christmas has passed and life is back to normal, right?  

There is the story of a little boy who had watched with great interest how the creche/nativity scene was set up outside his church.  A few days after Christmas the scene had been dismantled and all that remained was the outline of the scene on the ground covered with snow.

He asked his mother what had happened, why the scene and baby Jesus had disappeared.  The little boy’s mother tried her best to give an explanation—that Christmas was over and the heavy snow of January would envelope the scene.  

The little boy, as most little children, knew that it was not such a good explanation.  But then his mother added, the love and joy of Jesus was not just in the nativity scene but should be lived out in his life and the lives of others who believed that Jesus came to show us God’s love and how to live in the Way. 

The little boy liked that answer and now had something that he could remember every day of the year, not just on Christmas.

The outline of God’s love is with us all the time.  God is as close to us as the breath that we breath.  Regardless of where we find ourselves on life’s journey, God is always near.  

For those characters in Luke’s gospel story of Jesus’ birth, God was near. For the wise ones in Matthew’s story, God was near. 

The outline of God-with-us, Emmanuel, is a great comfort to us when we are in the midst of burdens which seem to have no resolution. God-with-us, Emmanuel, is a source of energy and new life when we forgive as we have been forgiven by God for those many times when we forget that God is the voice we should listen to.  

God-with-us, Emmanuel, Jesus, reminds us daily that we are to be the hands and feet of Christ in a world that yearns for hope, healing, justice.  

God-with-us reminds us that our faith is lived out in the world around us, not just inside us or within a particular denomination or faith community.  

God-with-us, Emmanuel, reminds us that even after long hard work for the kingdom of God, we are not discouraged but encouraged.

Do you see what I see?  I see the Christ-light shining brightly in our world.  This light shines even in the darkest of corners.  And I see many people who live that light in our communities.  Let your light shine, and share it liberally!  

Blessings and Peace for 2012 and the season of Epiphany.

Rev. Arlyce Schiebout

 

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Perspectives with Rev. George Frey

February 12, 2014 Editor Opinion

Are You a Faithful Church Member?

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. 

(Hebrews 10:24-25)

It “is the manner of some” Christians to forsake (enkataleipo; abandon or desert) the services and meetings of the local Church. “Manner” (ethos) in this verse refers to customary behavior or habits.  Some Christians, willfully and habitually, avoid services and meetings of the local Church. 

These Christians assume the right to determine for themselves whether they go to Church, on the bases of personal preference or convenience. Where the Bible has made God’s will known, choosing otherwise is a choice to disobey God’s word. (see v.26)

According to this passage, to forsake the assemblies of the Church is a refusal to participate in the love and good works designed to happen there. There are aspects of love and good works that cannot occur apart from our involvement in the services and meetings of the local Church. 

The God kind of love is unique, in that it is placed in the heart by the Holy Spirit, only when a person becomes a Christian. (Romans 5:5) This love is modeled for us by Jesus, when He sacrificed His living and life for our salvation. This love is unselfish and focused on the needs of others.

Good  works (kalos ergon) in our text, is the outworking of such love. By definition these are “morally excellent works that one is enabled and obligated to do by virtue of being created in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:10) Therefore avoidance of Church services and meetings is a violation of the nature and purpose of being “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” 

Our text calls us to “consider one another.” As I am considering others, others are considering me. This is how the God kind of love is designed to work in the Church. This consideration (katanoeo) is a caring awareness and regard for others, that looks for the opportunity to be a blessing, in word and deed. (1 John 3:16-19)

We consider one another in this way when we respect the vision of Christ for our participation in the services and meetings of the local Church. (Ephesians 4:1-16) It is in our assembling together as a Church that we “exhort one another.” The term translated “exhort,” parakaleo in the Greek text, means to come alongside of one another, to aid, help, comfort, and encourage one another. 

Attendance in local Church services and meetings is necessary if we are to be faithful to the model of Church presented to us in the Bible; a model of love and unity. And as we proceed toward the “Day of the Lord” this model becomes increasingly important.

We can only disobey God’s word to our own hurt, so let us obey the Scriptures in this matter; demonstrating our true discipleship and love for Jesus by assembling with the Church faithfully. (John 8:31; 14:23) 

If you know these things, happy are you if you do them. – John 13:17

 

[…]

No Picture
Opinion

Perspectives by Rev. Janet Evans

January 4, 2012 Editor Opinion

 

New Path for 2012

“I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year-give me a light that I might tread safely into the unknown, but he said put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

These words have been used by me several times before in this column, and I always find them inspiring.

As we walk into 2012, may we indeed place our hand into God’s hand–our Lord will comfort, sustain and guide us as we travel along life’s journey.

What will 2012 bring? We do not know.

Have we made any New Year’s resolutions–perhaps we have done this! 

We would do well to offer compassion to someone who is hurting, who has asked us for help.

Perhaps we could resolve to feed the hungry, uplift the ill, visit the lonely.

We can forgive those who have shattered our lives and maybe another individual will forgive us when we have said we are sorry for making a mistake.

In the coming year, may we draw closer to God and to one another. May we remember that “the old things are passed away. Behold! I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5).

We can in 2012, become new beings, set on a new path. God teaches us to believe that the life before us in the new year is part of His plan and will unfold for us as it should if we are prepared to accept His guidance.

Rev. Janet Evans, 

Iroquois United Church

 

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