More Travels

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

This week's guest blogger is Barb Lyon, but before we get to her post, just a few words about upcoming events at SPPC.

• This Friday, March 22 is the spring cleaning bee. Even if you haven't signed up, feel free to come along at 10:00 am and lend a bit of elbow grease.
• Sunday, March 24 is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week.
• Thursday, March 28 is Friendship Coffee at 10:00 am in the hall. All welcome
• Good Friday, March 29 we hold a service of readings and hymns at 10:00 am in the sanctuary.
• Easter Sunday, March 31, we will begin with an early morning service in Cy Hampson Park. Easter is early in the spring this year so don't expect the best of weather. Do expect joy and jubilation, and maybe a visiting songbird. The service begins at 8:00 am. 
• Easter Breakfast. After the service in the park we can warm up with a hot breakfast in the hall. Please join us, even if you do not go to the 8:00 am service.
• Easter Worship in the sanctuary at 10:00 am

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As my childhood friend Shirley and I look forward to our rail tour of Switzerland and cruise of the Norwegian fjords in June, I have been remembering a trip I took to Holland a few years ago. I visited the Royal Delft Shop where they manufacture and sell the iconic blue Dutch china and assorted china ware.

 

Royal Delft has been creating high-end Delft Blue since 1653. The centuries-old craftsmanship was passed down from generation to generation. The craftsmen create iconic pieces to this very day. Besides classic pieces, the collection also consists of contemporary decorations.

Being a lover of all things small I bought a tiny Dutch "wooden" shoe.

 

 

In Amsterdam a bike is a necessity!  It is the preferred method of transportation.  With so many bikes one would expect collisions would be commonplace.  Not so, I am told.  Riders are so safety conscious that most ride without helmets.

 

Of course, one must have a place to "park" one's bike and so here is a parkade that can store 9,000 bikes!  Just don't forget where you put it!

Prinsengracht (Prince's Canal) is the fourth and the longest of the main canals in Amsterdam. It is named after the Prince of Orange. Most of the canal houses along it were built during the Dutch Golden Age of the United Provinces. The bridges over the Prinsengracht canal connect with the streets in the Jordaan in the West and the Weteringbuurt on the East side.

Notable buildings along Prinsengracht include the Noorderkerk (Northern Church), the Noordermarkt (Northern Market),^[19] Anne Frank House,^[20][21] and the Westerkerk (Western Church.

 

This is the canal we took a ride on.

During my visit, the Rijksmuseum was celebrating the 350th anniversary of Rembrandt's death. Here is a quote about the occasion. 

Rijksmuseum marks the 350th anniversary of Rembrandt’s death in 2019 with ‘Year of Rembrandt’. The year-long celebration opens with ‘All the Rembrandts’, in which the Rijksmuseum will present for the first time an exhibition of all 22 paintings, 60 drawings and more than 300 best examples of Rembrandt’s prints in its collection.

As well as holding the world’s largest collection of Rembrandt paintings – including The Night Watch, the portraits of Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit, The Jewish Bride – the Rijksmuseum collection offers the world’s most comprehensive and representative overview of Rembrandt’s painting oeuvre.

Given the extreme rarity that many of these delicate drawings and prints go on display, All the Rembrandts offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to glean an unparalleled perspective on Rembrandt the artist, the human, the storyteller, the innovator. 

This exhibition was spectacular!

Ed. Note: thanks for this Barb. Food for the armchair traveller.

Holy Week

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

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy week, a time when Christians around the world observe the last days of Christ's life on earth. In sorrow and awe we follow His progression from the triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the horror of Golgotha. The gospels give us an account of that time.

 

Palm Sunday – entrance into Jerusalem

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey the crowds who thronged to greet him waved palm branches and shouted Hosanna. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.  This is recorded in Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.

Holy Monday*

After spending the previous night in Bethany, Jesus returned to Jerusalem. Mark's gospel records a short incident where He cursed a fig tree because it had no fruit.

Once in Jerusalem, Jesus went to the temple. As it was near Passover, the money changers were doing a brisk business in the temple courts. Jesus became angry. He overturned the tables, set loose the doves and pigeons. When they objected He said, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves." 

Matthew 21:12–22, Mark 11:15–19, Luke 19:45-48, 

Holy Tuesday

On this day, Jesus returned to the Temple in Jerusalem where he taught and debated with the chief priests. later in the day he went to the Mount of Olives where He taught the disciples. He predicted His death, and warned the disciples of the coming destruction of the Temple and the persecutions that they would face, in His name. The disciples were puzzled and grieved.  The gospel of Matthew records those teachings at length. 

Matthew 21:23–24:51, Mark 11:20–13:37, Luke 20:1–21:36, and John 12:20–38.

Holy Wednesday – into the darkness

The Bible does not record Jesus' activities on this day although scholars suspect He rested with his disciples.  At one time the church referred to this day as "Spy Wednesday" as it is believed that Judas Iscariot conspired with the chief priests to betray Jesus. Matt 26: 14.

Some churches may hold a Tenebrae service on Wednesday.  The form of the service varies depending upon the denomination but usually begins in a room lit with many candles.  As the events of Holy week are read from the gospels, the candles are extinguished one by one, until the sanctuary is left in darkness.

Worshippers exit in silence to ponder Christ's death and await the  Resurrection.

Maundy Thursday – Passover and the Last Supper 

On this day, Jesus gathered with the disciples in the upper room to celebrate the Jewish feast of Passover. He washed the disciples feet, and exhorting them to love one another as I have loved you.

The last supper that Jesus shared with his disciples is the model for our Sacrament of Holy Communion. It was here that Jesus took the bread and wine and commended them to the disciples as His body "broken for you," and His "blood shed for you." 

From there Jesus took the disciples with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed all night. The disciples kept falling asleep. Then Judas arrived with the soldiers to arrest Jesus. Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of one, but Jesus healed the man and told Peter to put up his sword.

Jesus was then led away to the house of the high priest. His trial begins.

Matthew 26:17–75, Mark 14:12-72, Luke 22:7-62, and John 13:1-38.

Good Friday -- Jesus' Agony on the Cross

Jesus is tried before Pontius Pilate. Even though the Roman ruler wishes to release Him, the crowd cries "crucify." In the end, Pilate "washes his hands" of Jesus and hands him over to the Jews. Jesus is  taken to Golgotha. Beaten and exhausted, Jesus collapses under the weight of the cross He is forced to carry. When they come to the Place of the Skull, He is crucified with two others, one on His right and the other on His left.

The term "Good" Friday comes from an obsolete meaning of the word meaning "holy" or "pious." For the Christian Good Friday is the most sombre day on the calendar.

Matthew 27:1-62, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 22:63-23:56, and John 18:28-19:37.

Holy Saturday

In the Jewish tradition, Saturday is the Sabbath, a quiet, holy day. Jesus' body lay in the tomb, guarded by Roman soldiers. When the
Sabbath ended at 6:00 pm, some women went and prepared spices to anoint the body.

Matthew 27:62-66, Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56, and John 19:40.

Resurrection Sunday, or Easter  

In Luke, we read that very early in the morning women went to the grave, but they found the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty. 

On this day Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene as she stood by the tomb. Later, He appeared to Peter and two other disciples on the road to Emmaus. Still later in the day He appeared to all of the disciples (except Thomas) where they were gathered at a house to pray. 

The empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our Christian faith.

 Matthew 28:1-13, Mark 16:1-14, Luke 24:1-49, and John 20:1-23.

Holy Week Services at SPPC

• Good Friday Service: 10:00 a.m.
• Easter Sunday Sunrise: 8:00 a.m. at Cy Hampson Park (8891 Lochside Dr., North Saanich)
• Easter Sunday Breakfast: 9:00 a.m. in the SPPC Hall
• Easter Sunday Worship: 10:00 a.m

May you have a blessed, holy week.

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. 
On Sunday we started the service with cries of Hosanna! then moved to the sacrament of the Last Supper. 
This seems a very sudden transition from joy and excitement to sorrow and remorse, but it mirrors the Biblical story. Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the adulation of a crowd waving palm branches and hailing him as "Messiah." Before the week was out He had been betrayed and now the crowd shouted "Crucify Him." Mark 11: 1-11.
In the midst of the beauty and sunshine of spring, the Christian church enters its most sombre time of year. 

On Thursday, we will remember the meal in the upper room, the last time Jesus supped with His disciples.
On Friday, we gather in solemn remembrance for Good Friday worship.
On Saturday, we wait.
On Easter Sunday we celebrate the Resurrection with song and word. We cry "Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed." We sing hallelujah, giving thanks for God's gift of our risen Lord.

Join us. Here's the schedule:

Maundy Thursday, April 18, 6:00 pm. "Meal in the Upper Room"
Good Friday, April 19, 10:00 am  Worship with strings and choir
Easter Sunday, April 21, 8:00 am Sunrise service at                                                                                     Cy Hampson Park  
                                                  9:00 am Breakfast in the hall.                                                             10:00 am Worship in the sanctuary                                                                            

Everyone is welcome at these events. Easter bonnets welcome but not necessary.