The monthly food calendars put out by Verdun sans faim are a wealth of information about community meals - including, in case we needed to remind you, every Wednesday at SouthWest Mission - as well as workshops, food banks and other programs like our Mini-market that help you stretch the food budget while eating a healthy diet. Here are the calendars for November.
Mini-market October 31st
Many harvest goodies on sale next Wednesday at the Mission. Come by between 10:30 and 3:30. Welcome Wednesday lunch is served at 12:30. Your donations allow it to continue!
SouthWest Children’s Christmas Celebration: Seeking Stocking Stuffers!
For eleven years now, SouthWest Mission in Verdun has focused its energy on reaching out to the community. Once again this December, we are organizing a Christmas Celebration for approximately 100 children in the Verdun area.
Our goal this year is to provide each child with a Christmas stocking that they will “stuff” themselves. At the party, children will participate in fun-in-the-spirit of Christmas activities that in return will give to others (i.e. prepare a Christmas card or message for someone in a seniors’ residence) and then have the opportunity to select “stocking stuffers” for their own stocking.
In order to make this happen, we are looking for donations of NEW and GENTLY USED stocking stuffers: action figurines, Barbies, games, colouring books, legos, candies, new mitts and socks… anything that could fit in a stocking! We’re asking you to go through your toy boxes and see what you might pass along. Or what about setting up a box at your workplace? Donations will be received at church on Sunday, or at the Mission during activities there. It’s never a bad idea to call ahead.
Minister's Message: When nothing remains the same: Thou remainest!
You, Master, started it all,
laid earth's foundations,
then crafted the stars in the sky.
Earth and sky will wear out, but not you;
they become threadbare like an old coat;
You'll fold them up like a worn-out cloak,
and lay them away on the shelf.
But you'll stay the same, year after year;
you'll never fade, you'll never wear out.
(Hebrews 1: 10-12, The Message)
I write this blog post to both SouthWest and Emmanuel. In the new reality of sharing my ministry I am experiencing the challenges of reconfiguring time, energy, priorities and being in two very different locations. I am also trusting the new application on my phone called Waze that guides me through the ever changing configurations of traffic jams, bridge closures and rush hour. I am learning to trust that this app can see things that I cannot, from satellite and other unseen locations. It certainly demands me to trust that “it” will get me through to where I need to be.
I need to trust God in the midst of reconfigured ministry, to believe that living one day at a time leads me forward. And that God is worthy of my trust, even when I cannot see a final outcome.
To get to the South Shore from my home in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce adds that extra time that makes what could be an hour commute between SouthWest and Emmanuel into much more. Into the changing realities of life and ministry I have put my house on the market and imagine a relocation outside of the metropolitan area of Montreal where I have lived for some forty years. I am both nervous and excited. I need to better navigate between two locations. And make a choice for my future years.
In the King James Bible that my father read diligently every day, the core text from Hebrews reads:
They shall perish, they shall all wax old
as doth a garment, but thou remainest!
I love that affirmation of faith.
One of the strong hymns of my youth is the classic Welsh one, familiar in music and speaking to my spirit in the midst of more life changes. It tells of journey and of pilgrimage and roots me in the faith of my ancestors.
Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more,
feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield,
be thou still my strength and shield.
(VU # 651, William Williams, 1745)
Guide-moi, Berger fidèle,
en ce monde pèlerin,
prends à toi mon cœur rebelle,
guide-moi, sois mon soutien,
pain de vie, pain de vie,
de ta grâce nourris-moi,
de ta grâce nourris-moi.
Christ, tu es la source vive
des biens les plus précieux;
fais que pour toi seul je vive,
guide-moi du haut des cieux;
viens, protège, viens protège,
sois mon roc, mon bouclier,
sois mon roc, mon bouclier.
I’m going to supper with my sons to talk about a changing landscape of relocation and giving up a house and neighbourhood they have known for 23 years. I anticipate hearing from them: Make the best choice for you, you have our love and support, we will visit you no matter where you live Dad. And I anticipate the same sentiment between us as we individually and collectively discern future steps and decisions.
God is our bedrock,
our foundation,
our hope.
Even when all changes: Thou remainest!
Rev. David
Return to Church Oct. 28!
We're heading home! After almost two months at the Mission, Sunday services are returning to SouthWest United Church, 1445 rue Clemenceau in Crawford Park. Start time also returns to 10AM.
Come celebrate this Sunday with a service filled with wonderful music, the universal language. The building will be warm, clean and inviting, on the inside at least! Musicians include Roman Fraser (violin) and Joshua Morris (cello).
Simple lunch of soup, bread and apple dessert after the service.
Proceeds from the freewill donation will go to support the SouthWest-Verdun Elementary School Breakfast Club
Venez célébrer avec nous notre retour à l’église – on a hâte! Malgré les travaux à l’extérieur, l’intimité, la chaleur et une merveilleuse ambiance nous attend à l’intérieur. Les musiciens : Roman Fraser (violon) et Joshua Morris (violoncelle) préparent un programme tout a fait extraordinaire !
Après la célébration: de la soupe, du pain et un dessert.
Il y aura un don volontaire pour soutenir le Club des petits déjeuners a l’école primaire Verdun Elementary.
Message du Pasteur: Célébration de la Toussaint
Invitation
Célébration commemorative de la Toussaint 2018
Église Unie du Sud-ouest
1445 Clémenceau, Verdun»
Dimanche, 4 novembre, 10h00
Nous y souviendront de nos bien-aimés, avec communion, prières et chants.
Chez nous, il n’y a pas de frais pour les funérailles. Nous avons plutôt la tradition de recevoir des dons « à la douce mémoire » de nos disparus, et ces dons sont versés au Fonds commémoratif (Memorial Fund) de notre communauté pour soutenir notre ministère.
Au chapitre 21,4 du livre de l’Apocalypse, une merveilleuse promesse nous est faite : « Maintenant la demeure de Dieu est parmi les humains ! Il demeurera avec eux et ils seront son peuple. Dieu lui-même sera avec eux et il sera leur Dieu. Il essuiera toute larme de leurs yeux. Il n’y aura plus de mort, il n’y aura plus ni deuil, ni lamentations, ni douleur. Les choses anciennes auront disparu. » (Le message)
L’espérance nous amène à croire en cette promesse et au nouveau ciel à venir. Cette espérance se fonde sur notre Dieu d’Amour qui, le troisième jour, a lancé cet appel à Jésus : « Viens, mon Fils! Rentre à la maison! » Ainsi, soyons audacieux dans notre espérance en affirmant que la vie est plus puissante que la mort !
Nous connaissons ce sentiment doux-amer… Nous le retrouvons dans les couleurs de l’automne : tellement éblouissantes mais tellement éphémères. Elles nous rappellent le cycle de la vie et le défi du deuil, qui est de chérir nos souvenirs mais aussi de lâcher prise.
En espérant que vous vous joindrez à nous au culte de dimanche le 4 novembre pour cette Célébration de la Vie !
Pasteur David Lefneski
Dennis Brown, Conseil des anciens
Women's Circle
SouthWest held its first women's circle On Sunday October 14 with 9 women in attendance.
Thank-you Beryl for your prayerful leadership, honesty and integrity.
There is something profoundly powerful in a group of women sitting in a circle.
It is:
– A sacred space honoring the uniqueness of each individual
– a place where everyone is equal
– a safe space where you can speak from your heart
– Listening is directed to both individuals who are speaking and the themes, connections, wisdom & energy that is emerging within the context created
– a container that can hold diverse perspectives
– a space for those who identify as women to tell stories, talk about roles, gifts, concerns & visions.
Our next Women's circle will be held on Sunday November 11 at 11:45am at SouthWest United Church 1445 Clemenceau avenue Verdun.
Darlene
Mini-Market October 24, 2018
Please click to download the list of items that will be available at our weekly Mini-market.
Veuillez cliquer pour télécharger la liste de produits qui seront offerts à notre Mini-marché hebdomadaire.
Minister's Message: All Saints Memorial Celebration
Invitation
Annual All Saints Memorial Celebration
at SouthWest United Church, 1445 Clemenceau, Verdun
November 4th, 2018
I heard a voice saying,
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord
for they rest from their labours.”
- Revelation 14:13
The changing of colours of the fall foliage is spectacular. Leaves are at their most vibrant just before they die and fall to the earth to compost into the soil that will nurture future growth. We know this cycle of endings and new beginnings. We celebrate a hope rooted in Christian faith that death does not have the final word, that there is a rest from labours for those who have died. God holds them close in grace and we in a holy remembrance in our hearts.
We gather to remember the “brilliant colours” of our loved ones at our All Saints Communion Memorial Tribute on November 4th. Memorial gifts received before the 27th will be included in our printed insert. E-mail or call the office so that we can remember all our loved ones during the service.
Although we do not not ask for money for funerals, our tradition is the receiving of offerings “in loving memory” to the Memorial Fund. All gifts given to the Fund are gratefully acknowledged and a receipt given for tax purposes. If you have already offered a gift his year, thank you.
The fall colours, so beautiful and so fleeting, mirror the cycle of our lives and the challenge of our grief, which is to remember, to treasure, and also to let go.
When we are living, it is in Christ Jesus,
and when we’re dying, it is in the Lord.
Both in our living and in our dying,
We belong to God, we belong to God.
(Voices United, 581)
We hope you can join us at Sunday worship on November 4th at 10 a.m.
Rev. David Lefneski
Dennis Brown, Clerk of Session
Minister's Message: Promises of Life
I journey with many people who stand within the seasons of their lives to speak publicly words of promise. At SouthWest there are four weddings within four weeks. (September 22, Greta Evaristo and Jean-David Mukuna, Lindsay Wight and Alexandre Filip; and on October 13 Lisette Carrier and William Parent, Catrina Mendicino and Philippe Perron).
In each celebration there were personalised vows expressing the life journey that brought the couple to a ceremony of commitment, family, and a clear sounding ‘till death do us part’ love.
In a funeral last week for one of God’s saints, what we often call a celebration of life, words of remembrance were passionately spoken. Through tears and stories, hymns and prayers the resonance of love vibrated deeply. That ‘till death do us part’ love was tangible and powerful. It reminded me of a phrase from Song of Songs, ‘Love is as powerful as death’. (8: 6b-7).
As parents prepare for upcoming baptisms at both Emmanuel and SouthWest we talk together about a love for their child that draws from deep within parental love. It is rooted in promise and unconditional love.
Our promises model how God has loved us and shown us the depth and breadth of relationship rooted in faith and covenant. Hear this wonderful affirmation of God’s promise in Isaiah (43: 1b-5a):
I have called you by name - you are mine.
When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you...
When you pass through fire, you will not be burnt...
You are precious to me, I love you...
Do not be afraid, I am with you.
When I hear parents, godparents, family and congregation speaking words of commitment at a child’s baptism, when couples stand before each other and promise love and fidelity, when family and friends speak of a loved one now deceased I feel the energy and passion of words that speak a deep truth: it is the resonance of love’s promises that hold us throughout our lives.
Promises root us every day of our lives, they hold us precious, they remind us that we are not alone. They are part of the rituals that mark the seasons of life with care, community and layers of affection that are the safety net and glue for each generation.
I remember a hymn of my youth with these words:
Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life.
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life.
It is how I hear and celebrate the sustaining promises of our lives and relationships:
Words of life, ‘till death do us part’.
Rev. David