Hospital Song Book

      Over the past few months a committee has been hard at work creating a song book for us to use when we conduct the service at Saanich Peninsula Hospital.  That is, SPPC has made a song book for SPH!  
The book is now completed and was dedicated during the service on Sunday morning.   Copies were passed among the congregation and we sang "Jesus, Saviour, Pilot Me," an old-time favourite not available in our "Book of Praise."
     On Sunday afternoon, we took the Songbook to the hospital and used it for the first time at the service there. Those of us who worked on the book, we were sure the singing was more robust than before.  Rev. Irwin invited the residents to choose their own hymns and there were many requests.
     The book contains many of the old gospel songs familiar to residents at the hospital, along with a smattering of great hymns of the ages, like "O God Our Help In Ages Past" and "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah."
     Since music is a large part of our ministry at Saanich Peninsula Hospital, it seemed appropriate that we should have a song book dedicated to that purpose.  The print is large.  There is one song per page and it's all in alphabetical order.  All in an effort to make words easy to read, easy to find and easy to follow. 

    The books will be kept at the church.  With reorganization at the hospital, we're never sure their books will be available on a Sunday afternoon, so bringing along a supply of our own ensures we'll be able to share music with the residents.

All in all, we had a good day with lots of music at church and at the hospital.  I love the old hymns so it was a treat for me as well.