Perspectives with Rev. Clarence Witten

 

Loyal for Life

My CFL football team, the Edmonton Eskimos, is in the cellar. My hockey team, the Oilers, is doing slightly better, but hardly, standing at three wins, seven losses, and one overtime win (at the time of writing).

Nevertheless, I’m a huge fan of both teams. Always have been. As a kid I’d bike about 20 km to watch the Eskies in their training camp outside of town and go to every game I could. Then when the Oilers came along as a WHA team, I jumped on the that bandwagon as well. I remember watching Gretsky before he was famous; well, at least, before he was in the NHL.

I guess I’ll be an Eskimos and Oilers fan for life, no matter how they do. My loyalty runs deep.

I have another loyalty however that runs far deeper, and is rather more important. It’s to God. 

As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t ever have a ‘poor season.’ When I compare his wins to his losses, he always comes out ahead. Personally I don’t think there’s anyone else in his league.

Nevertheless, having said that, it seems that he’s getting a lot of bad press lately. He gets blamed for the mess we’re making of the world. He is seen as irrelevant and unnecessary. We’re told it’s silly to believe in him, even dumb and unscientific. The Bible and its standards are seen as out-dated and too restrictive. Even people who once believed or went to church are giving up on him.

It reminds me of a story in the Bible that I preached on recently in John 6. The huge crowd that had been following Jesus slowly began to leave. Some disliked what Jesus said. Others just wanted a free lunch, and when Jesus didn’t come through, they left. When most of the crowd took off, Jesus turned to his few remaining followers and asked if they wanted to leave as well. Their answer? No way. “You have the words of eternal life.” They were loyal to the end. Why? Because in Jesus they found what they could find no place else.

I like that. I can relate. Over the years there have been things about God I don’t get. There are things I don’t even particularly like. 

Yet, I and many others, will remain loyal to the end. The reason is simple. It’s because we found something in Jesus that we can’t find anywhere else.

Like love, I mean, real love. I’m a pretty flawed human being. I’m surprised by the nasty things I say. I’m shocked by my impatience. I blush at some thoughts I entertain. Yet, the amazing thing is despite all this crud in my life, God loves me just the same, unconditionally, like no one else ever could. So how can I help but be loyal?

Besides, since coming to know him by faith in Christ, he’s changed my life. No, he didn’t wave a magic wand and make everything perfect. I wish. 

But what he did was give me a deep sense that all is well. That I belong to him. That the big questions of life are answered; that the big issues of life are resolved. That after this life is over, there’s heaven. Once again, how can I help, but be loyal?

So, in this day when loyalty to God is being challenged, when people are looking elsewhere for the answers to life, my question is: Where else would you go? Who else “has the words of eternal life?” Who else will love us perfectly? Who else has the power to heal our broken lives? Once we personally discover what God can do in our lives, we’ve got no choice but to be loyal for life..

Pastor Clarence Witten

Community Christian 

Reformed Church

Dixon’s Corners

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"Summertime and the living is easy…"

 My thanks to George Gershwin for this wonderful song.  Perhaps you have enjoyed a wonderful long weekend of garage sales or planting a garden or flowers, or doing nothing or something else.   

Whatever you were doing or not doing, I hope that you had a moment to be open to the presence of the Spirit.  Sometimes we are too busy in work or leisure to think about the One who brought this all into being.  The One who is Wholly Love for all creation.

The following psalm from Edward Hays in his book Prayers of a Planetary Pilgrim is one of my favourites for this time of year.  

I hope that you find yourself in this song.

A Summer Sunset Psalm

O Beloved Friend and Earth Designer, 

this day’s light is seeping away,

and dark night crouches

beneath the amber horizon.

I am tired from work of this warm day,

but not so weary that I can forget

this day’s rich harvest of gifts.

I lift up my heart to you,

singing a sunset song of gratitude.

I praise you for the blessings that fill my life,

for the gifts I can recall

and for treasures I take for granted.

Gently refresh me now

with your evergreen pardon

for my failure to drink deeply of your love,

hidden cleverly in each gift

that has come my way today.

Forgive my rushing past

the countless visions of you, unique to this day,

held so tenderly in the beauty of your love.

Forgive my absent-mindeness, the deafness of my ears,

my senses blinded by my busyness today.

Blessed are you, Holy Parent,

who will soon wrap me in sleep

and cradle me in the womb of your peace.

Take a moment, breathe in and let that breath out, knowing that God is as close to you as the breath that you breathe.  Give God thanks for another day and for this glorious season of summer.

Peace and Blessings

 

Rev. Arlyce Schiebout

Lakeshore United Church

Morrisburg

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It’s only six more weeks until the most joyous holiday of the year. Christmas! Are you excited yet? People have already been setting up trees and putting the decorations up. And Seaway is getting ready too. 

This past week we’ve had quite a few activities to keep the school days chugging right along. On the 7th of November we had “Take Your Kid To Work Day”. This day was only for students in grade 9. The students find a parent, teacher, or adult friend, and they get to go with them to their job.  Many students were inspired to see what they would like to do after they graduate from Seaway, and a great many of the kid also had a better appreciation for what their parents did every day.

Graduation photos for grade 12’s will be taken on November 14th and 15th, and Grade 8 graduation photos will be taken November 16th.  An appointment is required to get these photos taken and there is a sitting fee of $20 for the photographer. The intermediate teachers will remind the students of their appointment times as the date approaches. 

Also, an exciting artistic work in progress is being created in the art room. Larissa Ettlin, a grade 12 student at Seaway, is creating a mural on the topic of depression. Check out our Facebook site to see how she is progressing. Club opportunities are also happening! The school band is open to all students who are interested in playing an instrument. There are meetings at lunch for anyone in grade 7-12 who’s interested.

On November 9th, Seaway had their annual Remembrance Day ceremony in honour of the soldiers who fought and died for our country. Seaway band played the national anthem, and we had our moment of silence to remember all of those soldiers that we miss today. Student council member Jade Millward and Natalie Beatson spoke at the ceremony. While the band played a song in honour of Remembrance Day, there was a slide show showing us soldiers and nurses who have fought for the country we live in today in hopes we will never forget that. After the band finished their song, grade 9 student Mackenzie Whyte, with guitarist Connery Brown, sang a piece called “In to the West”. Congrats to you both, it was a special moment! Principal, Terry Gardiner, said after the Remembrance Day assembly, “I am always proud to be the principal of Seaway, but today I am particularly proud of the students who put on such a powerful Remembrance assembly and the students who were such a respectful audience.”

On December 1st, Seaway will be participating in the Morrisburg Christmas parade. We’re looking for students from grade 9-12 who are interested in being on the float and getting community service hours. Please see Mrs. Gilmour for more information. 

Also there’s a sign-up sheet for varsity girls and varsity boys hockey teams on the bulletin board outside the fitness room. Our girl’s basketball teams had a game in Char-Lan but unfortunately lost, and therefore ended their season. The midget boys volleyball team has tournaments on the 13th and on the 21st. The first tournament has five games which is a lot! And on the 21st, we have four games. We’re going to be tired and sore!

After this busy month we’ll all be tired. We have sports, clubs and graduation stuff that have to be done.  

Kids are getting excited for Christmas. Heck, even I’m excited for Christmas! I have a feeling that this Christmas is going to be a big one.  Although the weather does not seem very wintery (we have had record breaking temperatures for the last several days), and as students we anxiously await the best present of all – an ice rain day!!!

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