Advent 1, 2022

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

Saturday morning eight volunteers showed up at the church to put up Christmas decorations in time for the first Sunday of Advent. Many hands make light work and we had a good time besides. The Christmas tree, the valance lights, nativities in the narthex, wreaths on the back wall and swags on the front door, were all done in a few hours.

Thanks to Tore, Jerusha, Janet, Carmen, Pam, Joan, Barb, and Alice for their time, talent and good humour.

                                           Thanks to Elizabeth, we have angels joining the flock on the upper window ledge.

After the fun comes the clean-up

The outdoor lights had been hung when the weather was fine last week, but left unlit until Sunday. Now we have the candle of hope burning inside and out.  

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Rev. Irwin was away this week so we happily welcomed Pastor George to the pulpit once again. The last time he was here was Advent 1 in 2020. You can read about him here. Of course, that was during COVID lockdown and we had no one in the pews.

George's message reflected on the sorry state of our world today. War, want, fear, and disaster crowd the headlines. And yet . . . we light the candle of Hope. Hope in our Saviour. 

Hope in the world is vain. Hope in the Lord is unfailing.

May this season of Advent bring hope to your home. 

Reduce-Recycle-Reuse

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

It has been said many times by many people, "Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church is a very friendly church." On Saturday we found a new way to be friends -- we had a swap meet. Or perhaps I should call it a recycle event. The idea was to clean out the stuff in your house that is too good to throw away but that you don't want any longer, bring it to the church, and let others take it home. No money was exchanged.

I went with a firm determination to pare down my "stuff." I took seven items, which were all picked up by someone else. I collected three items, for a net loss of four. Score one for more empty closet space. But, my husband went to the swap meet with no items and came home with a boxful! Net gain, about twenty. So, no increase in empty closet space.

One of the great things about the swap was the opportunity to look at others' stuff and get to know them a bit better. The cup of coffee and plate of muffins helped too.

Left over items were left for Sunday morning so worshippers could pick up stuff as well. The remains are going to the thrift shop on Monday.       

                                       

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Sunday the congregation participated in a great giveaway as well. This was the last day to donate to our cozy toes mission. There were baskets and boxes and bags of donated goods, including but not limited to socks. I saw sweaters and coats and shirts and toiletries. These will all be given to the Mustard Seed church for distribution to Victoria's neediest citizens.

Jerusha has a personal mission to create twenty packages for the mission complete with socks, a toothbrush, a chocolate bar, and other sundries. Great example of generosity.

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Looking ahead, next week is Advent 1, so we're thinking decorations, carols, and special offerings. After two years of restrictions and lockdowns, we are so glad to approach this Advent and Christmas season with open doors and open hearts.

Let Them Eat Cake

 The link to our live-streamed service is here.

Marie Antoinette infamously said, "let them eat cake," in disparagement of the peasants pleading for bread. Historians argue that she never said those words, but they have now entered our collective consciousness so the French Queen is stuck with them. At SPPC we eat cake often and for many reasons, none of which have to do with starvation.

We eat cake to celebrate happy occasions, like Will's baptism. On Nov. 6 Joan's grandson took his own vows of baptism as an adult. We're more accustomed to infant baptism, so Will's event was a very special time. Of course, we celebrated with cake.

This Sunday, we used cake to mark a less joyous occasion. Jim is moving away. He is a long-term member, having joined the congregation in 2001, and served as secretary for the Board of Managers for many years, where he kept meticulous minutes. We are very sorry to see him go but we wish him and Cindy every happiness in their new home. We comforted ourselves with a piece of cake, just as we did earlier in the year when Archie left us to take up residence in Calgary.  

 

Also on Sunday, we had three birthdays. Of course, they were also acknowledged with cake. 

Gladys, who is very young

Benjamin, who loves cake, and Max

Missing from the photos is Kathy, who spent her birthday recuperating from her flu shot. We kindly ate her piece of cake for her.

A Sunday without cake is a rarity at Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church. The addition of bakery goods to our coffee hour speaks not only to the congregants love of sweets but to our commitment to be a church family. In baptism we are asked,  Do you, as members of the church of Jesus Christ, promise to guide and nurture N. by word and deed, with love and prayer, encouraging her/him to know and follow Christ and to be faithful members of his church? 

I think the many cakes served at SPPC are one of the ways we nurture each other. We share the joys and sorrows of life together. As members of the congregation, we promise to listen, to provide a shoulder to lean on, to offer the hand of fellowship--and to enjoy a gooey piece of cake together no matter the moment.

Welcome Will, fare thee well Jim, Happy Birthday Gladys and Benjamin and Kathy. Thanks for the cake.

Preparing for Mission in DR

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

November 6 was a very busy Sunday that included Will's baptism. I'll have more on that next week. This week, we have a presentation on a mission trip.

Last Sunday, Diane held an information meeting about the upcoming mission trip from SPPC to the Dominican Republic.  There have been teams from our congregation go out in previous years and she included some pictures from those trips. In 2020 another team was all set to go from our church when the pandemic hit. The team had been commissioned on Sunday and on Monday the lockdown orders were issued by public health. A great disappointment to those team members, but a necessary safety precaution. 

This year, a new team is being assembled and more supplies secured. The trip will take place in March of 2023. It's all there in Diane's presentation which is embedded below. Just click on the little pop-out button in the upper right-hand corner to view the whole thing.

Thanks, Diane, for sharing your presentation, and for your work for House Upon the Rock.

Lunch at the Ledge

On Sunday morning we welcomed Rev. Ruth McCowan back to the pulpit. She's a regular there. You can watch the service on our youtube link here.

Tuesday last week, a cold, rainy, windy day, was perfect for an indoor adventure.  A group of about twenty-five from SPPC boarded the buses and headed downtown to the legislature building. We had lunch reservations for 1:30 pm. 

The food was great but first we had to go through airport-type security and the guards held our ID's until we exited the building. So, lunch at the ledge is great, but be prepared!

Visiting the legislative dining room was something I'd heard about but never had a chance to do, so thanks to the organizers, especially Barb, for making it possible.

We arrived early, so went inside the building to have a look around. There was a Diwali event going on in the rotunda, including food. It smelled delicious but I sensed the spices were hot so didn't join the buffet line.

I did take pictures of some legislative features, namely the scroll work over a doorway and the doorknobs bearing the BC logo. Maybe another time we should book a tour and bone up on our provincial history.

Just heard that there may be another expedition in December for a turkey lunch. There's a sign-up sheet in the narthex to let the organizers know if there is enough interest to make a booking.

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After service on Sunday morning, Diane held an information session

on the pending mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Watch this space for more. SPPC has sent a team there previously but the last one was cancelled when COVID shut down the whole world. It's exciting to know that the trip is scheduled again for March of 2023.

We'll Eat Again

 Link for this week's live-streamed service is here

Sunshine Lunch

After a pause of two and a half years, the Sunshine Lunch was back on Monday of this week. This is a time of fellowship for people of our congregation who live alone. As was proven during the pandemic, loneliness is a hazard to both physical and mental health, so the return of this program is most appreciated. Thanks to Joan and Darlene and their helpers for reviving a much valued tradition. Special thanks to Barb for being a volunteer driver.  The few pictures below show only a hint of the hard work and the good spirits that went into the lunch. There will be another one in December.

Friendship Coffee

On Thursday, Friendship Coffee returned to the church building. This is a time of fellowship for all, including visitors and out-of-town relatives. Thanks to Brian and Vivien, Al and Irene for the coffee and cookies, set up and take down. 

Newcomers Lunch

On Sunday, we held our newcomers lunch. Again because of the pandemic, we have had to put this custom on hold, so our "newcomers" might not have been that new, but it was still a lovely time to welcome them into the family of SPPC. And, as Rev. Irwin said, thank them for choosing us. 

We had a delicious hot lunch -- lots of casseroles -- and cake. Each newcomer was welcomed with a little gift bag including note cards and a church directory. 

There were lots of old-timers too!

Vera Lynn sang "we'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when." But we'll eat again on Tuesday at the legislature!

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Sign of the times: 

We've sacrificed one vehicular parking space to make room for a bike rack to accommodate eight bicycles. The spot was well marked with warning cones and reflective tape to prevent any unwary driver from running into it. 😀

More Thank yous:

Fred has been pitching in to tend the flower beds. The one at the north side of the lounge was particularly overgrown. Look at it now!

We've had a wonderful week at SPPC. Our "newcomers" have joined right in, reading scripture, singing in the choir, working in the kitchen and digging in the garden. Welcome, welcome, and thank you. One person told me she'd found SPPC to be very warm and welcoming, without overwhelming her. That sounds like a good balance. Just in case you're interested, we have room for more -- in the pews, on the committees, in the choir, in fellowship and in study. Come join the family at SPPC.

Red Letter Revolution - a Review

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

Thanks to Linda for this week's blog post.

Red Letter Revolution: What if Jesus Really Meant What He Said?

 By Shane Claiborne and Tony Campolo

 

 

This book is presented as a conversation between Shane Claiborne, a progressive young evangelical, and Tony Campolo , an experienced pastor and professor of sociology.  The authors discuss issues of violence, community, Islam, hell, sexuality, civil disobedience and twenty other topics of interest to people of faith and conscience today. Shane and Tony discuss their differences and commonalities in a way that is helpful to the reader to gain insight as they seek to live the teachings of Jesus.

 The book is divided into three parts.  I will give a brief summary of the content of each part and the chapters that resonated for me.  The first part is about Theology.  I found this section to be the most relevant for me.  The authors look at the church, liturgy, Islam, hell; topics that are not often discussed in such an open and balanced way.  Much of what the authors were discussing related to a recent book we studied in Bible Study, the Celebrationof Discipline by Richard J Foster.  This gave me another perspective on the topics which added to my enjoyment of the chapters.  My take away from this section of the book was:  

• today many churches are focused on winning believers rather than developing fully developed followers of Jesus: that is disciples.

 

The second part of the book discussed Red Letter Living.  I think the chapters in this portion of the book will be the most difficult for some Christians to read.  There are discussions on Pro Life, Homosexuality, Immigration, Women, and Racism. The authors refer to the politics of the United States and the Republican believers.   I found their discussion refreshing as it was open and unafraid to look at the questions from different angles When I looked at the criticisms by readers of this book, this was the part that raised the most objections.  One of the comments from the chapter on Racism that has stayed with me is:

•  “Eleven o’clock Sunday morning is still the most segregated time of the week”. 

 

The third part of the book looks at a Red Letter World.  I found that at times this section felt dated as it was first published in 2012.  However, each chapter is thought-provoking in its own way.  The section that I found most interesting was on the Middle East.  The authors discussed what was currently happening in Israel and with Palestine.  Also the chapter of Reconciliation was powerful, with Pentecost being compared and contrasted to the Tower of Babble. 

 

I recommend that you take the time to read this book or other writings about the Red Letter Revolution.  Each chapter begins with a quote from Jesus.  Why not explore another view of what our Saviour was saying and explore how to live out those red letters of the Bible?

 

 

Linda Cliff