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Minister's Message Friends, Years ago, there was a Peanuts comic strip where Charlie Brown says: “I've developed a new philosophy. I only dread one day at a time.” These are times in which it is easy to be overcome with a sense of dread – personally or as we look at the global scene. Admittedly, there is progress in dreading one day at a time, instead of dreading days, weeks, years. And yet, I don’t believe God wants us to live out our days in dread. Some things which we dread, we cannot control, so we needn’t spin our wheels over them. Some things, where we have a genuine dread, we need to find ways to avoid, or take control, or change the dreaded circumstances. God invites us to live one day at a time in the love of God – conscious of the nearness of our Lord -- conscious of God’s compassion. The writer of the Psalms shares this wisdom with us: “So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” (Ps. 90:12.) “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Ps. 55:22.) St. Paul, in his Letter to the Ephesians reminds us that emotional garbage should not move from one day to the next: “Be angry, but do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” (Eph. 4:26.) Ronald M. Patterson, in an article called Cleaning Up The Mess, tells of visiting someone’s home in early March: “We were talking, when suddenly, I looked up on a corner shelf and noticed a Christmas ornament hanging -- almost as though it had been forgotten in the mad rush to put away the holiday season. I quickly looked away, hoping that my glance had not been noticed -- but the woman caught me. Before I could say a thing, she smiled and said: “No, I didn't forget. Every year, when I clean up the mess, I choose one ornament to leave up to remind me that Christmas is not just one day or one season -- but a lifetime. That little bulb is my reminder that Jesus walks with me every day.” God’s desire is to be with us, and for us, and in us as we navigate life’s varied circumstances. And even when things may look “dread-full” on the global and national scene, we might remember a famous carving in the west door of the church at Staunton Harold in Leicestershire, England. It says: In the midst of a world scene that inspires dread and caution, individually and collectively as a church, may we do the best things and hope them in the most calamitous of times, ever conscious of God’s grace-filled, abiding presence.
“Annoying Jesus” Last summer I preached a sermon called “Annoying Jesus”. The idea for this sermon came from a conversation with a good friend of mine, Nick, about how we hear the voice of Jesus whisper in our ear when we choose the easy route, whether it’s walking by that hungry homeless person or hanging our conversation on petty things to complain about. My friend would later write a blog entry about this “Annoying Jesus” phenomenon that really captured the point of this discussion; Chris
Another Record Year! Our 17th Annual Spring Thing was a resounding success, with $31,921 in gross sales (which is about $2,000 more than ever before) and a net profit of approximately $26,910, which is the highest ever. From the first donation to the last box loaded onto the Salvation Army truck, a lot of people put a lot of hours into making Spring Thing 2009 happen. For a while though, it looked like we might not get as many donations as we’ve had in the past, and when they did start coming in, there was concern that the quality was not as good. But the sun shone on Christ Church yesterday and the shoppers came out in droves. It has been said that “Spring Thing just happens”, but it takes a lot of work to organize and execute a garage sale on such a grand scale. Thank you to everyone who made this year’s Spring Thing so successful. It just proves that when we work together, great things happen. There are probably donations coming in for next year’s Spring Thing already. Please put Saturday, April 24, 2010 on your calendars NOW and make sure you are part of Christ Church’s greatest “friend-raising” event next year! The organizing committee for 2009 was: Joan Cobbold, chair; Jan Hurley, Volunteer Coordinator; Peggy Forde, Publicity; Marg Shaver, Leftovers pick-ups; Grace Marshall, Receiving and Sorting; Sandra Gittings-Keane. We also acknowledge the valuable contributions of Louise Sinclair, Site Manager; Doug Robinson, donation pick-ups and John Hammill, Finance Coordinator.
A CASE FOR A BOND The old cliché that “someone’s trash is another one’s treasurer” sometimes takes an interesting turn. The discovery caused more than the usual interest and intrigue. Initial reaction was to check the church roll but the name on the bond, Andrew Peterson, was not familiar to Clarke Grice, our Treasurer, who was lugging furniture around the tent. On the way back to the Hardware Department Don ran into Liz Brown who was apprised of our find. She quickly checked the rolls for several years back and came up with a matching surname and phone number. A telephone call proved to be a dead end. What do we do now?
Christ Church Women What could be nicer than catching up with friends over a hot lunch on a cold winter day? This was the scene as thirty-six women gathered in the Merigold Room after Church Service, for the 2nd Annual Winter Lunch in February. A nice break to a long winter enjoyed by all. The end of March brought 130 women from the 25 churches of Halton Presbyterial to Christ Church for their annual gathering and meeting. Many thanks to all, who helped make this day a success. The UCW was privileged to honor Jane Rodd and Jackie Fraser with Life Membership Pins during the Church Service of March 29th. Jane and Jackie, while very active in the UCW, have willingly shared their gifts and talents for many years in all aspects of church life. The Service of March 29th also included the blessing of the prayer shawls. Many of the Seekers who enjoy knitting and crocheting have provided many shawls for those who need comfort and solace during difficult times. The shawls can also be given to celebrate a special or joyous occasion. If you know of someone who would benefit from a prayer shawl, please contact the Church Office. Looking back, it certainly has been a busy year for UCW at Christ Church! As well as enjoying the Winter Lunch and hosting the Halton Annual Gathering in March (as mentioned above), we gathered for the November Retreat "Day Away" at the church and hosted the women from three local United Churches during the Advent season. And, of course, the three Units continue to meet regularly. Watch for details of the Seekers, Fellowship and NOWW Units' meetings/events this month and next and remember that all can feel welcome to attend! Enjoy a wonderful summer ... look forward to a fall gathering of UCW at Christ Church!
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