SASS Newsletter – emailed on March 24 2020
Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,
Things are not as they seem. That’s the fundamental conviction of the last book of the Bible. Things are not as they seem, or more precisely, things are not only as they seem. There is more to reality than meets our unaided senses. There is more to the present moment than we can know with our unaided intellect and emotions.
We held our first online service on March 22 2020 and it seems to have gone really well. An AUDIO recording of the sermon is included on our website, under "sermons", (if you scroll down on the homepage you will see a list of the latest sermon recordings.)
A VIDEO recording of the sermon is online and available on YOUTUBE. Daniel set up a YouTube Channel for SASS at - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGXMp0WWuxQoTIdt_S7IygA
Some folks have asked about giving their weekly offerings etc to the church. I have spoken to Frances and Sandi and there are a few ways to keep giving:-
- Send a cheque to the church office.
- If you have a PAYPAL account - Go to our church homepage and scroll down and click on “DONATE NOW”, in order to donate directly via your PAYPAL account. You will be asked to complete a form with your name and contact details. Select “SASSPC – Online Donations” from the drop down list under CAMPAIGNS. Click on “NEXT STEPS”. You will be asked to fill out your billing address (which for most of us we can simply click the “same as mailing address”). You will then be redirected to your PAYPAL account to authorise your donation.
- Sandi Romain can setup up for PAR (Pre-Authorised Remittance). This is a monthly direct debit from your bank account. Sandi is willing to set this up even for a short period for anyone interested. Go to - http://www.sasspc.bc.ca/index.cfm?i=3644&mid=1000&id=509222 for more details. You need to compete the PAR authorisation attached and mail it directly to Sandi with a VOID CHEQUE. Sandi’s contact details are as follows :-
SANDI ROMAIN
2208 Sorrento Drive
Coquitlam, BC V3K 6H5
604-931-6695
romainsandi@hotmail.com
Every day we wake up during these strange times and before long we are face to face with the latest news and developments with regards COVID-19. In some ways it feels like everything else has stopped because of this awful disease. But life goes on for all of us. For many in our congregation they continue to struggle with health and age related difficulties and so I encourage you today to continue to pray for Don Campbell, Muriel Dionne, Jean & Alan Bone, Margaret Williams, Kel Keyser, Penny McDonald, David Forrest, David Ballentine, Liz Lilley, Lorne Dennis, Joanne Graham, Jim Hall and Dean Scott. Alan and Dean are residents in Lynn Valley Care Center which is bearing the brunt right now of this COVID-19 outbreak on the North Shore. Let’s keep everyone in our prayers associated with LVCC. Let’s pray for the health care workers who are on the frontline fighting to defeat this unseen reality. Let’s pray for those in our congregation who have friends and/or family members who have tested positive for this vurus.
Some hope filled news – we have rescheduled our Mission Trip to Mexico for August 30th. So keep praying that the current team will all be able to go, and keep praying for the Zacarias-Mendoza family. (Levier, Amanda, Levier Jnr & Eimi) We are not certain if YUGO has gone ahead and built them a house or whether they will have to wait until our team goes down.
Also Daniel is hoping to stream a Bible Study on Thursday mornings from the church, using ZOOM. Keep your eye on news on our website, and on our facebook page for updates on that. (www.facebook.com/sasspc)
These past two weeks have been a whirlwind for all of us, for our world. There is an unseen reality gripping our world in more ways than one. That unseen reality is forcing us to stop the interaction of humanity. Made for relationship we are now in a time and space when we are being told to stay away from each other. Physically we can NOT be together. But we can still connect via email, phone, twitter, facebook, SKYPE, etc.
Why not connect with someone in the congregation and ask them to be a prayer partner? Commit to “meeting” at some point every week and praying together over the internet. If you are part of a LifeGroup don’t stop “meeting.” Connect somehow to support, encourage and pray for one another.
Last week in order to prepare for the Sunday service I checked what lectionary readings were to be read on March 22nd. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the 23rd Psalm was there. I don’t think there is a better prayer for all of us at this moment in time.
Pray this prayer every day this week. Pray it and believe in its truth. God bless you all this week.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley, a
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Rev. Martin Baxter
