Blue Monday

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

Last week started badly for me. I was nearly knocked off my bicycle by another cyclist travelling in the wrong direction. When I called out that he was on the wrong side of the road he replied, "I don't care."

I picked up the mail and saw the lead story in Maclean's was about neighbours feuding with each other over the size of multi-million dollar "cottages."

My e-mail held a note from a distant friend fuming because she came home from vacation to find their neighbour had knocked down the line fence and re-sited it entirely on my friend's property.

The television news presented endless images of the ultimate self-centred event of our time, Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"I don't care" seemed to epitomize the world. Self-interest and greed trampled on sharing and the common good. All in all, it was a blue Monday. 

Then I got a call about the bottle drive at SPPC and took heart. I am surrounded by people who do care, who offer time, treasure and talent for the betterment of all.

Our church is known as a warm and friendly place. This is not just an accident of "nice" people coming together. Our welcoming, caring church community is a faithful response to the commands of the Lord.

The first chapter of Haggai exhorts the people to build up the house of the Lord. At SPPC we have a dedicated band of volunteers who build up the "house" with cleaning, grounds-keeping, gardening, running the sound system, reading the scriptures, dealing with rentals and keeping the fridge stocked, to mention just a few. These are people who care.

Titus 3: 1-2  Encourages Christians to be good citizens, . . . always ready to do what is good." As good citizens we obey the laws of the road, respect the rights of others, perform our civic responsibilities and offer a helping hand to friend and stranger -- and as a witness to our faith.

1 Peter 4:10 admonishes us to use our gifts to serve others. At SPPC we have folk who serve on committees, sing in the choir, make pastoral visits, and offer fellowship, among other thingss. Our congregation is generous in the support of missions world-wide. We have a particular interest in the Dominican Republic -- hence the bottle drive. These are people who care.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up."  At church we encourage each other with birthday wishes or coffee dates, with smiles and a warm handshake, or a gentle hug or a sympathetic tear.  We rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who mourn. People care.

Galatians 6:2 says, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ."   In a structured way, our church  provides support for shut-ins, or the bereaved. In a less formal manner, we offer a sympathetic ear, when a brother or    sister-in-Christ pours out the troubles that beset them. A casserole left on the doorstep, a phone call on a dark day, all around are people who care for each other.

James 5:16 says, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Every Sunday there are prayers from the pulpit for the health and well-being of our congregation, our neighbours and our world. There is also a prayer chain for those who request prayer privately. They know their requests will be carried to God by a community that cares.

I feel sorry for the lad on the bike who doesn't care. He doesn't know the satisfaction of sharing or the exhilaration of helping. A life governed by "self" is narrow and drab and barren. A life lived in obedience to God's commands and in the service of others is one of joy and fulfilment and all the colours of Creation. 

So, farewell to blue Monday, and hello to gratitude Sunday.

The Rose Garden

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

Come, and I will show you what is beautiful. It is a rose fully blown. See how she sits upon her mossy stem, the queen of flowers. Her leaves glow like fire. The air is filled with her sweet odour. She is the delight of every eye.
– John Keble*  The Creator

Something about roses touches the human heart. Poets have extolled them for centuries. Think of Robbie Burns and his famous "My Love is Like a Red, Red, Rose.  

Here's a lesser known poem by Christina Rossetti, but with the same admiration for the flower. 

Love is like a rose
by Christina Georgina Rossetti**

Hope is like a harebell trembling from its birth,
Love is like a rose the joy of all the earth;
Faith is like a lily lifted high and white,
Love is like a lovely rose the world’s delight;
Harebells and sweet lilies show a thornless growth,
But the rose with all its thorns excels them both.

 In scripture, we find references to the rose of Sharon in the Song of Solomon 2:1 as a metaphor for the divine love of God for His people. This rose is sometimes interpreted to mean Christ and the Church.  

Over time, the church has assigned sacred meanings to roses. The lovely fragrance of a rose is thought to mean that angels are near during prayer and meditation. 

The red rose is a symbol of martyrdom, representing the blood of those who have been persecuted for Christ's sake. 

Some stained glass windows in old churches depict a wreath of roses around the heads of saints as an illustration of Christian joy.

Interesting that joy and suffering are both represented in the same bloom.

The calyx of the rose comes from the same Latin root as cup or chalice and is used to symbolize the cup used in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. 

The sepals of the rose protect the flower and have been used to symbolize the grace of God, poured from heaven. Grace that sanctifies and enables the Christian to withstand trials and temptations. 

White roses signify innocence and purity. When used in Christian weddings, pristine white roses are used to represent the pureness of  love between bride and groom. 

Purity is also mentioned in the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

On Thursday of this week, weather permitting, Friendship Coffee will be held in the rose garden beside the library in Sidney. As we gather in that beautiful spot to enjoy a cuppa and a goodie, let the roses remind us of God's generosity in creation. Maybe we'll breathe in the scent and think of the presence of angels.

We can see the red rose and give thanks for the martyrs and Christian joy. 

May the white rose remind us of the message to the Philippians:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Sitting amongst the roses thinking of whatsover things are lovely, should be a given. 

* John Keble's hymns are included in our Book of Praise at #91, #413, #548, (New Every Morning)#553, #557.

** Christina Rosetti wrote the well-loved Christmas hymn, In the Bleak Mid-Winter found at  #121 in our Book of Praise. She also wrote, #138 and #410

In His Steps --Book Review

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

This week's guest blogger is Linda Cliff. As usual, she has sent along a book report. 

In His Steps: What would Jesus Do?

                               -- Charles M Sheldon

 

I took this book off my bookshelf in desperation.  It has sat there for at least twenty five years until there was a day when I had nothing to read and upon opening the book I saw it had been given to my father-in-law on his twenty-fourth birthday.  So I took a chance and started to read.  

The first thing I noted was that the book had been written in 1896, and may have influenced  the popular movement of “What would Jesus do”.

 In His Steps concerns the inhabitants of a town who pledged themselves to live for a year as Jesus would.  The main character, the Reverend Henry Maxwell, meets a homeless man who confronts Henry and his family and congregation about their lack of Christ-like mercy. Henry asks church members to take a pledge for a year to live as Jesus would.  The novel then follows the lives of four people as each person’s life is radically changed by the challenge and the town of Raymond is forever transformed by the love and sacrifice offered by the Christians inspired by the challenge.

 As you can imagine the challenges outlined in 1896 are different than the ones we see today.  But underlying human greed and sin present us with the same struggles today.  We have recently been exploring the scripture that asks us to Love thy neighbour as ourselves.  This book walks us through the consequences of embracing this command and how emulating Christ will change the world.

Originally, the author read a chapter of this book to the young people at his church in Topeka, Kansas. While it was being read it was also published in a religious weekly. Unfortunately there were problems with the copyright and the story became part of the public domain.  Lacking a proper copyright the book was published by sixteen different firms all over the world.  Because of this the book has had more circulation than any other book except the Bible. The book has sold over 50,000,000 copies and ranks as one of the best selling books of all time.

 There is a modern rendition of Sheldon’s book in our library.  It updates the story as in 1896 they were still using horse and buggy to get around, it is well worth the read. You can also read the original on-line as part of Gutenberg project here.

There is also a movie version, available for free on YouTube here.

 

 

Linda Cliff

Ed. Note: Thanks Linda for sharing your Christian reading journey on this blog.

Summertime and the Livin' is . . .

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

Summer may have finally arrived! We certainly had lovely weather over the Canada Day weekend. I hope everyone got a chance to enjoy the sunshine and the parades and the music and the picnics. 

Even if you're too old for classes, the first long weekend of summer gives us all that "school's out" feeling. Rev. Irwin preached on the need to "remember the Sabbath Day" a couple of weeks ago, reminding us that God intended His children to rest. Most of us don't shut down entirely in the summer, but it is a time to recharge in body, mind and soul. 

We're certainly taking advantage of summertime rest at SPPC. The choir is on holiday until September. Bible Study held their last meeting in June. Even Session is taking a break.

Worship doesn't take a summer holiday but you may find dress a bit more casual and tourists in the pews. That is all good.

But some work continues quietly in the background. 

The prayer chain still receives requests, still lifts our brothers and sisters in prayer. If you have a request for prayer, you can send them by e-mail to prayerchain@saanichpeninsulapc.org  or  fill in the yellow prayer request card in the pew. All requests are confidential. We ask that you get permission from the intended recipient before requesting prayer.

The bottle drive is also an on-going ministry, even over the summer. Our sorter par excellence, Joan, is away on holiday, but others are filling in so continue to bring those drink containers to the church. All the ten-cent refunds add up and increase the total available for the next mission trip to the Dominican Republic. 

In the community, the Sidney Food Bank is putting out an appeal for donations. Soaring prices in the grocery store and at the gas pump have put many households in a financial bind. At SPPC we have collection bins for food bank items. Or, you can drop them off directly at 9586 Fifth St, Sidney, BC V8L 2W5

For a special summertime, event, we send congratulations to Helen on her 100th Birthday, this Friday!