Life Explored

This week is the last session of "Life Explored," our current study, and the end of Wednesday Bible Study for this term.
Life Explored has been a fun program, using video and small group discussion exclusively.  Since the morning session has been divided in two, I've missed seeing the whole gang, but having more time for the small group has allowed a new perspective on how we hear and understand the message of the lessons.
Life Explored is available on-line for home study at www.life.explo.red, so if you weren't able to attend the Wednesday session, you can do a self-directed study of the same material.  Also, SPPC now owns the videos so anyone can borrow them and run a Bible study at home with friends and colleagues, or with only one curious friend who wonders why you "waste" you time on church and "all that stuff."
We'll start a new study in the Fall.  Meantime, enjoy your summer, fill it with rest and renewal and enjoy God's wonderful creation.

Fathers and Faith

   

 Compared to Mother's Day, Father's Day gets short shrift in the Presbyterian Church in Canada.  In the secular world retailers are keen to capitalise on any occasion to boost sales, but the real heart-rending advertising usually focuses on mothers, while dads are portrayed as needing a new lawnmower or a tie.  
    The trend toward inclusive language has also been hard on the word father in our liturgy.

    But on this day, father's get the spotlight.  The NIV Bible uses the word father 692 times in the Old Testament and 390 times in the New.  The basis of our faith reminds us over and over that God is our Heavenly Father, the one to whom we look for protection, provision, compassion, judgement, discipline, mercy and unfailing love.

     One of our choir anthems includes the lines:
And for those special moments, those times when we recall
A father’s guiding presence, a mother’s gentle call,
The laughter and the singing, the teaching of your way,
The quiet times together that taught us how to pray.

A reminder of the importance of father's in family life.

     Hymn writers too pay homage to God, the Father.  One of my favourites is This Is My Father's World.  Perhaps because I grew up in the country the images of rustling grass, carolling birds, lily white, rocks and trees, skies and seas, resonate deep in my soul. This hymn is a wonderful hymn of praise to the Creator Father.

Another of my choices is Dear Lord and Father of Mankind. The first verse speaks to our need to repent, but the following lines assure us of God, the Father as our refuge in a turbulent world.  One of the great blessings of my life was "home."  Without question, if life got too hard, I could go home and be enfolded in the love and security and acceptance of family.  This hymn promises that all people, regardless of their earthly family, have this same, safe refuge with our Father in Heaven.

One last example from my personal favourites is Great is Thy Faithfulness.  Here we are reminded of the steadfastness of our Father.  He "changest not." His compassion never fails.  Through all the seasons of life He offers His presence to "to cheer and to guide."  All our needs are taken care of by our Father's provision.

    To all the fathers out there, some with a new tie, blessings on you and may you remember that you have a perfect role model described in the pages of the Bible, in the poetry of hymns and in the love that surrounds you and keeps you in His care forever and ever.


 

Season Wind Up

This week the Parking Lot Club wound up activities for the summer with a special feast. 

Fast hockey 

And a water balloon fight.                                                        

   

We had an exciting first year for this program.  As with anything new there was some trial and error, but over all, everyone had a good time and everyone was well fed.  

Watch for our re-opening in the fall.  

Strength Together

On this Pentecost Sunday, the bulletin contained two independent announcements that emphasise our unity in fellowship.  The flowers were in celebration of a fifth birthday.  A little further down the list was a notice of a 100th birthday.  Few organizations in the secular world would have members at both ends of the age spectrum.  Our inclusivity of all who believe is one of the great strengths of the church.  A point underlined by the reading from Acts 2.  ^"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

I won't try to repeat the sermon here, but I do have a children's story from an anonymous source that illustrates the same point.

The preacher, holding ten to twenty pencils bound with a rubber band, asks the children, "Why do we go to church?"  
He then explains that we go to church to have fellowship with other Christians. Nations are strong because their many people are bonded together.We need to care for one another, love one another

And it is the same in the church. We come together each Sunday, and during the week we support one another, encourage and pray for one another.

Take a pencil - can you break it?

                         two pencils?

                        three pencils?

The more pencils there are together the harder it is to break them.

The same is true for us as Christians. The more we band together the stronger we are. When we group together, share with on another, we find it much easier to live as Christians.  The world today makes it difficult to be Christian, that is why it is so important for us to get together as we do in church.

Happy birthday to all who celebrate this week, old, young, and in-between.  Your Christian family rejoices with you, prays for you, and stands together to keep you strong.

            

           

When Morning Gilds the Skies

We don't often sing the hymn, "When Morning Gilds the Skies," but after our incessantly gloomy winter and spring, now that the sunshine has finally arrived, I find myself humming this old favourite.


When morning gilds the skies, My heart awaking cries,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer, To Jesus I repair:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

To God, the Word, on high, The host of angels cry,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let mortals, to, up-raise, Their voice in hymns of praise;
May Jesus Christ by praised!

Let earth's wide circle round In joyful notes resound,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let earth and sea and sky, From depth to height, reply,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this, while life is mine, My canticle divine,
May Jesus Christ be prised!
Be this the eternal song, Through all the ages on,
May Jesus Christ be praised!


The hymn is similar to many of the psalms with its constant refrain of praise.  It is also reminiscent of  the opening of Psalm 19, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the skies proclaim the work of His hands."  
In the letter to the Romans, Paul states "Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, that that people are without excuse."
In the first stanza we see the rising sun and give praise.  We move through the day at work or prayer and give praise.  Angels and mortals all give praise.  The whole earth, from depth to height give praise.  Finally, the poet invokes the praise of Christ in eternity.

Translated from the German by Edward Caswall, it began appearing in hymnbooks in 1854. Distinguished English poet and translator Robert Bridges amended the translation in 1899, noting that  “It is of great merit, and I have tried to give a better version of it than the current one, keeping the original metre, preserving the first lines of the old translation, since it is by them that the hymn is known.” The hymn's popularity grew to a high point in the 1980's. I remember singing it in elementary school -- back when the school day began with a Bible reading, the Lord's prayer, a hymn and the national anthem. 

The tune, “Laudes Domini”, was composed by Joseph Barnby (1838-1896), an English organist and choirmaster who was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1892.  The soaring melody mimics the rising of the sun and demands the worshipper to stand straight and praise with conviction.

Enjoy the sunshine, and don't forget to praise Jesus Christ in the morning and in the evening and in all phases of your day.

Busy Day

Last Wednesday was a busy day at SPPC.  Presbytery met. We started a new Bible Study.  We got a new piano.  All in the same day.

Presbytery will have it's own report, but I can tell you the Bible Study was well-attended and interesting.  Rev. Irwin is using a different format this time, we're all in small groups all the time and he leads each one.  We watch a short video, prepared by the Christianity Explored Ministries, then reply to an open-ended question like "What's the best gift God could give you?"  There is no "right" answer but the question provides a jumping-off place for discussion. Another short video presentation, then more discussion, this time using Biblical texts to explore the role of God in our lives.  The study is very different format from what we've done before, but change is good.  Right?

The new piano arrived during Bible Study.  I heard the delivery people playing scales while we looked at Psalm 19.  Later I took the opportunity to try it out myself.  Here's a picture.  Isn't it pretty?

The baby grand is a gift from a generous donor and will enhance our music program.  The most obvious difference is that the music director now faces the choir.  If you've ever sung in a group you know how important that is.  For years the choir has tried to impart a uniform, choral presentation while looking at the director's back!

The piano has a lovely tone which the congregation will surely enjoy, especially once it has been tuned and overhauled. That will be in about a month's time when the instrument has had time to settle into its new environment. 

The upright piano has been moved from the sanctuary to the Ross lounge, so it is still in service to our congregation.  The smaller piano is in the hall for now.  Being on a good trolley means it can be easily moved from one location to another as the need arises.

A grand piano in the sanctuary opens up more opportunities for music in worship and in concert.  An exciting development for our congregation.  Many thanks to our anonymous benefactor.

Potpourri

Lots of things to share on this week's blog.  We're starting a new Bible Study for one.  It is called Life Explored and was developed by the same team that presented Christianity Explored, a study done at this church some time ago.  Life Explored uses the Bible story of creation, fall, redemption, new creation to illuminate modern life.
The format is a bit different this time.  The lesson begins with a video presentation, then a time of discussion.  The morning session has been divided in two so that we'll work more in small groups. You can choose either 9:15 am, or 10:30 am, or 7:00 pm. 

Last week's celebration of Irwin's ten years with our congregation inspired a lot of pictures!  I'm sharing some more here.

If you were there, you should be here!

Finally, Bette Dempster of our congregation celebrated her 100th birthday with cake and a visit from some SPPC friends. 

Thanks to Russell and Norma for sharing photographs.