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S T. A N D R E W ’ S U N I T E D C H U R C H N E W S L E T T E R
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St. Andrew’s United Church
479 Upper Paradise Road
Hamilton, ON L9C 5E2
Ministry Team:
Laurie and Greg White
The Apostle Editors:
Barbara Brockway
Don Brockway
Anne Matheson
Web Site
www.standrewsunitedhamilton.ca
Upcoming Services & Events
2
Upcoming Fundraising Concerts
3
From our Members
4
Congregational Board
6
From our Members (Cont’d..)
7
News from the Pews
8
In the Life of St. Andrew’s United
9
Upcoming Services & Events
Friday, April 11, 6:30 p.m. - SOS Women’s Night Out (Supporting our St. Andrew’s Sisters) will
be at Slainte, 33 Bowen Street. (East of John and South of Main). Let Laurie know if you plan to
attend (by Apr. 9th)
Saturday, April 12, 5:30 -7:30pm - Messy Church – in CE Hall. Craft and activities. Experience a
Bible story together. All ages. Sloppy Joes & Salad for dinner – freewill offering. RSVP to Laurie if
you can come. See how Easter & Lego go together.
Sunday, April 13 - Palm Sunday parade with a twist! Bring good used coats/jackets to put at front
of the church – just as cloaks were thrown before Jesus as he entered Jerusalem. Coats and jackets
will be donated to Eva’s project, New Horizons. Children will present “Walk Thru Holy Week” (some
changes from last year) at coffee hour after church. Children can bring stuffed animals to decorate
the “money changers stall”.
Thursday, April 17, 7:00 p.m. – Maundy Thursday. We will be having “Spiritual Practices” with a
Lenten and Easter theme in the sanctuary. A time of quiet reflection. This will be followed by an
informal communion.
Friday, April 18. 10:30 a.m. – Good Friday – United Church moderator, Rev. Gary Paterson, will
be leading this service at Mohawk College (McIntyre Theatre). All are welcome. Then at 5:00 PM
our Good Friday Potluck Dinner Theatre will begin. Bring a dish to share and enjoy a
presentation written by our own Greg.
Sunday, April 20 – Easter Sunday – an Easter celebration service.
Saturday, April 26, 4:30 - 9 p.m. - Youth group to host a “Kid’s Night In, Parent’s Night Out”
at the church. Movies, games, food and fun for a per-child fee. Kids bring PJ’s. Parents get
registration form from Laurie, and start planning your big night out! Also, see June 20 below.
Sunday, April 27 – Alain Beaudin will be leading the service.
Saturday, May 3, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m - Mom to Mom Sale.– Vendor tables available. Call Astra
Ireland for more details.
Saturday, May 3, Evening - Time t.b.a. - Women’s/ Girls’ Clothing Swap – Earth Day Project
shopping in CE Hall. You bring clothes/purses or accessories that you don’t want and then we
shop...choosing and taking home items donated by others. And of course you bring appetizers/
snacks to share. Leftover clothes will be donated to Eva’s project. Clean your closets and invite your
friends! Youth will be selling scarves for Rendez-vous trip.
Cont’d...
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Sunday, May 4 - Anniversary Sunday. Guest speaker, Jeff Mahoney, Hamilton
Spectator Columnist.
THE CD COMMITTEE NEEDS YOUR HELP TODAY……could you contribute a pot of soup for
the lunch after church, in support of the group of youth going to Rendez-vous 2014? Talk to
Laurie, Astra Ireland, Shelagh Daly or Lisa Winchester.
Also….BABY PHOTO CONTEST: enter a baby or childhood or youth photo of yourself for
the “GUESS WHO?” game at lunch. $2 to enter and guess. Prize for the winner! (bring photos
to church on May 4).
Saturday, May 24 Church Yard Sale (More details to come).
Sunday, June 1 - Pentecost Sunday, Holy Spirit Awards (Wear something red).
Friday, June 20, Time- t.b.a. - St. Andrew’s (adults) Evening Grand River Cruise. Kids are
invited to the church where the youth group will provide movies, games, food for a per-child
fee. Kids bring PJ’s. Registration form from Laurie. Talk to Jennifer Harwood or Heather Pyke for
a cruise ticket!
Upcoming Fundraising Concerts
As you are no doubt aware, our church roof needs to be replaced. This is a LARGE expenditure
and will take time to raise funds to pay for it. We are hoping a couple of concerts will help to get
the ball rolling. Mark these on your calendars now.
Sunday, May 25 – 2:30 p.m. – Combined concert with KALEIDOSCOPE SINGERS (50-60
voices) and ST. ANDREW’S CHANCEL CHOIR (40 + voices). You won’t want to miss this!
There will be NO tickets for sale but admission is $10 at the door. The monies raised will be
divided between the 2 choirs. SO COME AND BRING LOTS OF FRIENDS!
Friday, December 12:00– 7:00 p.m.– Back by popular demand SCOTT WOODS will be
putting on an OLD TIME CHRISTMAS concert here at St. Andrew’s. Although tickets and
posters have not been printed yet, we’ve already had requests for tickets! So mark your calendars,
invite your family and friends and be prepared to enjoy another great SCOTT WOODS concert
3
From Our Members
MEDITATION: It's good for
you
By Neil Galloway
In some form or another, you may already be
meditating and not know it! People around the
world use meditation in its various forms. It is
not just the arcane secret of some mysterious
sect in the remote hinterlands of southern Asia
It is a down-to-earth, back-to-the-basics sort of
thing. The Reverend Canon Patrick Doran,
Rector of St Paul’s Anglican Church in
Hamilton. Ontario, says, "Meditation is not
seeking escape from reality It is, in fact, a way
of living that grounds you more directly in
reality." The world 's major religions include
meditation, to a greater or lesser degree, in
their rituals. Islam, Taoism, Buddhism,
Judaism, and Christianity all use some aspects
of meditation. However, you don't have to he
a regular worshipper or attend religious
services every week to benefit from meditation.
Many
people in their daily activities or
hobbies practice meditation; for example:
while grocery shopping, weeding the garden,
painting, or writing. Some people claim that
everything we do is a form of meditation.
Other methods of meditation, include: Breath
Meditation, Creative Meditation, e.g., Writing,
Drawing, Sculpting, Guided Imagery,
Mindfulness Meditation, Mantra or Sound
Meditation, Movement Meditation, e.g.,
walking, jogging, and more formalized forms
that include Buddhism Islam (Sufi), QIGong,
Tai Chi, Taoism, Transcendental Meditation,
Hatha Yoga, Classic Zen Buddhist Meditation,
meditations from other cultures, e.g., First
Nations and other indigenous people, and of
course, Prayer can also be a form of
meditation.
In the simplest terms, the prime purpose of
meditation is to calm your inner soul. Heather
Greaves, a longtime practitioner and Yoga
teacher says, "Meditation can clear your
emotions, increase your energy level, reduce
the impact of stress, and improve your ability
to concentrate."
Some people, who are deeply devoted to the
practice of meditation, reach a level of bliss
called enlightenment. It takes many years of
practice to reach this level. The first step of
this journey to enlightenment requires no
more than concentrating on an activity or an
object. Objects can include things such as a
burning candle, or a spot on the wall, or by
concentrating on a sound - a mantra. Some
QiGong and Yoga practitioners concentrate
on their breathing. Studies have shown that
meditation lowers blood pressure; reduces
stress levels; relieves depression; and increases
self-confidence, self-awareness, and general
health.
Mahanshi Mahesh Yogi introduced the first
simple, widely usable form of meditation,
Transcendental Meditation, to the West in the
1970s. Based on Hindu cosmology, TM uses
personal mantras assigned by the teacher.
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Many people, when they think of Yoga, think of people sitting in awkward, uncomfortable
positions. However, the well-known Lotus Position represents only one part of Yogic practice. Yoga
has several different paths and they don't all include awkward body positions! These paths include
those that emphasize action and service to others, the love of God, intellectual striving, physical and
mental exercise, and techniques for controlling both mind and body.
Sufism is a mystical sect of Islam. Meditation is an important part of the Sufi way. The Sufi
method is a dynamic method. It involves spinning yourself around until you fall down. Then
you meditate while feeling the world spin around beneath you.
QiGong (pronounced chee gong) is an ancient Chinese system of mind and body
maintenance based on Taoist principles It is based on the concept of chi (energy) which flows
through the body in meridian pathways. Specific exercises open these meridians so that the
energy can flow freely. The exercises are simple. People who are ill or injured can do many of
them. While doing the exercises, the mind should remain in a meditative state. You can practice
QiGong while sitting, standing, or walking.
Tai Chi developed from QiGong. It is a form of martial art, but does not involve th
strenuous punches and kicks seen in Karate movies. The flowing, graceful movements of Tai
Chi free the passage of life-force energy (chi) through the body's meridians. Although
it is more complex than QiGong, anyone, young or old, healthy or ill, can benefit from
T'ai Chi.
Zen Buddhism, which dates from around AD. 1200, meditation, or zazen, is the
way to reach enlightenment. Zen Buddhists claim that Zen cannot be understood
intellectually. It can only be experienced, never described. Zazen involves, among other techniques,
the
contemplation of riddles called koans. A koan is a statement or question that appears irrational
(What is the sound of one hand clapping?), but makes sense to an enlightened person.
You can experience some benefits of meditation on your own. However, you should not
try serious, deep meditation until you have received instructions from a qualified teacher.
After choosing the object on which to concentrate, sit comfortably in a quiet area. While
concentrating, try to clear your mind of all extraneous thoughts (all the many different
meditation traditions have one thing in common - learning how not to think!). Thinking of
nothing sounds easy, doesn't it? Actually, it is quite difficult to do. Those nagging thoughts keep
coming back. When they do, let them float away and return your attention to your concentration
target.
If you get serious about meditation and want to travel further along the path to enlightenment, first find a
qualified teacher. Many recreation facilities and the YMCA and YWCA have courses in Tai Chi and Yoga.
Try one. If you do not feel comfortable, try another course, or another teacher. As you gain familiarity and
knowledge of the resources available in your area, you may pursue your studies further into the mysteries of
a not-so-mysterious quest for inner peace.
Congregational Board
Jennifer Harwood, 2013 Chair, passes the gavel on to Chris Mills,
incoming Chair for 2014. Thank you Jennifer for a job well done
and all the best to Chris as he takes on the role.
6
From Our Members
2014 marks 75 years since the start of WWII.
Yvonne Harrison, a choir member, was a child
growing up in London England at that time. She
has written about her memories of those years.
AN EVENING IN WARTIME LONDON,
ENGLAND - by Yvonne Harrison
We had to leave the cinema as the siren had
sounded and an air-raid was in progress.
Although it was early in the evening, it was dark
outside. We ran down the steps and saw a tram
approaching. However, it was full to overflowing
and my cousin said she did not fancy being in a
crowded tram during an air-raid. So we decided
to walk to my cousin’s home, about 5 miles. My
cousin, known to me as “Auntie Phil,” was
around 26 years of age and I was only 9.
We set off down Streatham High Street and,
apart from hearing the sound of planes and also
gunfire in the distance, the evening was fairly
quiet and we proceeded down Mitcham Lane
towards the outskirts of Mitcham to my cousin’s
house. We lived with her at present as our house
had an unexploded bomb in the garden (but that
is another story). As we neared a railway bridge
we heard the whistle of a bomb and an A.R.P
warden on the other side of the road shouted,
“duck” so we dropped to the ground, my cousin
into a bit of a puddle from earlier rain. The
bomb exploded some distance away with a loud
bang.
We continued to walk and at last we turned into
my cousin’s street but there was a railway line at
the end of the road where an anti-aircraft gun
travelled up and down firing at enemy planes. A
lot of red-hot shrapnel was pinging all around
us, so we knocked on the door of the all-night
bakery at the corner of the street and asked for
shelter until things quietened down a bit. It was
lovely and warm in the bakery and there was the
delicious smell of baking bread. After a short
time the “All Clear” sounded and we were able
to continue on to our house near the end of the
street.
Next morning I took a little wooden box and
went up and down the street collecting some of
the shrapnel (bits of sharp jagged metal) which
we had sheltered from on the previous evening.
It was quite a collection - I wonder what
happened to it!
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Need a ride to church?
If you do, call NORM JARVIS to make
arrangements. We are in need of more drivers.
If you can help out (it need not be every week),
again get in touch with Norm.
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From the Mouths of
Children…….
A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons,
Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue
over who would get the first pancake. Their
mother, seeing an opportunity for a moral
lesson, said, “If Jesus were sitting here, he would
say, “Let my brother have the first pancake; I
can wait.” Kevin turned to his younger brother
and said, “Ryan, YOU be Jesus”!
A teacher asked the children in her Sunday
School class, “Why are we quiet in church?”
A little girl replied, “Because people are
sleeping?”
7
News From The Pews
We are saddened by the loss of four members of our St. Andrew’s Church family since Christmas.
Loving thoughts and prayers are with these families.
Isabel (Bella) Street passed away on Dec. 14, 2013. Bella had been a faithful attendee at church
until moving into a nursing home. On Feb. 2 William (Bill) McMullen died just 5 months after he
and his wife, Shirley, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Roy Cannon, a member from Mount
Hamilton, died Feb. 8, less than a year after he lost his wife, Garda. On Mar. 25 Rupert Irving lost
his battle with cancer. He was the dear husband of Enid Irving.
During the winter, others in our congregation lost beloved family members. We offer our love and
sincere condolences at this time.
Dayle Knowles lost her mother and just a couple of days later her husband, Brad, lost his
stepfather. Eleanor Thorne’s sister-in-law passed away in Kingston. Ann Wilson lost her mother at
the end of Jan. and her brother at the end of March
..And welcomed into the world with love
On November 17, the 3rd grandchild, for Donna and Harry Bower. JASON LEVI KEIR is the
son of Sarah Bower and Shawn Keir.
On November 20, CELESTE ROSELEEN BUNN was born to Adrienne and Steve Bunn. She is a
granddaughter for Tom and Eileen Bunn.
LILY CHARLOTTE arrived in time for Christmas on Dec. 21. She is the granddaughter of Karen
Galer and special cousin to Karen Savoy. Congratulations to Mom and Dad, Charmian Galer and
Shaun Ing.
...And upcoming special birthdays
April 18 June 1 June 21 July 19 July 30 August 3 August 30 September 19
Anne Whittle’s 88th (Anne was born 3 days before Queen Elizabeth!)
Joyce Lowden will be 85
Isabelle Jamieson turns 94
Fred Fraser will be 91
Ed Hare will celebrate his 100th birthday! WOW!
Irene Mordeca turns 85
Marj Fraser will be 94
Dorothy Antrobus turns 90
1964 must have been a good year. Celebrating 50th Anniversaries:
August 8
Don and Barbara Brockway
August 15 Richard and Joan Cooke
September 12
Syd and Jean Spera
October 10 Harry and Lydia DeJong (married right here at St. Andrew’s)
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In the Life of St.Andrew’s
BAPTISMS
February 16
CARMILLA THERESA GUZZO – daughter of Richard Guzzo and Ray Burns
JACKSON DOUGLAS HARRON – son of Mandy and Corey Harron
LINCOLN ROBERT HARRON – son of Mandy and Corey Harron
WESTON EDWARD GOWER HARRON - son of Mandy and Corey Harron
(Jackson, Lincoln and Weston are all grandsons of Linda and Wayne Harron)
NEW MEMBER TRANSFERS
March 16
JULIA BRDAREVIC- from St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, Markham
SARAH CLARKE – from Olivet United, Hamilton
EVA JACKSON –from Millgrove United, Millgrove
SUSAN LOWREY – from Melrose United, Hamilton
VAL LOWREY – from Melrose United, Hamilton
BOB MONTGOMERY – from Chedoke Presbyterian, Hamilton
STELLA PISSEY – from Olivet United, Hamilton
HEATHER PYKE - from Pilgrim Lutheran, Hamilton
BEN ROTH – from Bethany-Newton United, Surrey B.C.
JANNETTE ROTH – from Bethany-Newton United, Surrey B.C.
IAN WALTENBURY – from Millgrove United, Millgrove
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