Home arrow Minister's Update arrow VPC Minister's Update for week leading up to July 5, 2009
VPC Minister's Update for week leading up to July 5, 2009 PDF Print E-mail

Here is some of the news of our life this week:

It is a green, green day in July and for Manitobans that means it is time to get serious about summer. I hope your summer brings good things that renew, refresh and re-create. One of my favorite authors, Barbara Brown Taylor was on CBC Radio a few weeks ago (with all that driving I get to listen to some good radio programs) and she said that your body is the home of your soul. Paul says essentially the same thing to the church at Corinth: Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God (1 Corinthians 6:19). Something to ponder while you are out in the middle of the lake in the boat fishing this summer is this:

* We may not say it this way in words but we usually think of our souls as informing our bodies. But have you ever thought of your body as informing your soul. What is your body teaching your soul? What does your body go through in a day working in the barn, in the field, or at the office? For example, isn’t it amazing that your body heals after it accidently gets scratched and poked by sharp things? And it usually heals all on its own! What does your soul learn from that? What about the scars our bodies carry around everyday. What does the soul learn from those scars? (okay I’ll stop now). Have a summer filled with blessings!



At the Annual meeting of Conference in May one of the guest speakers, Gail Asper encouraged us to Celebrate Often. The congregations of Valley like to celebrate. The worship services these past two Sundays have been a rich time of celebration, with the powerful acts of Baptism, Confirmation, and Communion at the centre of the worship services at Green Ridge, Dominion City, and St. Andrew’s. Add in a couple of weddings too. I am grateful to be a part of such worshipping and celebrating communities.



It is evident that the new choir location at the front of the sanctuary at St. Andrew’s is a good one. We will continue this way. Again, please contact your Worship Committee Janet Turton and/or Marni Beninger to voice any comments you may have.



Pastoral Prayers:

· Our thoughts and prayers are with Ruth Frederickson, Maurice Paley, and all those who are in hospital at this time. Also our thoughts and prayers are with our shut ins.

· Prayers of peace for all farmers: peace in the chaos of flooded fields, peace in the anxiety of harvests to come, peace in the injustice of low grain, cattle, and pig prices.



As some of you know, Cheryl has moved temporarily to South Carolina to teach. She writes this: I'm having a difficult time with writing emails for some reason. Henry has said that more than one person wants to know "How I'm Doing." When he relayed the message from our good friend, Robert Skinner, that I was "to write and let people know How I am Doing", well, I figured I should make an effort to get around the writing block. Since I'm having such difficulty in getting started, where does one start after such a big move? I decided I'd write up a series of questions and respond to them. So, here goes. How are you Doing? I'm Doing good. I'm happy, I feel productive, I feel I'm "fitting in". Do I miss work in Pembina? No. Do I miss Emerson? Sometimes. I'll probably miss it more in mid-July and August, when I'll be cooking. BUT, Henry will be coming down. I miss my boys..er..young men. I miss Sharen, but we talk on the phone every other week or so. I miss my "choir buddies". I miss Barbara, her sermons, and most of all, her singing. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha", "My mother made me mash my m&ms" "Papa picked a pot of peas"..puff your cheeks now! Have I found a church? Yes. Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church..and a neighbor, Mary, who wants to go with me. They have a choir, not certain I have time for it though. I'll sit in a pew with Mary. I need to digress. It appears that wherever I move, I am close to "Mary". Mary D I worked with, Mary Love moved in next door to us in Emerson, and now, in Mount Pleasant, I have my "Mary" downstairs in the little condominium complex I live in. Where are you living? I live on a very quiet spit of land (yes, I said spit) that has a condominium sixplex. I live upstairs (over Mary). Out my bedroom window, I see a salt pond. Out my living room sliding glass doors, I see a marsh that has the tide coming in and out of it. It is quiet, the birds are active and beautiful - egrets and sand cranes - cardinals and red finches. Where do you work? I am working about 20 minutes away at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center with Customs and Border Protection as an Import Specialist Course Developer/Instructor in Charleston, South Carolina. Holy cow, am I busy. Learn, learn, learn. I'm enjoying it. I'm at work by 7:00 in the morning and usually don't get away until close to 5:00 if not 5:30 when class is in session. Weekends are good. How is the weather? Warm (sometimes HOT) and muggy. 80's and 90's (25-30 C) with 76% humidity. I'm slowly adjusting. I work in air conditioning, I live in air conditioning..I'll be fine in July and August. Just not outside much! Have I been to the beach? No. How am I? I'm doing really well. This is a good place to be at this time in my life. Will I come back to Emerson? Probably..five years is a long time..and sometimes only a breath! Love, Cheryl



I was driving down Bishop Grandin Boulevard about a week ago and traffic was stopped for sometime while about 25 geese slowly crossed the highway. I felt sad that the geese had to make their habitat on a busy city highway.



May and June have been full with ministry, management, and meetings. Four weeks of vacation is a welcome gift to me and I will be taking three of those weeks very soon. We plan to drive to Calgary to visit our daughter Danielle (who got engaged 2 weeks ago). Also my sister and her husband will be visiting from Alabama, so we will be enjoying some good family time. I am glad that Bob and Myrna will be your ministers in my absence. You are in wonderful hands (and you know it too).



Summerfest: Laurel Seyfert, the Lutheran pastor from Emerson, Dave Lepp, the Mennonite pastor from Arnaud, Bev Kirkpatrick from Dominion City, and myself met a few weeks ago to plan the Ecumenical Worship Service that is coming up this Sunday at 10:30 am. It was a rich meeting full of openness, respect, and humour. As we spoke about each of the communities in and around our areas it became evident that each one is unique in its own way. Yet, like the Jews and the Samaritans in the biblical story, we find ways of worshiping together as one in our diversities. Thus the theme for the service is taken from the story of The Good Samaritan. I will be presiding at the service, and offering a Children’s Time. Laurel will be preaching, and Dave will offer the Prayers of the People. Dave and his wife have a new baby which makes 4 children all under 5 years old! Congratulations to the Lepp family!


Pray for PEACE! Work for JUSTICE! Sing for JOY!
Barbara

As always, I am grateful for your comments, questions, suggestions and wisdom in anything you read here. Email me at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it