In the Presbyterian church we don't have a lot of saints days or other holy days to mark the Sundays of our calendar, but June has a goodly share of high Sundays this year.

On June 2 we celebrated our littlest "saint" with a birthday cake. Our denomination holds that all members of the body of Christ, His church, are saints so happy birthday to Saint Abigail and all the other June birthday celebrants.

Our bulletin marked this week as "General Assembly Sunday."  Our representative elder, Roy is attending the annual conference of the whole Presbyterian Church in Canada in Waterloo, Ontario. The assembly meets from June 2 to June 6.  Please keep commissioners in your prayers. They will receive reports from various committees and individuals that will direct our church into the coming years.

Next Sunday, is Pentecost Sunday. Many consider this day the birthdate of the Christian church. It marks the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples and they began speaking in tongues. Three thousand people became Christians on that single day.  We don't celebrate Pentecost with all the fanfare of  Christmas, but next week you can mark the day by wearing red to church. Whatever you wear, a tie, a hat, blue jeans, shorts or a party dress, the Holy Spirit continues to dwell among us and welcomes you into the fellowship of SPPC any time.

The following Sunday, June 16 is Father's day and our annual church picnic.

Sunday, June 23 we'll celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion.

As I said at the top of this post, June has more red letter Sundays than most of the other months of the year. I guess we're gearing up for summer holidays.

Sunday's theme was missionaries.  When I was a kid, I believed the only way to be a missionary was to go to Africa. I had a schoolmate who did just that, spending thirty years working in Kenya. In my little one room country school house it seemed as though she'd stepped off the edge of the world. 
Modern day missionaries usually have access to modern technology so even those who go to undeveloped parts of the world, can be in almost instant contact with their supporters in Canada. But even in those circumstances, being a foreign missionary requires dedication and sacrifice. At SPPC we support many mission causes but we have a particular affinity for the House Upon the Rock in the Dominican Republic. 

In the past we have sent two teams of workers there. We receive regular reports on the mission and on the people who work and live there. It seems fitting then, on missionary Sunday, that a fund-raiser for special missions was on the schedule. Diane and Darlene and Joan and Irene have been baking and roasting and pureeing for several weeks.

The fruits of their labours were available for pick-up after service. Many of our congregants live alone so single serving goodies like soup and cottage pie and date squares are greatly appreciated. In this case, serving a foreign mission field and helping close to home coincide.

Speaking of close to home, on Sunday afternoon our congregation conducted a worship service at the Saanich Peninsula Hospital. Contrary to my childhood view of missionaries, we can just go down the road to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and bring comfort and joy. For folk living within the confines of the hospital, no matter how excellent those conditions, a visit from outsiders brings a breath of fresh air. Some of the people at the service are members of our own congregation whose health has necessitated a change of residence. For those folks especially, a worship service among their old friends is a source of comfort.

It seems like coincidence that all these activities happened on the same Sunday, but perhaps God was working through the various ministries at SPPC to show us how every small act of caring can work toward His glory. 1 Peter 4:10

Pray on Your Fingers

As a church we talk a lot about prayer. In sermons, in Bible Study, in Sunday School, during coffee hour and just in general conversation. One question that repeats itself is "how to we pray?" Is there a formula for how to talk to God?

The acronym ACTS is often used as an example of the types of prayers Christians use. A for adoration or praise of the Almighty. C for confession. T for thanksgiving and S for supplication or intercession. It's a handy device and a pattern that we see echoed in our order of service.

I've come across another pattern for prayer that some might find useful, particularly when teaching children to pray. This one involves praying on your fingers. Here's how it works.

The thumb is nearest your heart, so pray first for those closest to you like parents, siblings and friends. Don't forget to pray for yourself. Tell God what you need.

The second finger is used to point. Pray for those who point you toward the way you should go; teachers, mentors, ministers and all who inspire your faith.

The third finger, the tallest, suggests we pray for leaders, both within our faith community and without. Pray for elders, for members of parliament, for Queen Elizabeth and the Prime Minister. We might even pray for celebrities whose position of influence could make them terrific ambassadors for Christ.

The fourth finger is the weakest. Pray for the sick and abused, the imprisoned and the helpless.

The fifth finger, the baby, is the smallest. Pray for those often forgotten in our busy whirl -- the lonely, the bereaved, those using food banks and the homeless.

Pray often. At Bible Study this week we watched the movie, "Shadowlands," a biographical account of a time in the life of C.S. Lewis, author ot the Narnia stories among others. At the beginning of the movie Lewis talked about suffering and God in a rather clinical manner. Later, when he knew suffering first hand, he was asked about prayer. He replied,

“I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God. It changes me.”

If you want to enrich your prayer life, try praying on your fingers. 

― C.S. Lewis

Mother's Day

   

   When I was a child, we wore a flower in our lapel on Mother's Day, a coloured boutonniere for a living mother and a white one for a mother who had passed away. I don't know where that tradition came from nor why it seems to have vanished, but it's a nice memory for me.
      The photo at the top of this post is of an Edith Cavell lilac bush. My mom was named for that WWI heroine, so having the lilac bush in my garden is a sweet remembrance for me. 

       Mother's Day, as it is celebrated in North America, was begun by Anna Jarvis in 1908. She held a memorial for her mother  in W. Virginia. Commercial companies embraced the celebration as a sales opportunity. According to some sources Mother's Day ranks second behind Christmas as the most lucrative occasion in the merchant's calendar. 
        It is easy to write off Mother's Day as a Hallmark marketing ploy. And yet . . . Christian churches mark the day, calling it Family Sunday, in many denominations.How do we reconcile a commercial event with a worship service?
     The Bible is laced with verses about mothers. 
 Proverbs devotes the entire 31st chapter to extolling the virtues of a good wife and mother "whose price is beyond rubies." Here are some others:

• “Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.” – Proverbs 23:22-25

• “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” – Exodus 20:12

• “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” – Isaiah 66:13

• “And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” – Luke 2:51

• “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” – 3 John 1:4

• “Then the mother of the child said, ‘As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So he arose and followed her.” – 2 Kings 4:30

•  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Eph.6:1-3

•  I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 2 Timothy 1:5 ESV

• He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!  Psalm 113:9

     For most children, "mother" represents security, comfort, nurture, forgiveness, knowledge and an abundant fount of love. Perhaps it is because mother-love can be a foretaste of the love of God for His children that the writers of both the Old and New Testaments singled out mothers for special appreciation.

   The sunday bouquets will fade and the last of the special feast appear on the table as leftovers, but "Mom" is steadfast. May we count our many blessings, as the year rolls on.

                               

Welcome Visitors

At SPPC we are happy to welcome visitors -- all visitors, including this young deer who recently sunned himself in the Garden of Remembrance for the duration of the sermon. I can't remember if Rev. Irwin peached on peace, or not, but this fellow presents a perfect example.


Buck, a neighbourhood cat makes frequent forays to our church. We don't keep cat treats on hand but he likes the cuddles.

Don't we all value our church community for the fellowship? A handshake, a hug, a sympathetic ear, a good laugh--they're all part of being a congregation.

Snowbirds. Just like migrating birds, we welcome a number of regular visitors during the winter months. We aren't Hawaii, but we're the warmest part of Canada from November through March. Refugees from ice and snow are happy to call SPPC home during those months.

Tourists. We're glad to see travellers hop in for services and other

events. The sign-board at the gate alerts passers-by to Friendship Coffee and Bible Study.

Guests. Some people stay home when they have company, but I bring mine to church. After sight-seeing for hours, eating too much and staying up too late, some soul-renewal is a welcome refreshment.


Providing hospitality to visitors, is just good manners. It's also doing God's will.

Romans 15:7  (KJV)

7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Isaiah 66 -- The Glory

This week we will finish our Bible Study of Isaiah. It has been a very long study -- it's a long book -- and we've had many interruptions, so the class will start with a short video reviewing the previous chapters.

Isaiah is a challenge for the students if only because of its time line. The first part is historical record of the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel at the time of Hezekiah. The second part is prophecy about Israel going into exile and third part is about Israel returning from exile. As well, some of the prophetic passages are about Jesus, the suffering servant. Of course, the first hearers of Isaiah's message knew nothing about Jesus Christ. 
Our Bible class has the advantage of history. We know how the prophecies turned out. We know about Christ. To study an Old Testament book requires us to constantly remember the context. This is a time when God sent prophets to His chosen people, but it is long before He sent His son to rescue a fallen people. All in all, a quick review will be a welcome refresher for the study group.

The week after, on May 8, we're going to watch a movie, probably Chariots of Fire. The movie has a strong message about living out our beliefs. It also has a great soundtrack.

Up next will be a less intensive video-based study called  Drive Through History, a kind of travelogue through sacred places in the Holy Land. Just like kids at the end of the school year, we're going to relax, watch videos and enjoy some great discussion -- there might even be popcorn on occasion.

So, if you've been holding back from Bible study because you missed too many lessons on Isaiah, now is the time to come back. If you've never come to Bible study because you thought it would be too hard, now is the time to give it a try. Wednesdays at 9:30 am and 6:30 pm. Time well spent!

Easter 2019

Early morning service at Cy Hampson Park.

The bird came. 

We took the annual photo. With sunshine and warm temperatures there were more people to sing and rejoice. 

We are grateful for the worker bees who stayed in the kitchen to prepared our Easter breakfast.

Christ is Risen

He is Risen Indeed.

Hallelujah