Mark, Read and Inwardly Digest

by Alice Valdal
  

  How often have we heard teachers say those words then diligently circle, underline and star sections of our study materials?  When I was in high school, we bought our textbooks and I always tried to buy a used copy from a good student a year or so ahead of me.  That person had usually marked the important passages, and if I was lucky, had even made a few notes in the margin -- saving me the trouble of doing some of my own homework.

    I'm a great fan of used music.  Not only do I get the notes on the page, I often come across markings from a previous singer, alerting me to troublesome spots or giving me a hint as to how to handle a difficult phrase.
     I once heard a preacher say he enjoyed browsing in used book stores and sometimes bought a volume because of the marginalia.  As he described the experience, not only did he get to have a conversation with the author of the book, he also had a conversation with the previous owner.  
      It seems we're happy enough to mark up our school book (some pedants even like to "correct" the text in library books) or to make notes on a score or scribble all over a manuscript, but when it comes to our Bibles, we put our pens away, not wishing to mar the holy text.  And yet, aren't our Bibles textbooks too?  Instead of teaching us physics or English, they provide instruction for living.  Surely the study of such a text warrants the odd asterisk or question mark, not to mention the underlining of a favourite passage.  And yet, we strive to keep the pages of this most important Book pristine.  In Bible Study on Wednesday mornings, Irwin has resorted to handing out the relevant text on a sheet of paper to encourage us to make notes and draw connecting lines and even add a few exclamation points.  Somehow, it seems acceptable to mark up a  photocopy, but not the real Book. 
    In a way, that  attitude is too bad.  I have inherited my mother's Bible as well as a New Testament that belonged to my dad.  In times of grief, I have searched the pages of these two texts for hints of what my parents valued, what words touched their hearts, what psalms brought comfort.  In vain have I sought an underlined passage or a note in the margin.  I know both of these books were well-read and whole sections committed to memory, but not a hint of the previous owner is visible on the pages. 
     I don't advocate defacing the Bible, or any other book for that matter, but I think perhaps a mark, in pencil, to denote a favourite psalm or to highlight a pivotal passage might be in order, a record of my conversation with the author.  After all, my Bible is not a museum piece, it's an instruction manual.  Anyone can tell my favourite recipes by the splatters in my cook book.  Shouldn't my Bible bear some trace of use?
     What about you?  Will your inheritors find a record of your personal faith in the pages of the family Bible?

Alice is a member of the choir at SPPC, a faithful participant in the Bible Study and a luddite who still prefers paper books to electronic ones.

The Home Team

Appreciating our Home Church

         by Dorothy Napier

When we travel we usually take the opportunity to attend church and, naturally, compare it with our home church, SPPC.
On a most recent trip, we visited a large presbyterian church in southern California. The church building of contemporary design was striking and the overall campus impressive. The extensive parking lot was well filled for the regular Sunday service. The congregation was welcoming and, while the congregation was mostly of the older generation, there was a good sized sunday school. The church was clearly well funded and had a senior pastor and two or three associates. The choir, strong in number, was led by a director, assisted by the organist and a pianist. There was also a hand bell choir.
Our visit was at the time of the shooting tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, where there were several victims killed and injured, including a U.S. congresswoman who was seriously wounded. The nation was deeply shocked by this tragedy and it was rightly the focus of the service. The sermon was thoughtful and well prepared and we appreciated the service. Indeed, we attended the same church the following Sunday.
On an earlier trip to Ontario, on three occasions we visited a large suburban church which had two ministers, a large choir and, as at SPPC, a relatively older congregation. The services were pleasant, but hardly memorable beyond the singing of the final hymn.
We are always glad to be back at our home church, SPPC. and, increasingly, appreciate the "home team". We are enormously blessed with sermons that are contemporary, based on scripture, challenging, thought provoking and thoroughly prepared. The choir, though smaller in number than the choirs we visited, is outstanding and led by a dynamic and creative organist/choir director. The after church "coffee time" enables us to meet friends and get to know other members of the congregation.
As we think about all this, isn’t it rather just too easy to take your home church for granted and fail to recognize its strengths. At SPPC, we are richly blessed to be spiritually challenged, to enjoy excellent music and have a most welcoming congregation. We are always glad to be home at SPPC, and enjoy our excellent "home team".

Dorothy was born in Belfast, N. Ireland. She emigrated to Canada with her husband, Roy, and has lived in different communities in Canada, including Ottawa (14 years). She has also lived in Bermuda (7 years). Dorothy has attended SPPC for 3 1/2 years, since moving to Victoria in 2007.Her interests include, reading, theatre and travel. Dorothy and Roy have a son and 2 daughters, 5 grand-children, 3 of whom live in Cobble Hill and 2 in Oakville, Ontario.

Mission Month Wind-Up

    SPPC finished off our Mission Month of February with a soup lunch and bake sale put on by the Sunday School and the Mission and Outreach Committee.

    

We had a bake sale that raised $200.00

Coffee and a goodie table.

And mmm... good soup.  Five different types, Cauliflower, chicken, squash carrot ginger, potato, and spinach lentil, all rounded off with delicious scones.

We served over sixty lunches to people of all ages.

Even the helpers got to eat.



The lunch raised $218.00 

 $240.00 odd, has been deposited from coin boxes to date--- there are more to come.
 

In all about $660.00 has been raised through the efforts of the Sunday School, not counting the donations that came in through envelopes.

Thanks to all
the soup-makers,
the scone-bakers,
the setter-uppers,
the cleaner-uppers,
and the eater-uppers.

With notes from Norma Scott

Stretch into Spring

S-T-R-E-T-C-H into spring with Gladys.

Commencing March 3rd at 9 a.m., and continuing each Thursday morning until Easter, Gladys will once again offer a stretching class, to limber us up for the gardening (or golf) season.  This is a series of gentle stretch exercises - head to toe, suitable for any age. 

Exercise is important for people of all ages, including seniors.  Research shows us that exercise can improve function in four areas that are important for staying healthy and independent: strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance.  There is also evidence that an active lifestyle improves cognitive function, elevates mood and may even help to ward off dementia.

 Men­tal fit­ness seems to depend on a large part on being con­nected with other peo­ple. One study pub­lished in 2008 showed that social­iz­ing and men­tal exer­cises have very sim­i­lar effects in terms of improv­ing brain functions.  It follows then, that physical exercise done in company with others will have added benefits.

The Bible makes many references to our physical health and tells us to look after our bodies, i.e. 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. Similar ideas are found in 1 Corinthians 3:16 & 17;  2 Corinthians 6:16. It seems fitting, then that S-T-R-E-T-C-H into Spring will take place at SPPC during Lent, the season when we reflect and take stock of our spiritual lives, often by using a physical discipline to keep us on track.

So there it is, Thursday mornings at SPPC, an opportunity to honour God in body, mind and spirit.

Gladys is not the cat at the top of this blog.   She is a member of SPPC, a one-time competetive water-skier and an avid golfer.  Recently she learned to play the ukulele 

Come Sing your Thanks -- Children's Choir

If you missed the Living Flame anthem on Feb. 13, here's your chance to hear them.  Thanks to Diane for making the video and figuring out how to put it on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/tVLEg-GIWPU?rel=0"

Mission Month

February is Mission Month at SPPC 


Our congregation contributes to the Presbyterian World Service and Development fund in order to spread Christian love and practical aid to nations and people in need around the world.

To help us understand where our dollars go, the Sunday School gave a presentation on micro-credit last Sunday.

PWS&D Sunday School Presentation

INTRODUCTION
The Mission and Outreach Committee and the Sunday School are partnering with PWS&D and YOU to reach out to women in Mozambique in a creative way. We have chosen for the destination of this year’s fundraiser MICRO-CREDIT of businesses for women in Mozambique.
You may be asking: What is MICRO-CREDIT? Well, we’ll get to that. First some background on Mozambique.
Mozambique has been identified by PWS&D as the area of greatest need of assistance at this point in time.
Following 16 years of civil war the country has been slow to rebuild. After the war, there was not enough emphasis placed on infra-structure by the government.
The country was then hit hard by natural disasters, first by devastating floods, then by drought.
This resulted in extreme poverty - 50% of Mozambicans live on less than $1/day.
Their average life expectancy is 49 years - that doesn’t leave Diane much time in Mozambique years!!! As with many cultures, the women suffer greatly. They have few societal rights and limited access to financial resources.

This is where MICRO-CREDIT comes in to help.

Today we would like to give you a visual example of the benefit of MICRO-CREDIT and how it works.

Let’s look at the benefits of MICRO-CREDIT by looking at various ways of helping people.

First we have a traditional model of assistance:
We see a need
Gather our resources

and meet the need.
We give a gift, this time clothing, and we have completed our mission. While we have made their life better for now… we may have done little to help them in the future.

Second is the "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but if you give him a fishing rod, you feed him for a lifetime" idea of misison
I’m sure you’ve heard this saying before.This time we recognize we need for lasting help. We want more than just the item to be given. We want the skill and the equipment given to the person so that they can continue to help themselves and their families. We give them a sewing machine.

The third model, is the micro-credit model.  Here's how it works.
You…the people of a Christ centered, compassionate organization… donate money.

That money is then loaned to a person who wants to start a small business, say a sewing shop, WITH the expectation that the money will be paid back. As the business grows, the money is paid back to the coordinating bank.

This money is then available to be loaned to someone else

to start another business, say a sewing shop in another village.
Once again this business is responsible to pay back the money.

And the money is AGAIN available for someone else

to borrow…to start a new business…
perhaps a quiet beading business!!
                                                       

In this way the money can be used not only to help one individual, but to build an entire community.
In this way the money can be used not only to help one individual, but to build an entire community.

In the process, it develops self-respect.
In the process, it provides access to the banking system.
In the process, it develops literacy, leadership and business management.

In the process, it develops entrepreneurial skills.
It empowers women and brings about long-term societal changes with regard to equality for women.

MICRO-CREDIT is an effective, proven way of eradicating poverty and providing real sources of income for poor families.

• The women are most certainly better off because of the work of our program partners – many women go on to take out multiple loans in order to grow their businesses even further.
• Most banks and money lenders wouldn't even consider offering small loans to poor women, and those that do often charge ridiculous fees and interest that people are unable to pay back.
• Our program offers a workable, empowering and life-changing alternative to that system.
  
  This program is an incredible success story.
• All of us at PWS&D are frequently inspired and impressed with the great stories we hear of life-changing improvements made to the lives of women and their families.
• You can be assured that any funds you send in to this project will ensure this important work can continue.

Jesus said in John 10:10  
"I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

Will you join us in Christ’s mission?

You can be a part of bringing Christ’s love to these people in a significant way by:

• Buy from our Bake Sale at the end of the month (Feb. 27)
• Collecting your bottles and cans and bringing them to the church

• Joining us for a soup lunch where donations for PWS&D will be accepted (Feb 27)

• Collecting pennies in your boxes (boxes are available for pick up or drop off at the church)
• even by making a donation through your offering envelope and labeling it PWS&D Mozambique

Research resources:PWS&D resource materials, correspondence and website (http://presbyterian.ca/pwsd/countries/mozambique/)
KIVA website (http://www.kiva.org/)
Caixa model of lending (http://portal.lacaixa.es/respcorp/modelfinances_en.html)

Travellers

by Joan MacDonald

    The McIlveen and MacDonald family decided on a family holiday over Christmas to New Year, destination, Cable Beach, New Providence Island in the Bahamas.  Arriving at the hotel, we found blue skies and warm blue waves lapping up against powdery white beaches.  Within 3/4 hour the family was at the beach, some swimming, some beach combing, others enjoying the views from the comfortable chairs provided by the hotel.  Here we stayed until suppertime after which we discovered lots of entertainment to finish off the day.  Armed with a tourist map we boarded a bus ( cost $1.25) to Nassau.  There were no designated bus stops, but we discovered a wave or whistle will bring the bus to you.  When you board, the driver asks your destination then takes you there. 
    Nassau intrigues travellers of all kinds; shoppers, history buffs, culture mavens or visitors who simply enjoy strolling and enjoying the blur of colours and aromas.  In the Adastra Gardens Zoo and Conservation centre, we fed the parrots, watched the flamingos dance and marvelled over an aviary of tropical birds.  The gardens are five acres containing exotic fruit trees, coconut palms, orchids, hibiscus and other beautiful and colourful plants, as well as 300 mammals, birds and reptiles. 

     Fort Fincastle and Water Tower, built in 1793, is at the top of the Queen's staircase, a set of 65 stone steps hewn into a cliff and name built in honour of Queen Victoria, in the 65th year of her reign.  Queen Victoria is revered because she abolished slavery from the island.  Other notable sights include Government House built 1801, Christ Church Cathedral, 1817 where white pillars support ceilings beamed with dark wood handcrafted by ship builders, a stained-glass window of 1837 depicts the Crucifixion, the empty tomb and ascension.  Gregory's Arch, built in 1849 and named for governor John Gregory, provides a picturesque entrance to downtown.

       On Blue Lagoon Island, one stands waist deep in water and a dolphin performs back flips and other tricks.  They snuggle up to be patted and give a little kiss. They loved to be stroked.  They stand up in the water fins out to the side.  Holding the fins, people dance with them.  A day's sail to Rose Island was a highlight.  On arrival some of the family went snorkeling, others beach combed, after about an hour folks changed places. Meantime, the skipper cooked lunch, chicken, spare ribs, baked beans, coleslaw, hot bread cooked to perfection followed by desserts of fresh fruit picked that morning and choice of drinks, morning and afternoon. 
     On Christmas Day, we attended the Presbyterian Church service, very traditional.  The congregation was celebrating their 200th anniversary in a beautiful old church with wonderful stained glass and an organ for the music.  Even the minister was from Toronto, so his accent matched ours. Boxing Day saw us at the Junkanoo in Nassau at 12 midnight.  This parade dates back to the 17th century when slaves were given three days off over Christmas to visit family.  Over time the parade evolved into a competition among four main groups for prizes and bragging rights.  The street erupts in a kaleidoscope of colourful sights and sounds, vibrant costumes sparkle in the light of the street lamps.  Marchers bang on goatskin drums, clang cowbells, blow on conch-shell horns, the whole lot followed by brass bands.  All costumes are homemade in paper, full of wonderful themes and colours.  This year the Saxon group won.  They received money prizes and twelve months of bragging.  The bragging rights are valued more than the money.
    The Bahamians are friendly, nothing is too much trouble.  In a nut shell it was the best of times, the worst of times.  The best arriving to sunshine, blue seas and white beaches.  The worst, climbing back into our Canadian winter clothes.

Joan MacDonald is a long time member of SPPC, sings in the choir, and creates wonderful food for the Sunshine Lunch and other special occasions.