Ordinary

This link for this week's streamed service is here

   

On Sunday we celebrated the Lord's Supper. Such a joy to repeat the comforting words and practice the familiar rituals. With rising numbers of COVID-19 cases on the Island and throughout the province, we opted to use the little creamer-like cups rather than pass the elements within the pews. Still we enjoyed the privilege of gathering around the Lord's table and "doing this in remembrance of Me."  

    There were a number of newcomers to the worship service and we welcomed them at the door and during the coffee hour following. After so many months of "distancing" we now treasure these few minutes of greeting and meeting with fellow worshippers.

 

  Earlier in the week I took a walk in the Butchart Gardens, one of my favourite things, with one of my favourite people. We remarked that the beds weren't as pristine, the visitors as numerous, nor the flowers as exotic as in previous years. Like all the tourism business, the Gardens are operating with reduced staff and shortened hours. Yet what we saw was beautiful. Zinnias, marigolds, impatients -- homey flowers --not the grandstanding lilies, or the jewel blue delphiniums seen on previous visits.

     But these "ordinary" blooms brought "oohs" and "aahs" from the visitors and gladdened the eyes. They are a reminder that the "ordinary" in life is wonderful. Massed together they shimmer with colour, dazzling in their combined beauty. 

    With the news so full of the heartbreak in Haiti, Afghanistan, the Interior of B.C. and other disaster zones around the world, it is natural to think that one "ordinary" person can have no effect. But the zinnias prove that many "ordinary" blooms are powerful. 

    If we all give a little to disaster relief, if we all practice kindness, if we all speak out against hate, if we all "love our neighbours," what a marvellous difference we make.

I think one of the most encouraging and comforting passages of scripture is Romans 12: 6-21

None of us is so "ordinary" that God did not bestow a spiritual gift upon us. All of those gifts, when used together for the glory of God and for the furtherance of His Kingdom, lead us to join that great cloud of witnesses.-- and that is extra-ordinary!

Guest Preacher

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

🎵Summertime and the congregation is on holiday.🎵 

Janet, Josh, Steven, Peter and Rev. Irwin all took the same weekend for a bit of vacation. In their place were a pair of rank beginners on the streaming system. Please send your complaints to office@saanichpeninsulapc.org. 

In the pulpit we had a more seasoned substitute, Rev. Ron Benty. Ron and his wife, Gwen, currently live in Shawnigan Lake. Previously they lived in a variety of places around the province, including Creston where Ron pastored a non-denominational congregation. If you want to hear more of his sermons, check out his facebook ministry. SPPC felt very modern when we put in a livestreaming system, but Ron was ahead of us using facebook.

Beautiful Sunday morning this week, not nearly so hot. The first of the plum crop is ready so there were thirty pints of fruit, free for the taking, in the narthex. With Janet away, Barb took responsibility for coffee hour, setting out pretty flowers on the tables and trays of goodies. I heard a rumour that our minister emeritus got his coffee served with a little extra spirit.

Speaking of spirits, the hot, dry weather means folks are drinking more. Since the cancellation of the mission trip to the Dominican Republic in March of 2020, Joan has collected and recycled enough drink containers to add over $1250.00 to the fund for the next trip. At ten cents a bottle, that's a lot of bottles! One couple donated 200 bottles and cans a few weeks ago. We did not ask if they had consumed all the liquid themselves or collected from friends and neighbours. As Rev. Irwin says, "we don't judge." 

So much disaster reported in the news this weekend -- Afghanistan terrorized, Haiti devastated by another earthquake, wildfires in B.C.. . .  There is no end of bad news. We hold all the hurting people in our prayers. As Rev. Ron said in the sermon, we may wrestle with "why" but in the end what matters is that God holds us close, the way a mother comforts a lost child. May all the hurting people of our world feel the loving arms of the Saviour about them.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

If you prefer your scripture set to music, try this excerpt from Mendelssohn's Elijah. Cast Thy Burden Upon the Lord.

Music for a Summer's Night

 The link for this week's service is here

Raven Baroque (Larry's instrumental group) has had a busy concert week, and Thursday, they entertained at SPPC. The one's in fancy dress are the regular players in the group. They were augmented by a couple of guests.

The program included pieces by Albinoni, Corelli, Pergolese, Scarlatti, Handel, Vivaldi and Purcell, the rock stars of the Baroque Age. Kate Rhodes, who plays violin in the group, also sang a couple of songs. Worshippers at SPPC will recognize her from her guest appearance on a Sunday morning this summer. 

We didn't get much rain on Saturday but it was enough to give a little relief to the parched earth. Despite the heat and drought, we've enjoyed lovely flower arrangements from Norma's garden all summer long. I hope the rain extends the life of her plants and those flowers continue to brighten our sanctuary and our worship. 

At the church, Linda continues to work away at the flowerbeds. This summer it has been hot, hot work. Tore has increased watering times on the automatic sprinklers to try to keep things alive. 

Gardeners love to share and Linda has received offers of plants from other people's gardens. If you have lavender or heather or other ground cover you'd like to donate to the church landscape, she would love to have them. Anything that requires lots of maintenance is regretfully declined. 😀Speak to her any Sunday or give her a call.

When I heard the raindrops on the roof Saturday night, my mind flew instantly to Mendelssohn's "Elijah." It contains a wonderful chorus, "Thanks be to God, He laveth the thirsty land." We didn't get the gathered, rushing waters Elijah witnessed but thanks be to God, for the rain we did receive.

In the third year of drought, God sent Elijah to Ahab. Read

1 Kings 18, 41- 46

One More Step Along the Return

 The link to this week's worship service is here.

Raven Baroque concert at SPPC Thursday, August 5 at 7:30 pm. 

This week we took another step in our return to normal Sunday mornings. We had coffee hour after service.

After so many months of "keeping our distance," it was a joy to sit down with church friends and catch up on the little things of life. 

I heard about the first visit with a grandchild.

The turn out in the pews is increasing week by week and more than half those present stayed for a cuppa and a chat. 

Many thanks to Janet and her family for setting up and hosting our first coffee hour since March of 2020.

I think this smile says it all.

Earlier in the month, some of the Friendship Coffee regulars got together in the rose garden by the library in Sidney.

Step four of B.C.'s recovery is supposed to begin on 4 September. I look forward to having Friendship Coffee at the church again, along with other activities like choir and Bible Study. 

And here's one more picture, just to prove you can't keep a good gardener out of the dirt. 

Inez lives in the Extended Care at Saanich Peninsula Hospital, where residents have been encouraged to plant a garden in these waist-high cabinets. You can see how the flowers have rewarded her for all the care she has lavished on her plot. What a way to cheer the soul.

The closing hymn in Sunday's service was "For the Fruit of All Creation, Thanks be to God." A perfect poem for a gardener, but buried in the last verse are words for us all, "For the good we all inherit, Thanks be to God...Most of all that love has found us, Thanks be to God."

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!

 The link for this week's service is here

Lovely to have Rev. Irwin back in the pulpit this Sunday. He seemed refreshed so maybe washing dishes at Camp Imodene is a kind of tonic. We also had two guest musicians, Kate and Hollis, to add an extra touch to this mid-summer Sunday. Thank you both for sharing your gifts with SPPC.

Speaking of musicians, it was Larry's birthday. We would have sung happy birthday, but the organist was otherwise occupied. 

We had some guests in the congregation as well. On a beautiful Sunday morning it is heartening to see visitors turning out for an in-person worship service. Now that we are hybrid with both in-person and livestream, it is hard to know what the congregation is like on a Sunday morning. 

I admit to being tempted, often, to stay home and watch but, for me, the in-person experience is more meaningful. I tend to get distracted by the tech stuff in the livestream. There is also something about "going" to church--getting up a little earlier, putting on my Sunday clothes, joining others in the pews--that settles my mind and makes me more receptive to worship. Of course, I like to chat so socializing after service makes me happy.

This week the prayer chain members had a meeting in the Ross

Lounge at the church. It was a joy to meet together as the group is celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. Over that time we have prayed for hundreds of people both within and without the congregation. We have prayed for healing and for comfort. We've prayed for those with an immediate need and for those who are on a long journey. Sometimes the pray-ers have become the pray-ees. Some of our original members have completed their earthly journey and their place on the prayer chain has been taken by others. 

Because of the private nature of the prayer chain you don't hear much about it, but the work is constant and important, especially since the Wednesday morning prayer group has discontinued. We are grateful that Bin-Sie and Norma continue to pray through the church membership even without a meeting time.

God calls us to pray for others without ceasing and without fear.

Philippians 4: 6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,

 The link to this week's streamed service is here

It has been a mixed bag of events at SPPC this week. 

First, we rejoice that we can meet together again. We sang two hymns on Sunday and I visited with folk I haven't seen since November 2020.

Rev. Irwin is away. We're happy he is having a little holiday after the strain of the past eighteen months. But is being a kitchen helper at Camp Imodene really a holiday? OTOH, Diane is head cook so he has an in with the boss.

Once again we welcomed Pastor George Hodgson to the pulpit. Although he regularly threatens us with ultra-long sermons, this Sunday we received only part one of his message. Come back on July 25 for part two.

Helen celebrated her 99th birthday last week. On Sunday morning she was in her usual pew at church looking fresh and pretty as ever. All our best wishes Helen. I'm looking forward to one great big cake later in the summer when SPPC celebrates all our missed birthdays.

And here's a date to put on the calendar for Friday, July 16 at 6:30 p.m. The Raven Baroque--Larry plays cello with them--are playing at the Sidney Bandshell at the bottom of Beacon Avenue. Admission is free. Come and enjoy an evening of music in our lovely weather.

It was good to see Erik on Sunday morning. He had been working in a clinic in Lytton just hours before fire levelled the village.

On a sadder note, at the age of 92 Joan M was called home to the Lord. We will miss her. When we first came to SPPC she was a sort of unofficial welcome committee along with Archie and Victor. She organized no end of parties--St. Andrew's, St. Patrick's, International Day, Hawaiian night--you name it, Joan could whip up a feast suited to the occasion.

She served as an elder and treasurer, then created a roster for money counters for the offering plate on Sunday. She also set up a list of people to provide flower arrangements for Sunday mornings.

She was a real supporter of the Living Flame Choir, especially when we put on a musical drama. I'd ask if she would cater a "small" reception, i.e. coffee and cookies, and she'd lay out a spread of tempting and exotic treats.

On Sunday morning Pastor George spoke about the behest to "shine" with the gifts God gave us. Always elegant and gracious, Joan had many gifts and she used them all to glorify God and to serve her community at SPPC.  We mourn her passing and pray for peace for her family, and we thank God for giving us Joan for more than ninety years.  

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11  

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”