Beryl's Blog: Advent 2 and the Candle of Peace

This Sunday, the Second Sunday in Advent, is Peace Sunday.

Advent is the season of rest, calm, stillness, peace. But let’s face it. Advent season and Christmastime don’t always feel that peaceful.  Finding and living in peace is a discipline.  And it is not for the faint of heart.

As we rush towards the holidays, the gift buying and wrapping, the food preparation, the offering and receiving of invitations, the difficulties of handling lingering family conflicts, the excesses of food and alcohol and worries of budgets and mounting debt – where are we to ever find peace?

To soak in peace this Advent, we must initiate practices that breed peace and hereunder are a few simple (I hope) ways we can do that:

Light a Candle—Light an Advent candle or any candle that brings you joy. Sit quietly for a moment, taking in its warmth and light. There is something soothing in the simplicity of lighting a candle so take your time as you sit and feel the peace wash over you.

Breathe—Let your heart wander in God’s presence and take a minute to breathe slow and deep. You could read an advent verse, devotion or listen to a favourite hymn It doesn’t need to be fancy or take long. Just take five minutes to do something that connects you to the presence of Creator God in your midst.

Listen – Put on some Christmas Carols, or your favourite music of any genre.  Let the sound wash over you, fill you, stir memories and envelop you in a feeling of peace.

Gather—Come close to the fire or candle light with loved ones. Gather your hearts together to share in the warmth and simplicity. Speak to each other softly and quietly- or not at all.  Let the silence and the warmth of each other’s company be the source of peace.

Speak or repeat words of peace- you might want to remember the words of Jesus as you search for a peaceful moment in your day: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”.  John 14: 27 NKJ

Above all else, I encourage you to be the peace you long for so that you may be a blessing of peace to others during this journey to Bethlehem this year.

In peace,

Beryl

Holly Tea wrap-up

Once again, a tremendous amount of work was put in by coordinator Dorothy Brown and a small army of volunteers, making last Saturday’s Holly Tea and Sale a great success. A big thank you to all of our crafters, and sellers, cooks and servers, set-up and clean-up crews! Thanks also to everyone who came and shopped and made bids in our silent auction. There are still a few items to be picked up and paid for. Winners have been called. Please call ahead to arrange a time to come by.

Advent Prayers

Advent begins December 1st. The prayers below can be used throughout the next four weeks. They can also be found as an insert in the Advent bulletin.

Some Prayers for Advent

1.
In this Advent of expectation, draw us together in unity,
that our praise and worship might echo in these walls
and also through our lives.
In this Advent of expectation, draw us together in mission,
that the hope within might be the song we sing,
and the melody of our lives.
In this Advent of expectation, draw us together in service,
that the path we follow might lead us from a stable
to a glimpse of eternity. Amen

2.
The Advent story of hope and mystery,
anticipation, preparation, a kingdom
of this world and the next,
and a king appearing when we least expect.
Heaven touching earth,
the footsteps of the divine
walking dusty roads
as once they did in Eden,
and a people, searching for a Saviour,
and walking past the stable.
Open eyes and hearts, that this might be
an Advent of hope to the world. Amen

3.
God of hope, who brought love into this world,
be the love that dwells between us.
God of hope, who brought peace into this world,
be the peace that dwells between us.
God of hope, who brought joy into this world,
be the joy that dwells between us.
God of hope, the rock we stand upon,
be the centre, the focus of our lives
always, and particularly this Advent time. Amen

4.
Advent God, we journey with you, to Bethlehem’s stable
and a new-born King, ears attuned to the song of angels,
eyes alert for Bethlehem’s star.
Forgive us if, on our journey,
we are distracted by the tempting offers of this world.
Keep our hearts aflame with the hope of Christmas,
and the promise of a Saviour. Amen

5.
God of hope, be with us in our Advent journey
to the stable and beyond,
be with us in our meeting and in our travelling together,
be with us in our worship and our praying together,
be with us in our Advent journey
to the stable and beyond,
our God of hope. Amen

6.
This Advent-time, we remember Mary and Joseph,
giving thanks for their faithfulness, courage and obedience,
stepping out into the unknown in the strength of your Spirit,
playing their part in the fulfilment of your plan
to bring your prodigal people home again.
We pray that their example might be the pattern of our lives,
that when your gentle whisper breaks through the clamour
of this world and into our small corner,
we might be ready to listen,
and having listened, to act. Amen

7.
Restore us, O Lord, we pray, bring us back to that place
where we once met, as shepherds to the stable
after hearing angels sing.
Bring us back to that place when our love was fresh,
not embarrassed to express itself in praise
to our heavenly King. Restore us, O Lord, we pray. Amen

Read more at : faithandworship.com

Beryl's Blog: Detour on the Journey to the Stable

In speaking with a friend this week, I wished her a great Advent as we trek towards Bethlehem yet again.  “O” she said, “I am not religious, but I am spiritual!”  Once again, I was lost for words at this now common “catch phrase”.  I had an “I should have said” moment.

As we approach the first week of Advent and the lighting of the candle for Hope, I had every intention of speaking about the journey to the stable door.  That journey of Hope, found in the birth of a child who would change the world forever.   But I got side-tracked.  I went home and searched frantically through my blue bin of “stuff I might need one day+” and I found it!  The words are from Kurt Struckmeyer, and were published in A Conspiracy of Love.  I can think of no better way to speak about Spirit and Advent than to quote his words:

Authentic Spirituality.  The Gospel accounts provide us with an image of what a life lived in the Spirit of God looks like.

It is a life transformed by the spirit of love, the spirit of compassion, the spirit of generosity, the spirit of forgiveness, the spirit of hospitality, the spirit of Justice, the spirit of peace.

When the spirit of God fills our lives, it drives out selfishness, greed, indifference, hatred, exclusivity and the need for domination.  These base human conditions represent the normalcy of the world.

Spirituality is much more than an internal quest to discover some kind of personal peace and wholeness.

Spirituality is the shaking of the foundations of the status quo, upsetting the normalcy of the world and transforming the darkness of the human soul into new possibilities for authentic humanity.

Yes, all the qualities found in the person of Jesus Christ.  The one who changed the world forever.  The one whose birth we are walking towards - as people have walked for so many centuries. 

“I am not religious but I am spiritual”.  I for one have great difficulty in separating the two. For me, authentic spirituality is found in the life of Jesus and his ministry here on earth - a ministry of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love for all people and all creation. 

Let’s travel this road together, embracing any detours which may occur, until we arrive at the end of our Advent journey.

-Beryl

Holly Tea: Updates and Surprise Donations

As I sit at my desk, I’m watching preparations underway for this Saturday’s Holly Tea and sale. It’s going to be a good one! There are a couple of updates to the information we’ve been giving out: First, the doors will open at 11:00, and you should come then to get a look at the Silent Auction items and get to the Bake Table before it’s devastated. The lunch will be available at noon and it will cost $7 for the full menu, not the $5 advertised elsewhere. You can still get soup and a sandwich for under $5, but if you want coffee and dessert, it’ll run you $7. Still a great deal, you have to admit.

Here’s an interesting tidbit: among the items for sale on the craft table will be a number of things made by Myrtle Buchanan. Yes, it’s true we lost Myrtle back in 2013, but the crafts stayed in the house with Bill until he passed this last September. Knowing we had a sale coming up, Craig Buchanan, who with his brothers is settling Bill’s estate, brought them by this week. As he points out, some things already have price tags on them, so they must have been meant for a SouthWest sale! Thank you Craig, and thank you, Myrtle.

We also have some lovely Christmas items that belonged to Linda Kotovich, which her good friend Sabina donated for the sale. There’s a couple of creches and some beautiful ornaments. Thank you, Sabina, and thank you, Linda.

Linda Kotovich is in pink here at a UCW event in 1995. The others are: Doris Quartz, Marilyn “Rosie” Johnston, Dru MacMillan, Marilyn Ross, Mim Halfyard.

Bill and Myrtle Buchanan at SouthWest around Christmas, 2010.

Living History

It was so nice to see familiar faces and meet a few new ones last Friday at the opening of the 120 Years of History exhibit. It was a blustery night but warm and inviting in the sanctuary. Thanks to Dennis Brown and Ro Ghandhi who took pictures.

Amy

Top three images by Dennis Brown; bottom four by Rohinton Ghandhi.

Beryl's Blog: On Death and Dying

A life in ministry is many faceted.  It deals in the building of relationships, presence in community events and the sharing of meals, issues surrounding inclusion and equality, confronting social, economic and environmental justice, reaching out in compassion and caring, and issues surrounding life and death, joy and sorrow; in other words, being present in times of both darkness and light.  But, most importantly, ministry is the commitment to share the good news of the Gospel and walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, to the best of one’s ability. 

 Too often, though, the passing of loved ones takes centre stage.  This past week has been just such a time.  It seems, as we age as a congregation, death, the “inevitable”, takes up more and more of our thoughts.

 I have long lost count of the number of life celebrations I have done over the past seven years.  But I have come to realize one certainty – even as we light the Candle of Memory each Sunday morning, many of us are not prepared to speak about or deal with thoughts of death. 

 Many years ago, how I am not sure, I came across the words of Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet, (born January 6, 1883, in Bsharri, Lebanon).  They changed my view and my fear of speaking about death dramatically.

 As we celebrate the life of Don Ross on Friday, November 22nd, and as we stand in solidarity with Sarah Fraser as she and Roman deal with the death of John Fraser, father and grandfather, I would like to share Kahlil’s words in the hope that thoughts of death and dying are made a little more comfortable to deal with.

 “……For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.”

Words and imagery of hope and beauty, visions of new and unknown life to come.  I offer these in peace.

Beryl

Carols by Candlelight/ Chantons Noël December 15th

Drop the shopping, drop the cooking, and come to SouthWest’s annual carol service on December 15th. Feel your cares drop away as you sit for an hour or so in the soft candlelight and listen to Christmas music both traditional and less well-known. Be prepared to lift your voice in song and experience some of the magic of Christmas.

Carols by Candlelight/ Chantons Noel is at 4pm, Sunday, December 15th, 2019.

Prenez congé de vos achats de Noël et laissez l’esprit de la saison vous réchauffer pendant ce service annuel de l’Église Unie du Sud Ouest, Chantons Noël. Soyez prêt à chanter vos cantiques préférés a la lueur des bougies.

Chantons Noël/ Carols by Candlelight aura lieu le dimanche 15 décembre 2019  à 16h.

A Reverse Advent Calendar

This was going around on Facebook, and we thought it would be a good idea for us to do as a congregation. Instead of a mitten tree, we will be collecting foodstuffs throughout Advent, to be donated to a food bank just before Christmas. This list gives an item per day, but as we meet once a week, we will break the list down into the four weeks of Advent. So… on December 1st, which is the First of Advent, we are asking people to bring in any of the following items: box of cereal, peanut butter, stuffing mix, instant potatoes, mac and cheese (Kraft dinner), canned fruit, canned tomatoes. We will provide a festively-decorated box to collect the items.

Holly Tea: Can you contribute?

The Holly Tea and Sale to be held at SouthWest on November 30th will feature a light lunch, a bake sale and several other tables. If you are able to contribute some homemade goodies, please package and price them in advance. Containers will be made available.

The sale tables will include: Silent auction, china teacups, trinkets and treasures, new and used toys, handmade articles, small white elephant and a couple of raffles. Contributions to any of these tables will be gratefully accepted. Contact the office to be put in touch with Dorothy Brown.

Holly Tea, Saturday Nov. 30th at 12:00. Lunch $5.