Happy Father's Day

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

Sunday was Father's Day so SPPC celebrated with cake. That's cake two weeks in a row. The coffee hour was well attended. 

Every year we ask a "dad" to cut the cake. This year's choice was Wayne. He did a mighty fine job. There were no complaints about "my piece is smaller than yours."  Thanks Wayne for serving the congregation.

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The twenty-first was also a Communion Sunday, a fitting reminder that no sacrifice is too great for our Heavenly Father. How blessed are we that His love is offered so freely to His children.

 Some families use Sunday as a day to call home and talk to dad. We can call "home" any time, anywhere and Our Father will answer, but there is something special about calling on Sunday morning. It is a bit like being on a party line (remember those?) -- we can all listen in to the many conversations, and experience the love of God and the fellowship of family together.

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Rev. Irwin has started a series of sermons for the summer season, based on the Psalms of Ascent, (Psalms 120-134) In ancient times, every Jewish male was required to attend the temple in Jerusalem three times a year for major religious festivals. These psalms (songs) were used by the travellers to accompany their journey, a reminder that they were a pilgrim people walking with God. They weren't exactly marching songs, but I expect the singing helped to encourage and cheer the pilgrims on their way.

On Sunday, Psalm 121 (Unto the Hills) informed the sermon. This well-loved passage has been set to music in many forms. On Sunday we used the hymn version found in our Book of Praise, set to the tune Sandon, a plain 4/4 melody with a range of less than an octave, eminently singable by a congregation.

The poetry of the psalm is so powerful it has been used by many composers, from chant to choral anthems, to folksy hymns and jazz renditions, to name a few.

A much more elaborate setting for some verses can be found in Felix Mendelssohn's great oratorio, Elijah. A trio of treble voices begins the passage with "Lift Thine Eyes," followed by a full chorus of "He watching over Israel,"  Not arranged for congregational singing.😀

Whatever the musical style, the psalm brings comfort and assurance to the listener. Dr. Cecil Kirk, late of this congregation wrote:

. . . As Christians we remember how God watches over us on our pilgrimage through time, journeying on our way to the eternal city. . . God guards the soul, the inner citadel of each of us which is the seat of human happiness or misery. . .God has promised that He will see us right through to the end of the journey. He will be there when night falls and we go into the darkness: He will be there to meet us when morning breaks and the shadows flee away. "the Lord shall keep thee, henceforth, yea, for evermore."

We've been promised a series of summer sermons on fifteen psalms, but, if you're looking for a summer reading list, there are one hundred and fifty of them in your Bible.  Certainly more familiar reading than last summer's series on the Book of Revelation!

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Don't forget the food bank. For the rest of this month and into July, we are making an extra effort to stock the food bank shelves. Summer is a time of plenty for those of us with gardens, but it is a time of stress for the food bank, as regular donors go on holiday and school children need more lunches at home. Bring your offerings of food or cash and place them in the bins in the narthex.

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!

Dear Old Dad

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

During coffee hour Sunday morning, we held wrapped up the drive for the food bank. The bins in the narthex were full to overflowing and Joan reported around $800.00 in cash as well. To celebrate we held the draw for the hanging basket. After a number of refusals, the Jim Dallimore was declared the winner.

In honour of Father's Day on Sunday, I've posted a number of "Dad Moments" collected from members of the congregation. 

Joan writes:

On June 1968 I was married in Scotland.

My dad and I left for our church in the wedding car with the white ribbons on the front.  I was obviously in a white dress that had a train, with dad in a morning suit, (which was another story.) On arriving Dad helped me out. Before entering our beautiful old church Dad asked "are you sure this is what you want?"                                

Inverkeithing parish church, in Fife, Scotland

 

I replied, "Yes, I'm sure" Again Dad spoke. "It is not too late to call it off." I think he said this because I was shaking so bad. Finally Dad came out with his real concern. "Are you sure? He's English, you know." But I was sure and we proceeded down the aisle with my bridesmaids following behind us.

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 From Pam:

Pam’s Dad, Reginald Middleton

 Serving as an engineer with the RAF taking care of ‘Lancs” during the war, my father suffered Tubercolosis as a result of neglected Pneumonia, which landed him in a Sanitorium for the remainder of the war.

Many did not survive this disease, and this could have been a real tragedy for this young, newly married airman; as he was about to become a father, my father!

His health was quite fragile during my early childhood which meant that he spent a lot of time at home, however, it provided an opportunity for father daughter bonding which was quite unusual in those days, becoming the foundation of a deeper and lasting relationship.

Although my father was not an overtly religious man, he realised that he had been blessed with a new lease on life, and was grateful for it. He lived every day as a gift, and as he said “each day he lived on borrowed time.”

His example demonstrated to me that one must embrace each day as if it was one’s last and to do whatever good one could do in it.

His life was indeed a gift and a blessing to me; and when he had a massive stroke at the age of 84yrs, he waited until I flew out from Ottawa to Yorkshire and prayed by his bedside, before he breathed his last.

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Barb writes: 

Campbell’s Perfect Tea is a well loved tea in Ireland. I bought several cans when I was there late last year. 

Mr Robert Campbell was a wonderful inspiration is us sixth graders at Tillicum Elementary School in the late 1960’s. I did not have a father t home due to my Dad’s untimely death but I had a perfect substitute at school with Mr. Campbell. He taught us all right from wrong and made learning a jobHe said a lot of us were from families without a lot of money but with hard work and perseverance we would overcome our circumstances.

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Larry recalls:

Arthur Bentley Skaggs was born December 17, 1919, in Long Beach, California.The “Bentley” middle name was given to distinguish him from his father, Arthur Beard, and avoid his being called “Junior”. His Texas relatives all called him A.B.

 Arthur was a proud native son of California, and lived his entire life there, except for 5 years of military service during World War 2 and the Korean War. He served overseas in India, and during his time there, courted my mother by mail. He proposed to her during a lengthy correspondence, and they were married on July 2, 1946 in Las Vegas. He had driven from Long Beach to the wedding with his parents, so, of course, they spent their honeymoon on a car tour with his mother and father.

As a young father to me and my sister, Clarice, he undertook a law degree, studying at night school in Long Beach. He was admitted to the Bar of California in about 1961, and did a number of pro bono cases over the years, but never practised professionally.

 Always active in a church wherever we lived, he sang in the choir almost throughout his life, and often served as a deacon or trustee (somewhat equivalent to an elder). He loved opera, and was a huge fan of Joan Sutherland and a Russian bass, Ivan Rebroff. During high school he often ushered at the Los Angeles Opera to get free tickets.

He joined the Rotary Club at a young age and always took an active interest in their meetings and charitable work, always planning his trips with Rotary visits wherever he found himself.

While supportive of my career in music, he had held out a hope that I would follow him in accounting or the law, but graciously accepted and honoured my musical path. [Ed. Note: When Larry had a big solo number with the Victoria Symphony, his father surprised him by coming all the way from California to attend the concert and cheer on his son ]

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From your blog editor:

So many great memories, but one that stands out is an evening when the whole family was playing the board game "Life." Dad took the early lead and we were all blowing on the dice in hopes of a roll that would advance our playing piece past his. The playing pieces were in the shape of a car. Sadly for Dad, he kept landing on a "have a child, miss a turn" square. It happened over and over until his little car was stuffed with children and he fell behind. When I commiserated with him he replied, "Oh, I don't care about winning. I'm glad to fill my life with children." 

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Happy Father's Day to all Dad's everywhere. May your children bless you and may you be a blessing to your children.

 

Fathers and Faith

   

 Compared to Mother's Day, Father's Day gets short shrift in the Presbyterian Church in Canada.  In the secular world retailers are keen to capitalise on any occasion to boost sales, but the real heart-rending advertising usually focuses on mothers, while dads are portrayed as needing a new lawnmower or a tie.  
    The trend toward inclusive language has also been hard on the word father in our liturgy.

    But on this day, father's get the spotlight.  The NIV Bible uses the word father 692 times in the Old Testament and 390 times in the New.  The basis of our faith reminds us over and over that God is our Heavenly Father, the one to whom we look for protection, provision, compassion, judgement, discipline, mercy and unfailing love.

     One of our choir anthems includes the lines:
And for those special moments, those times when we recall
A father’s guiding presence, a mother’s gentle call,
The laughter and the singing, the teaching of your way,
The quiet times together that taught us how to pray.

A reminder of the importance of father's in family life.

     Hymn writers too pay homage to God, the Father.  One of my favourites is This Is My Father's World.  Perhaps because I grew up in the country the images of rustling grass, carolling birds, lily white, rocks and trees, skies and seas, resonate deep in my soul. This hymn is a wonderful hymn of praise to the Creator Father.

Another of my choices is Dear Lord and Father of Mankind. The first verse speaks to our need to repent, but the following lines assure us of God, the Father as our refuge in a turbulent world.  One of the great blessings of my life was "home."  Without question, if life got too hard, I could go home and be enfolded in the love and security and acceptance of family.  This hymn promises that all people, regardless of their earthly family, have this same, safe refuge with our Father in Heaven.

One last example from my personal favourites is Great is Thy Faithfulness.  Here we are reminded of the steadfastness of our Father.  He "changest not." His compassion never fails.  Through all the seasons of life He offers His presence to "to cheer and to guide."  All our needs are taken care of by our Father's provision.

    To all the fathers out there, some with a new tie, blessings on you and may you remember that you have a perfect role model described in the pages of the Bible, in the poetry of hymns and in the love that surrounds you and keeps you in His care forever and ever.


 

Father's Day

     

by Alice Valdal

The newspaper in my home town decided to do a "memories of Dad" column for father's day and sent a request to my brother for a contribution.  Quick as a mouse click, he passed the request to me.  I didn't mind.  I loved my dad and I love words.  But the constraints of two inches of newsprint column required that I distil a lifetime of moments into one, quintessential thought.  In the end, I realized, my father's greatest gift to his children was our home.  No matter the time, no matter the day, no matter the circumstances we could always go home and be welcomed with joy and open arms.

    Then I remembered another story.  A young man from my home province, raised in a "good" family, made bad choices and ended up on the streets in Victoria.  He eventually found his way to the Open Door, a ministry for street people housed in my old church.  There he found a peanut butter sandwich, a compassionate friend and a good listener.  After a time, the young man cleaned himself up, recognized his errors and decided to go home.  The delighted pastor made the phone call, the good news for the young man's family, their lost son was found and ready to return to them.  But the family didn't care.  They would not come to get him, they would not send a ticket, they would not even talk with him on the telephone.

    When that story was related from the pulpit, the gasps around the congregation were audible.  A father not want his son back?  A mother who turned her back on her child?  Could any rejection be more painful?

    No wonder the Prodigal Son is one of the best known and best loved parables in the Bible.  We all long for home.  We all long for a love that doesn't measure the cost, for a father who opens his arms and his heart, who kills the fatted calf and throws a party to welcome back the one who wandered away.

     As a child, I took my family and my home for granted, believing everyone shared my experience.  I've learned since that I was wrong.  Not all homes are places of refuge and love.  Not all fathers are generous and kind. 
    On Father's Day, I thank God for my father, and I thank God that He is Father to us all.  A Father who never fails, who never turns away from a penitent child, a Father whose greatest joy is His children.