Announcements:

Pastor: Rev. Dr. Gordon Crossfield

Musical Director: Paul Waite

Chairman of Official Board: Ian Warner

Secretary: Pat Grant 

Elm St. is one block south of Oakdale Ave. between Merritt and Hickory Sts.

Sunday Service and Sunday School at 11:00 A.M.

Choir practice every Thursday at 7:30 P.M. Organist and choir director, Mr. Paul Waite, always welcomes new members.

United Church Women meet once monthly on the second Thursday of the month at 1:30 P.M.

Craft group meets on Thursday mornings at 9 A.M. for work and fellowship.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion is offered on several Sundays throughout the year. Home communion is given by appointment. The Sacrament of Baptism is available by appointment. Please call the church office at 905-641-0950.

Get Your Spiritual Flu Shot    

(Read Ephesians 6:10-20)

 One of the many magazines we used to receive that we don’t remember subscribing to is called ‘Prevention.’  It’s a good little digest that promotes preventative medicine. Stay healthy so you won’t get sick!

This philosophy is strangely not unanimously supported by everyone, particularly the huge pharmaceutical companies that make billions selling us drugs that treat symptoms. And I suspect food companies that sell us food that is more concerned with shelf life, colour, and rapid preparation than keeping us healthy.

We do try in other areas like street-proofing our kids to prevent abductions and assaults. We are trying to recycle to give our poor environment a bit of a break. But back to health.

A medical doctor who cured herself of cancer speaks of how critical it is for us to build up our immune system so that our body can naturally fight off or restrain disease. In fact when the flu vaccine is in short supply, those with natural immunity are encouraged to let those with low immunity take precedence.

 The fact of the matter is that we are virtually surrounded by things that could cause us harm. Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 6:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age.”

In wars, of course, flesh and blood clashed against flesh and blood. That is painfully obvious but the battle was really about powers and principalities. Everything was and is a spiritual battle. Evil was and is involved.

The word wrestle, by the way, is not about a simple athletic game or the silly soap opera of the WWF. In Roman times, when wrestlers went into the ring, the idea was to get two hands around the opponent’s neck in a stranglehold and press his head and shoulders to the ground. If this was accomplished, he died. If only his shoulders were pinned, he lived to fight again.

It is the Biblical equivalent to getting a spiritual flu shot.

Paul gives us a very physical image to demonstrate how we are to immunize ourselves in the spiritual battle against evil.

 Put on the whole armour of God.

The belt of Truth holds everything together.

The breastplate of a right relationship with God protects your heart and lungs.

The boots of the Gospel of Peace will keep you from slipping and falling.

The shield of Faith will absorb the lies of the devil.

The helmet of the Assurance of your Salvation will protect your mind from doubting God’s goodness and grace.

Fight back with the sword of the Spirit which is God’s word.

Above all keep praying.

 Stay well.