Federal Election Sept. 20

You have no doubt heard that we are going to the polls a month from now. We will all surely be getting cards in the mail shortly telling us where to vote on election day or on advance polling days (it’s not always the same place, so check closely). Early voting will be on September 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th. Many people don’t know that you can vote anytime at any Elections Canada office. These offices will be open shortly and you don’t even have to go to the one in your own riding.

This election, voting by mail is expected to be hugely popular. You have to request a ballot which will be mailed to you and you must mail it back. You can see how you wouldn’t want to waste time if this is your chosen method of voting. A thing to know if you vote by mail is that you will receive what is known as a “special ballot”. Unlike the ballots that you’re used to at polling stations, these ones require you to write in the name of your chosen candidate. Remember this is not Justin, or Erin, or Jagmeet, but whoever is running for the party of your choice in your riding. So a bit of basic research is required of you.
People who are in acute care hospitals can also vote by special ballot. Elections Canada officer will go room to room in these facilities.
The same is not true if you live in a seniors’ residence or long term care home. Your best bet is to register to vote by mail.

All the information about how to vote by mail is available here.

Beryl's Blog: Genesis

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 

These two verses from Genesis have made the snake one of the most dreaded and most harmed creatures of all God’s great creation.  Even in speaking, we often use words such as “a snake in the grass” to express our disgust.

Now, I don’t know how you feel about snakes.  I realize there are some very large and very deadly snakes in the world.  But here, around the Montreal area, if we are lucky enough to see one, they are usually of the harmless garter snake variety.  If we do come face to face, I choose to respect our mutual boundaries with a nodding acknowledgement as we go our separate ways.

But sometimes even the snake finds itself in trouble and, if it is possible to see any emotion at all in its cold black eyes, you realize that your paths have crossed serendipitously. 

As I closed the porch screened door this week, I was surprised to see what I thought was a piece of black and yellow cord, wedged in the track.  On closer examination I realized that it was a garter snake.  Perhaps because of the heat, s/he thought they had found a cool place to pass the day.  Unfortunately, having crawled into the hole in the track (which is usually there for drainage), it was truly stuck.  You see, the hole was small enough for the front end of the snake -- but not for the belly and tail end.

As the cats suddenly became interested in this new creature, I called for Koji to come quickly as I could not hold off the cats or close the door again, which could prove fatal.

On assessing the situation, Koji went to get his trusty chopsticks to try and pull the creature out.  But it was indeed stuck.  A quick discussion ensued and the only possible solution seemed to be olive oil.  Grease it up and try again!

Koji returned with the oil, sanitary latex gloves and a bucket (to put the unfortunate creature in should it be freed).  With calm determination, patience and a gentle hand, s/he came loose.  It was quicky placed in the bucket and rushed out into the garden.

Did it stop to say thank you?  No, or course not.  But it did slither away, as quickly as possible.  Hopefully it was not seriously harmed and lived to see another dawn.

I guess all of this is to say that each and everyday Creator presents us with opportunities to be our best selves, even to those who God once deemed to be culpable. The olive oil was a nice touch; a blessing of sorts.  In biblical times, prophets anointed priests and kings, and the sick were anointed with oil as part of the procedure of healing by faith and by the laying on of hands.

God speaks in situations we cannot imagine.  I say, again, thanks be to God!

Pastor Beryl

In Memoriam: Denis Pantridge

1933 – 2021

Denis Brownlie Pantridge of Verdun, Quebec passed away peacefully on August 14th, 2021. He was born to parents Brownlie and Beatrice Pantridge on July 11th 1933 in Winnipeg Manitoba. He will be deeply missed by his devoted wife of 60 years, Helen, his children Steven (Josée) Dean (Renée) Wayne (Kelly), Kim and his loving grand-children, Chloé, Chad, Ryan, Taylor, Shane, Léa, Noah, Jarod, Dylan, Emma and Tyler. Reunited with his sisters and brother: Irene, Dorothy, Patricia and Brian.

Denis was a dedicated father, committed husband and ever present grand-father. He served his country in the Royal Canadian Navy in the 1950s and retired from Allstream after 33 years of service, taking up golf and enjoying Tuesday morning outings with his fishing buddies on the links.

Visitation will take place on Saturday August 28th from 11:00-12:30pm, at the SouthWest United Church located at 1445 Clemenceau in Crawford Park (Verdun).

There will also be a service held at 13:00. In accordance with provincial Covid-19 guidelines, there is a limited number of guests who may attend the service. To respect these guidelines, the family would kindly ask that only those contacted attend the service.

In lieu of flowers the family would sincerely appreciate donations be made in memory of Denis Pantridge to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Résidences funéraires Laurent Thériault .

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Breakfast Club 2021

Did you know that SouthWest United still provides financial support to the Breakfast Club at Verdun Elementary? There was some concern at Church Council that this was not known, in the wider community or even within our own church community. Council voted last Sunday to continue its support and subsequently, the following was sent to Sheila Morrison, co-coordinator of the program:

“…At the council meeting held today after church, council agreed to support Breakfast Club  for another year. Council would like a couple of things from you. Council would like you to speak to the congregation during a church service (both in the fall and the spring) about Breakfast Club and answer any questions they might have. Before every council meeting, council would like to receive a short written report from you about Breakfast Club. The report would be distributed at the meeting and maybe used in the Friday newsletter. One of the concerns that council had is how widely known is it that SouthWest supports the Breakfast Club now that we no longer have a presence at the school. Any comments on that question?  Any ideas how SUC can make its support known among the school and the wider community? “

The following response was received from Sheila:

“First of all I would like to thank you and the Council very much for supporting me for the Breakfast Club for another year. Much appreciated!

No problem speaking to the congregation both in the Fall and Spring. I will certainly write a report enabling all to read about the progress of the Breakfast Club and the direction it is taking.

As we all know the last 18 months have been a crazy time in our lives.  To make sure that all the children ate we had decided to feed the entire school which would leave no child hungry.

This new school year may find it repeating itself once again unfortunately with the highly contagious variant. Will we feed the entire school or just the children that register and pay a small fee? Who knows?

To be honest the last Principal at the Verdun Elementary School, Sandra Luther, knew about the involvement with SUC and the school. However, there's a possibility that the new one, Christine Dane, does not have all the facts. I will be speaking with her during the first couple of weeks explaining the involvement between the two.

Again I thank SUC for supporting the Breakfast Club.”

We at SouthWest thank Sheila for her dedication and wish the Breakfast Club team all the best in the upcoming school year.

Beryl's Blog: Wisdom

This Sunday, we will be reflecting on 1 Kings 2: 10-12, 3:3-14 which happens to be King Solomon and Wisdom.

I am always amazed how those cosmic threads weave through our lives, randomly tying and binding things together.  As it turns out, our garage has been abuzz with the sound of a chain saw all week.  Having been forced to take down a dead elm tree, we were left with a great pile of logs.  We do our best to find ways to wisely use all of nature’s gifts in whatever creative way presents itself. So, owls have been appearing as rustic garden art.

Owls have long been thought to be a sign of great wisdom and femininity.  The owl was a symbol for Athena, goddess of wisdom and strategy, before the Greeks gave their pantheon human forms.  According to myth, an owl sat on Athena’s blind side, so that she could see the whole truth. 

In Ancient Greece, the owl was a symbol of a higher wisdom, and it was also a guardian of the Acropolis.  Diana, the Roman response to Athena, was strongly associated with the moon, and also the owl. 

In North America, the Pawnee and the Sioux saw the owl as a messenger to the first of all evil creatures.  On the other hand, the Lakota tribe had an “Owl Society,” where the warriors fought primarily at night and painted dark rings around their eyes because they believed that would allow them to have an owl’s acute vision.

Even our own Voices United has a wonderful hymn about wisdom; number 287, Wellspring of Wisdom.  I particularly love the first verse:

Wellspring of wisdom, hear our cry, the way ahead is parched and dry.
We seek a source to satisfy our thirst for sanctifying waters,
wisdom for your faith-filled sons and daughters.

As we continue to live out these times of uncertainty, I leave you with a prayer for wisdom and, hopefully, something to make you smile.

 Touch us, O Lord, and fill us with your light.  Give us strength when we are weak, love when we feel alone, courage when we are afraid, wisdom when we feel foolish, comfort when we are confused, hope when we feel rejected, and internal peace when we are faced with the folly around us. Amen.

A couple of Koji’s owls.

A couple of Koji’s owls.

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