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NEWS FROM AND FOR THE
CONGREGATION - May 11,
2008
This morning we will hear the
“I do” of Fred Beintema, Christopher Bethlehem, Carissa Buitenhuis,
Jordan Hart, Kristen Oostdyk, Sean Tiggelaar, Emma Vandermooren and
Thomas Wildeboer to the questions they will be asked from the Form
for the Public Profession of Faith. We congratulate them on this
milestone in their lives, and we pray that the Lord will keep them
faithful to the promises they make before God and us as witnesses
this day. May the Lord keep us all faithful to the promises we make
in life.
It is a real blessing to witness the public profession of
faith of these young members today as this is also the Sunday in
which the Christian world remembers Pentecost, the feast of the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the gift of God’s
ongoing work of grace in the glorified Christ. As we will hear in
the sermon this morning, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit focuses
on Christ whom God has exalted, not only by raising him from the
dead, but also by lifting him up into heaven. In Christ Jesus, and
in him alone, Pentecost receives its rightful place and
significance.
With the public profession of their faith these eight young
members also receive access to the Lord’s Supper celebration. How
wonderful, therefore, that we can celebrate this meal of remembrance
and encouragement in the afternoon service.
Today is the 35th wedding anniversary of John and Tina
Riemer. We congratulate them heartily on this special day and we
pray that the Lord will continue to bless you, John and Tina, with
ongoing marital bliss as you travel on through life together. We
wish you many more happy years together and among
us.
We say farewell to Mike Harsevoort who got married yesterday
to Kathryn Helder. They are settling in
Hamilton. May the Lord bless you in
your married life.
The joy of the wedding preparations for the Harsevoort’s was
somewhat overshadowed by the sudden passing away of sr. Alice
Sandink. She had just recently moved in with her daughter and
son-in-law, Jane and Herman Harsevoort. But on Monday she did not
feel well, and then in the afternoon she suffered a stroke and in
the evening she passed on into glory. This was very sudden for the
family, and this has also created a sudden vacuum especially in
Jane’s life as she did a lot of things for her mother. May the Lord
grant his peace to Jane, Herman and Pieter, and to Rick and Alicia
Harsevoort who are grieving the loss of a mother and grandmother,
and to Ian and Lori Hulzebosch to whom sr. Sandink was an aunt.
Branden Bosscher is still in
St.
Joseph’s hospital in
Hamilton where he continues to receive
further assessment and evaluation. We pray that the Lord will give
insight to the doctors so that the right medical treatment can be
assigned.
Last week
we had sermon reading and once again the elders did an excellent job
in leading the worship services. As congregation we are blessed with
very good readers. Thankfully we do not have to call upon them often
but when we do call upon their services, we are well served as
congregation. In the meantime my voice has gotten much stronger
again and I hope to lead the worship services today.
May this day strengthen us to every good work in Christ’s
service.
GN
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news
From and
For the Congregation
(May
4, 2008)
Over
the past several months Marcel and Sheryl Kampen have been to many
doctors’ visits with their son Hayden to get some answers about the
way he is walking and his speech delay. Last week they found out
that Hayden has been diagnosed with a mild case of Spastic Diplegia
Cerebral Palsy. This preliminary diagnosis needs to be confirmed by
an MRI, and that could
take up to a year or more. In the meantime Hayden is receiving
physiotherapy to improve his muscle tone and help him walk better,
and special shoes will be part of the package. He is also getting
speech therapy and the benefits are already paying off in that he is
learning new words that help him communicate his needs better. We
pray that the Lord grant peace and patience not only to Hayden who
will need to deal with this life situation, but also to Marcel and
Sheryl and their daughter Alexa as a lot of attention in the next
while will go to their son and brother.
Rachel Werkman had repeat ear surgery a week ago and things
are going well. We hope that this time it will have its desired
effect and that the problem is permanently solved.
Branden Bosscher is in
St.
Joseph’s Hospital in
Hamilton undergoing
assessment to find out what is troubling him. May the Lord bless the
evaluation process and also provide the ways and the means for
Branden to receive the help he needs, but especially that he will be
receptive to that help.
We are also thinking of John and Wilma and the family in this
time of need.
Today we have sermon reading due to the fact that my health
has not been up to par the last few weeks. Perhaps you noticed a
couple of weeks ago that I had a hard time getting through the
sermons without coughing, or trying to suppress it. During the past
week this has only gotten worse and I cannot talk for any length of
time without getting severe coughing bouts. The doctor is checking
things out to see what needs to be done, or can be done, but at the
moment it seems best that I speak as little as possible. Hopefully
that kind of “rest” will settle things so that next week I can be on
the pulpit again. As for this Sunday, I hope to be sitting in the
pew. Thank you for your understanding!
This
week we remember the birthdays of sisters Frances Ludwig (7th) and
Henny Vandenbrink (10th). May the Lord bless you both with a good
day. And as a heads-up, next Sunday it will be John and Rina
Riemer's 35th wedding Anniversary.
Have a blessed Sunday.
GN
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