Whew! September

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

After our summer holiday, September swept through the church timetable like a whirlwind. It seems every weekend held some event that involved refreshments. Just this past Sunday was a birthday cake for Emily as she celebrates 99 years.

kitchen crew

On Tuesday, our church plays host to Presbytery, including a lunch. Many thanks to our hard-working volunteers in the kitchen who provide squares, make sandwiches, simmer soup, set out table decorations and keep the coffee pots full, time after time.

*****

Also on the calendar this week, is the all candidates meeting on Wednesday. For this one we only need to set out the water jugs, not make coffee, etc.  If you are a voter in North Saanich you might like to come and listen to the candidates for mayor and council lay out their vision for the future of our area. Now that municipal elections only come around every four years it is easy to lose track of who is in and who is out, not to mention who's on first.  The meeting starts at 7:00 pm.

*****

 
As Hurricane Fiona has devastated  Canada's east coast, the Government of Canada announced that over the next month, it will match donations given to the Red Cross. Our maritime family needs our love, our prayers and our resources as they sort through the rubble that was their homes and towns.

Fortunately, the storm mostly spared Pedregal in the Dominican Republic, home of the Church Upon the Rock Ministry that SPPC supports. When we send a mission team to the DR, that is where they go.  Sharon reports:

We are inland, in the mountains and our province was in the red zone of the storm.  We had so much rain. So very much rain.  Hard, heavy rains for about 15 hours.  In our area, we had minimal winds but some people near the rivers had some flooding.  We have three rivers in our area and they really rose. 

We have a little creek on our property that usually at this time of year is about 18 inches wide and maybe 2 inches deep.  Yesterday, it was a full flowing river.  In our area, everything is very wet but no major damage. 

During the storm, about 5 km from our home, a young man died a freak accident when a tree fell on top of him as he was riding his motorcycle on the main road.

On the mountain highway, there is no waterfall but yesterday there was a waterfall, about 3 feet wide coming down the mountain onto the highway. 

An overpass collapsed on the main highway at the bottom of our mountain road, about 20 km from us.

*****

Here, in beautiful British Columbia, we continue to enjoy God's gift of sunny days and cool nights. Let us give thanks.

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

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

Flowers from the Conn family

For the past ten days funerals have played a large part in my life. I've watched four services of remembrance for Queen Elizabeth II and attended three more events for members of our own congregation. I'm steeped in ritual.

I've noted the commonalities and the differences in the way we remember. At St. Paul's Cathedral in London we saw a service many viewers are familiar with from watching other royal events. The magnificent domed ceiling, the great organ, trumpet fanfare, striking uniforms and a huge choir of men and boys. All the pomp we've come to expect from the British.

At St. Giles, in Edinburgh, we watched a much plainer service, closer to the Presbyterian style of our own congregation, -- hardly surprising since John Knox was once the minister there. There were no flourishes to the music and no frilly collars on the boys, girls, men and women in the choir. Surprisingly to me, the Lord's prayer still included "forgive us our trespasses" rather than "forgive us our debts." 

In Wales the architecture of Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff is a mix of ancient and modern. The Cathedral itself is 900 years old but it was heavily bombed during the Blitz. The reconstruction after the war restored what was salvageable but where rebuilding was necessary, the architect followed a modern style. 

St. Anne's Cathedral in Belfast began as a small parish church before being reconstructed as a cathedral, in the Romanesque style. A grand building from humble beginnings.

At SPPC our architecture falls under the "all purpose" label. Our sanctuary and hall can be separated by a removable wall, or opened together into one large room. There is no stained glass and only a velvet runner on the communion table. Nothing grand about it.

But what happens inside these buildings is what matters. In these spaces, whether grand or humble, we hear words of comfort from scripture, feel the love and support of others, and commit those we love to the eternal care of Christ Jesus.

In St. Pauls, the reading was from Romans 14: 7-12 assuring us that "those who live in the Lord, will die in the Lord." The Bishop of London preached the sermon, detailing the ways in which the late Queen Elizabeth had lived a life of service as dictated by her faith. The sermon ended with the words of Simeon, : ‘Lord, now lettest thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word’.  It was a moving and uplifting service. You can read the whole sermon here.

As befits a Presbyterian service, at St. Giles, there were several readings from The Word, including Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, Romans 8: 28-40, and John 14: 1-6.  The minister also spoke of the late Queen's personal faith, quoting from some of her Christmas broadcasts.

The message from the pulpit at St. Anne's in Belfast included references to Joshua 4 and to Philippians 4: 8-9. The sermon also dwelt at length on "the troubles" and Queen Elizabeth's contribution to peace and reconciliation. The entire sermon is here.

In Wales the scripture was read in Welsh so, until I found a broadcast with sub-titles, I had no idea what the reference was. Turns out it came from 2 Chronicles, where King Solomon asks God for wisdom to be a good monarch. The sermon again paid tribute to the Queen and asked for comfort for King Charles III and all of the Royal Family, and for all who mourn.

In the services I attended for our own congregation, we heard words of comfort read from the scriptures, shared memories, and listened to a message from the pulpit assuring us that God's love for us is "relentless" to quote one of Rev. Irwin's homilies. We said good-bye to our friends "in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection." 

Whether our sorrow at this time is national or personal, we turn to the same God, the same scriptural assurances, and we rest on our faith. Grand or humble, public or private, God knows the longings of each heart, and holds each one as precious. 

To all who mourn, remember that Christ said, "I go to prepare a place for you." That promise is for all.

flowers from the Day Family

Hotdogs!

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

The sad news of Queen Elizabeth II's death has cast a pall over our hearts this weekend. The previously planned welcome back hotdog lunch at SPPC was a welcome respite from sorrow.

The weather was lovely, especially after our smoke-filled Saturday afternoon. The wasps came out in force but we learned that standing or sitting in a breeze kept them away. 

It seems BBQ's require a male operator. 

 Thanks Tore.

There were lots of sweets and fresh corn. 

Of course, there was the usual coffee choices. 

Lots of chances for conversation. 

Then there were the unsung heroes in the kitchen. 

One last rather poor photo of our farewell to Joyce. She is a visiting student from Taiwan and for the past several months has been part of the SPPC congregation. Musically gifted, she sang in the choir and  played a piano solo one Sunday. We are sorry to see her go but wish her well on her future endeavours. As Rev. Irwin said, "if ever she comes this way again, she knows she has a home at SPPC."

An SPPC t-shirt.

I heard lots of people with ideas of why SPPC needs a supply of t-shirts so we may see more of these.

**************************************************

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s remarkable reign was marked by an extraordinary commitment to service. She gave clear public expressions of her deep personal Christian faith and the hope of the gospel. The Rev. Bob Faris, Moderator of the 2022 General Assembly, is sending a letter to Queen Elizabeth’s family, extending the church’s condolences at her death and gratitude for her life and service.

Prayer for use during worship

Eternal God, before you all generations rise up and fall away, and in your grace, you provide leaders to serve and comfort us with wisdom and dedication. We give thanks for the life, Christian witness and service of Queen Elizabeth, whose earthly life is now ended and who has entered into the joy and peace you have prepared through Jesus Christ. We pray for her family and those who will take up her duties and responsibilities. Send your Holy Spirit to comfort and give peace to all who mourn her death and the death of any loved one.
Amen.  -- Message and prayer from the Presbyterian Church in Canada upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

What Made you Happy?

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

Chickens at Saanich Fair

One of the blogs I follow has one day a week devoted to happiness. The lead line is "what made you happy this week?" If ever I feel grumpy, reading this blog is a real pick-me-up. The scripture for Sunday morning was Philippians 2: 5-18, a passage that encourages us to shine like stars, to rejoice, and not to grumble. In other words, a happy letter from Paul.  

So, what made me happy this week? So many things, too great to number so I'll mention only a few.

For one thing, Janet M. sang our solo on Sunday morning. We've missed her at church and choir since her life changed. It was good to hear her voice again.

For another, we went to the Saanich Fair. This makes me happy on many levels. I reconnect with my farm roots as I walk among the horses and cows and chickens and sheep. (See photo at top.) Jeans and straw hats bring happy memories. On another level, I meet my friend at the fair. We've been doing that for over twenty years. A long friendship makes me happy. Our fair experience together is also a happy one. I give her produce from my garden, she makes jam and wins a prize. We're in this together!

More happiness on Saturday night as we went to the Butchart Gardens for the last live entertainment of the summer. Fiddles, guitar, piano and accordion playing jigs and reels. In a world riven by hatred, greed, and violence, I drank in the peace and good-will of several hundred people (and dogs) sitting in a beautiful garden, tapping their toes and clapping in rhythm with the music. Under the stars on a summer's night, we lived in harmony with one another, at peace with our neighbours.

Finally, something that brings happiness to our whole congregation. Josh and Emily got married, and shared some pictures with us.

A happy bride

Felicity made the cakes

If Emily's smile doesn't make you happy, you are beyond hope!

So, what made you happy this week?