Food for the Soul

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

This Sunday we welcomed Rev. Grant Wilson back to the pulpit at SPPC. He's becoming an old hand with our congregation, and we thank him for sharing his faith, his learning and his enthusiasm with us. 

After worship, we celebrated Janet's birthday with cake. The rule is that if your birthday falls on the Sunday, we sing to you before service and we all have cake afterward. Seems like a good rule.😀

Coming up this week at SPPC is our Friendship Coffee time on Thursday Oct. 29 at 10:00 am. Coffee and goodies is one of the favourite pasttimes at our church. The photo on the right was taken at the September, Friendship Coffee morning. Twenty-one folks gathered to chat and laugh and solve the world's problems. The event is not restricted to members of SPPC, so feel free to drop by and enjoy a time of Friendship.

 

I've written a lot about food events at SPPC lately, so I thought I'd highlight some of our "food for the soul" events, too. 

 Larry's musical event on Saturday night was an example of music's charm, "to soothe the savage breast." If you missed this one, there is another on Nov. 28, 7:00pm, and early Christmas offering.

Our Wednesday study sessions nourish the spiritual life of the congregation. This term we are taking another Drive Thru' History with Dave Stotts, and his trusty Land Rover, named Steve McQueen,  following the road from Acts to Revelation. The Book of Acts is full of detail, much of it easily overlooked as we tend to focus on the Gospels and the Epistles, but the first steps along "The Way" following Pentecost are breath-taking.

Some will have covered this ground before, but I find the visuals --either landscape or art work-- offer new perspectives on the text. For example, art depicting the stoning of Stephen showed him as a young man. Since he is a "saint" my mental image was of a person with a long, grey beard -- my mistake. More food for my soul.  

For those who think videos are an easy out for Bible Study, let me assure you we have homework! A worksheet handed out at the end of each session assigns scripture readings. 

If music and history and architecture and country walks feed your soul, you might want to check out Youtube for The Salisbury Organist. As mentioned on a previous post, I am a fan.  A recent episode had Ben in Baverstoke playing a small electronic organ and reminiscing about his first instrument -- a Yamaha Electone with two short keyboards and a half-length pedal board. 

The church at Baverstoke is fascinating. First erected over a1000 years ago, it has undergone restoration, additions and refurbishments over the years, but still shows its ancient foundations. As a lover of history, the virtual tour of the building was food for my soul, all by itself, but then Ben played "The Day Thou Gavest," and brought peace to my spirit.

Near the end of the presentation this photo from inside the church appeared on screen and gave me a good chuckle -- a dollop of ice cream to my visual and aural feast.

I don't know at what date this plaque was attached to the wall, but the instructions are in English, not Latin, and the font is easily readable, so I suspect the Victorians had a hand in it. 

In case you can't read the bottom line in the photo, here is a transcription. 

When the Choir and Clergy enter or leave, the Church, then stand up in a body. When they have passed by, kneel down in Prayer for them and ourselves.

Wishing us all a week filled with good food, for the body, the mind and the soul.