Advent 1, 2022

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

Saturday morning eight volunteers showed up at the church to put up Christmas decorations in time for the first Sunday of Advent. Many hands make light work and we had a good time besides. The Christmas tree, the valance lights, nativities in the narthex, wreaths on the back wall and swags on the front door, were all done in a few hours.

Thanks to Tore, Jerusha, Janet, Carmen, Pam, Joan, Barb, and Alice for their time, talent and good humour.

                                           Thanks to Elizabeth, we have angels joining the flock on the upper window ledge.

After the fun comes the clean-up

The outdoor lights had been hung when the weather was fine last week, but left unlit until Sunday. Now we have the candle of hope burning inside and out.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rev. Irwin was away this week so we happily welcomed Pastor George to the pulpit once again. The last time he was here was Advent 1 in 2020. You can read about him here. Of course, that was during COVID lockdown and we had no one in the pews.

George's message reflected on the sorry state of our world today. War, want, fear, and disaster crowd the headlines. And yet . . . we light the candle of Hope. Hope in our Saviour. 

Hope in the world is vain. Hope in the Lord is unfailing.

May this season of Advent bring hope to your home. 

Reduce-Recycle-Reuse

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

It has been said many times by many people, "Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church is a very friendly church." On Saturday we found a new way to be friends -- we had a swap meet. Or perhaps I should call it a recycle event. The idea was to clean out the stuff in your house that is too good to throw away but that you don't want any longer, bring it to the church, and let others take it home. No money was exchanged.

I went with a firm determination to pare down my "stuff." I took seven items, which were all picked up by someone else. I collected three items, for a net loss of four. Score one for more empty closet space. But, my husband went to the swap meet with no items and came home with a boxful! Net gain, about twenty. So, no increase in empty closet space.

One of the great things about the swap was the opportunity to look at others' stuff and get to know them a bit better. The cup of coffee and plate of muffins helped too.

Left over items were left for Sunday morning so worshippers could pick up stuff as well. The remains are going to the thrift shop on Monday.       

                                       

*******

Sunday the congregation participated in a great giveaway as well. This was the last day to donate to our cozy toes mission. There were baskets and boxes and bags of donated goods, including but not limited to socks. I saw sweaters and coats and shirts and toiletries. These will all be given to the Mustard Seed church for distribution to Victoria's neediest citizens.

Jerusha has a personal mission to create twenty packages for the mission complete with socks, a toothbrush, a chocolate bar, and other sundries. Great example of generosity.

 *******

Looking ahead, next week is Advent 1, so we're thinking decorations, carols, and special offerings. After two years of restrictions and lockdowns, we are so glad to approach this Advent and Christmas season with open doors and open hearts.

Let Them Eat Cake

 The link to our live-streamed service is here.

Marie Antoinette infamously said, "let them eat cake," in disparagement of the peasants pleading for bread. Historians argue that she never said those words, but they have now entered our collective consciousness so the French Queen is stuck with them. At SPPC we eat cake often and for many reasons, none of which have to do with starvation.

We eat cake to celebrate happy occasions, like Will's baptism. On Nov. 6 Joan's grandson took his own vows of baptism as an adult. We're more accustomed to infant baptism, so Will's event was a very special time. Of course, we celebrated with cake.

This Sunday, we used cake to mark a less joyous occasion. Jim is moving away. He is a long-term member, having joined the congregation in 2001, and served as secretary for the Board of Managers for many years, where he kept meticulous minutes. We are very sorry to see him go but we wish him and Cindy every happiness in their new home. We comforted ourselves with a piece of cake, just as we did earlier in the year when Archie left us to take up residence in Calgary.  

 

Also on Sunday, we had three birthdays. Of course, they were also acknowledged with cake. 

Gladys, who is very young

Benjamin, who loves cake, and Max

Missing from the photos is Kathy, who spent her birthday recuperating from her flu shot. We kindly ate her piece of cake for her.

A Sunday without cake is a rarity at Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church. The addition of bakery goods to our coffee hour speaks not only to the congregants love of sweets but to our commitment to be a church family. In baptism we are asked,  Do you, as members of the church of Jesus Christ, promise to guide and nurture N. by word and deed, with love and prayer, encouraging her/him to know and follow Christ and to be faithful members of his church? 

I think the many cakes served at SPPC are one of the ways we nurture each other. We share the joys and sorrows of life together. As members of the congregation, we promise to listen, to provide a shoulder to lean on, to offer the hand of fellowship--and to enjoy a gooey piece of cake together no matter the moment.

Welcome Will, fare thee well Jim, Happy Birthday Gladys and Benjamin and Kathy. Thanks for the cake.

Preparing for Mission in DR

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

November 6 was a very busy Sunday that included Will's baptism. I'll have more on that next week. This week, we have a presentation on a mission trip.

Last Sunday, Diane held an information meeting about the upcoming mission trip from SPPC to the Dominican Republic.  There have been teams from our congregation go out in previous years and she included some pictures from those trips. In 2020 another team was all set to go from our church when the pandemic hit. The team had been commissioned on Sunday and on Monday the lockdown orders were issued by public health. A great disappointment to those team members, but a necessary safety precaution. 

This year, a new team is being assembled and more supplies secured. The trip will take place in March of 2023. It's all there in Diane's presentation which is embedded below. Just click on the little pop-out button in the upper right-hand corner to view the whole thing.

Thanks, Diane, for sharing your presentation, and for your work for House Upon the Rock.