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Landmarks

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The landscape of Verdun keeps changing, but certain church landmarks remain constant.

On a beautiful sunny day earlier this week I went for a walk and took some pictures of the former First Pres and the former Chalmers United.

I’ve often wondered why the cornerstone at the left of the door reads “A.D. 1985”, when the original part of First Presbyterian was built in, I believe, 1926. It seems there was a fire in the ‘80s and part of the building had to be reconstructed. Since 2009, this part of the building has been occupied by a Tibetan Buddhist temple.

The extension, built in 1956, currently houses three congregations: Grace Church, Verdun Community Church, and the Formosa Christian Church of Montreal.

A view of the whole building, at 501 and 503 5th Avenue.

There is another Blog post about First Pres here.

Chalmers United also underwent an expansion that is still in evidence to this day.

The original church, built in 1911, is further back on the lot and faces Ross street.

The “new” church, from 1922, at 177 de l’Eglise.

The corner of Ross and de l’Eglise, with the former Chalmers (now Montreal Korean United Church) on the left and the De l’Eglise metro on the right.

Read more Memories of Chalmers United here.


Praying Through Lent in a Pandemic Season, 3

This week, we continue with thoughts on Micha 6: 8 paraphrased:

“What does our God require of us? To seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.”

Dr. Elizabeth focuses this week on faith and the public economy:

“The life of a Christian is to be lived in the public, and that includes the political sphere, especially since our economy has largely been taken over by an oligarchy of wealth that skews all social relationships and that readily leaves behind those it judges to be dispensable.  And yet, there are still many who hold to a (thoroughly non-biblical) conviction that faith or piety is private.  What does a pastoral preacher have to do to help the privately pious claim for themselves the courage of the social gospel?”

Prayer:

God of freedom and justice,
the call to live your dream keeps getting us into political hot water;
Are you sure you want us to kick up a fuss when justice is denied to those deemed to be dispensable?
Oh, never mind.  We know the answer.
“Yes” you say.
So, then, help us, please,
with the gift of courage to put our mouths and bodies
where your heart is.

Amen

 

In peace, I share both this question ands this journey with you.

Pastor Beryl, DLM

Music Notes

It can be hard to concentrate these days, hard not to feel the constant and present danger of events in Europe. Hard not to feel helpless and a bystander to inevitability.

 But children are still laughing in the playgrounds, and in bomb shelters too, however squeezed of a normal existence they are. Given a chance, life will win out, always.   

To smile is not to ignore.  

Please join us this Sunday and be strong in our community. There will be music to answer our anguish, but there will also be music to banish the darkness for awhile. It is Saint Patrick’s Day next week, and Howard Welburn will sing and lead us in its celebration at the close of our Lenten service.

Let us come together in song.


Sarah

 

Memories of Chalmers

UPDATE: Douglas Hastie had some information to share regarding the man identified only as “Brian”. His name was Brian Gibson and he lived on 5th Avenue taking care of his mother Marge or Madge. He may not have been an official caretaker but the family were definitely members at First Pres and Brian helped out in many ways there, and also at Chalmers. Sadly, Doug reports that Brian died quite young of a heart attack. I have not been able to locate an obituary, but it seems he collapsed on the steps of First Presbyterian in 1998 or 1999. He would have been in his mid-fifties. His mother’s obit indicates that she moved to London Ontario in 1999, and passed away there in 2008 at the age of 99. Read that obituary here.

“Chalmers and First Pres used to have a pulpit exchange in the summer,” Douglas recalls. “When our minister was off the Chalmers minister would conduct the service at First Pres and when he was off we would all go to Chalmers.”

Click here to see another post about these two historic buildings.

ORIGINAL POST:

It will be 25 years in June since Chalmers United Church closed its doors. The building still stands at 177 de l’Eglise and is now the Montreal Korean United Church. Members of the congregation dispersed to other churches, including Verdun and Crawford, and we are lucky to still count a few of them among our SouthWest congregation. Donna Davis, who was involved with the Kairos group at Chalmers, shared the photos below - from the reception following the closing in 1997 and a few other events from the later years - and we thought it would be fun for people to see some of these faces.

Chalmers began in 1899 as a mission of St. Matthews Presbyterian in Point St. Charles. It was originally known as Verdun Presbyterian Mission. They built their first church in 1911, and adopted the name Chalmers Presbyterian in 1918. The building became too small by 1919 and that’s when they commissioned a second one to be built on the same lot. The building completed in 1922 is the one that still stands on de l’Eglise. The name Chalmers United was adopted following the joining of Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists into the United Church of Canada in 1925.

Like many churches all over the world, Chalmers was named after Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), a Scottish clergyman, writer and teacher.

Donna has identified most of the people in these pictures but, as she writes, “there are gaps in my memory and knowledge so both my information and occasionally spelling of names may need correction. Mea culpa if anything slips through, but then such mistakes are always great conversation starters.”

We would be delighted to hear from you if you have pictures, stories or anything else to add about Chalmers.

Praying Through Lent in a Pandemic Season, 2

[This year, as part of my own Lenten Journey, I am following the writings of Dr. Elisabeth R. Jones, the Minister at Cedar Park United Church in Pointe Claire.  For each day of Lent 2021, during the time we were observing stricter Covid-19 rules, Dr. Elisabeth chose a daily reading, followed by a prayerful reflection.

This Lenten Season, 2022, restrictions are easing but reflection continues to be a part of our Lenten devotions. Each Friday, I will share with you the reading Dr. Elisabeth chose and the prayer she offered for deeper consideration. I sincerely hope you will enjoy them as much as I am.]

This week, we continue with thoughts on Genesis 15.

Dr. Elizabeth asked the question:

Despite the fact that things appear to be returning to a more normal state (for the moment) - “How many times, in the past two and a half years, have we heard the call from public health officials, premiers, leaders, to ‘hang on’, to ‘wait’ and to keep on with the privations and restrictions that will ultimately lead the world back to fulness of life and health?  Aren’t we getting a bit tired, a bit cynical?”

Right on cue comes this wonderful story of Abraham calling God out on the truth of God’s promise! (It’s in Genesis 15: 3) God says “hey Abe, one day you will father an entire nation, trust me!” and Abraham responds, bluntly, “I don’t believe you!”

Thank you, Abraham, for saying what so many feel, and don’t dare to say.

God’s response was to paint the sky with stars so numberless, so bright, so awesome – one of those heaven/earth mystical moments, when the temporariness of current troubles shrinks down to their right size in comparison to the vastness of the universe and its Maker.

This uncertain stage in Covid too shall pass.  Abraham found out.  We will too.

Prayer:

Covenant keeper God   you make a lot of promises.
Forgive us when we behave as if you don’t, or that you have forgotten,
or that you might not be able to keep them.

 It takes more faith than we can muster sometimes,
to trust that you have not broken faith with us,
to trust that you are good for your Word.

When our faith falters or forgets, come alongside once more,
call us by name, and remind us that we are your people,
and you are, and will be, our God, not matter what, no matter how long.

Amen

This Sunday, on leaving worship, our blessing will be:

May love shape its own eternal ritual in you;
may covenant hone its own home in you;
may stardust reveal the ancient promise in you;
and may the God of that love, that covenant and that stardust,
show you the gift you are to the world. Amen.

In peace, I share this journey with you.

Pastor Beryl, DLM

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