Parish Update - July 8th, 2020

Mary's Reflections

Selinde’s advice when contributing to the Parish Update was to be aware of what is heard, seen or experienced and then the idea will come.

Well, I was thankful today, Thursday July 2nd, that I was driving back from a physio appointment in Nanaimo, along with the rest of BC who seemed to have invaded the island, when a billboard sign just past the Shell Gas Station/Tim Hortons area caught my eye. It’s on the right and in bold red capital lettering was the statement: “BE DEBT FREE”. I thought to myself, Hmm, wouldn’t that be nice...no more monthly payments on anything!  Dreaming as I was and thinking about that as I raced closer to home with a semi ready to climb up the back of my car, it suddenly occurred to me that I am debt free - Oh, not from the world’s perspective, but from God’s.  So I mused about that thought for awhile and then it occurred to me that the Bible tells us that All who Believe in Christ Deserve Eternal life and that this is not earned but is a Free Gift of God’s Grace.

So my thoughts went onto the rest of the alphabet and I wondered - Who is God? I know that God is Holy and became Incarnate in Jesus. Then my mind took me to Jesus and who he is, and I realized he became a Man and was and still is the Mediator between God and us, and that the cross was the Method where my debt was paid in full.... Eureka!!  Who would have thought that a billboard could have conjured up all these thoughts, but by the time I had arrived home, I decided to put pen to paper!

A thought to leave you with...Next time you’re passing this area of the highway keep an eye out for this sign and know that your debts have been paid in full by a God who loves each one of us unconditionally, and if you can say your ABC’s and believe it then you are debt free. (Look at the bold lettering above).

Abundant Blessings to us all.

Fred H did another beautiful woodworking project for a NEW trellis by the church entrance that will accomdate a clematis.  Thank you Fred!  

A photographer on vacation was inside a church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read '$10,000 per call'. The American, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what the telephone was used for. The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God. The American thanked the priest and went along his way. Next stop was in Atlanta. There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same golden telephone with the same sign under it. He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in Orlando and he asked a nearby nun what its purpose was. She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God. O.K., thank you, said the American. He then traveled to Indianapoli, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston and New York. In every church he saw the same golden telephone with the same '$10,000 per call' sign under it. The American, upon leaving Vermont, decided to travel up to Canada to see if Canadians had the same phone. He arrived in Canada, and again, in the first church he entered, there was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read '40 cents per call.' The American was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign.  'Father, I've traveled all over America and I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in the US the price was$10,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?' The priest smiled and answered, 'You're in Canada now, son ... it's a local call.'   KEEP SMILING If you are proud to be a Canadian pass this on!     And last but not least....