Rick and the Blue Bus

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

This Sunday, Rev. Irwin was away. He's doing dishes at Camp Imodene. In his stead, we welcomed Rick Wismer to the pulpit. He's been here before and brings his big Blue Bus with him, along with boundless enthusiasm for the work he does with Youth for Christ Mobile Outreach.

I first posted about Rick and his bus on this blog in 2014, https://saanichpeninsulapc.blogspot.com/2014/05/blue-bus-ministry.html. Back then he was all excited about the "new" blue bus. The one his ministry started with was an old double-decker with a funky paint job and an iffy suspension. 

By the next year, the Youth for Christ Mobile Ministry, (that's the official name) had a fancy new bus. It is sleek, reliable, roomy and Blue!  

Back in 2014 the "Refuge" bus was intended to provide a safe and wholesome alternative to youth hanging out on street corners and parking lots. Now, it serves Indigenous youth, offering snacks, games and gentle mentoring. You can find their website here for more details.

One of their changes in their ministry is the "cultural jam."  I think of a jam session as a gathering involving jazz musicians and a lot of improvisation. In this case, the jam session is an opportunity for youth to learn the songs and dances of their culture as passed down from the elders. The intergenerational nature of these gatherings provides some challenges -- the Blue Bus ministry is focussed on youth -- but Rick and his team are dedicated to listening to the Holy Spirit. Right now these jams are highly attended -- 160 at a Tseycum event last month -- and that presents opportunities.

The ministry is still dedicated to their after school program, and youth are still eager to attend. They just need to find a time slot that works for everyone.

SPPC has been a long-time supporter of the Blue Bus especially as a provider of cookies, snack and dollars. We also have members of the congregation, Norma, Pam and Joan, to name a few who are dedicated volunteers. While these material offerings are most welcome, what Rick and his team crave are our prayers. His sermon on Sunday encouraged us to listen for God's direction in our lives. The best way to listen, is to pray.

Thanks Rick, for filling the pulpit on Sunday morning, and for your dedication to ministry, and for sharing your love of Jesus. 

Sermon on the Vineyard

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

This Sunday, Rev. Irwin preached at St. Andrew's Presbyterian in Victoria as part of his interim moderator duties. In his place we welcomed Rev.  Ray Sanford, who currently serves as the Senior Vice President of OC International (know as Outreach Canada here.) Rev. Sanford has worn many hats in his professional career. His formal educational was in electrical engineering and business administration before he moved into mission. 

He worked in management at AT&T during the 1970's and '80's, then went into mission work in 1986. He and his family served in France for 12 years before returning to N. America. Check out the sermon on the live-stream (link at top of page) to hear about his experiences living next to a vineyard and how that impacted his understanding of the Gospels. 

Following that stint, he returned, in a leadership role, to the headquarters of OC. Since living in Victoria, he has preached at Knox Presbyterian in Sooke during their vacancy. He and his wife, Diane, have four grown children, five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. (Want to bet she's spoiled rotten?)

As Presbytery makes more and more demands on Rev. Irwin, we at SPPC are fortunate and grateful for the guest preachers who fill our pulpit from time to time, including Rev. Sanford. 

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Some time ago I was looking for an excuse to have a party and discovered a mention of Friendship Day on the third weekend of August. Don't know who declared that a day for friends, but it suited my timetable perfectly, so now my friend and I celebrate "friendship day." Our circle of friends expands and changes depending on who is hostess that year. We've found it a wonderful excuse to get together -- in the summer when the living is easy and the garden is full of food, when there are no expectations of formal dress, or formal dining, and when the day is flexible enough to suit our lives. 

How fitting then, that SPPC is holding its own, "Friendship Coffee Day,"  next week on Thursday, August 28 at 10:00 am. I highly recommend time spent with loving friends. 

Fun in the Sun

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

Thursday was  a beautiful day. The sun shone, but not too hot, a breeze ruffled the air, but not too much, and there were no mosquitos. What could make such a day better? Why mini-golf, of course. Ten of us from SPPC headed off to the Island View course.  

Now golf, especially mini-golf, is a serious affair. Here Bill takes a few minutes in prayer before taking his putt.

There are signs on the course asking players to stay off the gravel. Even so, some of us found the out-of-bounds under a rock, in the weeds,  or in a stone pile. 

There were a few good shots. Abigail got a hole-in-one, but hers was the only star turn. The course rules said no more than 5 strokes per hole and there were many 5's on the score cards. 

It is a very pretty course so I took a few pictures of the water features, unsullied by errant golf balls.

At the end of our round we took an "after" shot to go with the "before" shot at the top of this blog.

Then it was on to lunch at Mary's Blue Moon. At that time the group grew to 17 -- quite a lot for the restaurant to handle. 

Once we were all settled service was quick and friendly, with coffee and tea and water appearing in only a few minutes. They provided a special menu -- still with lots of choice -- for a large group. I was very impressed that all of the meals came at once. 

This blog has featured several "summertime" posts over the past weeks. Our mini-golf tournament, is definitely a summertime event -- filled with laughter, good company and gratitude for the many blessings of recreation in God's creation.

Thanks to Eileen and Janet for sharing their pictures on this post.

Magic Moment

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

A popular song from my youth, composed by Burt Bacharach with lyrics by Hal David, is titled "Magic Moments." It is really a love ballad, but I thought of it in a different way this week when I experienced a magic moment of my own. I was down on my knees, pulling chickweed out of the rose bed when a bold little sparrow hopped over beside me, then fluttered into the weeds, mere inches from my hand.

I consider chickweed a weed, as evidenced by the name. The sparrow considered it lunch! We spent about ten minutes sitting together, him eating, me just enjoying the magic moment of a wild bird within arm's reach. I was reminded that just the day before, in church, we'd sung "This is my Father's world, the birds their carols raise." 

Sparrows feature in Jesus' teachings as well. "Consider the birds of the air . . " Matt 6: 25-27. The common little bird is a reminder to put our worries aside and trust in our heavenly Father.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny . . . ? Matthew 10: 29-31

The Psalmist too, used this tiny bird as a metaphor for God's love. "Yea the sparrow has found a home . . .near Your altar." Psalm 84:3

Praise God from whom all blessings flow and especially praise Him for the fearless little sparrow who delivered a "magic moment" to a tired gardener.

God sees the little sparrow fall

It meets His tender view

If God so loves the little birds

I know He loves me too.