Love is a Warm Sock

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

Sunday was Reformation Sunday, the day we commemorate Martin Luther's posting of the 95 Theses. The day that sowed the seeds of the Protestant Reformation, eventually leading to the formation of the Presbyterian church.  Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox are among the better known Reformed preachers. Many a Presbyterian church is called "Knox" because he founded the Presbyterian  Church in Scotland. The Presbyterian Church in Canada, and hence, Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church, is a descendent of that movement. 

There have been many theological arguments over the centuries about the role of the Pope, infant baptism, the sacraments, predestination, Christmas, to name a few. But one thing all denominations can agree on is "Love Thy Neighbour." On Sunday we showed that love with baskets full of warm socks for those who face a cold winter without adequate shelter.

We've been doing the "Cozy Toes" ministry at SPPC for over twenty years, now. In the early days we concentrated on socks and toiletries. The idea was to take a pair of warm socks, stuff the toes with things like toothpaste, soap and shampoo, and present it as an offering.

Over time, the program has morphed into a more general call for warm clothes. Although we still focus on socks, sweaters, blankets, coats and mitts are also welcome. 

Our donations are passed on to the Mustard Seed Street Church in Victoria. On Sunday a representative from there, Janice James, attended service and accepted the donated goods and offered a brief summary of the work they do. 

Winter has come early to Victoria this year, so those in need of warm clothing and dry feet need them now. After all the rain, puddles abound. Most of us are used to wearing rain boots, so puddles don't matter, or having a drawerful of socks if we need to change out of wet ones. For those who don't have those luxuries, the Mustard Seed Street Church, and its "hospitality" shelf are essential. 

The Street Church takes its name from Jesus' parable of the mustard seed. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

If we counted up all the socks that have been donated from our congregation they would likely number in the thousands, yet each one is like the tiny mustard seed, growing and spreading and providing sustenance for many. Sadly, the need for warm, dry clothing continues to grow. Thank you to all the people of SPPC who added warm socks to the Sunday offering. Thank you to the Mustard Seed Street Church for taking our gifts and using them well.  

Dedication of Cozy Toes gifts

Work and Play

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

"Bow down low, and bend your head,/Bow down low and bend your head/ For I've come to sweep this house,/ For to sweep the Lord's House clean." 

                              old Shaker Song

On Friday morning a bunch of volunteers arrived at the church for our annual deep cleaning bee. The refrigerator was  leaned out, cupboards emptied and washed, and the kitchen floor and mats received a thorough scouring.

The tables and cupboard in the Ross Lounge were scoured, as were the Venetian blinds from Irwin's office.

Tall people poked into the upper corners of the building to remove dust and cobwebs.

The carpets were shampooed and spots on chairs treated.

Al even brought his super-duper machine and washed the outside windows. 

Many thanks to the many hands that made the work lighter and to the cheery characters who made the chores seem like play. Woe betide any spider who spins a web before Sunday.

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

 

                                The Magic of of Autumn

                               It’s a glorious day with the sun overhead

                   And maples off yonder in Cardinal red,

                  And elms spilling gold on the floor of the world,

            And the sumachs ablaze, and the picture’s unfurled.

                                                                    Author Unknown

Sunday was just such a glorious day. So our Autumn Lunch was appropriately named. For no particular reason apart from a desire to serve Barb and her friend, Shirley, prepared and served lunch to the congregation after morning worship. 

Well-filled plates

Good friends

Good Conversation

                                                                            

The sermon title was "Messy."

It referenced various Jewish leaders including King David, but I thought it might apply to the kitchen too. 

You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs and you can't make lunch for forty people without dirtying a few dishes. Happily, there were plenty of volunteers to clean up afterward, restoring the kitchen to the spotless condition the Friday cleaning bee created.

The weather channel predicts dropping temperatures and even snow in some areas next week, but Sunday was a glorious day. Praise God.

A Call to Prayer

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

We are delighted to welcome Rev. Arnie Alksne to the pulpit this week. Rev. Irwin is away at Synod in Vancouver. 

Just a quick refresher -- Synod is the third of four levels of government in the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Session is the first and is responsible for an individual congregation. Presbytery is next with oversighjt, in our case, of congregations on Vancouver Island. Synod of B.C. is responsible for all Presbyterian congregations in B.C. and General Assembly is the top governing court of the denomination, with supervision of all Presbyterian churches in Canada.

The word "Synod" comes from the Greek "synodos" and refers to assemblies within the Christian church.  

The Oxford Languages dictionary provides the following definition.

syn·od

/ˈsinəd/

noun

1. 1.

   an assembly of the clergy and sometimes also the laity in a diocese or other division of a particular Church.

   "the deanery synod"
2. 2.

   a Presbyterian ecclesiastical court above the presbyteries and subject to the General Assembly.
3. 
   

A synod (/ˈsɪnəd/) is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word synod comes from the Greek: σύνοδος, meaning "assembly" or "meeting"; the term is analogous with the Latin word concilium meaning "council".

The 131st Synod of B.C. Presbyterian churches held over the past weekend, dealt largely with administrative matters, like electing a moderator for the 2023-2024 year, and the issuing of grants to various projects within local congregations. It is gratifying to know that Synod finances are healthy. 

After all the excitement of Thanksgiving Sunday, we had a quieter week at SPPC. 

• We continue to collect for the "Cozy Toes" project. Until the end of October we are encouraged to donate warm socks and toiletries for the Mustard Seed Church. They will distribute them to people in need on the streets of Victoria. We are so glad they have been able to resume their ministries after their devastating fire earlier this year.
• Bible Study continued on Wednesday. The chapter was titled "Finding Wisdom." The group discussion question asked us to describe a skill we`d like to acquire to improve our life, work or relationships. -- Interesting conversations ensued.
• Choir met for practice on Thursday. 
• Coming up on Friday, 20th is our deep cleaning bee. All volunteers welcome.

Regular classes, administrative work, maintenance -- these necessary tasks don`t make for splashy headlines but they are a reminder that the church marches on through high days and low days. We gather, we worship, we support one another, and we pray.

As our newscasts are filled with tales of war and want, horror and heroism, prayer is our greatest consolation and our greatest service.

I

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8: 26

Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. Acts 14:23

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – 1 Timothy 2:1

As you talk with our Lord this week, may you be blessed and may you be a blessing.

Counting Our Blessings

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

On this Thanksgiving weekend, our congregation has so much to be thankful for. To begin, we have the fruits of creation. Despite climate change, weird weather, fires and smoke, and disappearing pollinators, the gardens produced fruit and vegetables for the table. Thank you to all who contributed and all who set up the display.

We give thanks to Joan and her helpers for the Sunshine Lunch on Monday. As you can see from the happy faces, the opportunity for those who live alone to sit down at a meal together with friends is a great blessing.

We are thankful for Jerusha and her commitment to Cops for Cancer and the Tour de Rock ride that ended with her having her head shaved. Jerusha made this gesture in memory of her sister, Ruth. Her goal was to raise $1500.00 but in the end she more than doubled that target, raising $3834.28. Well done, Jerusha, and many thanks to the folks from SPPC who supported her fund-raising and turned out at the Shoal Centre to witness the "haircut."

In total, this year's ride raised over $1,000,000.00. 

Jerusha being honoured by the whole team

On Saturday, just in time for Thanksgiving Sunday, a new mat was laid at the main door, completing the refurbishment of our front entrance. We want to present a welcoming face to those who come to our building. We now have bright lines in the parking lot, freshly varnished doors, and a new welcome mat. 

For the fruit of all creation --

For our fellowship at SPPC --

For hands to serve and hearts to love --

For Christ, our Saviour, --

Thanks be to God.

Among Friends

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

Friendship Coffee met on Thursday morning in the hall at SPPC. This is one of the oldest ministries of our congregation, beginning a scant four years after the present church building was opened. We have received many accolades for being a friendly congregation so it is no surprise that friendship coffee is so deeply embedded in our congregational life.

There are many places to meet friends and share a cup of coffee -- Tim Horton's, Shoal Centre, Anavets, -- to name a few, but coffee at the church with friends fills a special longing. 

Over the years the program has evolved. Organizers have retired or passed away. COVID-19 put a hold on gatherings. For a time we had to meet outside in order to comply with public health regulations.  We still meet at the rose garden in Sidney when the weather is nice. 

We've moved from twice a month meetings to once a month. There used to be a very active knitting group, plying their needles for the Compassionate Warehouse. I saw only one ball of wool this week, but there is talk of reviving the tradition. Yet, despite the changes,  Friendship Coffee at SPPC has endured for over twenty-five years.

One reason may be the delicious home baking provided by Irene, one of our current conveners. But there is more to it than that. I asked a few of the coffee-drinkers on Thursday morning, some of whom are not worshippers at SPPC. Their answer was always the same, "fellowship." There is something special about the friendship offered at SPPC that sets us apart from commercial gathering places. 

If we look to Proverbs, we see many attributes of a friend.

• Friends do not gossip or listen to gossip, allowing it to hurt the friendship (Proverbs 16:28); Friends stick around even when things get difficult,  (Proverbs 18:24).
• Friends give pleasant, sincere advice, seeking our highest good (Proverbs 27:9; Proverbs 12:26); 
•  Friends challenge each other to meet the highest good (Proverbs 27:17).
• Friends are not bad-tempered (Proverbs 22:24-25); 

Perhaps it is these Biblical aspects of being a friend that makes Friendship Coffee so beloved.

As an aside, our Bible Study group is currently looking at the Book of Proverbs.  Wednesday, Oct. 11, the topic is "Finding Widsom." We meet at 10:00 am and 7:00 pm. Everyone is welcome at either time.

On Sunday, Oct. 1, we celebrated Worldwide Communion. This is another form of friendship.  We come from different nations, speak different languages, belong to different denominations, but we are among friends when we gather at the Lord's Table. 

Jesus is Lord congregation, a group who worships in our building on Sunday afternoons, celebrated a milestone in September.  It was the 25th anniversary of their congregation on Vancouver Island, and the 6th anniversary of the group that meets at SPPC.

The congregation is a different demographic from ours, their style of worship is much louder than ours and, in this case, it uses a lot more  purple than ours. But we count them as friends. We worship the same Lord, are redeemed by the same Christ, and live with the same Hope.

 In the coming week;

 May you all enjoy the company of friends.                                           May you prove a faithful friend,                                                            May you walk confidently with our greatest Friend.