Esperanza

I was excited to receive an email from Phil Hood about his first-ever Youtube video upload featuring Esperanza and some of our church members--watch for Paul and Lydia in action, and you can also see Jean if you look closely!

Cut and paste this into your browser to check it out:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPB0IjMsQPs

Oct 28, 2009 at 7:04 AM

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Women's Survey Deadline Extended

If you haven't filled out the Mennonite Church Canada Women's survey yet, there's still time before the extended deadline of Nov. 1.

Copies are available at the Welcome Centre in the church foyer, or you can fill it out on line through the Mennonite Church Canada women's blog at www.mennowomencanada.blogspot.com/ 

Oct 25, 2009 at 6:19 AM

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Thanksgiving Blessing

Last week, I was pleased to see an older gentleman from the church's neighbourhood join us for Sunday morning worship. He had called me the day before to wish me a happy Thanksgiving, and I had invited him to the service, letting him know that I would be speaking, the children would be singing special songs, and we would have a processional to bring our offerings to the front of the church.

Much to my surprise, he actually came (o ye of little faith!).  Afterward, he said my "talk" was very good, he had met a couple with "a very kind heart," and that he was most "impressed" that we were collecting dimes for a project in India--it made him wonder what he and others from India could also be doing, and he was going to think more about that.

I gave him a ride home after the service, since he and his family have moved a little further away from the church.  And then he insisted that I come in to say a prayer of blessing on his family for Thanksgiving; so I could see how much his grandson had grown; so I could greet his wife, whom I had visited and prayed over at their request once before when she was recovering from eye surgery.  And then of course, I must have a glass of apple juice and a chocolate chip cookie and visit with him and his wife and daughter, who hugged me and said thank you and they will think about coming to one of our English classes.

I got home from church a bit later than I expected that Sunday, but at the same time I was glad to spend the time with them and to receive their blessing of thanks and hospitality in return.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Oct 16, 2009 at 7:43 AM

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To Shake or Not to Shake (hands that is!)

H1N1 seems to be in the news everywhere these days, and as a church we've received info on pandemic preparedness from Mennonite Church Canada, Mennonite Church BC and other sources. In response, our deacons and Worship Committee are asking worship leaders not to direct the congregation to shake hands during the worship service.

We don't have a meet and greet time as part of the service every Sunday anyway, since by the time the service starts many people have already said hello to whoever is sitting beside them and have been actively engaged in conversation already.  We are also arranging for hand sanitizers to be available in the church foyer and at the office entrance; for information to be posted in the washrooms; and for information to be distributed to group leaders who are a vital part of our caring ministry as a congregation.

We're not quite sure where all this leaves greeters who normally shake hands with people as they welcome them to the church, and I'm not quite sure what I should do since I normally also shake hands with people as they leave the sanctuary.  To shake or not to shake, that is a question!  Shall we rub elbows instead as some suggest? (although since people are being told to sneeze into their arms, I wonder about that!)  Or bow as my husband suggests?  Offer hand sanitizer to each another?  Wave?  Dismiss all this as an over-reaction?  

We're not banning handshaking as some churches have done--beyond the few suggestions I've outlined here, our deacons and Worship Committee are leaving it up to individuals to decide what they will do.  Let's do that with sensitivity and care for others--if you extend your hand and receive a bow in return, I hope you'll understand, and if no one reaches out to you, I hope you'll still feel welcomed and cared for in the church.

Oct 10, 2009 at 7:29 AM

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Teach Me Kingdom Ways

Last Sunday, my sermon focused on Community as a Core Value. In it, I referred to an interview by Douglas Todd who observed that in cross-Canada polls, British Columbians seem to be the most individualistic, the most " live and let live" Canadians.

Last Sunday, my sermon focused on Community as a Core Value. In it, I referred to an interview by Douglas Todd who observed that in cross-Canada polls, British Columbians seem to be the most individualistic, the most " live and let live" Canadians.

In contrast to BC's you-do-your-own-thing-and-I-do-my-own-thing, I said that Jesus calls us so that together we do God's thing, together we form a community.  After all, one of the first things that Jesus did in his earthly ministry was to build community.  In the early church of Acts 2, the Jerusalem church community was together every day.  Romans 12 describes how Christian community is expressed in genuine love for one another.  2 Corinthians reminds us that Christian community is transformative--that in Christ, we are a new creation.

One of the songs we sang was "Teach Me Kingdom Ways" and if you're familiar with that song, you might have noticed that there was a slight change in wording.  One line of the original song was "In a world of masks, teach me how to be me"--which seemed so 70s to me, and also not quite in the spirit of community, so we changed it to "In a world of masks, teach me how to be real"--it doesn't quite rhyme the way it should and unfortunately we weren't able to track down the original author for permission, but I hope it was ok this one time to clarify that particular line as a call for authenticity. 

Oct 7, 2009 at 4:38 PM

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