Blues Christmas

We used to have an annual celebration for those whose hearts were heavy and for whom absences were keenly felt during the holidays: a Blues Christmas. It let light shine into those deep places of grief and aloneness.

We haven't done it in a few years but this Christmas Eve at 10h00 we will name those we carry with love in our hearts. At this Blues gathering I will put on the Christmas tree a small paper ornament with the name of my brother Joe, for his one year anniversary of death. There will be enough for you to use/place as well. We need light to shine in our sadness before it can be shared with others.

Memorial lights on the tree in front of the church; a take out meal offered to seniors or shut ins on the 26th; a particular prayer for grieving families: there are many lovely ways to be illuminated by light this holiday season. Join us as you can; invite someone for the Candlelight/Chantons Noël musical Celebration, Christmas Eve or to the community turkey meal.

Maybe at home you can read one of the scriptures below and listen to the song: "I'll have a Blue Christmas without you".

We hold each other in our hearts and prayers.

We let light shine through the cracks. (thanks Leonard Cohen for that line)

God of comfort and compassion,
hear us as we pray for ourselves
and for all who live with loss and loneliness,
pain and grief, hurt and isolation.
We ask for strength for today,
courage for tomorrow,
and peace for the past.
We ask these things in the name of Christ
who shares our life in joy and sorrow,
in death and new birth,
despair and promise. Amen.

Scriptures:

Psalm 121 Unto the hills
Isaiah 40:1-8 Comfort, O comfort my people
Matthew 1:18-23 Angel appears to Joseph in a dream
Luke 1:8-13 Angel announces the birth of John the Baptist
Luke 1:26-30 The angel Gabriel visits Mary
Luke 2:6-10 An angel announces Jesus birth
Luke 6:20-23 Blessed are you who weep

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who knows our pain and struggle,
the peace of God, which passes all understanding,
and the strength of the Holy Spirit,
be with you this day/night and always. Amen.

Rev. David 

Advent 3

ADVENT 3 – THE CANDLE OF JOY

This Sunday we light the candle that symbolizes JOY.

The joy that we talk about when we think of Jesus is not merely the feeling of happiness, rather it is the experience of falling deeper in love with this world.

Let us look for the joy that comes from knowing that Jesus loves and cares for us and offers us hope for better things to come in this world. Notice the joy.

3e DIMANCHE DE L’AVENT – LA BOUGIE DE LA JOIE

Ce dimanche, nous allumons la bougie qui symbolise la JOIE. La joie que nous apporte la venue de Jésus n’est pas simplement un sentiment de bonheur, elle est l’expérience de tomber profondément en amour avec le monde.

Recherchons cette joie qui nous vient du fait que Jésus nous aime et nous offre l’espoir d’un monde meilleur. Prêtons attention à cette joie.

Shepherds  --  Shepherds, what gift do you bring to us this Advent?

We bring the gift of acceptance, acceptance as we are, for who we are, acceptance found in a child born to change the world.

The third candle is lit.

Prayer: “Jesus, help your light to shine in us as joy.”

Les bergers  --  Vous, les bergers, quel cadeau nous offrez-vous en ce temps de l’Avent ? Nous vous apportons le don de l’acceptation de soi, l’acceptation de qui nous sommes. Cette acceptation, nous la trouvons dans cet enfant né pour changer le monde.

La troisième bougie est allumée.

Prière : « Jésus, que ta lumière fasse briller la joie en nous. »

Scriptures: December 17

Isaiah 61 : 1-4, 8-11 (p. 724)
Psalm 126 (VU 850)
John 1 :6-8, 19-28 (p. 118)

Écritures: 17 décembre

Ésaïe 61.1-4, 8-11 (p. 933)
Psaume 126 (VU 850)
Jean 1.6-8, 19-28 (p. 124)

In Memoriam

On December 12, 2017 our friend Betty (Clark) Watson passed away peacefully at the Montreal General Hospital, while her son Iain held her hand at her bedside. 

Betty was predeceased by her husband David Cockburn Watson (2009). Besides her son Iain, Betty is survived by son David "Sandy" and a grandson Nicholas, her close American cousin Lillian and of course her SouthWest United family.

A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.

Advent 2

ADVENT 2 – THE CANDLE OF PEACE 

Today we are lighting the candle of PEACE. We remember that Jesus brings the promise of peace: peace in our hearts, peace between family and friends, peace between nations and human beings, and all of creation. Let us quiet our hearts and minds. Notice your  breathing... As you breathe in, say to yourself, “Jesus.”
As you breathe out, say, “Send your peace.”

2e DIMANCHE DE L’AVENT – LA BOUGIE DE LA PAIX

Aujourd’hui, nous allumons la bougie de la PAIX. Nous nous rappelons que Jésus apporte la promesse de la paix : dans nos cœurs, dans nos familles, parmi nos amis, entre les nations et tous les humains, et dans toute la création. Apaisons nos cœurs et nos esprits. Prêtons attention à notre respiration….En inspirant dites : “Jésus”.
En expirant, dites : “Donne-nous ta paix.”

Angels  --  Angels, what gift do you bring to us this Advent season? 
We bring the gift of a message, a message of peace and joy, a message of a child born to change the world.

The second candle is lit.

Prayer: “Jesus, help your light to shine in us as peace”

Les anges  --  Vous, les anges, quel cadeau nous offrez vous en ce temps de l’Avent ? Nous vous apportons un message, un message de paix et de joie, le message qu’un enfant est né pour changer le monde.

La deuxième bougie est allumée.

Prière : « Jésus, que ta lumière fasse briller la paix en nous.»

Scriptures Advent 2
Isaiah 40 : 1-11 (p. 700)
Psalm 85 (VU 802)
Mark 1 :1-8 (p. 45)                   Page numbers indicated are from the Good News Bible

Écritures, 2e dimanche de l'Avent
Ésaïe 40.1-11 (p. 903)
Psaume 85 (VU 802)
Marc 1.1-8 (p. 49)        Les pages indiqués viennent de la bible Bonne nouvelle pour toi!

The Candlelight Service at SouthWest

Once a year, the choir rallies around the preparation of what is our highlight of the season: The Candlelight Service, held one or two weeks before Christmas. Extra rehearsals are called, work schedules altered, and the weather predictions are examined very carefully. Twice, since I have been at SouthWest, the Candlelight Service has been cancelled because of snow storms – once moved to a modified Christmas Eve Service, and the other time postponed to Epiphany Sunday, a week after Christmas.
The choir has been large, it has been small. We’ve had children playing instruments for the Christmas carols, and we’ve had the kids from the Alleluia choir singing their Christmas songs.
Who will ever forget the Candlelight with bagpipes? With Donald in full Scottish dress, drum strapped to his middle, beating the entrance.
Or the year we had Stephany, Lexy and Georgia leading the service.
Three girls then, three young women now.
I was going through old photos this summer, and found a picture taken in the basement before the first Candlelight I was part of. In the centre: Linda Dixon standing beside Roman… and Roman was shorter! A slight ten-year-old then, he’s now six feet four and twenty-two years old, and he’s played his violin at every Candlelight since. Linda moved to Toronto last spring, but she’s coming in on the train today – for a visit with friends to be sure, but most of all to sing with the choir for the Candlelight.
Octavio will be back this year, and I don’t think anyone can really remember when he came for the first time. Arielle will return for her second Candlelight, though everyone was reminded of her beautiful voice on November 5, just a month ago. Justin, our resident tuba player will be back to sing, and Katherine – who usually has Percy strapped to her middle! –  will sing with us as well.
There are so many memories attached to this service, and so many more waiting to be added.
Come and join us for this year’s edition: December 17 at 4 pm.
Enjoy the music, feel the warmth of our welcome, and enter into the gentle spirit of Christmas.

Sarah

Minister's Christmas Letter

“Mary gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger--there was no room for them to stay in the inn.” Luke 2: 7

The simplicity of the Christmas story still fills with awe. For Christians, Mary’s first born is the Son of God, a child born in humble circumstances and a gift of generous love, God clothed in our humanness. The “no room” continues to resonate: will there be room in our celebrations and gatherings for this gift?

One of my favourite carols is a gentle one by an unknown writer: “Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the bright sky look down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.” May our Christmas season be filled with the essence of this message: God’s face is in the wonder of new birth. God among us puts a new perspective on my celebrating Christmas. Relationships are what it is about, the gift of self, incarnated in my words and deeds in the simplicity of the first Christmas.

May we make room for the birth of Life in our hearts, families and community.

In hope, joy, peace and love,

Rev. David Lefneski

Lettre de Noël du Pasteur

« Marie mit au monde un fils, son premier-né. Elle l’enveloppa de langes et le coucha dans une crèche, parce qu’il n’y avait pas de place pour eux dans l’abri destiné aux voyageurs. » Luc 2 : 7

La simplicité de cette histoire nous émerveille encore. Le premier-né de Marie est aussi le fils de Dieu. Né humblement, Il est un cadeau d’amour vêtu de notre humanité. Le « pas de place » continue de résonner à l’intérieur de ceux qui entendent l’histoire; y aura-t-il de la place pour ce cadeau dans nos célébrations et festivités?

Que votre temps des Fêtes soit rempli de l’essence de ce message d'amour. Dieu est venu dans notre monde par la naissance d’un bébé. Le visage de Dieu est dans le miracle d’une nouvelle naissance. Dieu incarné donne une tout autre perspective sur mon don de soi. Les relations avec les autres sont au cœur de nos célébrations. L’important n’est pas le prix du cadeau, mais la qualité de la relation, un cadeau qui vient vraiment du cœur.

  Bénédictions sur vous en ce temps de l’avent/Noël et sur vos familles et amis. Puissions-nous faire de la place dans nos coeurs pour la naissance de la Vie et prendre acte de la venue du Don d’Amour de Dieu, Jésus notre Seigneur.

Dans l’espérance, la joie, la paix et l’amour,

Pasteur David Lefneski

Christmas by Candlelight/ Chantons Noël

Come join us for our beautiful celebration of Christmas: the candles will be lit, the choir will lift their voices, and we will be wrapped in the magic once more.

Venez nous rejoindre pour notre célébration annuelle à la lumière des bougies et dans une véritable bain de musique : chœur, solistes, et nos voix unies. Noël !

December 17 at 4 o’clock
† le 17 décembre à 16 heures

SouthWest United Church/ Église Unie du Sud-Ouest
1445 rue Clémenceau, Verdun