We're Open

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

Good to see the church calendar filling up. 

• The choir has been meeting for rehearsals since the first Thursday of the year. --New members always welcome.
• Worship committee met on the first Friday of January --add your favourite hymns to the list posted in the narthex.
• Session met on the second Wednesday of January -- they crave your prayers.
• Friendship Coffee was held on the third Thursday of January -- bring your friends and enjoy a good visit.
• Bible Study starts next week, on the fourth Wednesday of January -- let Rev. Irwin know if you wish to attend. We need to have enough study books.

After two years plus of limiting our activities, there is a zing of excitement about the building. Seeing the Friendship Coffee sign at the gate, inviting the community to come on in, really lifted my spirits. It is in our nature to welcome old friends and new acquaintances to the church and into our fellowship. 

The months of pandemic attacked that welcoming attitude. We asked for proof of vaccines. We asked that you stay away if you didn't feel well. We asked that you stay away if you'd been in contact with strangers. We sat far apart in the pews. We waved from across the room instead of sitting down together. It didn't feel right. COVID and other viruses are still around but our level of anxiety has eased and church life is returning to normal. Praise God!

Of course, there are many places where people get together -- golf clubs, book clubs, libraries, backyard BBQ's and the hockey arena to name a few. But the busy life at SPPC brings me back to the "community" Pam wrote about last week on this blog. The common thread in the examples named above tends to be horizontal, person-to-person.

The common thread in our church gatherings is not only horizontal, but vertical as well. We are bound together by our love for each other and our love for Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Our joy is fullest and most complete in the loving fellowship that the Father, Son, and Spirit enjoy  John 15: 10-11

John 15:10-12

10If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Disciples’ Relation to Each Other

12“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

Keep Reading

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:9 “You were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

 1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us  and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Because the Holy Spirit is invited into our fellowship in the church, our time together is precious as it is under the umbrella of God's love.

Our Forest

 Due to technical difficulties, there is no stream of this week's worship service.

One of the lovely features of our church property is the forest behind the church. This green oasis provides a backdrop to the Garden of Remembrance and a cool and shady respite from life's busyness. But our forest needs tending. Last winter, with the heavy snow, many branches came down off the fir trees. Now, with summer drought and high heat, they are dry and tinder and present a real fire hazard.

So, Tore and crew did a clean up on Wednesday afternoon

. 

Loading up the trusty red truck

A hot and heavy task but very necessary. Thanks to all who helped.

These ladies weren't part of the forest clean up, but they were at the church the next day cleaning inside. 

A well deserved cup of coffee. Next Sunday, we will have fellowship hour after service so we can all enjoy coffee/tea and a cookie. It has been a very long time!

Beetle Drive

Sunday was St. Patrick's Day and there were lots of people wearing green to church, but the party began the day before. SPPC held a beetle drive. No, we weren't racing hard-shelled insects. We were playing a game and having some fun.
Of course, "fun" at our church always includes food!

Studying the rules?

Green, green, green and some  very odd beetles.

Some may wonder if the fix was in because the preacher won! Here he is with his loot, a toque and a chocolate bar.  

He won a medal too and showed it off during the children's story on Sunday morning.

Maybe the next party will be a contest to see how many presbyterians can fit in a beetle.

Keeping in Touch

Do you send Christmas cards? Do you make a once-a-year phone call in December? Do you wonder why?
Many people claim that a friendship isn't worth preserving if you only touch base once a year. I disagree. Old friends scatter, they are no longer part of our day-to-day life, but they are part of our history. They have helped shape our characters. 
Christmas is a good time to renew those ties, to tell those who are far away that you still think of them, that you treasure their memory, and that you wish them Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and every good thing this world has to offer.
We've had examples of that spirit at SPPC in the past few weeks. Barb and Carla went to visit Joan in Calgary. They carried cards and gifts and good wishes with them. 

They brought good cheer into Joan's life. They reminded her of her home congregation. They reminded her that she is loved and missed. They were like a visit from Santa, only for seniors instead of kids. We pray for Joan often on a Sunday morning. How fitting that there should be an in-person visit at Christmas.

One of the joys of belonging to a worshipping community is the friendship of fellow-believers. When circumstances require that we cannot meet together in the pews on a Sunday morning, we can still care for each other, still extend the right hand of fellowship, still keep each other in our prayers. Another of our congregation celebrated her 99th birthday a few weeks ago. Age has sapped her physical strength but not her good humour nor her delight in cake and candles and visitors. 

I hope you send cards, or e-mails, or make phone calls this Christmas season. I hope you warm your heart with memories of happy times and good friends. I hope you bask in the glow of Christmas past. A one a year journey of remembrance is better than none at all. Say hello to an old friend.

Christ commended us to love one another. John 13:35
Paul urged us to nourish our friendships. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians Ch.6:10

Advent Event

Visit to Compassionate Warehouse

by Janet Mitchell

On Friday, October 12, 2018, Barbara, Bin-Sie, Linda, Janet and I went to the Compassionate Warehouse in Esquimalt.  

We learned that the mission venture began in 1999 by a retired RN, Dell Marie Wergeland.  When she returned from a visit to impoverished, Honduras, she decided she must do something to help. Dell attends the Church of the Nazarene and the church supported her efforts. The first container full of needed items went to Honduras that year.  Since then there have been 471 containers sent to various places in the world.  The 472 container is currently in Delta getting loaded on a ship to Moldova. It costs $10,000 to $15,000 to ship one container.
 Sometimes specific requests are made.  Orphanages may need plates or cutlery. Ground sheets and blankets may be needed following a disaster in an impoverished country.  There are also times when many sewing machines are sent to a volunteer teaching sewing in a poor area. Electric sewing machines are okay to donate because they can often convert them to be used with a hand crank.

The containers are full of medical supplies, medical equipment, tools, clothing, school supplies, sports equipment, non-breakable kitchen wares, sewing machines, sewing kits, hospital linen, household linen, towels, toys (non battery), embroidery supplies, wool, crochet supplies, art supplies, kitchen utensils and cutlery, kitchen pots and pans and 5 gallon cleaned buckets with lids. 

The workers use biscuit tins to pack cutlery or tools, etc. Shoe boxes and other durable boxes are packed with various items.  Every tin, bucket, box, etc. is labeled with its contents and by number.  The numbers tell them when the items arrived so that they can ship out the oldest items first.  Shoe stores give them boxes.  However, they would be pleased to receive your biscuit tins or boxes, too.

  Electrical appliances are not accepted as most of the countries where the containers are sent have no electricity.  A retired registered physiotherapist volunteers regularly in Haiti. She cleverly refits wheelchairs to suit those in needs.  She is currently refitting a wheelchair to suit a young boy.  It is wonderful she is so handy at adapting the equipment changing the wheelchairs or walkers.  
One volunteer was in the yarn and material section. 

She does quilting and a group of volunteers take small pieces of material home to make quilts to send overseas.  Our tour guide normally works in the office and school supply section.  In this section the workers sort supplies for students into donated backpacks.  Items useful for teachers are separated as well.  One elderly man takes home pencils to sharpen and discards pens that do not work before they are shipped.

There were men at the warehouse organizing tools. They need to sand off rust from tools or tighten screws, etc. They spend a lot of time sorting screws and nails into the correct sizes. They also carefully wrap long handled tools like shovels so that the sharp ends do not cause harm to anyone when the containers are opened. 

Stuffed animals are used as packing material and also bring joy to young children.

Old sheets are used for bandages so do donate faded and even sheets with holes. They are needed.  The people receiving items are very appreciative. They make good use of everything.  There were numerous pictures of happy people holding or using donated items such as the smiling children in the Ukraine with donated bicycles or the two happy teenage girls in Iran holding sewing machines.  There was also a very happy young woman wearing a donated wedding dress. 

The warehouse is open on Wednesdays and Fridays.  Volunteers are always welcome and can work as little as an hour each month.  The warehouse is located on Devonshire Road in Esquimalt.  For more information phone (250) 381-4483 or email them at crwarehouse@gmail.com Their website is: www.crwarehouse.ca

Monetary gifts and donations of useful items are very welcome.  At SPPC we have a large box for donated items.  It is located under the coat hangers near our front entrance.  There is a big CW sign on it.

Happiness Lies in Contentment

by Janet Smith

Definition of contentment = satisfied, well pleased.

Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

1 Timothy 6:7-8

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

If happiness lies in contentment, then that’s what we are, happy and contented. A small group recently enjoyed another summer outing from the church.

We are so richly blessed everyday with our daily bread, our clothing, a roof over our heads and here on Southern Vancouver Island, with great weather!

Yes, last Tuesday, was our fourth "Summer Outing” and once again, after much rain (which was really needed after our long dry summer), we enjoyed a day with warm sunny weather.

We spent the day travelling from the Island to Tsawwassen Mills Shopping Centre and enjoyed ourselves shopping, eating and fellowshipping with one another.

 On our return to the Island, I think we all had that feeling of satisfaction and we were well pleased with the shopping we had done and the fellowship we had enjoyed which in return equals contentment.

The Bible tells us to “Rejoice ever more. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Sometimes it's difficult to say thanks but after a day like this, it was easy to say "thank-you" for the many blessings we had shared, we were all satisfied and well pleased with our day together and had found contentment as mentioned in 1 Timothy 6: 7-8

May you find contentment in whatever you do today....

And speaking of contentment, the congregation was well-satisfied as we helped Emily celebrate her 95th birthday after service. 

Koinonia

by Janet Smith

Koinonia (koy-nohn-eé-ah) is a transliterated form of the Greek word, κοινωνία, which means communion, joint participation; the share which one has in anything, participation, a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, etc. It identifies the idealized state of fellowship and unity that should exist within the Christian church, the Body of Christ.

Simply put, Koinonia is the Greek word for "fellowship" - the term early Christians used to describe their gatherings.

At Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church we have great fellowship/gatherings one with another. Each Sunday after the morning service we have coffee fellowship and our Fellowship Committee meets every other month to plan fellowship events.

We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, the joy of new comers to the congregation and in fact if there is any reason to celebrate, we do so.

We also like to fellowship in other ways, two such occasions are happening this week.

Tomorrow, Tuesday 6 December some of our congregation are taking a ferry trip to the mainland to Tsawwassen Mills Shopping Centre in Tsawwassen. We will be catching the 9:00 am ferry from Swartz Bay and when we arrive in Tsawwassen we will connect with the free shuttle to the shopping centre. We’ll visit together and eat together and shop together. It will be an opportunity to get to know each other in a deeper way. We will return on the 5:00 p.m. ferry.

Also, this week, on Friday 9 December @ 7:00 pm we are having a “Christmas Movie Night (with popcorn) and Shortbread Festival.

Everyone is invited to bring their best shortbread.  There will be a “people’s choice” award, and so no need for judges etc. but it should be fun to have categories like Scottish, novelty, whipped, healthy and so on.

We’ll share other refreshments as well as a good cup of tea or coffee and everyone is invited to come along to either or both of the above-mentioned events, we’d love to have you within our fellowship, a very warm welcome awaits you.

“Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren't rubbed in but rubbed out.

Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?

Other Christmas events at SPPC:

• Sun., Dec. 11, 10.00am -- White Gift Sunday
• Sun. Dec. 18  10:00am -- Sunday School presents "The Christmas Story"
• Sat.  Dec. 24 7:00 pm  -- Christmas Eve Service of Carols and Candles
• Sun. Dec. 25 10:00am -- Christmas Morning worship service.