Sunshine Lunch

Falling so close to Robbie Burns Day, the Sunshine Lunch this month has a Scottish theme.

Menu

Haggis

Potato Leek Soup

Beef Stew with Puff Pastry

Mashed Potatoes

Green Peas

Lemon Dessert

Looks good, doesn't it?  Joan is the organiser and Diane and Darlene are the cooks.  They all work on the decorations.

The sunshine lunch is an affair that caters to singles, -- those who are single by choice and those who have lost a partner. It has been a constant part of the pastoral care of our congregation for at least twenty years.  At one time it was potluck, but for the past several years, those with a ticket are treated to a home-cooked meal, great company and some entertainment.

The lunch is serves 20 - 30 people.  If transportation is an issue, Joan will arrange a ride. Tickets are sold in advance to allow the cooks time to purchase supplies and plan for the numbers that will be there.  You'll often see Joan sitting at her sales table in the coffee hour. The next Sunshine Lunch is March 27, at noon.

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)

Mark on the Wall

 There has been a lot of sickness in our congregation in the past several weeks.  "The cold" with its dreaded cough has been making the rounds and out-staying its allotted time.  Some of our congregation have been bereaved, some are facing chronic illness.  Many prayers have been said on behalf of our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ.  So, this week, I reached into my resource file and pulled out this children's story, as told by a former minister here, on the power of prayer.  

The Mysterious Mark on the Wall

The Prime Minister in Britain during the First World War was David Lloyd George (the Welsh Wizard). His brother William lived to be over 100 and wrote a book about their life as boys at home. Their father died while they were still young and it was a struggle to get an education for the boys.

Uncle Lloyd looked after them. He was a very simple man, but a great and good man. He was a cobbler who worked hard to make a living. He also preached in the little chapel and cared for people year in and year out. He truly loved God, God’s people and his Bible. When William George married, Uncle Lloyd went to live with him and his wife. Mrs George was a very good housekeeper, very house proud. She was annoyed to see a mark on the wallpaper in Uncle Lloyd’s room - a curious mark at a curious height. She couldn’t understand how it got there and, as the weeks went by, it stood out more clearly. She tried to clean it off but it could not be removed. She didn’t like to say anything about it but felt she had to.

Uncle Lloyd had a habit of coming home for his midday meal and afterwards going up to his room before returning to work. Mrs Lloyd thought he was lying down but, one day as she was passing his room, and his door was ajar, she peeped in and what did she see? Uncle Lloyd was kneeling on a chair with its back to the wall and his forehead was resting on the wall just where the mark was. He was praying so intensely that sweat was glistening on his forehead. That was the secret of the mark!

This explained how he could work so hard, preach at the chapel and care for his people. His fervent praying was what enabled him to have such an influence on people including William and David.

In the Bible we read about a man of prayer. Daniel prayed beside his window three times a day. Uncle Lloyd knelt on a chair. It doesn’t matter where we pray but it is important that we do talk to God and listen to him. That we help others to know, love and serve Him too.

James 5:16 A good man’s prayer is powerful and effective.

                                        ***

The prayer group prays for each member of the congregation on a regular basis, and we thank them for holding us all in their care.  If you have a special request, please fill out one of the yellow cards in the pews and place them on the offering plate.  

And please, get well soon!

A Bible and a Hockey Stick

I had a chuckle last week when Tore said he wanted to stop by the church to pick up a Bible and a hockey stick.  the pairing seemed incongruous, but on further consideration, I thought "a Bible and a hockey stick" was a great metaphor for life at SPPC.
 The Bible is our foundation, our model for life.  We study it in class on Wednesdays, read from it in worship on Sundays, and use its precepts and examples in the choices we make every day.  

   The hockey stick represents our work outside of Sunday mornings.  We seek to serve our community, whether with a hockey stick or a service at Saanich Peninsula Hospital, or sponsorship of a baseball team, or a collection of warm clothing for the needy.

   Jesus' ministry included study and interpretation of The Law, debate with the pharisees and discussion with his disciples on God's plan for man's salvation.  It also included turning water into wine so that wedding guests could celebrate, feeding the five thousand who were hungry, healing the lame man and making breakfast for Peter, James and John and other disciples.
   
   A hockey stick and a Bible.  Good example of Christian living 

new year 2016

Let Us Walk

"Let us walk softly, friends;

For strange paths lie before us all untrod.

The New Year, spotless from the hand of God

Is thine and mine, O friend.

Let us walk straightly, friend;

Forget the crooked paths behind us now; 

Press on with steadier purpose on our brow

To better deeds, O friend.

Let us walk gladly, friend;

Perchance some greater good than we have known 

Is waiting for us or some fair hope flown

Shall yet return, O friend.

Let us walk kindly, friend:

We cannot tell how long this life shall last,

How soon these precious years be overpast;

Let Love walk with us, friend.

Let us walk quickly, friend;

Work with our might while lasts our little stay

And help some halting comrade on the way:

And may God guide us, friend."

Gray

I found this poem in a little book of wisdom left me by my mother, Silver Thoughts, Golden Words and a Nickel Worth of Stories.  The book was published by the Eastern Ontario Women's Institute in 1992, but the sentiments seem entirely appropriate in N. Saanich in 2017.  Happy New Year everyone

Christmas Stories

     One of my favourite things about Boxing Day, is reading the new book I got for Christmas.  I love settling down with a good story and a turkey sandwich.
    But before I could read for myself, I loved listening to stories.  A constant cry in our house was "Mom, read us a story." I was reminded recently of the joy of being read to.  There's a unique relationship between the listener, the reader and the author that is quite wonderful.
So, for those of you who'd rather listen to a story than read one, here are some suggestions.

This one is a favourite of Rev. Irwin.
"The Shepherd" by Frederick Forsyth, read by Alan Maitland.

While we're with Mr. Maitland, you might enjoy listening to 
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry.

Stuart McLean's "Dave Cooks the Turkey," is a modern classic.  You can listen to a broadcast of the whole show here. 

Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol," is a standard for dramatic readings.  You can listen to Neil Gaiman read it here.

Of course, the greatest Christmas story of all is found in the second chapter of Luke.  Listen to it here, the in language of King James.

Happy Boxing Day.

The King's Story

The King’s Story
-- Sunday School Presentation Dec. 18, 2016

Carol:  We Three Kings

King 1: Friends listen to our story!

King 2: We have witnessed the most amazing event!

King 3: We are wise men from the east.

King 1: We have spent our lives studying the stars. For many years we have followed their
appearance and disappearance in the sky. They are our friends. Some are faithful and
never leave us. Some come and go through the changing seasons. There are times when
we have visitors in the sky you
may know them as comets or meteors. Sometimes there
are only one or two and sometimes, like the Perseids, they will go on like streaks in the sky
for days. These streaks in the sky are a marvel, but they pale in comparison to what we
followed to get to Bethlehem a
NEW star!

King 2: Through our studies of the ancient texts, we knew of the Jewish writings that spoke of a Messiah, a ruler that would come out of Bethlehem in Judah and would be ruler of all
Israel. We looked at where the star was and thought to ourselves “Could this be the great leader foretold in Micah?”

King 3: We knew we needed to follow the star. It was as if we were being pulled toward it. And so we set out on our journey. Excited by what we would find, we packed the finest of gifts.

King 1: As we approached Jerusalem and the star shone brightly, we asked people “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

King 3: We surprised King Herod. He didn’t know anything about the baby being born. In fact, no one in Jerusalem seemed to know about it.

King 2: He seemed concerned and consulted with the priests and teachers of the law. He wanted to know where this child, the Christ, was to be born. The teachers told Herod that the ruler of Israel would come from Bethlehem.

King 1: Well, you should have seen Herod! He became all friendly and wanted us to tell him everything. He seemed a little shady about the whole thing but he encouraged us to carryon our search. He directed us to tell him where the babe was so that he could come and worship him too.

King 2: Can you imagine what Herod would have thought if he had seen what we saw next!

Carol: #141 Away in a Manger v.1

King 1: We continued on and followed the star. It came to a rest over Bethlehem. Eventually we found the baby. Wow! You would not believe where!

King 3: He was in a hay stall yes
in the manger in a stable! Outside with the animals, and the
stars ,
King 2: ...and the Shepherds! There were shepherds! They told us their story.

Shepherds come charging down the aisle and sit in the front (We saw ANGELS! They were awesome,
amazing, terrifying, wonderful, beautiful)

King 2: Angels came to them and told them that a Saviour had been born and they would find him in a manger.

Angels come down the aisle: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the
people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah,the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a
manger.” 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” (From Luke 2  NIV)

King 1: They were so astonished that they left their animals to see what the excitement was. They arrived and found a baby! They were amazed!

King 3: This was not just ANY baby. There was something about this baby that was compelling.Something bigger than any of us.

King 2: He was tiny and vulnerable and weak
King 1: ...but he was peaceful and strong and pure at the same time.
King 3: He was expected
King 1: ...but unexpected
King 3: We gave him our gifts
King 2: I gave him Gold for the one who is born to be King.

King 3: I gave him Frankincense for the God who has come amongst us.

King 1: I gave him Myrrh for the one who was to die for us.

King 2: And yet…
King 3: ... they seemed insignificant.

King 1: We knelt down before him and worshipped him. It was overpowering. We were filled with joy and awe!

King 3: It seemed as if we had just been given the greatest gift under the sun.

Carol: #144 It came upon a midnight clear v.1

King 1: We came to find a king but we found a baby, born to a carpenter and a young girl in a stable. There to celebrate his birth were shepherds. (...and us!) and strangers. (...and Angels!) (The Angels were pretty awesome!) We followed the star and found the King, not where we expected but in amongst the beauty of His creation. This was no ordinary King.In the middle of the humbleness of the scene, there was a majesty and reverence
incomparable to anything we could ever have imagined. Immanuel had come. God was with us.

King 2: We have looked for the King and we have found him. Will you come and look for Jesus too?

King 3: Will you be surprised by his peace, his presence and his power?

King 1: Will seek to find what he has to offer YOU?

Carol:  #131 The First Nowell

Written by Diane Cunningham
Copyright December 11, 2016

Story based on the scriptures in Matthew 2 and Luke 2 from the NIV translation