Red for Pentecost

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

Last Sunday at SPPC was a jam-packed occasion. We celebrated the anniversary of our building, but we also wore red to celebrate Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit, in the form of tongues of fire, touched each of the believers gathered together in one place in Jerusalem. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the people began speaking in tongues, i.e the languages of many different nations. 

Many observers were amazed, others scoffed saying the disciples must be drunk. But Peter stood up and delivered a sermon which reassured his hearers that they were not inebriated, but had been touched by the Holy Spirit, sent from Christ, as He had promised.

About three thousand people responded to Peter's call and were baptized and became followers of Jesus on that day. Pentecost is now looked on as the beginning of the church. Certainly a day to celebrate.

With the day behind us, we are now in the season of Pentecost. The party is over. Now it is time to get to work. As we read through Acts we see that the small band of Jesus' followers, came out of hiding. They lost their fear and became bold in the Lord. Peter, who had denied Jesus at His trial, now proclaimed Him loudly on the streets and in the marketplace. The other disciples also spread the Gospel. They travelled far afield to proclaim the truth of the risen Christ. They suffered for their faith, but they would not stop proclaiming what they had witnessed and what they knew to be true.

The coming of the Holy Spirit, transformed the followers of Christ from a "me-centred" (who is the greatest) group of individuals to a Christ-centred movement, united in their mission to baptize and make believers of all nations. They changed the world, and that mission continues to this day.

We at SPPC will not experience a Pentecost like the one in first century Jerusalem but we can receive the Holy Spirit into our own lives. We can love one another as Jesus commanded. 

Acts 2 states that after the day of Pentecost, the believers "continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another. They would sell their property and possessions and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed." GNT 

On the first Sunday after Pentecost, our congregation ate cake -- what else is new? On this occasion it was to celebrate Father's Day, but mostly it was because we really enjoy the fellowship time on Sunday after worship service. 

During the month of June, SPPC is putting extra effort into our food bank offerings. Like that first church that grew out of Pentecost, we are sharing our love and our goods with the community around us. May the Holy Spirit work in us. Let's fill those bins to overflowing. Let us love one another as Christ first loved us. 1John 4:19

Happy Pentecost!

Pray on Your Fingers

As a church we talk a lot about prayer. In sermons, in Bible Study, in Sunday School, during coffee hour and just in general conversation. One question that repeats itself is "how to we pray?" Is there a formula for how to talk to God?

The acronym ACTS is often used as an example of the types of prayers Christians use. A for adoration or praise of the Almighty. C for confession. T for thanksgiving and S for supplication or intercession. It's a handy device and a pattern that we see echoed in our order of service.

I've come across another pattern for prayer that some might find useful, particularly when teaching children to pray. This one involves praying on your fingers. Here's how it works.

The thumb is nearest your heart, so pray first for those closest to you like parents, siblings and friends. Don't forget to pray for yourself. Tell God what you need.

The second finger is used to point. Pray for those who point you toward the way you should go; teachers, mentors, ministers and all who inspire your faith.

The third finger, the tallest, suggests we pray for leaders, both within our faith community and without. Pray for elders, for members of parliament, for Queen Elizabeth and the Prime Minister. We might even pray for celebrities whose position of influence could make them terrific ambassadors for Christ.

The fourth finger is the weakest. Pray for the sick and abused, the imprisoned and the helpless.

The fifth finger, the baby, is the smallest. Pray for those often forgotten in our busy whirl -- the lonely, the bereaved, those using food banks and the homeless.

Pray often. At Bible Study this week we watched the movie, "Shadowlands," a biographical account of a time in the life of C.S. Lewis, author ot the Narnia stories among others. At the beginning of the movie Lewis talked about suffering and God in a rather clinical manner. Later, when he knew suffering first hand, he was asked about prayer. He replied,

“I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God. It changes me.”

If you want to enrich your prayer life, try praying on your fingers. 

― C.S. Lewis

School's Back

We're all in our places with sunshiny faces.
Wednesday saw the return to Bible Study classes and what a return it was.  The tables were crowded, the conversation robust and we ran out of coffee. 
This was the seventh session on The Beatitudes using John Stott's study guide.  There is one more lesson in this study.  All are welcome to attend.  It is not necessary to have attended any of the previous classes.
   Next week we will begin a study of the Book of Acts, with Irwin as leader.  If you've always been curious about the beginnings of "church", the Book of Acts is an excellent place to start.  We will follow the workings of the Holy Spirit as shown through the lives and teachings of apostles such as Peter and Paul.  See the formation of early congregations and the flood of converts to this new religion, Christianity.
   If you've always loved school, you'll love our Bible Study.  If you've always hated school, you'll find our Bible Study overturns all your preconceived notions.  Come give it a try.  Come once, come every week.  You are always welcome.  The conversation is lively, the teacher is knowledgable and funny, the text is the Greatest Story ever told and the coffee's always hot.

Wednesdays, 9:30am, Ross Lounge, Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church, 9296 E. Saanich Road, by the airport roundabout.