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Friday September 16th, 2022
Ministers Musing 
For some reason this week’s passage (Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1) got me thinking about the yin/yang symbol. It’s a lovely symbol of the need for both sides. The two shapes that make up the One are identical but opposite; apart they are incomplete and together they are whole. They wouldn’t be what they are supposed to be without the other half and yet each half is distinct.

It got me thinking about lament and joy; about Facebook and the six o’clock news. It got me wondering about how integrated our joy and suffering is. The social side of our lives almost demands us to present as happy, put-together, achieving, forward moving. And, yet the daily news almost demands us to focus on the danger and war and power and grief and corruption in the world.
How do we carry both? How do we help ourselves to feel joy and lament at the same time?

We can’t have one without the other. If we only allowed ourselves to feel joy we would miss out on a depth of connection to the world that God calls us to be a part of. If we only allowed ourselves to feel the weight of lament we wouldn’t be able to survive – a sense of joy is what sustains us through the lament.

It is possible to cry out for the world, it is possible for our hearts to hurt for those who are hurting; and at the same time, for us to hold a deep sense of joy – joy that we belong to God, joy that we can pray on behalf of the world, joy that we have hearts that can break because we have a love for this world that calls us to care.
 
Blessings
Julie Lees
 

Sunday Service Link 

To Everything There is a Season

Planning for a Good Death 

Speaker series begins this Wednesday, September 21st from 10:30-noon
To RSVP or for more information
contact
Colleen Blair 
or call 604 980 6071 ext 227

Notes from Allie 

Sunday children's programs start this Sunday, please ask your children to follow Allie after theme time. 
G2 (Youth choir grades 4 to 12) will meet 6 pm to 7:30 pm in the sanctuary. 
Gods Free Spirits ( age 4 to grade 3) will meet 6:30 to 7pm  in the choir room. 
For more information please contact Allie Keir or the church office.

Thursday Dinners Return! 

Please sign up here to let us know if you are coming to the 1st dinner on Sept 29, so we can plan for quantities and special dietary needs.
 

Volunteer help needed! 

  1. Chatbox ‘hosts’ for Sunday morning online worship (if you know how to say ‘good morning’ in the chat box you already have the skills needed! Training provided.)  
  2. Helpers for Thursday dinners on  Sept. 29 and/or Oct. 20.   Duties include setting up tables/chairs, serving and cleaning up from about 4:45 - 7:00 p.m. 
Please contact Sandi Parker for more information and to volunteer.Sandi.parker@highlandsunited.org 
 

Coffee This Sunday 

Upcoming Events 

Meridian Fundraiser is Back!!

Have there been tantalizing smells wafting over from your neighbour’s barbecue? Perhaps you have a hankering for sweet local peaches or juicy corn. Maybe you’re one of those uber organized people already planning your Thanksgiving feast. What a great time to stock up on gift cards for yourself or friends from our community partner, Meridian Farm Market. 30% of gift card sales ordered through Highlands is returned for the work of the church. So, as an example, if you buy spend $200, you receive $200 in gift cards and the church gets $60. How’s that for a deal?!
 
Sales will open on September 9th and will close on September 28th. Please check the Highlights for your links. 
Gift cards, which never expire, are available in the following denominations.
 
$10, $25, $50, $75, $100
 
If you’ve seen the cute little red tractor on Marine Drive but aren’t  sure what Meridian Farm Market offers, check out this 30 second video:
 
Sign up HERE and the form will take you straight to Paypal don't worry if you don't have a Paypal account just scroll done and find the pay with your credit card button.
 
 
If you have other questions, please reach out to Susan Hogman, Sandra Whittle, Julie or Ed Hunt

Janet Gear's - Undivided Love 

During Covid, Janet was the writer in residence at Highlands and wrote part of her book while she was here! If you would like to own a signed copy please visit the church office, payment of $25 for the book can be in cash or cheque written to Janet Gear.

Healing Pathway Phase 1 Workshop 

Please register for this workshop via this FORM  on the Lynn Valley Church website, limited space is available so register soon!

ELL News

Sign up by clicking HERE or the poster for Intercultural Conversations and Speakers Group, for more detail please contact Judy O'Neill or Diana Bomford

TRC News

On Sunday September 25 National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, our congregation is invited to remember the lives of children lost and survivors of the Indian Residential School system

We would like to invite everyone to order an orange “Every Child Matters” shirt to wear on the 25th.

If you are interested in purchasing a shirt, the best website to order from is Native Northwest.

 https://www.nativenorthwestselect.ca/T-shirt-Every-Child-Matters

Flea Market News.

The Flea Market is coming on Saturday, October 15 and many, many volunteers will be needed around that time.  More details to follow.
  • Sorting for the Flea Market will restart on Tuesday, August 30 at 9:00 in the Lower Hall.  The following week we will be sorting on Wednesday, Sept. 8 and thereafter on the Tuesdays.  Interested in joining in the fun of sorting - we  have lots of opportunities for both men and women. Contact: Chris Robertson.
  • If you can't help sort then maybe you can take a turn helping out at the Drop Off on Saturdays, 10:00 - 12:00.  Sign up here:

Shelter to Home

HUGG News

HUGG

National Tree Day is Wednesday September 21st
Sponsored by Tree Canada. More information here.
Tree Canada by the numbers:
• 84+ million trees planted
• 700+ communities greened
• 10 communities restored following disasters
• 13 Urban Forest Conferences hosted
 

A bold economic strategy to achieve prosperity for a liveable planet.
As leaders gather this coming week at the United Nations to deal with a raft of challenges from war to energy crises, the authors of Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity present the results of a landmark global analysis by an international team of scientists and economists warning of rising social tensions and setting out survival pathways for humanity.
 In a number of events surrounding the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week, the main authors of the book will be presenting the results. Please see this link for details of each event.
The first Symposium from Earth4All on August 30 can be viewed at this link. It’s a discussion on “Degrowth” and how an economy without growth might work.
 
How will we rid the oceans of plastic?
One of our members was encouraged by finding a well-produced video by Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch foundation developing technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. In the video, after clearly explaining the technology, Mr. Slat confidently declares, “We can now clean up 50% of the Pacific Garbage Patch in just 5 years time.”
That video is from 2017. So, how is the project going? We found several news updates:
2018: an unforeseen challenge needs to be remedied, article in the Guardian
2021: A base of operations is set up in Victoria BC, and the goal is now to remove 90% of the patch by 2040.
2022: The cleanup is back on track, with a new system that has removed 28,659 kilograms of plastic waste.
The Foundation has also developed a solution to clean plastic out of rivers before it reaches the oceans.
We are impressed by Mr. Slat’s persistent efforts for our environment since he founded the company in 2013 at age 18.
 

Opportunities to Connect

Companion Adventures
 
Have you ever wanted to go somewhere like the theater, Grouse Mountain, a restaurant or a movie but not wanted to go alone? Why not link up with others who enjoy the same activities and who would like some company. Sign up here and add your ideas, someone will be in touch either by email or phone to connect you with another person who has the same interest as you. Together we can make it happen! 
"Create or join a casual Coffee Clutch this summer" 

Gather in a small group to have a coffee - either in your home, back yard, or at one of our three Edgemont Village Coffee shops.

Simply look through the directory and invite a friend or two and possibly someone new or someone you'd like to know better.

Your choice of company, time, and place. 
If you are a bit shy to initiate a Clutch yet would like an invitation, please contact  Ann Echols 
We Welcome All!!
  • Starting in September on Mondays at 1pm in the choir room, the prayer shawl group is growing to include crafters and sewers.
  • As well our prayer shawls and toques projects we are excited to included needle crafts.
  • No need to be alone with your projects join our group for laughter, friendship and conversation.
  • contact Joy Dancey to join the group or learn more about the projects. email- jdancey@telus.net

HUC Book Circle

Last Monday of the Month Book Circle:
 
Using our usual democratic dot-voting system we have selected the following variety of books for our up-coming discussions:  

 September - The Woo Woo by Lindsay Wong (2018)

  •  a "darkly comedic" memoir that is a "harrowing and honest depiction of the vagaries of mental illness experienced by a Chinese immigrant family"
  • was a Canada Reads book in 2019
  • multiple copies quickly and easily available from the NVDL's Book Club Sets program

 
 
   October - How It All Began (2011) by Penelope Lively 
 
NOTE:  We hope to gather in a garden for August so will decide closer to the time whether that meeting is during the day.   We welcome readers whose work, volunteer or recreational commitments lessen in the summer giving you more time to join us once or twice.    
 
 We are a circle not a club!  
 
If you have any comments or questions, please contact Phyllis HERE 


Thank-you,
Phyllis 

Highlands Church Office
Opening Hours - Tuesday to Friday 9 am to 2:30 pm
Telephone number - 604 980 6071
Email address - churchoffice@highlandsunited.org or melissa.wilkin@highlandsunited.org
If you have an emergency outside of office hours please call
Will Sparks on 778 968 7718.
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