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ORONO WEEKLY TIMES, THURSDAY, MAY 28th, 1970 Taken from a message by Rev. B. E. -Long. Scripture Lesson St. John 17: 20-26. Pentecost or Whi tsunday is the time when we rernember the com- ing, of the Holy Spirit to the people who waited at the com- rnmand of Chirist, then went out as the Christian Church f0 inake a comrnunity in which people are served, strengthened and uplift- ed. In the O]d Testament the serv- ant commuuîty was the people of Israel. Time and again they are referred to as a rebellous, stiff neckcd, unfaithful people. Evenft- u.ally tisis cauýsed' their destruc- tion and disentegration. They are scattered into exile in forcign lands. A remuant returns to Pal- estine and begins reforming and renev ing the people of God, rc," known as Jews. The expression of Judiasm hirciened th'eir faith in- fo a rîlgid sys.tem incapable. of, re- flecting God's love for ail men. They failid f0 be the serving community. They became the community to be scrved. Then Jesus came and, called a littie group of people to waik with Him and to talk with Hîm and to serve with Hlm. As- Jesus calîs the twelve to, fol]ow Hlm, we sec the birtis of a new servant. community which, affer RIis' death and resurrection, becomes known 'as the Church. The experience of Pentecost brought those people together to be serving community. They were Spirit* filied. And because there was an inflowing of the Spirit, they became channels of an out- fiowing Spirit which carried them across the known communities and beyond. It wasn't long until ths servant community began f0 divide itself up again. Some were saying, 1I arn of Paul" and "I am of Apol- los" and ý' arn of -Cephas." And Paul the great Apostie saiýi, "There ouglit fot -to be these div- isions ýamong us. -Who is Paul? Who is Apollos? Who is Cephas? Are thcy nof the servants of one Je ,u3 Christ? It isn'f Paul or A- polIos or Cephas who grants the increase, it is God.", Now the new Church moved out ready f0 be sacrificed, fo ,lose their identity, even their lives, to be in Christ. The Church grew strong and poxvrfui then came the time of division into Roman Catholies and (Pro-;te, tant) pro- tcstant denominations. In Canada three denoinations, the Congre- gatiowal, Presbytenoan and Meth- edist began to work to-thcrý in a common service of Christ. In 1925 :they lost their iderti-ty, in a sense, to become The United Church of Canada. Now the winds of- change are b!owing again. A numh ýr of cou- ,gregations are preparir g to die that a greater Church mnav be born. Organie union xvii1be noth- ing unlçss if is a union of the Spirit, being one in the Spirit of Christ. "That they might ail be one," prayed Jesus and taught that unless we are ready to die we cannot live. - et us nof forget that the Scribes and Pharise es of Jesus' Th e Spirit In Tue Church day were the best people, respect- ed leaders of the religious and political life of the Jewish' com- rnity. So busy did they become plaling their stuffy reigious games that they grew hrutally insensftive to the needs of the poor, the sick, the imprisoned and he troubled. SO important did fin- ancial security become that they turned the temple into a market plac~e. Seo afraid were they of any phallenge to their authority and superiority that they disposcd, of the Young rebel Jesus of Nazareth who dared Suggest ti at love of fellow man should take priority over the legalistic obser:vance of a rigid systemi of doctrine or' Idw and order. If wc look closely at the Church of flie Past fcw yeprs, W( 'il see alrnost a mirror image of the very same thing. But a change is coming. Many of the denominations now will not build Ch'urches without first considering ail of the other de-~ nominations assoiated in a com- munity. We have instances wiiere the Roman Catholic, the Anglican Miîd the United Churehes build one Church, siiore their servi ce-, and their activitlies in one Church and coopcrite in various ways. WcY'v h bc 1 cr'ing, "The Church has got to be ye1evante, Ped ",set v"if iji the commun- itV. Joh n i 's a youný candi- da*eteo ordination, to the min- istry, Spoke at Presbi terv' ab'cut reeancv ' Tf fthe Cliurch offer< auv 711e and hein to moder-n Peopfle if iJ fot bv bcing relevant, Tt is hv noJntine rto fhe hon aand help outside of Society' and out- side of the individuals in socieýtv." -Now ie don'm a it God is not in the individual nnd Society. Rut be iýý talking about God who iq beIvord ceciety, above and able to lift Society. 1The Church is becoming dist- urbed now because the finger of God is being put upon it to have compassion for the poor and con- cern for people in trouble. The sickness 'of'society and the Church j3 reflected in a poeni by Rev. A,'ndrew Blackwood, Jr. Jesus, what have You done to us? We wanted a pet kitten and You turned into -a tiger. We liked You the way You were. Why couldn't You leave us alone? We wanted You to show upwhen we veant You to make us feel good. We '-anted'a pretty Church for mv ddý,-,i- and baptisms and funcrals. We- wanted tf c ruti Easter bunny h jaroai ond the lawn. So v,7 rv, tr,<i ;on is good for the kiddies. Now, ai of a sucd len You've turn- cd agaiî1't us WC 'e~d p,,aee and You bruh a swcrd. ThinIcsv',ýre gcting ail right, then You got us intere.sted in the ]' o'xv tbyare truttîng around lik. thiy're going to inherit the e 'arth. No i f a sudden You tell'us to loue our enernies. Do You kncw xhat wil! h'-ppen if we do? They'li eaul our bides to the wall And xihat will we 'do then? Icpo'i p'-a',-ing for themr? k-d YGU xvhen You were a L'~bah'. eent1', meek and mi]d, cooing in Vojur cradie. Ail th ose nice 'ihepherds and an- gels and we frit just -awful a- bout King Herod. L ook at ail w"e did for You. We made a national holiday in Your honour. We built big industries around it. i - rcomfort and' ý,f u. r ou cangea Pont^îac. Sec yourli cal authorizedPsîic1 - 166 KING STREET EAST BOWMAN VILLE,, ONIARIO P1 E'lk~9 Junior Gardeners Meeting The first ýspring meeting of the Junior Gardeners took place ini. the upper auditorium of the C.E. building with, 14 members pres- ent. Three new members joined our group: Mark Obrist, Gary Bridger and Kristine Obrist. Our leader Donna Challice ask- ed if we would like a hike and ail agreed, date Saturday, May 30. Time 10 o'clock at BarraballIs garage. Corne and bring your lunch. The Sr. Horticulture Society have agreed to supply us with seeds for our gardens. Some of' our members. are growing gard- ens for competîtion this year. Donna asked if the members. (Contlnued on page 5) Christmas eardc. toy machine guns for the kiddies Ail those fancey gift wrapped' -whiskey botties. We bu lit a pretty Church in Your horour, stained glass, organ, the works. And when the people movecd away from the riff-raff, 7h -c Urci followed thein i~igý ouf into the suburbs. A,- at a!H xx"ve donc for You, Whv csr't ,You lTeave us alone? Wc've go", enough troubles now. Why do Y 'ou keep poking us in tlic'conscience? What do You want? Our hearts! -Perhaps in the truc Spirit of union we can open the door wid- er to bc the true servant of the Lord, and His love. Only as we are prepared to die shall we live. 1 166 KING. STREET EAST