Bell Choir 3 Bazaar 4 Michelle 5 The Allan‟s 9 Advent Dinner 7 Carols 9 Minister’s Corner DECEMBER 2010 In this issue We‟ll be having just one daughter, Rachel, coming over from Vancouver for Christmas this year. Our youngest, Letha, will be staying in Montreal, and our eldest, Dan, will be off to the U.S. to spend Christmas with his wife Jenn‟s family. When everybody shows up we have a really wonderful time, but I have to admit our small Condo gets pretty crowded, with the guest room (a single) and the fold-out couch (a double) filled, and someone left sleeping on the floor. Not unlike the first Christmas. When you dig a little deeper into the gospel stories you find out pretty quickly that the story they tell is not quite as romantic as that told on Christmas Cards and in Sunday School pageants. (No insult here - I LOVE Sunday School pageants!) The Magi arrive, in fact, long after the birth; and Luke‟s story of „no room in the inn‟ proves to be different than we imagined. The word Luke uses that is translated as „inn‟ is, in the Greek original, „kataluma,‟ which is better rendered as „guest room. The kataluma was an upstairs multi-purpose room in a typical house of the time. It could be used for larger than normal feasts (as in Luke 22 where Jesus uses the kataluma for the Last Supper with his disciples) and also served as a guest room when visitors arrived. The word used for the equivalent of a hotel, as in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) is pandocheion. Mary and Joseph were not turned away by “No Vacancy‟ signs in the Bethlehem equivalent of the Traveller‟s Inn. What happened rather was that the family guest room in Bethlehem was filled up, no doubt by other relatives who had made the journey home for the same reason the Holy Family had, to be registered in the Roman census. The „Upper Room‟ was full, so Mary and Joseph were sent… downstairs! The typical home of the time had a front room on the ground floor, partly open one side to the elements but covered by the second story, into which the animals were brought for the night. They were fed (mangers!) and sheltered until morning, when they would go back outside, and the room would be cleaned up and prepared for its daytime uses. To what then shall we compare the first Christmas – it‟s as though the couple came to a house filled to overflowing with relatives, so they were sent out to spend the night in the RV parked in the driveway! The circumstances of Jesus‟ birth were harrowing to be sure, but not so unusual as to be unheard of. The miracle is in the meaning – Incarnation, Adoration, the Inauguration of the new creation in Jesus. I know that many of our congregation have no family, or no family left, to visit with at Christmas, and that there are as many personal circumstances as there are people in our fellowship. But we all have the ability to prepare the Christ a welcoming home in our lives and in our hearts. No matter whether you have family or friends coming at Christmas or not, and no matter whether you have room for them in your house or not, you have one guest coming each day to bring you new life and joy. O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel. Blessings! Victoria, BC St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Published monthly, September through June
Transcript
Bell Choir 3 Bazaar 4 Michelle 5
The Allan‟s 9 Advent Dinner 7 Carols 9
Minister’s Corner DECEMBER 2010
In this issue
We‟ll be having just one daughter, Rachel, coming over from
Vancouver for Christmas this year. Our youngest, Letha, will be staying
in Montreal, and our eldest, Dan, will be off to the U.S. to spend
Christmas with his wife Jenn‟s family. When everybody shows up we
have a really wonderful time, but I have to admit our small Condo gets pretty
crowded, with the guest room (a single) and the fold-out couch (a double) filled, and
someone left sleeping on the floor.
Not unlike the first Christmas. When you dig a little deeper into the gospel stories
you find out pretty quickly that the story they tell is not quite as romantic as that told
on Christmas Cards and in Sunday School pageants. (No insult here - I LOVE
Sunday School pageants!) The Magi arrive, in fact, long after the birth; and Luke‟s
story of „no room in the inn‟ proves to be different than we imagined.
The word Luke uses that is translated as „inn‟ is, in the Greek original,
„kataluma,‟ which is better rendered as „guest room. The kataluma was an upstairs
multi-purpose room in a typical house of the time. It could be used for larger than
normal feasts (as in Luke 22 where Jesus uses the kataluma for the Last Supper with
his disciples) and also served as a guest room when visitors arrived. The word used
for the equivalent of a hotel, as in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) is
pandocheion. Mary and Joseph were not turned away by “No Vacancy‟ signs in the
Bethlehem equivalent of the Traveller‟s Inn.
What happened rather was that the family guest room in Bethlehem was filled up,
no doubt by other relatives who had made the journey home for the same reason the
Holy Family had, to be registered in the Roman census. The „Upper Room‟ was full,
so Mary and Joseph were sent… downstairs! The typical home of the time had a
front room on the ground floor, partly open one side to the elements but covered by
the second story, into which the animals were brought for the night. They were fed
(mangers!) and sheltered until morning, when they would go back outside, and the
room would be cleaned up and prepared for its daytime uses.
To what then shall we compare the first Christmas – it‟s as though the couple
came to a house filled to overflowing with relatives, so they were sent out to spend
the night in the RV parked in the driveway! The circumstances of Jesus‟ birth were
harrowing to be sure, but not so unusual as to be unheard of. The miracle is in the
meaning – Incarnation, Adoration, the Inauguration of the new creation in Jesus.
I know that many of our congregation have no family, or no family left, to visit
with at Christmas, and that there are as many personal circumstances as there are
people in our fellowship. But we all have the ability to prepare the Christ a
welcoming home in our lives and in our hearts. No matter whether you have family
or friends coming at Christmas or not, and no matter whether you have room for
them in your house or not, you have one guest coming each day to bring you new life
and joy. O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel.
Blessings!
Victoria, BC
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December 2010 2 The Link
Words from
the Assistant
Minister
I think we were all reminded this
past weekend that winter is indeed
here. I would be lying if I didn‟t
admit that I had a child-like joy
when I woke up on Monday to see
the snow falling! Although that
sentiment changed as I was out
getting a few errands looked after.
Nevertheless, the snow helped me
get ready for the approaching
Advent season. I am sure that for
many of you Advent remains a
time of preparation, of hope, joy,
peace and love. Advent and
Christmas are often times when
we all get together with family and
friends. However, there are many
of us who have lost a loved one
this past year.
There were many Christmas
traditions that will forever be tied
with my Grandma who passed
away this past spring. Sometimes
this sense of loss is heightened at
this time of year. I would
encourage everyone, especially if
you are feeling lost, lonely or
grieving to attend the Blue
Christmas Service on
Thursday,Dec.9 at 5:30pm. As it
states on the poster, “Blue
Christmas is a special service to
provide hope and healing for those
who find Advent and Christmas a
difficult time. This simple service
provides an opportunity for people
to remember, let go and share
hope. The service focuses on
Christ, the light of the world who
overcomes the darkness of loss,
suffering and loneliness.” We as a
congregation are called to be a
compassionate community and this
kind of outreach is what many of
us need at this time. If you know
of family members, neighbours or
friends who would benefit from
this kind of service please pass on
one of our small pamphlets which
are available in the narthex or
from me.
The church will continue to be
open for After-Work- Reflection
on Wednesdays 4:30-5:30, except
on Dec. 29. This is an opportunity
for us to remind the community
that we are still very present and
active at this time of year. I don‟t
know how many people come in
and say, “I have lived in Victoria
for 25/35/45 years and never seen
inside this church. It‟s beautiful”.
Feel free to drop by if you too are
on your way home from work or
shopping. It is a nice time to sit in
reflection. You might even
discover something about the
architecture that you never noticed
before.
I am looking forward to my
second Advent season here in
Victoria. The bazaar was a
wonderful way to get the season
started. Thank you to everyone
who made it another success! I
thoroughly enjoyed interacting
with the community and
congregation. I know that there
are many other social events
planned for people of all ages. I
would like to highlight that the
young adult group will be meeting
for a “Christmas” gathering on
Sunday, Dec. 19 at 7pm with a
location to be announced closer to
the date. Everyone ages 19-40- ish
is invited to join us as we reflect
on the past year.
The youth group will have its
first annual Christmas party at my
apartment on Friday, December 17
at 7pm. There will be food, fun
and a wacky ornament contest as
well as two lovable cats.
I would ask everyone to keep
the students and faculty of UVic in
their prayers. December not only
means the end of a term, but also
final exams and papers. This can
be the toughest time for students. I
will continue to lead the
Meditation Walk on Thursdays
from 3:30-4:30 in Finnerty Gardens
until December second.
Thank you to everyone who
continues to make St Andrew‟s
such a wonderful congregation
and community. Have a wonderful
Advent and a Merry Christmas!
Important December Dates from the Assistant Minister
Wednesdays 4:30 - 5:30 After Work Reflection (except Dec. 29)
December 9 - 5:30pm Blue Christmas
December 17 - 7pm Youth Group Christmas party
December 19 - 7:00pm Young Adults Christmas gathering
St Andrew‟s Presbyterian Church December 2010 3
Bring your questions, share your
thoughts about the sermon of the
day with the minister, or come
and listen.
December 19
(Held during the coffee hour after the worship
service.)
AfterWords
Rev Rick Cleaver, Trinity,
Victoria Accepts a Call
from Sherwood Park,
Alberta
The minutes of the September
meeting of presbytery reveal that
Rev Rick Cleaver preached for
the call at Sherwood Park,
Presbyterian on September 12.
That congregation, which had
been vacant for 26 months,
subsequently issued a Gospel
Call to Rev Cleaver.
As a result, Trinity, Victoria
was subsequently preached
vacant on Sunday, October 3 by
Presbytery.
Rev Rick will be missed at
Trinity, where he was much
appreciated, particularly his work
among young folk.
We would wish Rick and
family every good wish on your
behalf as he makes his way back
to Alberta.
Our prayers will be with
Trinity as they proceed to fill
their vacancy.
…ed
BOSA Increases in Volume
Wow, a conductor‟s greatest dream comes true –
four new members in one practice and they all re-
turned for the next practice! Just in time for Christ-
mas…what a present. As well we had two new
members join us as last season wrapped up. These
two members have continued with our group and are now “old hands” at
ringing.
We are very happy to welcome Christina Lee, Debra Verwey,
Dorothy Reimer, Kelsey MacGillivray, Lynda Robertson, and Sarah
Shumanski to our handbell choir.
We have a couple of bookings on December 11 for the Christmas sea-
son at the seniors residences of Ross Place at 10:30 a.m. and St. Charles
Manor at 2:00 p.m.
We welcome anyone who would like to come and hear us at these
venues. The performances will last a brief 30 minutes.
If you know of anyone who would like us to come play for them in
the New Year – do give us a ring!
Merry Christmas to one and all and Happy New Year.
BOSA – The Bells of St. Andrew‟s
Cathie Lylock - Conductor
December 2010 4 The Link
Saturday, November 20 was the date of our annual
bazaar. This event has normally been held on the first
Saturday in November and
for a time it looked as
though the decision to
move it back may had
come back to bite us. All
the media outlets were
filled with dire warnings
of cold snowy weather as
we approached the 20th
and there were a few
nervous folks, who had
already done a ton of
work, but were wondering
if their toil had been in
vain.
As it happened the day turned out to be cold, but
nary a flake of snow was in sight. (A Presbyterian
God?)
The bazaar unfolded in its normal pattern: tea tables
were set out beautifully, stalls were groaning with
assorted goodies, new friends were made and old
friendship renewed.
The congregation‟s heartfelt thanks and
congratulations go out to this year‟s organizers: Grant
Shepard, John Mitchell and David McLean.
…ed
B
A
Z
A
A
R
Thank you to everybody
who helped to make the
bazaar a big success. It
couldn‟t have been done
without everyone‟s
donations, time and support.
The bazaar realized
approximately $7800!
Grant Shepard
2010
fotosbymitchell
St Andrew‟s Presbyterian Church December 2010 5
Neil Kempling
our webmaster tells
us that there were
43“hits” on the
latest newsletter.
…ed
True
False
Possibly
ANSWER: False. Colds are
caused by viruses, with enough
variations to give you a choice of
200 versions of a cold (which is
why you get them over and over
again). Because viruses get into
healthy cells, it's difficult to kill
them without knocking off the
good cells. This is the job of your
immune system, which usually
clears out cold viruses in a week
or two.
You can get the virus through
inhaling infected air droplets
sneezed or coughed by an infected
person, or by touching something
that an infected person has
touched and then transferring the
germs to your mouth or nose. You
don't get it from cold air, slush,
wind, or other wintry conditions.
Cold viruses are more active in
the winter, and that‟s why people
get more colds in the winter. So
what‟s the best way to ward off
this miserable virus? Wash your
hands often.
Myths
Debunked
Here…
Staying out in the cold and
wind will give you a cold.
The following is the latest blog
from Michelle Verwey.
The first months at M.I.B.E.
Graduate School for Nurses,
Indore, I have been preparing
reports on the library and computer
lab, and waiting to see how my
recommendations would be
received by the principal. I
presented the reports at the
judgement-time (or faculty)
meeting, this past week.
During the review of the
computer lab report, the school
decided to make the internet
available to students at no cost.
Antivirus software for nearly all
the school computers (9 out of 11,
and don‟t ask me why only 9) were
purchased. All the computers were
sent out to be cleaned of viruses.
Printing from the school
computers is still being looked
into. The principal would like to
make printing available to the
students on school property.
An LCD projector has finally
been purchased with a designated
donation. Within twenty-four
hours of the purchase of the LCD
projector, I was assisting Ms.
Singh with her Medical Surgical
class, presenting on electro-
diagnostic tests (with videos, ooh
aah). This gift of the projector has
The Sari Diaries metamorphosed the pace of my
classes, making them run
smoother and more efficiently.
Soon the students will be utilizing
it for their class presentations.
Thank you, Mr. Duncan, for your
generosity.
The library assessment and
recommendations report was
extensive. Mamta, the principal,
was pleased with the quality of the
assessment, which pleased me. By
the end of the four-hour faculty
meeting, we had walked through
the library and every
recommendation I made for the
library was approved. The work
was to begin on Monday. And it
did. Mr. Matthews and I began
investigating computerized library
cataloguing software, Matthew
and Dillip Beck began sorting
through the textbooks (they found
a book from 1893), and painting
began.
We have since sorted through
all the textbooks, a carpenter is
fixing broken bookcases, and
library software is being installed.
Mamta has informed me the
whole of the Mid-India Board of
Examiners General Board will be
meeting in the library on
December 9th, 2010. “The library
must be done by December 9th.”
So the work continues.
And God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes; and
there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any
more pain....
Rev. 21:4
In Loving Memory
Lorraine Straw -Nov 22
Joined 1968
December 2010 6 The Link
Catechism How did God keep these promises?
God led the people out of exile and brought them back to their own land. A
suffering and persecuted people, they looked for the coming of God‟s
anointed one, the Messiah, to restore and renew their life and hope. His
coming would continue the story of salvation which began in creation and
unfolded throughout Israel‟s history. The Promised One would fulfil the
covenant and begin a new chapter in the story of salvation.
Ezek 37:14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will
place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the
Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.
Isa 11:1-4 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch
shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on
him. ... His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall
judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but
with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with
equity for the meek of the earth;
Heb 8:6 But Jesus has now obtained a more excellent ministry, and to
that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has
been enacted through better promises.
Whom did God send as Messiah?
God sent his only Son, Jesus of Nazareth, to be the Messiah, or Christ (both
words mean „anointed one‟) the fulfilment of God‟s promise to Israel. He is
the one promised by God, anointed to save us from sin and death.
Mt 1:16 And Jacob the Father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom
Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.
Jn 1:41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have
found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).
Jn 3:17 “Indeed, God did not send the son into the world to condemn
the world, but in order that the world might be saved through
him.”
The things
People Say…..
Many will
remember when the
time came to buy a
first home of their
own. Obtaining a mortgage was
high on the list of imperatives as it
is now. An appointment was made
with the bank manager and there
we sat, virtually with cap in hand
while he looked over our meagre
resources and examined our so-
called collateral, pondering
whether or not to approve us for
the loan. We would be successful.
Then followed the years of stress:
some months wondering how the
payment could be made, but, by
and large, made it was.
Think of today: we are
bombarded with financial
institutions begging us to use one
of their cards and employing
multitudes of incentives and so-
called painless credit.
It does seem that the shoe is on
the other foot. After all, if we pay
our credit cards on time, the
institution will go broke. They
depend on us making late
payments in order to show a
profit.
Who Knew?
P resbytery has constituted a
special committee under the
chairmanship of Rev Charles Scott
with a view to taking a strategic
overview of the congregations
within its bounds.
The committee has had several
meetings and more are planned.
We will report on their findings
and recommendations as they be-
come available.
…ed
Many of us enjoy the coffee time held after church on Sunday.
There are a faithful few who work hard to exercise their gift of
hospitality to make sure that we have a time of fellowship and
community each and every Sunday. They give us an
opportunity to socialize, deepen friendships, share our joys, and
show or love and concern for one another.
Please pray about your spiritual gifts and be willing to exercise your gift
of hospitality. You will be able to help us all feel a part of our church
home and be able to welcome the newcomer among us. 1 Let brotherly
love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing
some have unwittingly entertained angels. Hebrews 13:1-2.
When you are making up your Christmas list remember the gift of
hospitability that you can give your church, sign up for coffee time and
entertain an angel.
Sabine Teetzel
St Andrew‟s Presbyterian Church December 2010 7
Advent Dinner - November 27, 2010
fotosbylee&mitchell
St Andrew‟s TnT group of women held their fourth
successful Advent celebration on Saturday,
November 27. It was a family night and as you can
see from the photos everyone had a great time.
Congratulations go out to TnT, we appreciate all
you do for us
…ed
December 2010 8 The Link
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O Little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see you lie!
Above your deep and dreamless
sleep
The silent stars go by:
Yet in your dark streets shining
Is everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the
years
Are met in you tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary;
And, gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels
keep
Their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.
How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive
Him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
O holy child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in;
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tiding tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Immanuel
The writer of this hymn, Phillips
Brooks, was born in Boston,
Mass. in 1835. A graduate of
Harvard, Brooks trained for the
Episcopalian ministry, and served
in two Philadelphia churches
before being called to Boston‟s
Church of the Holy Trinity.
There his skill as a preacher
packed his church, and invitations
to preach came from far and wide.
Brooks was so well known and
admired for his preaching that he
had conferred on him honorary
degrees from leading universities,
including Oxford, and was the
first American to preach in the
Royal Chapel at Windsor. Brooks
was elected Bishop of
Massachusetts in 1891 at the age
of 56, but he passed away two
years later. Although learned,
Brooks was not
an academic,
and his pen
went to
produce this
carol rather
than enduring and heavy
theological works. He is
remembered as one who,
luminously and passionately,
represented the full and joyous
life that is open to all who accept
Christ as the revelation of what
God is, and what man may aspire
to be. His preaching was
passionate, his message simple
and is reflected in the words of
this hymn.
Ironically, when he died in
1893 at the peak of his career,
America was in the midst of a
serious economic depression that
caused great suffering.
Brooks writes with such
simplicity of a Bethlehem
sleeping under a starry sky. The
reality was that Bethlehem at the
time of Jesus birth was governed
by the local king Herod and
supervised by the Romans. Pax
Romana!. Dreamless sleep may
have been the exception rather
than the rule.
Poor
Bethlehem was
and is, a modest
hilltop town not
far from
Jerusalem. This
little town was
close to the
trade and travel routes of the
Middle East and trodden by
peoples on the move for centuries.
Because of the Roman
occupation any extraordinary
happening in Bethlehem was
likely to be reported widely in
Asia to the East,
and the nations
around the
Mediterranean
Sea and beyond
to the West; into
Egypt and Africa to the South and
ultimately to Europe to the North.
A perfect nexus from which the
Good News was to travel to the
ends of the earth. It is sad that
Bethlehem is still racked with
upheaval and pain.
The well- known tune we
enjoy every Christmas is the
melody used in Britain, the USA
and Canada. It is a traditional
English tune called “Forest
Green” adapted by Ralph
Vaughan Williams.
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Immanuel
May Christmas be a time of joy
and peace for all,
John Parkinson
It is sad that
Bethlehem is still racked
with upheaval and pain
St Andrew‟s Presbyterian Church December 2010 9
~ Prayer Chain ~
Ruth McCowan
250-589-7413
A Child’s Prayer
Thank you, Lord for grandmas and grandpas. Thank you for the stories they tell us and the things they help us make. Thank you that they have time to tie our shoes and take us for walks. Please bless them all.
Marjorie and John Allan
were found in good spirits by
Jean and Arthur Marcellus,
during a recent visit with
them in Nanaimo. Marjorie
was particularly busy during
the Olympics as she took care
of her grandson, Tavish, as
both his parents, Andrew and
Jen were assigned to security for the event. Andrew worked long hours
with Sonny, his RCMP police dog, and now works out of the Richmond
detachment; Jen now works at the Surrey Detachment.
Both Marjorie and John shared many St Andrew‟s memories (both
fond and humorous!!) with us and wanted their very best wishes passed
on to the congregation for this Christmas Season.
Jean Marcellus
Session
In November session worked hard
with the finance committee to
create a workable budget for all
the programs around St Andrew‟s.
We have been gifted with a
dedicated treasurer and are
thankful that he works so hard for
the betterment of St Andrew‟s.
We ask that all of St Andrew‟s
prayerfully consider the PAR
program so that we can work
together towards the goal of
financial stability. The PAR
program will ensure an even
stream of contributions that make
day to day bookkeeping much
easier for the finance committee
Session wishes you an advent
season full of anticipation for
God‟s great gift and a peaceful
and joyful Christmas.
Sabine Teetzel
December 2010 10 The Link
Looking Ahead
Dec. 9 Blue Christmas -5:30
Dec. 12 Christmas Pageant
Dec. 16 Join Your Pipes with
Ours
Dec. 19 Christmas Sunday
Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Service 7pm
Church office hours: 9am to 2pm
Have a Good One Linkstaff‟s wish for its readers is
health and happiness for the
Christmas, New Year season.
This is a time, of course to be
grateful for the things that we
have, rather than wish for more-
more-more. If we count our
blessings we‟re almost certain to
find that we are fortunate bunch
in St Andrew‟s.
As we wind our way through
the Advent, Christmas season let
our thoughts turn to the greatest
gift mankind has known, the gift
of Jesus Christ.
Leona Johns
Mary and Bill McColl
St. Andrew’s Alert Some will remember the wall
coverings which used to adorn
the walls in the Gym.
If you know anything at all
about the whereabouts of these
hangings will you please contact
David McLean at 250-598-4432
…ed
Throughout its existence, St Andrew‟s has recognised many types of
anniversaries, memorial and events. Here is a timeline of some of them:
