The Rose Garden

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

Come, and I will show you what is beautiful. It is a rose fully blown. See how she sits upon her mossy stem, the queen of flowers. Her leaves glow like fire. The air is filled with her sweet odour. She is the delight of every eye.
– John Keble*  The Creator

Something about roses touches the human heart. Poets have extolled them for centuries. Think of Robbie Burns and his famous "My Love is Like a Red, Red, Rose.  

Here's a lesser known poem by Christina Rossetti, but with the same admiration for the flower. 

Love is like a rose
by Christina Georgina Rossetti**

Hope is like a harebell trembling from its birth,
Love is like a rose the joy of all the earth;
Faith is like a lily lifted high and white,
Love is like a lovely rose the world’s delight;
Harebells and sweet lilies show a thornless growth,
But the rose with all its thorns excels them both.

 In scripture, we find references to the rose of Sharon in the Song of Solomon 2:1 as a metaphor for the divine love of God for His people. This rose is sometimes interpreted to mean Christ and the Church.  

Over time, the church has assigned sacred meanings to roses. The lovely fragrance of a rose is thought to mean that angels are near during prayer and meditation. 

The red rose is a symbol of martyrdom, representing the blood of those who have been persecuted for Christ's sake. 

Some stained glass windows in old churches depict a wreath of roses around the heads of saints as an illustration of Christian joy.

Interesting that joy and suffering are both represented in the same bloom.

The calyx of the rose comes from the same Latin root as cup or chalice and is used to symbolize the cup used in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. 

The sepals of the rose protect the flower and have been used to symbolize the grace of God, poured from heaven. Grace that sanctifies and enables the Christian to withstand trials and temptations. 

White roses signify innocence and purity. When used in Christian weddings, pristine white roses are used to represent the pureness of  love between bride and groom. 

Purity is also mentioned in the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

On Thursday of this week, weather permitting, Friendship Coffee will be held in the rose garden beside the library in Sidney. As we gather in that beautiful spot to enjoy a cuppa and a goodie, let the roses remind us of God's generosity in creation. Maybe we'll breathe in the scent and think of the presence of angels.

We can see the red rose and give thanks for the martyrs and Christian joy. 

May the white rose remind us of the message to the Philippians:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Sitting amongst the roses thinking of whatsover things are lovely, should be a given. 

* John Keble's hymns are included in our Book of Praise at #91, #413, #548, (New Every Morning)#553, #557.

** Christina Rosetti wrote the well-loved Christmas hymn, In the Bleak Mid-Winter found at  #121 in our Book of Praise. She also wrote, #138 and #410

Celebrate!

California Lilac at SPPC

 Link to our live-streamed service is here.

 This is a week for celebration.   Barb C. turns 104! I'd love to see a   cake with 104 candles but so long   as COVID restrictions are in   place,  we'll have to make do with   this photo.

Frank is turning 95, quite an age. Too bad he's sharing billing with Barb.

We have further reason for celebration. Dr. Bonnie has eased the restrictions on church services, so for the first time since early November, we are allowed to gather as a congregation, indoors. There are still requirements for social distancing, masks, no congregational singing and no socializing, but it is a start. BTW, even if we can't have coffee hour in the hall, you are able to meet with others not of your household at a restaurant or coffee shop. So, if you want a little after service socializing, book a table and meet a friend or two.

We can also celebrate that the new case counts for COVID on Vancouver Island have dropped substantially. There were only 3 new cases reported on Saturday.

In Sidney and North Saanich 77.5% of adults have had at least one shot. Within our congregation, many have had a second shot. I'm booked for mine on June 26. As the cases go down and the vaccinations go up, we can look forward to an easing of more restrictions over the summer.

And speaking of summer -- haven't we had a gorgeous week! The weeds in my garden are flourishing. Linda and Tore have been trying to keep up with the church grounds but it is a race. But, just look at the lovely California lilac in our hedge.

Last week I read a blog titled "We Only See the Weeds." This line stood out for me particularly, Instead of admiring the beautiful plants that remain, or patting myself on the back for blending shades of purple and synchronizing bloom times, I immediately look for more weeds.The post was actually about creative writing but the analogy of looking for weeds is true in many walks of life. This week I'm going to try to admire the good things around me and stop looking for weeds. 

• Instead of bemoaning the "no singing" rule at church, I'll give thanks that 50 of us can sit in the pews. 

• Instead of comparing our broadcast technology unfavourably with the CBC, I'll give thanks for our fantastic volunteers who make it possible to have a broadcast. 

• While I'll miss greeting Rev. Irwin after service, I'll say a prayer for the success of the virtual General Assembly.

When I concentrate on the weeds I get discouraged and feel like giving up. When I smell the roses, I know God's love. 

 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. Isaiah 54:10 KJV

Auction for Missions

Saturday night I attended a silent auction --a fundraiser for our mission team to the  Dominican Republic.   
As well as items for auction, there was dessert and coffee. Lots and lots of desserts.  I think the sugar high was  designed to reduce bidder inhibitions. It certainly worked on me!

 I thought many bids were too low for the quality of the item up for auction, so I bumped up the bid.  I came home with four dozen roses -- and a few other items. Apparently, instead of boosting the prices, I discouraged other bidders. Good intentions gone awry.
Ah well, it's all in a good cause, as they say, and I've shared the roses with others.

The silent auction is a fun event, requiring enormous organization and a small army of workers. Sometimes it is the main event for funding the mission trip, other times it is an adjunct.  At SPPC we've been quietly fund-raising for many months.

workers

Some congregants have Thrifty's Smile Cards that ensures a portion of their grocery bills is donated to buy school supplies and medical items for the mission team to take with them.

more workers

More directly, we have a team of cooks who makes soup, meat pies and other goodies for sale. The food comes in small portions, it's tasty and it's economical. Many in our congregation have a big appetite for these small meals. 

Loved this, refrained from bidding

We also hold a bottle drive from January to March, adding a little more to the coffers and saving people a trip to the recycle depot.

All of these efforts mean that our mission team, Benjamin, Darlene, Diane and Joan, is well positioned for their trip to the Dominican Republic a few weeks from now.  

ready for fall

spring planter that I resisted

 Matthew 25:40: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Matthew 9:35-36 “Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.”

Whether we're making soup or buying roses, we too can show compassion for the distressed and dispirited in our world.

Thanksgiving Anytime

During our stretch of sunshine at the end of September I got into Thanksgiving mode a little early.  

We picked pumpkins, 

harvested apples,

and gathered seeds for next year's flowers.

  

We were dazzled by dahlias and 

 enchanted by late blooming roses. 

 I couldn't help but think,
All good gifts around us,
Are sent from Heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,
For all His love.

The harvest table set in the sanctuary on Thanksgiving Sunday, lovely though it is, is a mere representation of the bounty God provides, every day. Let us remember His goodness when the rain falls and the skies are gloomy. That too is a blessing.  

He sends the snow in winter, 
the warmth to swell the grain, 
the breezes and the sunshine, 
and soft, refreshing rain.