From the kitchen

Our annual Boxing Day turkey dinner was bigger and better than ever with a record 290 meals being served. That number includes 149 meals eaten at the Mission over two sittings; a record 61 meals delivered to people with reduced mobility; another 40 taken out by guests to relatives and friends; and finally 40 volunteers who got to enjoy the meal when their work was finally done. 

At the Mission, our kitchen never stays quiet for long. Breakfast club starts up on Monday as soon as the kids are back in class. Meanwhile, our kitchen coordinator organized a simple meal for all who dropped in on Wednesday the 3rd of January. Turkey leftovers - what else? - were turned into pies and about 15 people enjoyed a low-key Welcome Wednesday. A full-scale WW including Mini-market will return in two weeks, on January 17th. If you are interested in cooking with Léonore on a Wednesday morning, contact her at the e-mail address below. Cooking workshops for teens and tweens are also starting back up: Easy Peasy Recipes, for ages 10-12, is on Tuesdays from 5 to 6PM; TeenCuisine, for age 13 and up, is on Wednesdays from 5 to 7PM. 

INFO: leonore.pion@gmail.com.

Feast of Epiphany

Christmas comes but once a year, but it hangs around for 12 days! Today, Friday, January 5th, is the 12th day, and you know what that means, don't you? Drummers drumming! Along with the pipers and the dancers and the whole lot of them back to the partridge in the pear tree. What a racket. I am back in the office after a nice break and blissfully free of lords-a-leaping or ladies dancing, but only because the elementary school doesn't open again until Monday. (Our office is situated directly under a music classroom, so we basically get the twelve days of Christmas year-round).

The Twelve Days are immediately followed in our tradition by another holiday: Epiphany, on January 6th. Epiphany represents the Visit of the Magi, or Three Kings, bearing gifts to the newborn Christ Child. Some say we should keep our Christmas trees up until Epiphany, perhaps because the stars on top of them are symbolically guiding those famous late-comers, the Wise Men, to the stable. My tree didn't make it this year as it was so dry we feared it might spontaneously combust. So the tree is out to the curb, the garbage and recycling have been picked up, most of the cookies have been gobbled, and we just have to figure out how to keep the spirit of Christmas in our hearts for another twelve months!

At Southwest we always celebrate Epiphany on the Sunday closest to the 6th, which this year is the 7th of January, and we always have a potluck after the 10AM service. Well, it's called the "feast" of Epiphany, so why not? If you would like to contribute a dish, you can just bring it with you to church. Happy New Year to all / Bonne Année à tous!

Amy

EPIPHANY POTLUCK
SUNDAY JANUARY 7TH, FOLLOWING SERVICE (~11:30)
SOUTHWEST UNITED,
1445 CLEMENCEAU, VERDUN

Bingo !

Our Bingo games on the first Saturday of the month are world-renowned. Okay, that's a small exaggeration but they are very popular with those "in the know"! We are right back in the swing in 2018 and that means the game is on for this Saturday, January 6th.  Cost at the door is $5, which gets you your first bingo card and a ticket for the (cash) door prize. Additional bingo cards can be bought for 50 cents. Doors open at 12:00, play begins at 1PM and refreshments are available (donations gratefully accepted). Please note that this is at the church, 1445 rue Clemenceau in Crawford Park. Good luck!

Christmas, a Time to Remember

On the morning of December 24th, a Blues Christmas service featured our "prayer princess" Benita and her grandson Alexandre lighting the Advent candles of Hope, Faith, Joy, and Peace; and Steve singing  “Blue Christmas” . All present had the opportunity to write thoughts, feelings, memories on paper decorations and add them to our indoor Christmas tree.

Friends near and far made donations in loving memory to have a “memorial light” placed on the beautiful evergreen that grows in front of the church. These, lights guide and lead us toward Epiphany and the New Year.

And the Winners are

Congratulations to Rose and Giovanni Occhipinti, and Chynna (St-Amour) Brown, who were among the winners of baskets and goodies from the Kitchen raffle on December 20th.  Thank you to everyone who bought tickets. Thank you also to Léonore and various kitchen crews for preparing the yummy foods to raffle off, and to Kathy for putting the baskets together! A total of $462 was raised!!

2018 Daily Bible Readings/ Lectures bibliques quotidiennes 2018

Published by the Canadian Bible Society, here is the downloadable pamphlet (PDF format) of daily Bible readings for the whole of 2018. Copies will be available at church as of December 24th. You can also find it at https://biblesociety.ca

Voici le pamphlet des lectures bibliques quotidiennes pour l'an 2018 issu du Canadian Bible Society. Des copies seront disponibles à l'église dès le 24 décembre. Vous pouvez également le télécharger au https://biblesociety.ca

Minister's Message

Ready or not, the baby is coming!

We are in those final days of preparation for the birth of Jesus.
One could say Christmas is his birthday but I like the image of birthing Jesus into the world again through our actions, words and presence.
We will read the story of his birth Christmas Eve and light the final candle of the Advent wreath: the Christ Candle.
May you know a peaceful moment of celebration, with friends and your SouthWest family.

Gospel/ évangile: La naissance de Jésus/ Jesus’  birth
Luke 2:1–14, (15–20)/ Luc 2.1-14 (15-20) 

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Christ child,
that your cradle was so low
that shepherds, poorest and simplest of earthly people,
could yet kneel beside you,
and look, level-eyed, into the face of God.
Blessed One, we come to you in reverence.

Béni sois-tu, ô Enfant Jésus
Car ton berceau est si bas
Que les bergers, les plus pauvres et les peuples les plus simples de la terre
Peuvent s’agenouiller près de Toi,
Et regarder, les yeux dans les yeux, le visage de Dieu.
Enfant bénis, nous venons vers Toi avec révérence.

ARTIST: Cathy Baxter

Rev. David

ANNOUNCEMENTS

There will be no Friday newsletter next week, December 29th. 

Join us for the following services and events:
CHRISTMAS EVE
At Southwest United 1445 Clemenceau:
December 24th, 10AM: Blues Christmas service, 7:30PM, Christmas Eve service
Rev. David will also lead a Christmas Eve service at St-Andrew's - Delson United Church at 10PM

BOXING DAY
Turkey dinner at the Mission, sittings at 12:30 and 2PM. Call to reserve your place, 514.768.6231.

NEW YEAR'S EVE Dec. 31
Vesper service at SouthWest United at 10AM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3RD
A simple  Welcome Lunch  at the Mission, 631 Melrose ave. at 12:30.

EPIPHANY POT LUCK
following 10Am service at SouthWest United on Sunday January 7th.

Advent 4

ADVENT 4 – THE CANDLE OF LOVE 

The candle we light today is the candle of LOVE. It is hard for us to imagine that God loves us no matter what. Let us turn inside to remember that love. Go to that place inside where you find love. Take this time to be with the love that God offers.

4e DIMANCHE DE L’AVENT – LA BOUGIE DE L’AMOUR

La bougie que nous allumons aujourd’hui est la bougie de l’AMOUR. Il est difficile pour nous d’imaginer que Dieu nous aime tels que nous sommes… Recueillonsnous et rappelons-nous cet amour. Trouvons cet amour en nous et prenons le temps d’être avec Dieu.

Mary and Joseph  --  Mary and Joseph, what gift do you bring to us this Advent?

We bring the gift of love, the love we offer to each other in difficult circumstances, the love we offer to the baby Jesus who was born to change the world. 

The fourth candle is lit.

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

Marie et Joseph --  Marie et Joseph, quel cadeau nous offrez-vous en temps de l’Avent ?

Nous vous apportons le don de l’amour, l’amour que nous avons les uns pour les autres dans les temps difficiles, l’amour que nous offrons à l’enfant Jésus venu pour changer le monde. 

La quatrième bougie est allumée.

Prière : « Jésus, que ta lumière fasse briller l’amour en nous»

Scriptures December 24

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 (p. 306)
Luke 1 :46b-55 (p. 75)
Luke 1 :26-38 (p. 74)

Écritures 24 décembre

2 Samuel 7.1-11, 16
Luc 1.46b-55
Luc 1.26-38 (p. 78-79)

Boxing Day Turkey Meal

We are still in need of a few cooks to pick up a turkey at the Mission, cook it at home and return it to us on December 26th! Call the office if you can help. 514-768.6231.

If you have washable table cloths or table decorations to donate, they can be dropped off at the Mission during office hours, 9AM to 2PM.

We still have room for both sittings, at 12:30 and 2PM. call the office to reserve your place. All ages are welcome.

If reduced mobility prevents you from attending our community turkey meal on Boxing Day, we have a team of volunteers ready to bring a hot meal your way between 12:30 and 2:30 on the 26th. Please call SouthWest at 514-768-6231 by December 22nd at 2 PM. After that, you may contact Darlene at 514-754-6225.

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël!

Go Team!

Great to see the Breakfast Club team preparing gifts for our children!
Thanks Sue, Frank and Kathy!
(Sending love to Sheila on her well deserved Christmas Cruise!!!)