Church Notes

Sunday Feb 10, Beryl Barraclough will preach, as well as lead the monthly Women's Circle following worship. There will be soup after the service and we're having a “treat drive” for Manna. Looking for donations of pre-packaged dessert items (no home baking this time), with Valentine’s Day in mind. 


A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.

 He wrote: "I've gone for 30 years now, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons, but for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time, and the preachers and ministers are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all".

 This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column.

 Much to the delight of the editor, it went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: "I've been married for 30 years now.  In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals.  But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals.

But I do know this:  They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.

 Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

 Thank God for our physical and our spiritual nourishment!

 (The origin of this story is unknown. We found it on www.inspirationalarchive.com)


Méli-Mélo February 17 février

What is Méli-Mélo?

A community celebration for the whole family. Food, Fun, Friendship! The third Sunday of every month at 12:30.

Une célébration communautaire pour toute la famille. On mange, on s’amuse ! Le troisième dimanche de chaque mois à 12h30.

Una celebración comunitaria para toda la familia.  Comemos y nos divertimos! El tercer domingo de cada mes a las 12.30 del día.

Where? Où? Dónde?
SouthWest Mission du Sud-ouest,
631 rue Melrose, coin av. Verdun

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Mini-market February 13

Our Wednesday mini-market is for everyone. We could all use a break on the price of fresh produce and that is what the market tries to offer. Drop by and be inspired to cook! And for those nights when it’s just not gonna happen, check out our community dépanneur, where you can purchase prepared foods at really great prices.

The market is from 10:30 to 3:30 on Wednesdays. All are welcome!

Greetings from Peru!

One of the great moments of the trip may well have been the visit to Machu Pichu by train and bus this Tuesday. The site is impressive even with much rain and the clouds moving through the mountains constantly. 
Highlight: I was one of 400 who climbed the higher mountain, Huayna Pichu, that day. 
Impressive view and great exercise. 
Blessings to Emmanuel and SouthWest. 
Rev. David

Note: The Rev will be back at SouthWest on February 17th.

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Minister's Message: All We Need

All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.

Remember those words written by John Lennon in 1967 and performed by The Beatles? They have made their way around the world with their hope and rhythm and invited many to live its simple yet profound message.

Next week is Valentines Day when many will express love with cards, chocolates or flowers. Although the emphasis of Cupid’s arrow for love struck lovers is often the only one in the commercialisation of the day, we can use it as a way to express love to friends, spouses, siblings and neighbours.

Love is lifted up within the Christian Tradition as the highest objective in relationships. The resume of the Law for Jesus was:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. (Matthew 22: 38-39)

One of the joys of travelling with my sister Pauline to Peru is the adventures we will live and the memories we will share. My sister nursed both Rebecca (2004) and Ruth (2010) as they died. We were both present for my brother Joe in his last months (2017). I have some symbolic items I will bring to remind me of them. In our lives we love deeply and we mourn deeply.

A lovely poetic expression of love is penned by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a. (Translation from the Message). I enjoy it as a litany that invites us to response in our lives.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Is this how you will love? 

Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Is this how you will love? 

Love puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies.

Is this how you will love?

I say: YES!!

We say: YES!!

Let’s love as God in Jesus has loved us and commit to its ideal on February 14 (the same day I am returning from Peru) and everyday!

Rev. David


Passages

All of us at SouthWest would like to offer condolences to Lynn Ovenstone on the passing of her husband Larry Sweeney and to Helen Kunz on the passing of her husband Bernard (Bernie). We hold the families in prayer.

Bernie and Larry will be remembered during the service at SouthWest this Sunday. Information about funeral arrangements will be shared in this space as it becomes available.

Feb Food Calendars/ Calendriers alimentation de février

The monthly food calendars put out by Verdun sans faim are a wealth of information about food resources in Verdun. The first one shows where you can participate in community meals; the second has info on food banks, low-cost food, and collective kitchens. Here are the calendars for February.

Vous trouverez tous sur l’alimentation dans les deux calendriers mensuels émis par la table de concertation Verdun sans faim. Le premier vous dirige vers des repas communautaires à petit prix; le deuxième renseigne sur les banques alimentaires, épicerie abordable et les cuisines collectives. Voici les calendriers pour le mois de février.

Post Christmas Thanks

 

Dear Friend,

 What a difference your generosity made for the Christmas season at SouthWest Mission.

Without your kind and generous donations the following activities would not have been possible:

 

- 96 children participated at the Children’s Christmas Party with a lunch, face painting, crafts, books and gifts. Coordinator: Dorothy Brown and 23 volunteers

 - 371 meals were provided at the Boxing Day Community Meal (100 deliveries, 70 take out and 201 sit down meals). Coordinator: Heidi Crux and over 20 volunteers

 

A heartfelt Thank-You goes out to the following people and organizations:

 

Angry Monkey MMA (Justin Etheridge) 

Bishop Power Seniors (Candy Gift Bags)

Debbie Boyce & Steve Page

Deli Donut

Distribution Fresh (Potatoes and turnips)

Frank de Montigny (Setting up and Cleaning)

Harvest Montreal (Turkeys & Food)

Kathy O'Halloran (Book Fairy)

Laurence Von Saegen (Lentil Pies)

LCCHS, LaSalle

Le Trèfle (Felix)

Legion Branch #4

Marion Douglas (RBC Volunteer Grant)

Mike Lacroix (Pianist with Nourit, Avital & Zazic

Proden Inc

Residence Les Floralies, LaSalle

 Richard Siteman (Thistle Lodge)

Shannon Brushett (Kindred Spirits)

SouthWest Congregation

SouthWest Mission Kitchen (Chef Léonore & Kitchen Team)

SouthWest Mitten Tree

SouthWest Mission Mini Market

SouthWest Office Staff

St-Lo Bagels

Starbucks NDG

Sun Youth

Teen Haven Foundation

The Art of Ana April (Face Painting)

Turkey Blow Out Cooks

Turkey Blow Out Transportation Team

Verdun Elementary School

Verdun Elementary School Choir & Ms. Angie

Verdun Mobile Market

Webster Family

Well Restaurant, Verdun

 

  

Thank You!

Minister's Message: Living the Sabbath

'If you treat the Sabbath as sacred and do not pursue your own interests...you will find the joy that comes from serving me.' (Isaiah 58: 13-14)

As a youth in a conservative religious home the Christian Sabbath was dedicated to observing a strict code of no work, no sports, no playing cards, or basically no fun on Sunday. Nothing but Sunday School, worship in the morning and evening and rest: quiet and forced. There were a lot of rules!

As I left for Peru January 14 with my sister Pauline it was with an anticipation that the wonderful month of exploration, of warmer weather, of visiting the Amazon and the mountain ranges would be a time to listen to my body, my emotions, and God's Creation.

A rest and change of pace.
A time for deeper listening.
A rebooting for my body, mind and spirit.
An experience of the balance between loving God, loving myself and loving my neighbour.

Sabbath is the possibility of disconnecting from work, stress, the everyday demands on time and energy and of refocusing on what is essential. And finding that quiet centre deep inside oneself, the realigned motor of inner peace that lets one face any and all challenges. There is a joy that comes when our personal interests are in sync with those that come from service to God, and the at times elusive balance between them.

Sabbath is an invitation every day, every worship and prayer experience, every time we gather as a people of faith to listen for God’s still small voice, only heard when we are silent.

When I return to a move to a new home, a relocation after so many years in Montreal and the same house in Notre Dame de Grâce, I hope to feel rejuvenated and ready for new experiences. I hope to be focused on what is essential and leads forward into this new year.

When I return from this away time I will pack as much sunshine into my luggage for the return trip and share it with all of you.

This is my sabbath hymn I carry with me, written by Shirley Murray (VU 374):

Come and find the quiet centre in the crowded life we lead,
find the room for hope to enter, find the frame where we are freed.
Clearing chaos and the clutter, clear our eyes, that we can see
all the things that really matter, be at peace, and simply be.
Silence is a friend who claims us, cools the heat and slows the pace,
God it is who speaks and names us, knows our being, face to face,
making space within our thinking, lifting shades to show the sun,
raising courage when we’re shrinking, finding scope for faith begun.


See you soon, 

Rev. David

Job Offer: Un plant de tomate à la fois - offre d'emploi

Un plant de tomate à la fois est à la recherche de deux personnes de qualités qui ont des connaissance et expérience dans le domaine  de l'animation , le jardinage et l'environnement.

TechnicienE en éducation à l’environnement et en jardinage


Un plant de tomate
(Urban gardening and education program in Verdun) is seeking two people with experience in group workshops/ animation, as well as in gardening.

Environment Education end Gardening Technicians

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