O Give Thanks

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

One of the activities at the Thanksgiving lunch on Oct. 10 was to complete a thankfulness card. Those cards are now posted on the rolling divider in the hall. I had a look at the answers and found both the expected and the unexpected listed.

Among the expected replies were "friends and family." Healthy relationships must rate high for all of us all the time. Among the less usual replies was someone who was grateful for "the scientists who worked on the vaccines."

Here is a note from someone grateful for the freedom to worship and the wonderful meal.

Along the same lines, another post included a thank you to the people who prepared the meal and allowing the guests to just "sit and enjoy."

Here's a lovely list, thankful for Jesus, my garden, my wife, friends, SPPC. Interesting that garden came before wife. You'll note the card is not signed, perhaps to protect the (innocent) writer. Nice to know that SPPC made the list. Since COVID turned us all into stay-at-home gardeners it's no surprise that the beauty, comfort and challenge of a garden should make the gratitude file.

"God, family, friends, music, career, health, living in paradise and my freedom!"  Such big concepts to sum up on a little card. Thank you to the author of this one for noticing so many of the gifts we take for granted.

I would like to add books, to all the gratitude listed here. While living in pandemic restrictions, there is nothing like a good book to take the reader away from the constraints of lockdown and into another world. 

My book club just read A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. Talk about lockdown! The protagonist of the story is a Russian count under house arrest in The Metropol Hotel in Moscow following the Bolshevik revolution. The book is packed with story, historical fact, witty dialogue, interesting characters and philosophy. I could read it several times and still find something new, but the one thing that stood out to me on the first reading was the way our hero behaved. He is a "gentleman" and follows that code of conduct regardless of his circumstances. Even his enemies recognize this "former person" as a gentleman of character and principle. 

As I read about the many tiny acts that marked our Russian Count as a gentleman, I was reminded of John 13:35 "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples: if ye have love one for another.” 

Those thankfulness cards, a small thing, point to us as followers of Jesus. This week, keep an eye out for behaviours, large or small, in yourself or others, that distinguish us a Christian people.

Hymn: We are One in the Spirit

Church Member part II

 The link for our streamed service this week is here

Linda being a servant

Continuing - I Am a Church Member By Thomas Rainer

 

I have set myself the task of discussing the Pledges that Thomas Rainer has given us in his book I Am a Church Member.  Previously, we looked at what it means to be a functioning and unifying member of a church community.  This week we will look at what it means to be a servant, the responsibility to pray for our church leaders as well as our responsibility to our family and church membership.

 

Rainer’s premise is that even though we like the churches we belong to, we are there to serve others, to give and to sacrifice.  The church is not there to cater to our wishes, we are to be the servant rather than the one who wants to be served.   The word servant occurs fifty-seven times in the New Testament and the word serve, fifty-eight.   Jesus said we are to be last of all and servant of all.  What does this mean in real terms?  It means we will not always get things our way.  We are to be obedient and put others first. 

 

The next task we are given is to pray for our church leaders.  Our ministers need prayer for their sermons, we should pray to God to give wisdom, insight and words to preach.  Their families need our prayers, as they face the expectations and pressures of being the minister’s family.  Rainer suggest that as a church member you should pray for the minister for at least five minutes a day.  Not too much to ask when you consider that his work is never ending, and his days are filled with constant demands for his time.   

 

The last two pledges Rainer wants to look at are helping our family members be contributing church members and for us to cherish our church membership as a gift.  Not all members of a family have accepted the gift of salvation.  However, we are to pray for them and by demonstrating our respect and love for the church we are living Christ’s example.  In my own family, I find that I am always being asked what I am doing “up at the church and what was the sermon about today”, opportunities to witness about Jesus.  Writing this blog leads to questions and opportunities!

 

Now that our communities are beginning to open up after COVID, we are looking at what we like about the before times and our now times.  I want my church to be a place of love and celebration.  Of finding the best way to serve each other and our community.  A place to grow in the love of Christ.  For me, this book has given me new tools and energy to be an active church member.

Ed. Note: My thanks to Linda Cliff for the blog this week. As well as including prayer in her daily life, she reads the Bible faithfully. Recently she completed Loving Jesus More Bible reading plan from @YouVersion!

Check it out here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving 2021

 The link for this week's streamed service is here

With thanks to Janet for all the photos.

The decorating committee for the sanctuary on Thanksgiving had promised themselves to keep it simple. However, when the harvest was brought in, it was generous, so the table decorations are twice the size that was intended. When God is bountiful, we could not be miserly.

Thanks to everyone who contributed the fruits of the garden, orchard and field.

One of the items on our gratitude list at SPPC is the return of worship without restrictions. On this high Sunday, we sang the great hymns of harvest, had the choir in attendance, and then gathered for lunch. What a joy to be "church" once again. 

Many thanks to the willing hands who prepared and served our delicious lunch.

Looks like there is plenty with some left over.

What a beautiful tray of treats.

May you and yours be blessed with love and friendship and may you know the grace of God on this Thanksgiving weekend.

A Bit of This and a Bit of That

The link for this week's streamed service is here

Sunday was World Wide Communion and we celebrated the Lord's Supper with Christians from around the world and all the saints. The service was extra special as the choir was back in attendance. We're a bit out of practice, but the joy of making music together remains. We're doing short practices on Sunday mornings instead of a lengthy one on Thursday night. New members always welcome.

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Now that the fall rains have begun, winterizing the church building has begun.

Leaves and needles were blown off the parking lot and the gutters, which were really mucky, have been cleaned out. 

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A couple of weeks ago the Jesus is Lord congregation, who use our sanctuary on Sunday afternoons, held a celebration. During their shutdown for COVID 19 a number of the congregation completed an on-line study course. Now that in-person worship services are allowed, they had a graduation ceremony and a really good party.

 Too young for the course but old enough to be very excited by the celebration.

May you all experience the joy of dancing in your faith this week.