The Home Team

Appreciating our Home Church

         by Dorothy Napier

When we travel we usually take the opportunity to attend church and, naturally, compare it with our home church, SPPC.
On a most recent trip, we visited a large presbyterian church in southern California. The church building of contemporary design was striking and the overall campus impressive. The extensive parking lot was well filled for the regular Sunday service. The congregation was welcoming and, while the congregation was mostly of the older generation, there was a good sized sunday school. The church was clearly well funded and had a senior pastor and two or three associates. The choir, strong in number, was led by a director, assisted by the organist and a pianist. There was also a hand bell choir.
Our visit was at the time of the shooting tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, where there were several victims killed and injured, including a U.S. congresswoman who was seriously wounded. The nation was deeply shocked by this tragedy and it was rightly the focus of the service. The sermon was thoughtful and well prepared and we appreciated the service. Indeed, we attended the same church the following Sunday.
On an earlier trip to Ontario, on three occasions we visited a large suburban church which had two ministers, a large choir and, as at SPPC, a relatively older congregation. The services were pleasant, but hardly memorable beyond the singing of the final hymn.
We are always glad to be back at our home church, SPPC. and, increasingly, appreciate the "home team". We are enormously blessed with sermons that are contemporary, based on scripture, challenging, thought provoking and thoroughly prepared. The choir, though smaller in number than the choirs we visited, is outstanding and led by a dynamic and creative organist/choir director. The after church "coffee time" enables us to meet friends and get to know other members of the congregation.
As we think about all this, isn’t it rather just too easy to take your home church for granted and fail to recognize its strengths. At SPPC, we are richly blessed to be spiritually challenged, to enjoy excellent music and have a most welcoming congregation. We are always glad to be home at SPPC, and enjoy our excellent "home team".

Dorothy was born in Belfast, N. Ireland. She emigrated to Canada with her husband, Roy, and has lived in different communities in Canada, including Ottawa (14 years). She has also lived in Bermuda (7 years). Dorothy has attended SPPC for 3 1/2 years, since moving to Victoria in 2007.Her interests include, reading, theatre and travel. Dorothy and Roy have a son and 2 daughters, 5 grand-children, 3 of whom live in Cobble Hill and 2 in Oakville, Ontario.