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Minister's Message: Be still and know that I am God.
Minister's Message: Be still and know that I am God.
(Psalm 46:10)
It is not easy for me to be silent. To pause, listen, to stop doing and allow my spirit, my body, my mind to rest quietly. I’m a man of action, always on the go.
Am I afraid of what the silence may say?
Life at this time for me seems betwixt and between: what was, what is and what will be. Letting go, trusting, believing that in the silence there may be found ‘the soft whisper of a voice’ (read Elijah’s encounter with God in 1 Kings 19).
Being still so God can speak.
The fall ends, winter begins. A house is unsold, I wait impatiently for the next step. I was caught on the winter’s first snowfall in Sutton without snow tires. I was not ready and I was anxious. Unprepared. Caught unawares.
As this beautiful prayer says: Waiting, looking, loving...it seems that Advent is right around the corner!
Be still and in the silence hear the soft whisper of God’s voice.
You keep us waiting.
You, the God of all time,
want us to wait
for the right time in which to discover
who we are, where we must go,
who will be with us, and what we must do.
Thank you . . . for the waiting time.
You keep us looking.
You, the God of all space,
want us to look in all the right and wrong places
for signs of hope,
for people who are hopeless,
for visions of a better world which will appear
among the disappointments of the world we know.
Thank you . . . for the looking time.
You keep us loving.
You, the God whose name is love,
want us to be like you—
to love the loveless and the unlovely and the unloveable;
to love without jealousy or design or threat;
and, most difficult of all,
to love ourselves.
Thank you . . . for the loving time.
And in all this,
you keep us.
Through hard questions with no easy answers;
through failing where we hoped to succeed
and making an impact when we felt we were useless;
through the patience and the dreams and the love of others;
and through Jesus Christ and his spirit,
you keep us.
Thank you . . . for the keeping time,
and for now,
and for ever.
Amen.
Iona Community, Scotland (Celebrate God’s Presence, UCC, p.88-89)
Rev. David
Baking for Benevolence
There will be a bake sale on Sunday December 9 at SouthWest Church 1445 Clemenceau following the 10:00am worship. Join us for fellowship and a bake sale at 11:30. All bakers and buyers are welcome.
Preparing for Advent
Advent: Preparing for Jesus’ birth
In the Christian church we anticipate the birth of Jesus using the ritual of the lighting of candles each Sunday: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love. Included in the newsletter this week is a liturgy that has been prepared by Judith Bricault from SouthWest for the monthly Community Celebration for families that can easily be done at home. There is a PDF Advent Wreath document with some paper copies available at the church. Reading, lighting an Advent Wreath, and offering a prayer as a home experience during this season prepares our hearts for this life changing birth. It is bilingual so all our families can benefit from it.
Advent summons us
with the exuberant hopefulness of a child.
Advent holds us spellbound with child-like wonder.
Advent challenges us to care for the littlest child.
Advent amazes us, for God was made known in a tiny child. (Celebrate God’s Presence)
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3)
L’Avent comprend les quatre semaines précédant Noël. C’est le temps où, comme chrétiens, nous nous préparons à la venue de Jésus dans le monde. Jésus, la Lumière du monde.
Chaque dimanche nous allumerons une des bougies de la couronne de l’Avent, un cercle qui nous rappelle que l’amour de Dieu pour nous ne s’arrête jamais.
Advent includes the four weeks before Christmas, the time when we as Christians get ready for the birth of Jesus, the coming of Jesus’ light into the world.
During Advent we have the practice of lighting the Advent wreath. The wreath is in the shape of a circle to remind us that God’s love for us is never-ending
Baptism and Promises
Three is a charm. Last Sunday at SouthWest we welcomed, Callum, James and Camille into the community. Three beautiful children with two baptisms at the church and one at the mission
Multi-generational, warm blankets and quilts, helping hands of brothers and sisters, family and friends and of course hope, peace, joy and love on their journey.
The promise come true Luke 1: 26-38
Mary was a young girl from the town of Nazareth in Galilee. She was to marry a man named Joseph who was a descendant of King David.
Mary had heard of angels before: they were messengers when God wished to say something special to someone. But she never thought that would happen to her!
One day, the angel Gabriel came to her house.
“Don’t be afraid, Mary, he said to her gently. And be happy. God has a wonderful project for you. You will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus. He will be the king God promised, and God himself will be his father.”
“But… I don’t understand…, said Mary”.
“Don’t worry. God will take care of everything, said Gabriel. Nothing is too hard for God.”
Then, Mary answered: “I will be pleased to do whatever God wants me to do”.
PRAYER:We’ve been waiting with hope and praying for peace. We’ve been signing with joy and living in love. And now we are ready to welcome God in our lives. Welcome, welcome Lord Jesus!
[ N.E. Hardy, 2003 ]
La promesse devient réalité
Luc 1, 26-38
Marie était une jeune fille de la ville de Nazareth, en Galilée. Elle était fiancée à Joseph, un descendant du roi David.
Marie avait entendu parler des anges : Dieu les envoyait quand il avait un message particulier pour les humains. Mais elle n’aurait jamais pensé qu’elle en verrait un…
Un jour, l’Ange Gabriel arriva chez elle.
« N’aie pas peur, Marie, dit doucement l’ange. Et sois heureuse. Dieu a un projet merveilleux pour toi. Tu vas avoir un bébé très, très spécial, et tu l’appelleras Jésus. Il sera le Roi que Dieu a promis. Et c’est Dieu lui-même qui sera son père. »
« Mais… je ne comprends pas, dit Marie… »
« Ne t’en fais pas. Dieu s’occupera de tout, dit Gabriel. Rien n’est trop difficile pour lui. »
Alors Marie répondit : « Je serai très contente de faire tout ce que Dieu attend de moi. »
PRIÈRE : Nous avons attendu dans l’espérance et prié pour la paix. Nous avons chanté avec joie et vécu dans l’amour. Et maintenant nous sommes prêts à accueillir Dieu dans nos vies.
Bienvenue Seigneur Jésus!
[ Tra. D. Fortin ]
BINGO In the New Year!
....BINGO will be starting back again in the church basement at 1445 Clemenceau, First Saturday of the month, Saturday January 5, 2019 at 12:30. $5 entry fee. refreshments served. ..À tous les premiers samedis du mois à 12 h 30 à l’église, venez vous adonner à ce jeu amusant ! Prix d’entrée : 5 $. Des rafraîchissements seront servis. .... BINGO prizes gratefully accepted.
Minister's Message: In the beginning, God!
In the beginning, God! Genesis 1:1
Of the questions asked of parents and godparents for baptism, the one that elicits the most conversation is: Do you believe in one God: Creator, Christ and Spirit?
When asked about faith in one God, Christians, Muslims, Jews and Sikhs all affirm a resounding yes. Christians elaborate with an affirmation of God in three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, which we call the trinity.
When asked about naming, experiencing, praying or singing about God there are incredibly diverse responses. Faith language is rich, deeply personal, diverse and is not limited to male pronouns like Father.
I enjoy the VU 268 hymn, Bring Many Names, written by Brian Wren. He names: Strong mother God, Warm father God, Old aching God, Young growing God, Great living God, to which so many names could be added.
When we speak of God in our lives, experiences and worship language limits us, God jumps out of any constraints or proposed wordings and definitions. Even when I pray the prayer of Jesus and say ‘Our Father’, the language of my ancestors in faith, I do not imagine a masculine God but rather God as Love, Spirit, Life and the One Beyond all Names.
The United Church was in the news last week concerning a minister, Gretta Vosper, a self-professed atheist. A settlement reached with her, the congregation she serves and the Toronto Conference, was announced last week. There are no details as to the settlement. Our United Church Moderator, The Right Rev. Dr. Richard Bott has written a public letter, see the link below. I was at the Quebec Presbytery last Saturday in Bromont and talked with some angry and distraught individuals present at the meeting. (I include links below for your information.) Many are concerned by this news.
On a personal note, I was welcomed some 21 years ago into the congregations of Sutton, Dunham, Granby, Abbotsford, for a seven month internship, and after that into the congregations of Crawford Park and Verdun United, now SouthWest. I have grown tremendously in my faith and experienced vital ministry. The very first hymn I learned in 1997 at Dunham United was VU 633 which in the third verse names God: Divine Eternal Lover, you meet us on the road! (Sylvia Dustan, 1989). I almost dropped the hymnbook! It was this radical edginess and deep inclusiveness that said to me: welcome to a community of faith that is generous, hospitable, growing and expanding in its language and experience of God.
Let’s talk about the news article together and affirm our confession of faith that in the beginning … God!! Hallelujah.
Rev. David
https://www.united-church.ca/news/united-church-canada-responds-joint-statement-rev-vosper
https://www.united-church.ca/news/moderators-message-rev-gretta-vosper
Meet Carolyn Ruda, LLWL
Carolyn Ruda is the Montreal and Ottawa Conference Mission and Service Support at The United Church of Canada. She is also a Licensed Lay Worship Leader who will be leading worship at SouthWest on Sunday, November 25th. Here she is, in her own words:
“I grew up in Moncton, New Brunswick where I learned to be friendly, positive, helpful, if a little talkative some times. If you have ever been to the east coast you will understand where I get it from. I grew up in my grandparent’s house where everyone was very actively involved in all aspects of church life. “Love thy neighbour” was the thread that wove through everything we did.
My ex husband was in the Air Force so my three children, (April, Sheri and Robert,) were raised to have pride of country on military bases across Canada. Despite the constant moves, and times of separation due to military exercises we valued the opportunity to live in different locations and experience life from diverse outlooks in Canada. When my children were in their teens my ex and I divorced, this meant spending ten challenging years as a single parent with three jobs, one of them being a Church Administrator at a United Church in Ottawa. By reading the Mission and Service resources I became really impressed by the work being done here and around the world. As a strong Mission and Service believer, I jumped at the chance to be the Mission and Service Support person for the Conference. In 1999 I married Gordon, my encourager, support person, proof reader, and driver. Gordon has three children, (Howard, Stephen and Emily.) Between us we are blessed with fifteen grandchildren, and one great granddaughter. They give us such joy.
These days I keep myself and Gordon busy with my roles as Chair, Conference Stewardship, Mission and Service Support, and Licensed Lay Worship Leader. In all my roles my desire is that the lectionary readings come alive to those listening. Whether I am composing a message about Mission and Service or Stewardship I want those listening to feel God’s presence in the world they are living in right now. It is the incredibly rewarding part of my life; I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.”
Join us on Sunday and welcome Carolyn
News from SouthWest Kitchens
Our Community Depanneur, offering homey delights from our kitchen - is back in business after a difficult four months of renovations.
Drop by to find celery soup, mini pumpkin pies, lime marmalade, jams and more. Leave your payment in the piggy bank.
Mini-Market Nov. 28, 2018
Le Mini-marché se tient à tous les mercredis de 10h30 à 15h30 à la Mission. Télécharger la liste pour savoir ce qui sera offert la semaine prochaine.
Mini-markets are every Wednesday, 10:30 to 3:30 at the Mission. Download the list to know what they will have on offer next week.