Advent 3 2022

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

Here we are at Advent 3 already. If you are like me you are racing about getting parcels wrapped and into the mail, writing Christmas cards, shopping, baking, decorating, making lists and forgetting where you put the list of your lists. I just had to leave off writing this blog to rescue my newly-purchased gift wrap paper from the cat!

At the church, the same sort of busyness occurs. On Monday we have Sunshine Lunch, an event for members of the congregation who live alone.  Later in the week there is a worship committee meeting, choir practice, lunch at the Legislature, then a bake sale and Community Carol Sing on Sunday the 18th, not to mention regular maintenance chores and Sunday morning worship. It's very easy to get caught up in the hurry and "must do's."

Last week, I came across a quote by Roy L. Smith. “He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.  

It struck me that much of my rushing about had more to do with the "tree" than the manger. In my mind the two are not disconnected. Wanting to show love to my family and friends and strangers with gifts and food and support is tied into the spiritual gift of hospitality. Showing love to others is witness to God's love for all, as manifested by the Infant Jesus and Christmas. Like most things in life, it's a question of balance. 

I'll keep working on my list of "to do's" but I'll try to feel less frantic. I'll remind myself of the why of my chores. I'll look for the Prince of Peace and rejoice. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Caol Sing 2019

One of our favourite Christmas traditions at SPPC is the community carol sing.
This year the event takes place on Dec. 15 at 2:30 pm.
We'll sing old favourites like "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Away in a Manger," "Silent Night," and many more. Words supplied so no need to bring a carol book--just bring a friend and prepare to get into the Christmas spirit. 
The Jesus is Lord Congregation has been using the SPPC building for worship on Sunday evenings. We're delighted that they've agreed to join us for the Carol Sing and for a pot luck supper afterward.
As the old song goes -- "please to put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do,. If you haven't got a ha'penny, then God Bless You."  If you haven't got a dish to contribute to the supper, don't worry about it, we wish you God's blessings anyway. There will be lots of food to go around. If you'd rather just have a cup of tea and a cookie, that's fine too.
We look forward to meeting all our friends and neighbours at the Carol Sing.

9296 E. Saanich Road (at airport roundabout)
Free parking
More information at SPPC 250 656-2241

More Blessings

Share the Good News
by Janet Smith

At SPPC we take our turn to visit the Saanich Peninsula Hospital to lead a 30-minute service for the residents in palliative care wing.

Usually this falls on the 4^th Sunday of the odd numbered months, January, March and so on but a few weeks back the secretary called me to let me know that we had also been assigned Sunday 23^rd December! To my shame, my immediate reaction was somewhat selfish to say the Least. Oh, what a nuisance, I thought, right now when I have so much to do.

As I announced this to others, I felt the same sort of reaction. Why us? It’s not our turn.

 Anyhow, a goodly number of our congregation turned out and helped gather residents from their rooms and helped them to the hospital Chapel and together we all enjoyed singing Christmas carols. Rev. Irwin gave a short Christmas message and when the service ended, we helped everyone back to their rooms.

This took all of one and a half hours out of my Christmas preparation, so little time but such a great blessing for those who attended, possibly for some folks, we may have been the only visitors they saw over the Christmas season. Not only was it a time of blessing for the residents but I hope it was also a blessing for those of our congregation that came out to share that time together.

How selfish can we be, when all we think about is what we want and need, yet when we give of ourselves to others, how best we are.

Christmas came, everything fell into place and I was able to enjoy celebrating Christ’s birth with my family in the warmth and comfort of my home unlike so many.

Christmas is a time for sharing the love, hope, peace and joy that Christ came to bring each one of us, I hope we were able to do that for these folks at the S.P.H. for that short time on 23 December 2018.

       

      

Go Tell it on the mountains!

           

CHRISTMAS IN THE CARIBOU

   Christmas in Victoria is more often green or grey than white, but many of us have fond memories from other parts of the country where bringing in the tree meant a sleigh ride into the bush, reddened faces and numb fingertips.  One of my favourite memories is carolling on Christmas Eve while snow fell softly from a star-studded sky.

   I make it a point to NOT remember being stuck in the ditch, having to use jumper cables to start the car and missing the plane because snow closed the roads!

    One of our members, Lois, is having a typical Canadian Christmas season this year in the Caribou.  She sent these beautiful pictures and this post.  Thank you, Lois, for sharing with your SPPC friends.

Well, my grandson always cuts down the tree off the ranch property, he refuses to give in to an artificial tree.  We always attend the Christmas recital at Aimee's extended family's church in Williams Lake.  

    Christmas Eve is traditionally an ice fishing day, weather permitting, although I don't participate in that!  If someone is energetic and enterprising, and willing to clear the snow from the pond ice, there is skating to participate in.  No snowmobiles on this ranch, it's horses or tractors.

     Christmas Day is gift exchange, attending to the cattle, then horse drawn sleigh rides for all the grandkids prior to turkey dinner, either at Aimee's or Gary's daughters' house in town. 

     Christmas in the Caribou is snowy, cold and traditional!  

Merry Christmas, 

Lois

Christmas from the Sunday School

As their contribution to the SPPC blog, two of the Sunday School classes offered these drawings and achrostics.  Thank you to Rebekah, Benjamin, Zachary, Brenden, Josh, Peter and Nathan -- and their teachers!