Kyle Tannahill, whose theatre group has used our space for rehearsals, filmed Corina Vincelli singing and playing in our sanctuary a while back. You’re going to want to watch this.
Letter to the Congregation
A message from Pastor Beryl Barraclough
Hello everyone at SouthWest and beyond:
As we continue to hear upsetting news from around the world and here at home, it is time to step back a bit, take a deep breath, reflect and pray. Yes, I said pray.
We should focus our thoughts and prayers for our situation here and, more importantly, for those areas of the world, the poorer countries, that do not have the health care infrastructure we are so privileged to have. We should also pray for our selves, our families and our neighbours.
Although we are being advised to socially distance ourselves, it is still vital to connect with one another. How, you might be asking yourselves? Well, we should be using every mode of communication we have at our disposal to reach out to one another - family, friends, everyone who comes to mind (both here and abroad).
We have such a wide variety of ways to do this: telephone, email, face book time, messaging, even sending handwritten notes the good old-fashioned way. It is a great way to share our anxieties but also to balance them with words of encouragement, hope and positive news.
We are a resilient species with great imaginative capabilities. This is the time to use all the gifts we have been given to weather this storm. To walk on water, if you prefer to use a biblical reference.
Together and with the help of God, we will get through this.
Let’s be well and be kind.
In peace
Beryl
Letter from Nakonha:ka Regional Council/ Lettre du conseil régional Nakonha:ka
ENGLISH BELOW
Salutations au nom du Christ,
C’est avec amour et dans l’espérance que je vous écris au nom du Conseil régional Nakonha:ka alors que nous sommes confrontés aux défis posés par la maladie à coronavirus (COVID-19) dans notre pays comme partout sur la planète. Nous lançons un appel au calme en cette situation de crise de santé. L’Église Unie du Canada a établi un plan d’urgence pour de telles circonstances, et l’exécutif de notre région recommande avec insistance que nos communautés de foi suivent ce plan. Depuis que l’Organisation mondiale de la santé a déclaré qu’il s’agit bien d’une pandémie, nous sommes maintenant dans la phase 6 du Plan d’urgence de l’Église Unie du Canada qui recommande l’annulation de tous les rassemblements. Nous espérons que ces circonstances vous inciteront à explorer d’autres manières d’être présents aux gens dans le besoin tout au long de cette crise, particulièrement par l’entremise des technologies de la communication.
« J’imagine que toutes ces fermetures et annulations suscitent chez les gens un sentiment d’inquiétude. Mais en fait, il s’agit plutôt d’un geste magnifique de solidarité sociale. Nous faisons un sacrifice pour soutenir la lutte des médecins, des infirmières et des hôpitaux. À partir de cette prise de conscience nous serons à même, espérons-le, de discerner la meilleure marche à suivre. » Matt Pearce (sur Twitter)
Nous vous accompagnons dans la prière et nous ferons de notre mieux pour vous guider dans la traversée de cette période difficile.
Linda Buchanan, pasteure
Présidente du Conseil régional Nakonha:ka
Greetings in the name of Christ,
I write to you on behalf of the executive of the CrNRC with hope and with love as we face the challenges of the coronavirus and COVID-19 in our country and around the world. We encourage calm even as we face this health crisis. The United Church of Canada has an emergency plan for these circumstances, and we as an executive strongly recommend that communities of faith follow this plan. Since the World Health Organization has declared this a Pandemic, we have entered into Phase 6 of The United Church of Canada Emergency Plan, which encourages cancelling all gatherings. We hope that you will take this as an opportunity to find other ways of reaching out to those who are in need throughout this crisis, especially with the use of technology.
“I imagine all the closures and cancellation give people a sense of ominousness. But it’s really an amazing act of social solidarity: We’re sacrificing so we can give nurses, doctors and hospitals a fighting chance. Start from there and hopefully we can figure out the rest.” Matt Pearce (on Twitter)
We are with you in prayer, and we will continue to do our best to provide guidance during these challenging times.
Rev. Linda Buchanan
President of the CrNRC
Worship Cancelled Tomorrow, March 15
Things are moving quickly with this Covid-19 situation. After telling you yesterday that we would be going ahead with worship this Sunday, word came from Regional Council that they are recommending suspending all gatherings. Accordingly, there will be no church service tomorrow and we’ll play it by ear moving forward.
In the meantime, we have decided to set a common time for community prayer. Even if we are isolated in our homes, what if we all said a prayer at the same time? Starting tomorrow, we are suggesting that as a community we all stop to pray at 11 a.m. every day. To pray for each other, to pray for the world, and just to remember that we are part of something larger than ourselves. Consider picking up the phone and praying with a friend. Let’s use this crisis as an opportunity to consciously stay in touch, even if we can’t meet in person. We are linking to A Prayer During Times of Covid-19 from the Moderator of the United Church below, to get you started. Or what about just reciting A New Creed? It’s a simple and beautiful prayer for all occasions.
A New Creed
We are not alone,
we live in God’s world.
We believe in God;
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church;
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
Beryl's Blog: Living Water
Living water is strongly associated with the presence of God and many times, in the scriptures, God is called the source of living water.
This Sunday we will hear Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well (John 4:4-26). He will, once again, speak of God’s living water.
With living water in mind, I would like to share with you the words of Anne Rowthorn, Ph. D. and writer specializing in ecology and eco-spirituality.
“Water is humanity’s cradle; it was our first home deep within our mother’s womb. Water is all things to all life. It is as close to us as the tear in our eye, and as distant as the cloud, hovering over the open sea. Water is life force, source of inspiration, wonder, solace and beauty. The water that courses through our bodies is the water that upholds and nourishes all that is created; every animal that of the land, fish of the sea, bird of the air. Every flower, every fern and great towering Sequoia. Water, in all its forms, shapes the landscape of the world. Water created the mountains, planes and valleys of the earth. Water is still creating, never ceasing. Water refreshes the soul and feeds the imagination. Water is life. We need to defend and protect it with our lives said John Muir.[i] “It is a blessed thing to go free in this world. To see God’s playing upon everything, God’s fingers upon the lightening and torrent, on every wave of sea and sky, and every living thing making all together sing and shine in sweet accord. The one love-harmony of the universe.”
Taken from God's Good Earth: Praise and Prayer for Creation
I sincerely hope you enjoyed this imagery of water.
In peace,
Beryl
[i]
John Muir (Apr. 21, 1838 – Dec. 24, 1914) also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks". An influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, engineer, environmental philosopher, glaciologist, and early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the U.S.A.
From Amy's Desk
During a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey last Monday, Prince Harry bumped elbows with singer David Craig
A lot has happened in the last 24 hours. Most of you saw or heard our Quebec premier advising us to work from home, self-quarantine if we travel, and to cancel gatherings of over 250 people.
Aren’t you grateful we’re a small church?!
Our Sunday morning service will go ahead, with those attending urged to take the same precautions as last week: no kissing, hugging, hand-shaking or high-five-ing. Where’s the fun in that, you ask? We suggest you take your cue from Britain’s Prince Harry and practice the “elbow bump”. (Sounds like a new dance craze).
Further down in this newsletter there are a lot of good pointers from the United Church of Canada to help us navigate the Covid-19 outbreak which has now been labelled a pandemic. It’s important to remember that we are in the very early stages here in Quebec, and if we follow sensible advice we should be able to avoid the extreme scenarios already playing out elsewhere in the world.
My advice is to not listen to the news too much, as it can make us feel more anxious. If you’re feeling isolated, phone a friend! They may be feeling the same way. We want to protect ourselves and our loved ones, but we don’t want to cut ourselves off from each other. Use the phone!
I’m going to be working from home more than usual, but you can always call the office and leave a message. Keep in touch, and let us know if you need anything!
Amy
Gimme That Old Time Religion
For the second year in a row, SouthWest United Church presents Good Friday Gospel, a concert featuring Stewart Burrows, Tim Walsh and Nelson Carter, otherwise known as The Mud Flat Ramblers, and special guest Norm Rennie.
On Friday, April 10, come for a ‘comfort food’ supper at 6pm, followed by the show at 7pm, all for a $20 ticket. You will enjoy the warm intimacy of the SouthWest sanctuary as well as the amazing acoustics.
Sure to be a rousing good time, the Folk-Country-Gospel inflected concert will have you clapping your hands and remembering what the Easter season is all about.
Stewart Burrows is a singer-songwriter of Celtic-inspired folk and alt-country who writes and performs in English and French and plays guitar, banjo and mandolin. He has performed at festivals and venues across North America and Europe. In addition, he is a lay preacher who lives in southern Quebec and often leads worship at Rockburn Presbyterian Church. He has also been gracing the congregation of SouthWest United with his animated preaching and guitar playing about one Sunday a month.
Also a singer-songwriter, Norm Rennie plays guitar and percussion and has appeared in the past with Durham County Poets.
If you're a fan of that old time religion, this is a show for you.
Tickets to dinner and show are $20. They can be booked in advance by calling 514.768.6231.
There may be some tickets to just the show available at the door (still $20), but you must let us know if you plan to come for supper.
United Church Statement on Covid-19
We are called to be the Church…to love and serve others.
Published on: March 5, 2020Last modified on: March 6, 2020Discussion about COVID-19 is growing as confirmed cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) continue to spread. As a church, we have prepared the Emergency Plan to help communities of faith plan ahead for contingencies that may or may not arise, realizing that planning ahead is a way to reduce anxiety.
We urge communities of faith to respond to COVID-19 with compassion, prevention, and prayer.
Compassion
Overwhelming statistics outlining the number of confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 make it easy to disassociate the numbers from the people and communities involved.
As a church, we seek a compassionate response that acknowledges the personhood attached to each statistic. We know that the people affected include not only those infected by the COVID-19 virus but also their families, friends, co-workers, and community members. We mourn with people whose loved ones have died, who have lost their livelihood through the growing economic impact, who have lost community through self-isolation and limited travel, and, who have lost a sense of security through fear of contamination or racial discrimination.
We also offer our prayers of thanksgiving for the professionals who are providing leadership in the treatment and containment of the virus, and our prayers of concern for those who put at risk their personal health to serve and support others, especially those who are most vulnerable.
Prevention
We hope the most vulnerable people in our society will be able to rely on us—communities of faith—to do all that we can to prevent the spread of both the virus and of the fears surrounding it. As faith leaders, we can familiarize ourselves with the guidelines outlined in the Emergency Plan to ensure that people are able to seek comfort in our places of worship. We can ensure that our gathering places promote good preventive practices, and when necessary, we can provide alternative programming—like online worship or Bible study, or bagged lunches for meal programs—for those who are most at risk in large group gatherings or are isolated due to vulnerability.
By mirroring the compassionate presence of Christ and providing clear and specific information, faith leaders can help to mitigate the spreading fear around COVID-19. We encourage communities of faith to
seek and share stories from those most affected by the virus, praying with our kin around the world
repudiate and dispel all comments about COVID-19 that are prejudiced or racist, or that attach COVID-19 to a race or ethnicity
practise and model good personal hygiene by washing our hands often, coughing or sneezing into our sleeves, and avoiding touching our face or the faces of those who are most vulnerable
educate community members on how they can prevent the spread of viruses
Prayer
Our faithful response of compassion and prevention needs to be surrounded and guided by our continual prayer for the well-being of all people. May we continue to collaborate and learn from health care professionals as we seek ways to honor and respect all people at all times.
For more information, see Emergency Planning.
Download “Breaking the Chain: Guidelines for Reducing the Spread of Infection” from the United Church Duty of Care Office by clicking below
Church Notes
Join us this Saturday, March 7th for SouthWest Bingo. 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). The fun wraps up by about 3:30.
SouthWest Bingo takes place the first Saturday of each month at 1445 rue Clemenceau, Verdun H4H 2R2.
Shirley Stark has put together one of her luxury gift baskets to be raffled off as a fundraiser for needed kitchen equipment. Two bottles of wine, wine glasses, nuts, chocolates and more can all be yours for a $1 raffle ticket. Of course you’ll want to buy more than one ticket to increase your chances! Tickets on sale as of March 1st. Drawing on Easter Sunday, April 12.
If you are interested in ordering a chrysanthemum plant for Easter, please contact Shirley Stark before April 4th. Payment is required in advance since the plants have to be paid for when they are picked up. The plants will adorn the church on Easter Sunday and you will take them home after the service.
What is Your Rural Assistant?
A social enterprise catalyzed by EDGE, Your Rural Assistant is a matching service between individuals in rural Canada and small business owners, social entrepreneurs, and non-profits that need a little extra help.
We recognize that many small businesses, social enterprises, and nonprofits are struggling as the day-to-day tasks can be time consuming. We also understand that there are people in rural and small towns throughout the country that are underemployed or unemployed. Why not connect them?!
Communities of faith across the country know these people in their communities and can spread the word of this new initiative. We're hoping to build a network of local, authentic, qualified applicants to fill roles as needed. So, we've partnered with Contact North to provide any necessary training to ensure applicants have the updated skills to be successful. We want these matches to work! We're here every step of the way to help make this happen.
Have questions? Check out our FAQs. For more information or to get involved, please contact Carrie Frostad yourruralassistant@gmail.com . We have some great job opportunities waiting for the right candidates!
Click to go to website