All Saints Memorial November 1, 2020

UPDATE: A decision has been taken to hold this service in person on Sunday November 1st, provided that the government restrictions imposed from October 1st to 28th are not extended. Pastor Beryl is moving forward with preparations for the service. If it goes ahead live on the 1st, it will be filmed and shared on our website so that those who can not or do not want to attend in person may watch it as of the 2nd of November. If it becomes unadvisable to hold the service live, it will be pre-recorded as we have been doing and available to watch on November 1st. In addition to the Memorial tributes, the service will also include Communion.
To add names to the list of those being remembered at the service, please contact the office by phone or e-mail by Tuesday, the 27th of October.

ORIGINAL POST:
At this point we don’t know if we will be able to have our traditional All Saints Memorial service at the church on November 1st. We can say that it will go ahead in one way or another, but might have to be a pre-recorded service. Names of those we have lost in our congregation and wider community will be read aloud. It is not too early to contact the office to add names to the list. Here is the invitation to the service: 

Please join us…

Annual All Saints Memorial Celebration
Sunday, November 1, 2020,

SouthWest United Church

Dear Friends

Jesus said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (MEV)

Just as Jesus named the blessed ones, in our annual day of remembrance on November 1st, we too will recall and give thanks for those who, in life, blessed us and have now gone before us.

As our annual celebration of All Saints approaches, you are warmly invited to join us in our All Saints Communion and Memorial Tribute.

As you know, SouthWest does not solicit funds for funerals but, rather, receives offerings “in loving memory” of those who have gone before us.  All gifts given to the fund are gratefully acknowledged and a receipt is given for tax purposes.

Memorial gifts received before October 28th will be acknowledged during the service.  If you wish, you can e-mail or call the office to confirm your participation.

We hope that you can join us and look forward to seeing you on November 1st at 10:00 a.m.

Beryl Barraclough                                                       Dennis Brown,
Pastor                                                                          Clerk of Session

“Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?” - Terry Pratchett

A Thanksgiving Message

Psalm 100:4-5
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Canadian Thanksgiving is upon us. This year it looks so different as we continue to struggle with Covid-19 restrictions and advisories. In my own 74 years, I cannot remember a Thanksgiving without family and friends around the table. This year, I cannot imagine the kitchen without the wonderful aroma of festive food.  I cannot imagine the dining room without decorations and hints of fall’s bounteous reds, oranges and yellows.

And, most of all, I cannot imagine SouthWest Sunday worship without evidence of the harvest’s blessings – beautifully displayed as a reminder of how good God is indeed.

Yes, this year has been challenging in so many ways.  We have lost loved ones and have been unable to say proper goodbyes, we have postponed weddings and baptisms and, perhaps most difficult of all, we have been unable to gather for worship and fellowship.

But, in spite of all of this, we continue to worship in spirit and faithfulness.  For those who have access to the internet and You Tube, Sunday worship has continued in some form or another.  And for that, I am thankful!

Katie Taylor, from World Vision Advocacy, said “One of the best things about thankfulness is that the more you choose it, the easier it gets. The more you profess gratitude, the more you notice things to be grateful for. The thankfulness muscles respond to exercise!”

With that thought in mind, I wish each and every one of you a blessed Thanksgiving.  May you find one thing in each day to be thankful for.  No matter how small or insignificant it may seem to you, praising God is at the heart of the Christian tradition and finding even one small blessing is a beacon of light in the darkest times.

Be well, and be with God.

Pastor Beryl

Bible Crossword 5: Kings, Queens, Pharaohs, and other Rulers

Thank You for your Contributions

On behalf of the Board of Stewards of Southwest United church, we would like to thank those who contributed to the church during the months we were not able to hold Sunday worship services. These donations have helped greatly to pay salaries and utility bills over the months that we were away.

Vernon Turner, Secretary
Board of Stewards

Pandemic taking a toll on pastors

The following is by Laura Stephens Reed, who is a “Clergy and Congregational Coach”. She is writing from the US, but there is a lot of carry-over to our Canadian context.

The coming tidal wave of pastoral departures

There are many ways I could describe the past six months, but I’m going with “revealing.” The pandemic has clarified systemic issues related to a broken healthcare system, racial inequities, lack of leadership at almost every level (governmental and denominational), and inefficient infrastructure for responding to crises. Specifically, though, I am thinking about how all the shifts prompted by Covid-19 have uncovered how unsustainable ministry is for so many pastors in their current contexts.

Prior to the pandemic, a significant number of my clergy coachees and colleagues were working under unrealistic expectations, whether those came from their congregations or from their own internal “shoulds.” And then, mid-Lent, they had to change the ways they did nearly everything - and fast. They became not just preachers but tech experts with all that entails: recording, editing, sound mixing, lighting, inviting people to and teaching them how to participate in and managing online meetings, exploring the most accessible social media platforms, and monitoring cyber security. They spent many hours trying to get all of this right because worship and Bible study and fellowship are so critical, not knowing that they’d have to continue all that they started beyond a few weeks, often without much help from others. (Because, again, the shutdown was supposed to be temporary, so why ask for assistance from others dealing with their own altered realties?)

Bible Crossword 4

SouthWest has Benefited from Government Programs during Covid-19

Douglas Hastie, who is the member of our Board of Stewards responsible for Payroll and Government, asked that we share the following information:

SouthWest United has benefited from two of the federal government programmes that were instituted to help businesses weather the coronavirus pandemic. The church has already received a substantial amount from the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) Programme. This programme started on March 15 and is currently set to end on December 19. The programme reimburses SouthWest a percentage of our total monthly salary cost. The church will hope to continue to benefit from the CEWS programme until its expiration.
The second programme that SouthWest has benefited from is the Temporary Emergency Wage Subsidy (TEWS). This programme started on March 18 and ended on June 19. The church received a much smaller amount as the reimbursement was based on the federal income tax deducted from the salaries of our church employees, and lasted for a much shorter time period.

We are grateful for this government support during these months when we have not been able to carry out normal activities, but we have continued to pay our employees, and they have continued to work!

Bible Crossword 3

This crossword, again created by Rev. Mary Taylor of St. Paul United in Westville, NS, is all about Women in the Bible. I’m embarrassed to say I only knew four of them off the top of my head, but luckily we are told where to go in the bible to find the answers! Enjoy. -Amy

A Reminder for the Re-opening of the Church September 13, 2020

For many of you, there is concern about returning to regular worship.  You, of course, must do what you what you feel is best for you and your home situation. 

However, for those who do wish to return, we must be mindful that each and every one of us is responsible not only for our own safety, but for the safety of all those who will be worshipping with us.  Please also bear in mind that the Verdun-LaSalle Baptist congregation has been using the church for the past month and have been diligent about cleaning it before use every Sunday.  We too, must respect their efforts and ensure that we allow sufficient time to clean again before their arrival.

Just a reminder of what to expect next Sunday:

·         Please do not arrive more than 15 minutes before worship begins
·         The only entry and exit point will be the front door.  Entry and exit by the side door will not be an option
·         Please arrive with your mask
·         If you have a fever, cough or any other symptom or suspect you might have been in contact with a person with Covid 19, please do not come
·         You will be asked to sanitize your hands immediately upon entry
·         You will be asked to sign a register for tracking purposes in the event of an outbreak
·         Please respect the social distancing measure of six feet when in the pews.  However, members of the same family may sit together
·         There will be no hymnbooks and a bulletin will be provided, which we ask that you dispose of after the service (you may take it home)
·         For the time being, there will not be a choir but, if possible, a soloist or musician is permitted (along with Sarah of course)
·         Access to the washrooms will be by the staircase at the back of the sanctuary only
·         Please do not use the first row of seats as the Minister and readers are required to stay well back from the congregation
·         If you are reading that week, please bring your own Bible
·         The Minister, reader and soloist must all use different microphones
·         There will be no coffee hour after worship and it is recommended that you leave the church in a timely fashion, via the front door only.

The question has been raised as to the taking up of the offering.  An offering basket will be placed just inside the sanctuary entrance so that you may leave your offering in the basket.  Thank you.

Orange Shirt Day 2020

[This is from the United Church of Canada website]

Honour children who attended residential schools.

On September 30, people all across Canada will wear orange shirts to remember and honour Indigenous children who attended Residential Schools. Indigenous Ministries and Justice at The United Church of Canada asks you to participate in Orange Shirt Day!

Why orange? Because of Phyllis Jack Webstad from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation, who went to St. Joseph Mission Residential School. On her first day of school, Phyllis wore an orange shirt that her grandmother had given her. It was immediately taken away, and that marked the beginning of Phyllis’s long separation from her family and community, a separation caused by actions of the church and the federal government.

Orange Shirt Day is a time for us all to remember those events, their ongoing impact, and just as importantly, the continuing strength and resilience of Indigenous peoples. Former Healing Programs Coordinator Honarine Scott has written a powerful reflection on this.

What can you do?

1. Mark Orange Shirt Day in your community of faith on September 27

Whether your community of faith is meeting in person or online, please ask people to wear orange for a community picture, whether that’s a safely distanced group photo, a Zoom call screen shot, or a collage. Share your photos on Facebook and Twitter (include the hashtags #OrangeShirtDay, #EveryChildMatters, and #UCCan), or send them to Reconciliation and Indigenous Justice Animator Sara Stratton at SStratton@united-church.ca  for use on our social media pages.

A Prayer for Orange Shirt Day*

Today we wear orange
to remember and honour all the Indigenous children who went to Residential Schools.

Today we wear orange and we pray
for the Residential School and intergenerational survivors who are still struggling.

Today we wear orange and we are thankful
for those who speak the truth, and who work to shine a light on injustice.

Today we wear orange in the name of compassion and the spirit of truth and reconciliation.

Help us, God, to remember and act on this every day.

Amen.

*This prayer was inspired by Honarine Scott’s Orange Shirt Day blog.

2. Wear an orange shirt on Wednesday, September 30

Whether you’re at work, at school, or at home, get out that orange shirt! Make sure you take a picture to share on Facebook and Twitter (include the hashtags #OrangeShirtDay, #EveryChildMatters, and #UCCan), and challenge your friends and family to do the same. You can also send your pictures to Reconciliation and Indigenous Justice Animator Sara Stratton at  SStratton@united-church.ca  for use on our social media pages.