A Call to Prayer

 The link for this week`s live-streamed service is here.

We are delighted to welcome Rev. Arnie Alksne to the pulpit this week. Rev. Irwin is away at Synod in Vancouver. 

Just a quick refresher -- Synod is the third of four levels of government in the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Session is the first and is responsible for an individual congregation. Presbytery is next with oversighjt, in our case, of congregations on Vancouver Island. Synod of B.C. is responsible for all Presbyterian congregations in B.C. and General Assembly is the top governing court of the denomination, with supervision of all Presbyterian churches in Canada.

The word "Synod" comes from the Greek "synodos" and refers to assemblies within the Christian church.  

The Oxford Languages dictionary provides the following definition.

syn·od

/ˈsinəd/

noun

1. 1.

   an assembly of the clergy and sometimes also the laity in a diocese or other division of a particular Church.

   "the deanery synod"
2. 2.

   a Presbyterian ecclesiastical court above the presbyteries and subject to the General Assembly.
3. 
   

A synod (/ˈsɪnəd/) is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word synod comes from the Greek: σύνοδος, meaning "assembly" or "meeting"; the term is analogous with the Latin word concilium meaning "council".

The 131st Synod of B.C. Presbyterian churches held over the past weekend, dealt largely with administrative matters, like electing a moderator for the 2023-2024 year, and the issuing of grants to various projects within local congregations. It is gratifying to know that Synod finances are healthy. 

After all the excitement of Thanksgiving Sunday, we had a quieter week at SPPC. 

• We continue to collect for the "Cozy Toes" project. Until the end of October we are encouraged to donate warm socks and toiletries for the Mustard Seed Church. They will distribute them to people in need on the streets of Victoria. We are so glad they have been able to resume their ministries after their devastating fire earlier this year.
• Bible Study continued on Wednesday. The chapter was titled "Finding Wisdom." The group discussion question asked us to describe a skill we`d like to acquire to improve our life, work or relationships. -- Interesting conversations ensued.
• Choir met for practice on Thursday. 
• Coming up on Friday, 20th is our deep cleaning bee. All volunteers welcome.

Regular classes, administrative work, maintenance -- these necessary tasks don`t make for splashy headlines but they are a reminder that the church marches on through high days and low days. We gather, we worship, we support one another, and we pray.

As our newscasts are filled with tales of war and want, horror and heroism, prayer is our greatest consolation and our greatest service.

I

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8: 26

Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. Acts 14:23

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – 1 Timothy 2:1

As you talk with our Lord this week, may you be blessed and may you be a blessing.