Joy Cometh in the Morning

1. The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended,

The darkness falls at Thy behest;

To Thee our morning hymns ascended,

Thy praise shall hallow now our rest.

Sorrow has come to our congregation.  This week we hold services for two of our faithful members who have passed away. 

2. We thank Thee that Thy Church unsleeping,

While earth rolls onward into light,

Through all the world her watch is keeping,

And rests not now by day or night.

Many funeral professionals use these three points to explain the purpose of a funeral

• Help the bereaved family, and their community, publicly acknowledge the death of one of their own.
•  Support the grieving family by surrounding them with caring friends, co-workers, and neighbours.
•  Move the deceased from one social status to another.

3. As o'er each continent and island

The dawn leads on another day,

The voice of prayer is never silent,

Nor dies the strain of praise away.

I have no complaint with the points listed above, but I believe, in the context of the church they fall short.  A congregation supports the bereaved, provides a forum for remembering and acknowledges the passage of a person from one stage of life to the next.  But faith offers more.

4. The sun, that bids us rest, is waking

Our brethren 'neath the western sky,

And hour by hour fresh lips are making

Thy wondrous doings heard on high.

Faith offers reassurance.  

Jesus said, "In my father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."  John 14:2

Faith offers comfort. 

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Rev. 21:4

Faith offers hope. 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁴ To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you," 1 Peter 1: 4-5

Faith offers joy.
"Weeping may endure for the night; but joy cometh in the morning." Ps. 30: 5b

5. So be it, Lord; Thy throne shall never,

Like earth's proud empires, pass away:

But stand, and rule, and grow for ever,

Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.

                                           The Day Thou Gavest  Author: John Ellerton (1870)

                                                                                Tune: ST. CLEMENT (Scholefield)

Sorrow

Let not your heart be troubled
Ye believe in God
Believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions
If it were not so I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you
And if I go to prepare a place for you
I will come again and receive you unto myself.

It has been a sad week at SPPC with memorial services for two of our members.  We shall miss seeing them at Sunday worship.  We'll miss them at the coffee hour.  We'll miss their helping hands and willing hearts in any number of tasks.  One was an elder.  We'll miss his knowledge and service on the Session.

Our community will miss them, visiting at Saanich Peninsula Hospital, volunteering for the Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization, serving in their recreational clubs, sharing encouragement and Christian love.

No one will miss them more than the families they leave behind.  Those who will witness day after day, the empty chair at the table, the missing note in the music of family life, the silence where once there was laughter.

At times like these the love and care of the congregation shines through the gloom like a beacon, pointing toward the Light of the World.  A card in the mail box, flowers at the door, an invitation to coffee, shared tears, music, ritual, food.  All these small acts bring comfort and show forth the love of God. 

It has been a sad week at SPPC but we give praise and thanks to God for the gift of Jesus.  Thank God that grief and sorrow is not the end of life, but the beginning of eternal life.  We commend our brother and sister to God's care in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection when all believers will meet again in Christ.

When Life Gets Tough

by Peter Waldin

  I've been challenged these past three months, with a dear one whose life, physically and otherwise, has taken her into the dark valley of suffering.  For me it has been a foregone conclusion that I should travel with her.

   I'm not alone in that 'walk'.  Many have extended companionship.  their love has been like a warm blanket around us.  Indeed it has been, as I've expressed it, like the 'hands and heart of God'.

   Not quite everyone!  An individual who was in the position to know the facts, broadcast the information that "He doesn't know how ill his wife is!  He's not capable of looking after her!"

   None of us can escape criticism.  There are sad folk who expect too much from other people.  One critic wrote of a famous composer, "If Beethoven continues this sort of trash, our orchestras will degenerate into instrumental debating societies."  Did Beethoven quit?  "A few fly bites," he commented.
  
   One should live independently from unkind criticism.  There is One whose judgement is never in error.  Let us live so that His words are the final approbation, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant.  Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

A beloved and faithful member of SPPC, Peter is an artist, author and teacher with a gift to appreciate others.