Hope

The link to this week's worship service is here

I was rummaging through my music library this week and came upon the script for one of our Christmas musical plays, "Bethlehem

Tours."  The tale sends the characters through a number of improbable journeys in order to arrive in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. Once they are all assembled in the Holy place, they sing "Hope is a Happening Here." In this case our hope surrounded the birth of Jesus.

The song comes from the children's musical "Bones" by William Anderson. The Living Flame choir performed that at SPPC some years ago too. In that story, the dry bones dance, offering hope that the Jewish people would return from exile, the temple would be rebuilt and their relationship with God restored. 

Here is a youtube clip by the New Creation Choir. The clip is the whole musical. To listen to just "Hope is a Happenin' Here" fast forward to around 31:00

 

As a Christian Church we always have hope, that's what the Good News is - hope. As Christ's followers, we are to bring light to the world, spread the good news, offer hope to a hurting people. 

During the pandemic, some have found it hard to feel hopeful. As month after month went by and case counts rose and restrictions tightened and we were locked out of in-person worship, hope wavered. 

But when Dr. Henry announced that churches could resume in-person worship, albeit with some restrictions, what sprang to my mind was 

"Oh, we've got hope. Glory Hallelujah,
Hope is a Happenin' here.
Spread the news.
Glory Hallelu there's nothing left to fear.
So don't hang your head, don't wobble your chin,
Don't even shed a tear,
Just shake your hands and rattle your bones
'Cause hope is a happenin' here!"

Have a great week. See you in church.

Virtual Coffee Hour

 Link for this week's service is here.

Since we can't gather after worship to catch up on each other's doings, here is a sample of what might be said in coffee hour.

Tore and Alice celebrated their anniversary by putting in the vegetable garden. The space reserved for the squash family will be a labour of discovery. I know there are three butternut squash plants because Khim gave them to me. For the others, zucchini, cucumber, etc. who knows. I had started them on the windowsill and then the cat knocked over the seed tray! The seedlings are now in the ground and I wait to see what's what.

Linda planted nasturtiums in the back bed at the church. They will look lovely spreading over the earth and bearing bright flowers. Just so you know, Linda is not exclusive about her gardening at SPPC. There are at least five areas that could do with a hand,

so if your green thumb is itching, call Linda at 250 656-7858 or email her at linda.g.cliff@gmail.com

I hear Irene has a surfeit of rhubarb pies. You might want to arrange a coffee date in the park with her this week.

Our university students have finished exams for this term. Benjamin is taking summer courses. Max is getting ready for his last co-op placement and Rebekah is continuing with her job in the doctor's office. Peter has school for a few more weeks, but is getting in lots and lots of baseball practice. If restrictions loosen, he might even get to play a game against another team.

The entire Smith family is vaccinated, including Abigail. She is finishing up grade three and looking forward to a visit with Felicity this summer.

Thanks to the kindness of the grocery store who supplied chicken manure in small batches and a neighbour who dug a trench, Gladys has a thriving patch of rhubarb. She has had three pickings and looks forward to more. If you go by her place and wonder about her mental state, she is not talking to herself. She's talking to the world's most affectionate cat.

Roy and Dorothy report their teenaged grandchildren are booked for a vaccine this coming week.

Aarol and Ken have forwarded their new address in Calgary. They are happy with their move but sorry not to have had a chance to have one last meal with the "out to lunch bunch."

So there you have it. I've made the rounds of the hall. The kitchen staff is shooing us out so they can do the dishes and put away the extra food. Have a good week, everyone.

No idea what this bush is called but it is blooming in front of SPPC.

. . . not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25 NIV

At the Name of Jesus - Hymn

 

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

Celebrations: Diane has a birthday; Linda and Albert, Alice and Tore have wedding anniversaries this week.

                             ♫♫♫♫♫♫ 

The recent survey of the congregation showed strong support for congregational hymns. Hardly a surprising result when one considers how enthusiastically our congregation sings the familiar hymns. 

Some years ago, Dr. Kirk emceed an evening of hymn singing that was very popular. I can't recreate that event, but I do have the ms for his book on hymns for the church year. I found his choice of a hymn to compliment Ephesians 1:15-23 (our scripture reading this Sunday.) "At the Name of Jesus," by Caroline Maria Noel. Here is an excerpt from Dr. Kirk's unpublished work.

Caroline was the daughter of Canon G.T.Noel and the niece of the Rev. Baptist Noel who left the Church of England to become a Baptist minister, and a very prominent one. . . The hymn deals in successive verses with the pre-existence of Jesus, His condescension in becoming man, His Saviourhood, His call to service and His coming again. It is interesting to note that the author reluctantly changed the first line to "In the Name of Jesus" to avoid the complication that she merely meant genuflection at the word. In effect the reference is to adoration at our contemplation of the person of Jesus as the manifestation of the divine nature and glory. Happily, the original wording has been restored.

The hymn is a commentary on the scripture. It is "the Father's pleasure" that all people shall bow before Jesus the King of Glory and acknowledge Him as Lord. From before the beginning of time, He "was the mighty word" that called the worlds into existence. Jesus is the eternal Son of God . . . If we do not accept this fact, then we have only a man who is not also divine, and no mere man can redeem the human race. Jesus was willing to be humbled for a season and receive a human name from those He came to save. He bore that name spotless to the last in that while He lived among sinners, He himself did not sin and in fact, came to bear the sins of many (Is. 53:12). The name He bore was brought back victorious when Jesus rose from the grave, triumphant over sin and death.

Jesus is the Saviour and Lord who should be "worshipped, trusted and adored." We can trust Him because of what He has done on our behalf. We must also offer Him our obedience and service as Lord. We must not take lightly what He has done for us, but rather look on Him with "awe and wonder", enthroning Him as king within our hearts so that He may subdue everything that is false within us. Because He himself was tempted, He can assist us in the time of temptation if we "crown him as . . . captain" and allow Him to have control over our wills.

The hope of the Christian community lies in the fact that "this Lord Jesus will return again." That coming will be in absolute contrast to His first coming. Then it was in weakness and humility to a cattle shed but when He comes again it will be "with His Father's glory, with His angel train." Then He will come in power to reign for he will be crowned, not with thorns as at His crucifixion but with the "wreaths of empire" and, as Paul wrote, "every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil.2:11)

This is a hymn of victory and assurance to inspire hope in the breast of every believer. As Jesus knew weakness and apparent defeat so do we. But we also know that the final victory has been won, that Christ reigns and that He will return to take His own unto Him. Then we shall be pure with His purity and victorious with His victory and we shall reign with Him for ever. That is cause for celebration and worship.

                            ♫♫♫♫♫♫  

It's lilac season

At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,

every tongue confess Him King of Glory now;

this the Father's pleasure, that we call Him Lord,

who from the beginning was the mighty word.

 Humbled for a season, to receive a name

from the lips of sinners unto whom He came;

faithfully He bore it spotless to the last,

brought it back victorious when from death He passed.

 Name Him, brothers, name Him, with love strong as death,

but with awe and wonder, and with bated breath;

He is God the saviour, He is Christ the Lord,

ever to be worshipped, trusted and adored.

 In your hearts enthrone Him; there let Him subdue

all that is not holy, all that is not true;

crown Him as your captain in temptation's hour,

let His will enfold you in its light and power.

Brothers this Lord Jesus shall return again

With His Father's glory, with His angel train;

for all wreaths of empire meet upon his brow,

and our hearts confess Him King of Glory now.

 

 

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

Sunday was Mothers Day and once again we had to find new ways to mark the occasion. Taking mom out for lunch? Not allowed. Family BBQ in the backyard? Not allowed. Everyone turning up to take mom to church? Not allowed. There is always the telephone, a card in the mail, a zoom call ...but there is no hug.

Near the end of our Lenten Devotional this line appeared " paint a picture of one like a small, frightened child burying their face in their mother’s apron, hiding from the fearful things around them."

The writer had a lot more to say about Psalm 91 but in our group we lingered over the frightened child running to hide her face in her mother's lap. The image conjured up the scent of baking bread and fresh cookies. Our memories of a mom include homemade treats. A kiss and a treat were a panacea for most childhood hurts -- along with that all-encompassing hug.

For Linda the smell of lily of the valley also conjures the comfort of a mother. Perhaps that's why she planted them along the north wall of the church.

I can't see a lemon meringue pie without thinking of my mom. A sensual hug, perhaps.

One of the practices at SPPC in better times was flower baskets for mothers from the Sunday School. Though not a mother, the Living Flame Choir always made sure I got a planter as well. It was like a hug from a dozen small arms. As I look out on my flower beds now I see pinks (dianthus) and pansies that I set out from those planters still growing, still blooming, still bestowing beauty and still warming my heart. A reminder for mothers and other mentors that the seed you plant in a child's mind will last long past the moment.

For Linda and Janet, the hymn 

When Mothers of Salem, is a like a musical hug on Mothers Day. I can't find a congregational version, but hope they can enjoy this one.

We all look forward to the day when hugs are live and in-person. A friend of mine posted on facebook the other day that she'd hugged her parents for the first time in 19 months. They'd all been vaccinated. Who would have imagined that we'd count the months between hugs?

Yet God knows our need. Isaiah 66:13 As a mother comforts her child,

    so will I comfort you;

Happy Mothers Day--and a virtual hug from SPPC.

What We Love about SPPC

This week's livestreamed service can  be found here.

A "normal" Wednesday morning

As more and more Canadians are vaccinated against COVID 19, we can look ahead with hope. Life might get back to "normal" by the fall. In the case of our church, after being closed for in-person worship for so long, we have to ask will "normal" be the congregational life we had in January of 2020, or will it be something quite different?

Over the past fourteen months people have developed new habits on Sunday mornings. We have created an on-line presence, we have instituted livestream services. Will the congregation just pick up where we left off, or will there be significant changes.

In an effort to answer that question, Session undertook a survey of the congregation, asking how they saw their church life in the future. There was a response rate of over 85%! A survey response rate of 50% or higher is considered excellent in most circumstances. So, right off, we know that our congregation is still very engaged with SPPC.

Based on the results of the questionnaires, we expect nearly all of the congregation will return for in-person services, but the return will be slow as some will wait until nearly everyone in the community has been vaccinated (herd immunity.) Our live-streamed worship will be a help to folk with health concerns as they can still observe the service while staying away from others.

On the other hand, the survey points to a great yearning for fellowship. We've missed each other. We've missed Bible Study and Friendship Coffee. We've missed shared meals and shared birthday cakes. We want to laugh together, sing together and pray together. No amount of electronics can replace human touch and face-to-face conversation.

On the bright side, about 90% of respondents listed music, prayers, sermon and fellowship as important or very important in their church life. Rev. Irwin has bragging rights as the sermon received the highest approval rating with a one point edge over congregational hymns. 

When we can gather again we'll notice gaps in our midst. During the months of the pandemic many faithful members have been called to glory. Given that we cannot hold regular funerals, it as though those folk have simply disappeared. Perhaps, when we are "normal" again we can have a service of remembrance to say a proper good-bye.

In the meantime, "love thy neighbour."

Phillipians 2: 3-5

 considering others better than yourselves.  And look out for one another's interests, not just for your own.  The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: