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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30.,1983, PAGE 13 The Church Speaks and watch the Christmas speclals. The words can be loat, the event wrapped Up 50 well we neyer discover the glft. Some of us mark a period 0f time called Advent for 4 weeks before Christmas. It says, "'Take time to get ready." The message is so important, you need ready ears to hear and a ready mind to understand. Prepare to listen and receive. Advent knows that it is possible to hear the message and respond "So what?" 1 God loves me" - so what? So he spoke those word in Jesus. And you can know that you are not alone. You can know that there are millions of others who love you, there Is one other who loves you. You can know that death needn't be an enemy and that life needn't be an enemy either. You can take a chance on God because he took a chance on you. He loves youl T HEOS MEETING The Christmas meet ing of the local chapter of Theos wll be held ln St.- Andrew's Presbyterian .Church, Cochrane Street, Whit- by on Dec. 4 at 2p.m. For information cal 668-2648. Sponsored by the WHITBY MINISTERIAL. ASSOCI ATION by REV. STANLEY ISHERWOOD ST. JOHN'S ANGLICAN CHURCH Here's a whole coluxnn in our newspaper waiting to be filled; waiting for my words to turn it from a startling and awkward blank into a profound and challenging message. Remember, the pen is mightier than the sword!1 "The Church Speaks ", but what does it have to say? I, for the moment, speak for the Church. Are you listening, woèrld? Well, perhaps that's a bit grandiose! Are you listening, Whitby? Stili a littie presumptuous? Is there anyone there? Is there one reader listening to hear what the Church has to Say? There must be something to Sa... What do you say to a stranger, when there is littie time, when you may neyer see hlm again? What do you say to such a person is a hospital bed, leaving this world? There's flot time to say very much, nur- ses and family are coming and going, attention fluc- tuates and the mind wanders - not so much different from your situation, average reader, as so many things vie for your attention, What is there. to say except to whisper those familiar but tremendouseý three words "God loves you. " . Youcan't-put that as the headline in a secular newspap r, can you. It would look silly. But you can whisper i~ in the ear of a dying, stranger. You can share it ith someone suffering the bereavement of divorce or considering suicide. And look, I've done it, you can sneak it into the middle of a daily paper! God did himself, in the midst of a national census- taking in an occupied country of' the busy Roman empire. He whispered those 3 words, "God loves you"t and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us - JesusChrist. There was one fanfare and some of the relatives knew something special was hap- pening, but for most people the whisper got lost in the hurly-burly of living. It can happen again you know. Ev en to those of, us engrossed in Christmas -Bazaars, choir practices and extra services. Even to those who'stay at home Vo unteers Hono urd <Teenage volunteers of the ^Dr. J.O. Ruddy General Hospital were honoured at the annual pot luck supper held by the Auxillary at St. An- drew's Preshyterian Church, Whitby, last week. Volunteer caps were presented to Michelle Agnew, Caroline Bain, Sherrise Redford, Margaret Branfield, Angie Butts, Annie Bar- ter, Gloria Brownhill, Pam Holley, Ileena Knowles, Julie Walsh, Brenda- Wilde, Marg Linda Fowler Taggett and Margaret received the top award Crawford for 50 hours of for 500 hours of service, service. Elizabeth Shepley, A velvet band which volunteer co-ordinator, may, be worn on the and Kathy Crouch, volunteer cap after 100 Auxiliary President, hours of hospital work, presented Fowler with a was awarded to Certificate. of Michelle Aghew, Recognition from , the Caroline Bain, Angle Hospital Board and an Butts, Ruth Clarke, engraved silver Jennifer Guthrie, Gloria bracelet from the Brownhill, Brenda Auxiliary for her out- Wilde and Marg standing contribution. Taggett. TOYOTAi Your local Toyota Dealer Parts e Sales e Service 1025 Dundas St. W., Whltby 6m492To. n68228