Summer Vacation

Remember when the last day of school signalled the beginning of summer?  The days stretched out ahead of us, seemingly endless.  Freed from the routine of books and classes and homework and clubs and chores, the  sun-soaked days of summer beckoned us to unstructured play.  We'd lie on our backs and watch the clouds, black thunderheads racing across a lowering sky, or wisps of white drifting like thistledown.  When we got tired of clouds, we could roll over and study the amazing, hidden world that lives at the bottom of the grass.  So many bugs!

   We could spend a whole morning crawling through long grass, stalking "the enemy" while keeping our heads low.  Then we'd spend the afternoon hiding among the cornstalks and declaring loudly that we weren't dead because the slender cornstalk had stopped the bullet, or arrow, or laser beam or cannonball, depending on where our imaginations had taken us that day.
   The days were long, beginning in dew-wet grass and ending with a long twilight when the fireflies danced and June bugs batted against the screens.    A summer idyll, or idle.

    It turns out idleness is not just for kids.

  Forbes Magazine recently published an interview with  Andrew Smart, author of Autopilot: The Art & Science of Doing Nothing, in which he explains that all that multi-tasking,  so popular with modern CEO's, is actually detrimental to our mental health.   Those who study these kinds of things tell us that brain activity is measured by blood flow to the brain and the amount of oxygen the blood carries.  Scientists have learned that when the brain is engaged in a specific task, like solving a math problem, activity in certain brain regions is suppressed.  They have also found that those same regions, become super active when not focussed on a specific task.  Conclusion?  An idle brain is healthier, happier and more creative than its multi-tasking counterpart.

    I think that openness to creativity, to flashes of brilliance and unexpected insight, means we're more open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  We've all been taught since childhood that "an idle mind is the devil's workshop," but what if the idle mind is tuned to God rather than the devil?  What if our imagination flies along God's pathways?  When we take time to stare at clouds or watch the waves on the beach, we make space for wonder, for awe, for messages to the heart.

    When we engage in study, as we should, we apply our mind to the task of learning, we follow guidelines laid out by others, we look up references, we write essays on topic, we might even take exams.  All useful means for growing in our Christian understanding.
     But when we set aside the distraction of study guides and theological treatises, we're available to the "still small voice," we're overwhelmed by the marvel of creation, we pray without words in a jubilation of thanksgiving.  
    The idle mind allows our spirit to soar with the birds, to dip and dive and ride the winds as God directs.
     Happy summer, everyone.  Enjoy your season of re-creation.

CONGREGATIONAL PICNIC

We had a beautiful day for the annual congregational picnic.  Lots of people came.  Some older, some younger.

 We all brought a picnic.  It seemed there was more food than we could eat.

  There were races.

   Some got wet.

 Some stayed dry.

Open wide for the popcorn toss!

On our list of gratitudes we can add a beautiful day, lovely company, and lots of laughter, all under God's blue sky.

Father's Day

     

by Alice Valdal

The newspaper in my home town decided to do a "memories of Dad" column for father's day and sent a request to my brother for a contribution.  Quick as a mouse click, he passed the request to me.  I didn't mind.  I loved my dad and I love words.  But the constraints of two inches of newsprint column required that I distil a lifetime of moments into one, quintessential thought.  In the end, I realized, my father's greatest gift to his children was our home.  No matter the time, no matter the day, no matter the circumstances we could always go home and be welcomed with joy and open arms.

    Then I remembered another story.  A young man from my home province, raised in a "good" family, made bad choices and ended up on the streets in Victoria.  He eventually found his way to the Open Door, a ministry for street people housed in my old church.  There he found a peanut butter sandwich, a compassionate friend and a good listener.  After a time, the young man cleaned himself up, recognized his errors and decided to go home.  The delighted pastor made the phone call, the good news for the young man's family, their lost son was found and ready to return to them.  But the family didn't care.  They would not come to get him, they would not send a ticket, they would not even talk with him on the telephone.

    When that story was related from the pulpit, the gasps around the congregation were audible.  A father not want his son back?  A mother who turned her back on her child?  Could any rejection be more painful?

    No wonder the Prodigal Son is one of the best known and best loved parables in the Bible.  We all long for home.  We all long for a love that doesn't measure the cost, for a father who opens his arms and his heart, who kills the fatted calf and throws a party to welcome back the one who wandered away.

     As a child, I took my family and my home for granted, believing everyone shared my experience.  I've learned since that I was wrong.  Not all homes are places of refuge and love.  Not all fathers are generous and kind. 
    On Father's Day, I thank God for my father, and I thank God that He is Father to us all.  A Father who never fails, who never turns away from a penitent child, a Father whose greatest joy is His children.

STUMP THE TEACHER

   The Bible Study groups that meet on Wednesday have completed our study of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.

 It has been quite different from our usual style of study.  The sessions were presented in video form by Ann Voskamp, so Irwin got to be more of a student than the teacher.  The small group discussions were very open-ended, allowing participants to share personal experiences and relate them to the message of the study.  Since we had just completed a very rigorous examination of the Book of Revelation, the Voskamp study was a refreshing change of pace.
   

But, school is still in session.  This week we are going to play "Stump the teacher."  Irwin has invited us to submit passages of scripture we find particularly troubling, and he will prepare a one session study of those verses.  I've heard suggestions for the Book of Job -- too big for a one session study, but perhaps we'll do a segment.  Someone asked for the Book of James, but that too is too much for a one-off, but it may show up as a longer study after the summer break. The Syro-Phoenician Woman, as found in Matthew 15:21 -28 and Mark 7:24-30 has been put forward for discussion.  Isaiah 53 was mentioned.  

   You don't have to be attending the Bible studies previously to join in.  If you've got questions, now is a good time to ask.  Ever wonder why the Song of Solomon is in the Bible?  How about Proverbs 17:2?  
    We did this same kind of exercise last year, discussing the parable of the dishonest steward among other passages.  Later we did a short study on the Book of Jonah in response to a request.  
If you've ever wanted to try Bible Study but were afraid to sign up for a long commitment, here's your chance to try it out, no strings attached, for one session.  What a way to round out the school year!
    Bible Study meets Wednesdays at 9:30 am and at 7:00 pm at the church.  Coffee and goodies provided.  A Bible is the only study material needed and that is provided.   

140th General Assembly

   On the first Sunday of June we welcomed Rev. Noel Kinnon to the pulpit as Rev. Irwin was attending the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The theme of this year's Assembly is "Light of the World."

This year marks the 140th assembly since our church was organized as the Presbyterian Church in Canada at a meeting held in Montreal in 1875.

At that first Assembly four main branches of Presbyterianism were represented, the Presbyterian Church of Canada, The Church of Scotland, the Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces, and the Presbyterian Church of the Maritime Provinces.  

One of the first pieces of business was the creation of a fund for the relief of widows and orphans of ministers of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.

The business of that first assembly was grave, indeed.  The representatives, over 400 of them, were about to constitute the Presbyterian Church in Canada.  Of such weight was this matter, the men were polled by name for the vote.  And it was all men.  The first women commissioners for our denomination attended the General Assembly in 1967 -- 93 meetings later.

Today, the work of General Assembly is open to all.  Click here and you can  see a summary of the reports to be presented, or read the whole report if you like.  If you tune in during the session you can watch them with live-streaming.  You don't even have to a Presbyterian!

Today, we take the structure and courts of our church as a matter of course, but in 1875, all of that constitution and means of governance had to be created -- a monumental task.  Twenty-one committees were formed with mandates as diverse as education, finance, home mission, foreign mission and the state of religion.  I'm not sure what that last one discussed, but there was a motion brought to the assembly concerning the "desecration of the Sabbath on Railroads in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.



Today's commissioners are also confronted with a difficult and complicated business.  There are reports on the Atlantic Mission, Church Doctrine, Ecumenical and Interfaith Matters, International Affairs, Life and Mission, which includes Presbyterians Sharing, Presbyterian World Service and Development, Planned Giving, Justice -- just to name a few.

 There is a report on the Maclean Estate, a 250 Acre parcel in Southern Ontario, donated to the Presbyterian Church in Canada by the founder of the Maclean-Hunter publishing company.  This is the 40th year of operation of Crieff Hills, has provided a "place apart" for 15,000 guests from within our denomination and from without.  

    The manner and conduct of the 140th General Assembly may differ from the 1st, but don't think that those first commissioners were too dour.  On the first day of their meeting, they accepted an "invitation to a social entertainment" offered by one of the congregations of Montreal.  

    May the work of the 140th General Assembly bear fruit for our denomination and may our commissioners return to their daily lives with their spirits refreshed and renewed.

                                                                                                                       

BLUE BUS MINISTRY

   

 We had a busy time at church this Sunday.  It was youth Sunday, in a way.  Members of the Sunday School read the call to worship, Scripture and took up the collection.  They also hosted a hamburger lunch after service.  The reason for the lunch was a presentation by Rick Wismer, of Youth for Christ ministry.
      Rick has visited our congregation before to say thank you for the support SPPC gives his ministry and to bring us up to date on what's happening with the bus. 

      When the bus first appears in Sidney, it was an old double-decker painted blue with the words "Refuge Bus" painted on the side.  It was parked in an area well-known as a hang-out for at-risk youth.  Over time, the mission and work of this ministry has changed but it's still a bus and it's still blue -- or, at least, it will be blue.
       That was Rick's big news.  They have a new bus.

 One that can seat 54 passengers, travel over the Malahat, ride the ferry and drive up into the interior.  A great improvement over the last bus which was a bit shaky and wore out the drivers because it had no power steering.  The new bus was purchased second hand and is now undergoing a refit, including installation of a television, wi-fi, and, of course, a blue paint job.
        Currently the bus serves mostly First Nations, where they are welcomed by children and adults alike.  The kids love to play games, eat snacks, unload their troubles, listen to "God Talk" and do crafts.  It's kind of like church camp, but it happens in a bus, one day a week, after school.  
         SPPC has long been a supporter of the ministry.  We are a big contributor of snacks -- fruit, veggies and cookies.  Rick told us the first question when kids come aboard the bus is, "Did you bring snacks?"
        The Blue Bus (the name Refuge bus has vanished from use) is one of those ministries our congregation undertakes that we hear about only now and again but is perhaps one of our most valuable.  Like donations to the Sidney Food Bank, and services at Saanich Peninsula Hospital, the Blue Bus is a short line in the budget, but it is constant.  Constancy, reliability, persistence.  These are marks of the faithful.
         Years ago I attended a funeral where a nephew of the deceased told us of his aunt's importance in his life.  The man's mother had died when he was only a child.  He lived in a nice house, had a kind father and never lacked for food or clothing or help with his homework.  What he lacked was a mother.  His aunt made it her personal mission to come to his home once a week, on Thursdays.  That day she would bake cookies, mend socks, cook a good dinner and be there when the children came home from school.  It was that "being there" every Thursday, without fail, that remained in the man's heart for the rest of his life.  He wouldn't have cared if she'd given them pickles and rice to eat, the cookies were a bonus.  What counted for him was her reliability and her presence -- every Thursday, without fail, for as long as the family needed her.
        Sometimes we may wonder if our work is worthwhile, if it's noticed, if anyone cares -- the answer is yes.  If we are faithful, constant, reliable and present, we make a difference.
         Thanks Rick for your presence among us and on the Blue Bus.

   

MORE OF THE FAMILY

 

Last week I posted about the youth in our congregation and their various doings.  This week I thought it would be interesting to look at the other end of the spectrum.  
    At 90 +, Beulah is a faithful member of the Bible Study group, the prayer group, and the prayer chain and was also an active member of the Canadian Bible Society.  Although the local chapter of the Society has dissolved, Beulah is still a passionate believer in the power of the Bible and the need to translate and distribute scriptures into every language and every corner of the world.

    Jean, also in the 90+ club, helps out with the Chaplaincy at Saanich Peninsula Hospital, attends Bible Study, is a member of the prayer chain and regularly spends time in the schools helping children learn to read.  She also attends the sing-songs at Sidney Intermediate Care.  
     Until arthritis took away her mobility, Beryl volunteered at the airport and at the hospital.  She still manages to do some visiting and checks in on shut-ins by telephone.
     Of course, we have a whole army of people in the 80-90 age range who volunteer at the hospital, bake cookies for the Blue Bus, serve in the kitchen, serve on committees and visit the "elderly."  

Some of our hard workers enjoying the sunshine lunch

    I knew a woman many years ago who had been very active in church and other service organizations.  She developed severe arthritis and had to give up all of her usual activities.  Even attending worship service became impossible.  So, she looked around her and said "what can I do?"  The answer lay in the telephone.  She could call people and visit with them that way.  Even confined to a chair, she found a way to help others.
    The Bible Study we are doing right now is "A dare to live fully right where you are."  Isn't it wonderful that God can use us, right where we are, regardless of age, skill, power or wealth? How blessed we are at SPPC to have people of all ages, willing to share whatever they can and help to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth.