Baptism by great-aunt Rita

Last night I was the guest preacher at Maranatha Christian Reformed Church in Woodstock. I had been invited there on the initiative of my niece Melanie to baptize her and Nathan's 5th child, Daniel Philip Huinink. What an honour! We had a great service, celebrating God's grace and his faithfulness through the generations. It was great being back in Woodstock, where I grew up. Lots of new faces in church, but also many dear people who were amazingly familiar, even after being away for 34 years. Love this picture of Nathan and Melanie, and the kids: Joseph, Amber, Tiffany, Levi, and baby Daniel!

GEMS Sunday, this Sunday

"Get Wisdom: Go Beyond the Gold!" That's the theme of the GEMS girls' club this season. This Sunday we will look at that verse, found in Proverbs 16:16, which just happens to be the middle verse of that book of the Bible. That makes wisdom central to everything we do. The "wisdom" we are talking about is the wisdom that is centered in Jesus. The GEMS will be participating in much of the service. Hope you can join us, in person at 10:00 a.m., or sometime next week after the service is posted to our church's website.

Out of the office...

I'm away for a couple of weeks. This morning's message in Lucknow will be given by Dr. John VanDorp and next Sunday, Ken deBoer leads the service. May God be pleased with our worship, wherever that happens to take place! ~Pastor Rita

Why are you crying?

The first words Jesus spoke after he rose from the dead were, “Why are you crying?” Mary’s tears had clouded her vision and it wasn’t until Jesus spoke her name that she recognized him as her precious Teacher and her Saviour, risen from the dead. Jesus speaks our name too – may we recognize our Saviour on this most blessed of days: Easter morning. He is Risen!

The End

Jesus' last words from the cross were, "It is finished." It sounds like the end. And while his death marked the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus' crucifixion was just the beginning. "It is accomplished," would be a better translation of Jesus' final words. The debt had been paid, the sacrifice completed, justice had been satisfied. And now life begins - restored, reconciled, redeemed. Give thanks to God this Good Friday for Jesus' victory over sin and death. We worship together this Friday, April 6 at 10:00 a.m.

Now I lay me down to sleep...

Jesus is about to die. His next to final words from the cross are a prayer that God will keep his soul – like the child’s prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep.” Jesus prays as a child to his Father, a memorized prayer that speaks of total trust – in life and in death. When Jesus committed his Spirit into the hands of his Father, he guaranteed for us that same assurance- that as I lay me down to sleep, the Lord will my soul keep. April 1, 10 a.m.

It's getting messy

It’s starting to get messy. Jesus’ execution has never been a tidy thing, but now, as he again speaks from the cross, his words tell of human suffering that will soon end in death. Jesus suffered as a man, as a human. When he said, “I thirst,” he did so in our place. Jesus’ death ensures that the messes that we create are cleaned up, fixed up. Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 25, 10:00 a.m.