Rooted in Faith

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

Browsing through the latest edition of Presbyterian Connection I noticed a familiarity about the shared photos of church life. There was the Sunday School Pageant, the candlelight service, the white gift packaging, the neighbourhood lunch, birthday cakes . . . It struck me that the church names under the photos could be rearranged, and the story would still make sense. All that baking, knitting, quilting, feeding, nurturing--it's what we as churches do.

Then an article on Elmvale Presbyterian Church caught my eye. The congregation is 165 years old. It existed before the Presbyterian Church in Canada was formed. History fascinates me, so I read the article in full. The writer pointed out that the long history of this congregation, was a history of faith. No doubt they have been involved in "works" but what has sustained them and kept them vibrant for generations is their faith. They be before they do.

Last week we held a memorial service for one of SPPC's long-time members, Anne MacKinnon. The words spoken reminded us of her long service and the "works" she performed, as greeter, elder, Sunday School teacher and superintendent, and as a welcoming presence in our fellowship. Her legacy shows in our library, in the piano in the hall and in the lives of those she touched.

The service contained several hymns, hymns that Anne selected. Here she revealed what lay closest to her heart.  If we consider the words of her choosing, we see again, that "works" flowed from faith. 

"He shall not suffer that thy foot be moved/Safe shalt thou be."
"O Thou who changest not, abide with me."
"Death's mightiest powers have done their worst;/But Jesus hath His foes dispersed;"
"Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale, /Yet will I fear none ill;/For Thou art with me:"
"Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,/All who live in love are Thine."

Our Sister, Anne, had busy hands and an active mind, but when we examine her choice of hymns, we see she had a heart for faith that triumphed when her hands lay still and her mind slowed.

As our congregation seeks to serve and encourage at home and abroad, we must remember that our works must flow from our faith, or we become just another helping agency. Works are important, no doubt about that, but they are for a season. Faith is eternal. Like Anne and like Elmvale Presbyterian, let us hold that faith as a high beacon to light the ways of our doing.

 

Conversations

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

 The photo at left shows a letter written to SPPC from Zach, age 8. Zach attends Jesus is Lord congregation, that meets in our sanctuary on Sunday afternoons. 

Zach says he "works" at JIL. I think there is a lesson for us there. Most of us "attend" church, a much more passive activity than "working" at church. I know, lots of us, maybe all of us, volunteer in some capacity, but the idea of working during worship intrigues me. Do we work at listening to the service? Do we work at taking the message from Rev. Irwin's sermons? Do we work during the prayers and hymns to make the words our own? Do we work to make our corporate worship a true connection to God and His people? Does Zach have something to teach us?

Zach says he loves to "praise God and that is all," but it is not all. He goes on to ask God's blessing and Jesus' protection on SPPC. 

Last Sunday, Rev. Irwin challenged us to do "one hidden act of costly service" over the week. Zach's letter of encouragement is not hidden, but his costly service of penning it brought cheer to my heart. Thank you Zach, and to the congregation of JIL for their praise to God and their prayers for SPPC.

                                                               

This Sunday, SPPC received another blessing, Rev. Wes Denyer filled the pulpit while Rev. Irwin ministered to St. Andrew's Presbyterian in Victoria. 

The sermon was "Talking about important things." Those important things turned out to be conversations about faith. Those are difficult discussions to have at the best of times, but when folk are divided by age, or gender, or nationality, or traditions, they can be even more fraught. 

We often avoid those talks by changing the subject, remembering an "urgent errand," or hiding behind a coffee cup. 

The scripture passage for the sermon was John 4, the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Here a Jewish man and a Samaritan woman -- that's an enormous social gulf -- have a meaningful conversation about faith. Not a lecture, not an argument, not a trial -- just a conversation, both spoke, both listened. 

Next time the topic of faith arises in discussion, we would do well to remember Jesus' example, and engage in meaningful conversation. 

Zach has done that, reaching across a gap in ages, a difference of denomination, and a difference in culture. (The JIL congregation comes mostly from a Philippine background.) He speaks of faith with a heart for praise and prayer. Zach's note is the start of an important conversation.

***

On a side note, I wish to commend everyone who moved the clocks ahead on Saturday night and still made it to worship on Sunday morning. Praise God the day was filled with sunshine.

Family Time

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

I went away for a few days last weekend for a family event in Ontario. As the picture at left shows, the snow was deep and soft and beautiful. Fortunately, it was not falling on our travel days so we only experienced the gorgeous landscape not the frustrating, dangerous slipping and sliding and heart-in-your mouth driving.

I had a wonderful time catching up with three generations of family and even some old high school buddies. Mostly we gathered around a table, whether for dinner, brunch, coffee or snacks. It seems food draws family together.

When I returned to N. Saanich, I found several sets of photos in my e-mail. Apparently SPPC had been using food to draw the church family together.

Thanks to Joan, I have these photos of the sunshine lunch, with its Valentine theme.

Janet sent me these pictures of the out-to-lunch bunch at Good Fortune restaurant. It was quite a bunch, eighteen to be exact.

Then one more photo from Friday's Friendship Coffee. This time there were 25 present, a high turnout, even for this popular program.

Building family memories together is a boon to the heart. It would seem the same holds true of our church relationships.

Despite the beauty of the snowy woods of Ontario, I couldn't refrain from sending back this photo of blooming Victoria in the month of February.