ERVINE, Clyde.jpg From the Minister’s Desk: September 14

After having had my mother stay with me for the past two weeks, I took her to the airport last night, and cried as I saw her disappear, looking small and vulnerable. Though her general health is good, at age 83 I wonder if this trip will be her last to see me in Canada. And so every parting seems like a rehearsal for a final parting.

Before my mother’s arrival, I remember thinking to myself, ‘Clyde, do everything you can to make this time with her precious’. Perhaps like you, I’m haunted by Thornton Wilder’s gripping play Our Town. In the play, the character Emily dies, but is allowed to go back to her earthly life to relive just one day; she chooses her 12^th birthday. But as Emily relives that day, her pain becomes unbearable as she sees how blind her family and friends are to each other and how they take everything and everyone for granted. “Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?” she cries.

Every moment, every life, every day is precious, and yet we waste them. We have been given so many advantages and opportunities, and yet we take it all for granted. So I invite you to stop this very minute, and think about your own family. Think about the members of it who are no longer alive to share life with you. Allow yourself to regret wasted opportunities and to remember the significant sharing and mutual investment. Now think of family members, or friends, with whom you still share life. What might you do to make those significant relationships better? Is there a note you could send? A meal to which another could be invited? A phone-call made simply to ask how another is doing? An afternoon where you could invite someone to go for a drive out into the country? Just do what you need to do to begin to realize life while you are still living it!

And now let me shamelessly apply the same insight to church life. Do you ever take Central for granted, oblivious to much that it offers by way of encouragement, learning, or opportunities for service? Do you ever take God for granted, overlooking the possibilities that God wants to open up for you and the help God can give as you seek to nurture your own faith or that of your children or grandchildren?

Life is short and we are mortal. So, seize the day! Live your life now, neither pining for the past nor anxious about the future. We only get one chance to live life as an exploring child, as a growing teenager, as a young student, as a maturing adult, as a productive, middle-aged adult, or as a retiree with more time to give than previously. Let’s each do this, every day, for life is precious and the life that God has given us was given to live well.

As you read the rest of this edition of Contact, I hope you will be encouraged to seize the opportunities it presents to live your church life to the fullest, and to the glory of God.

Clyde

FAITH BASICS

Several times each year, I lead an eight-week course called Faith Basics, and I will do so again this fall. A new Faith Basics course begins on Wednesday, October 7 at 7.30 p.m. Though I plan to hold the course on each succeeding Wednesday evening, the group will discuss alternative times at our first meeting. Faith Basics provides an opportunity to explore the major contours of the Christian faith. Its purpose is two-fold; both to provide a refresher course for those who have been around church forever, but also to provide a meaningful entry or re-entry point for those who have not been around church forever and who are open to becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. At the end of this course, those who wish to do so and are not already members of Central, will have the opportunity to affirm or reaffirm their faith and become members at the morning service on Sunday, November 22^nd. Please speak to me if you would like to attend.

Clyde

FROM THE MISSION COMMITTEE:

Central’s Mission Committee would like to thank the congregation for their first annual donation to Inner City Outreach Ministries (ICOM). As part of our mission commitment, we, as a church, agreed to allocate the June Benevolent Fund contributions to ICOM. The amount donated was $7000. This enabled the ICOM to send 28 children to summer camp. We were also able to respond to a request for drivers to transport children to the campsite. Don and Carole MacVicar of ICOM were very pleased that the children were able to benefit from this gift.

There are ongoing opportunities to become involved as a volunteer with ICOM. For further information contact Jim Dunlop, Chair, Missions Committee.

FROM THE SESSION:

With regret, we announce the retirement of Mr. Maurice Spencer from active duty as an elder of the congregation and we thank him for his years of gentle service, since 1986. Fortunately, Maurice’s warm smile and fine voice will continue to grace Central’s choir.

We are pleased to announce that the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders will be joining us for worship at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 1^st.

3^RD ANNUAL CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN MEN’S BREAKFAST GALA

9:30 a.m. Saturday, November 28, 2009

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

The Central Presbyterian Church Men’s Breakfast Club invites all men and women to the Annual Breakfast Gala to be held at the Scottish Rite Club at 4 Queen Street South in Hamilton at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday November 28, 2009. The featured speaker will be Mr. Howard Dyck, former CBC host and renowned Conductor and Artistic Director of the Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic Choir, Chamber Singers, Bach Elgar Choir, among others. Mr. Dyck is listed in Canadian ‘Who’s Who’ and has been honoured with numerous awards, and appointed to the Order of Canada.

Please contact Al Horzelenberg at ahorzele@mountaincable.net or phone 905-383-5582.

The cost is $15.00 per person.

he year 2009 marks the 500^th Anniversary of the birth of the great Reformer, John Calvin, to whom the Presbyterian tradition looks as a fountainhead. To mark the occasion at Central Church, on Sunday, November 8 at 3:00 p.m., you are invited to a lecture entitled
‘JOHN CALVIN, THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE MARVEL’, presented by
Dr. Victor Shepherd, Professor of Theology, Tyndale University College and Seminary, Toronto.

Come and celebrate the 500^th Anniversary of the Birth of John Calvin (1509 – 1564). Reception to follow the lecture.

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THE ELIZABETH LYLE AUXILIARY to the Women’s Missionary Society invites all ladies to our meeting in the Allan Room at 12 Noon. Our upcoming programs:

Tuesday, October 6 – Heather Johnston will speak on “A Bible Full of Holes “– the story of Oikocredit

Tuesday, November 3 – The Reverend Dr. Nancy Calvert-Koyzis

Saturday, November 7 – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. – CRAFTERS’ FESTIVAL – This is the second year we are sponsoring the Crafters’ Festival to raise money for Presbyterian Missions. We have invited a number of skilled artisans who will be displaying and selling wares, such as: wooden toys, sewing, ornaments, soapstone carvings, afghans, sweaters, hats, scarves and more. We will also still have some of our own tables – the Bake Table, Used Books, Carrot Cake, Knitting and valued Attic treasures (no junk!) A light lunch will be available which includes sandwiches, veggies, squares, tea and coffee.

Come browse and bring your friends!

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JUSTICE IN OUR JAVA - from the Fellowship Committee

There has been a recurring theme around Central over the last few weeks on God’s call for us to get involved in His mission to the world. It was heard by those at the Logos Ministries Conference held at Central; it was also articulated at the Rally Day service. On that Sunday, Dr. Ervine preached about Moses and his “burning bush” experience as the moment when Moses was called to do something extraordinary to help bring justice to the Israelites in Egypt. But months ago, The Fellowship Committee went through a collective ‘burning bush moment’ when we began to investigate the idea of introducing fair trade coffee into the life of Central. We experienced this issue of coffee as a call to justice and a way in which we can help alleviate the appalling levels of poverty in our world. Fair trade coffee is a call to justice that has been heard by our denomination as a whole and one that the Fellowship Committee shared with the Session last June. At that meeting, Session agreed to respond to that call by approving the implementation of fair trade coffee exclusively for our fellowship events. The Fellowship Committee believes that this is something to celebrate, so we are going to do just that when we officially launch this initiative after the service on SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4^TH. On that date, you will have an opportunity to learn why our choice of coffee can be an act of justice and compassion for those who grow the bean we love to drink. In addition, since we know you love coffee, you will have an opportunity to take part in a taste test and choose the blend we will use. So, come with minds ready to learn, hearts ready to receive and taste buds ready to enjoy one of the most popular drinks in the world.

FAMILY MINISTRIES…….

What a great summer we had. CANADA YOUTH 2009 took place July 20 to 25 and Ewan and Lizzie were part of the drama team that led worship each evening

Right after CY 2009, Ewan took off on a mission trip to Peace River country in Alberta.

* * *

Marriages:

David Rosborough and Laura Loney

August 7

Emma Reilly and Steven McKay

August 22

* * *

Deaths:

John ‘Jack’ Reesor – July 4

Mary Worsell – August 8

Jane Regan – August 18

Muriel Searle – August 31

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THE GREENING OF THE CHURCH

From the Resource Management Committee

Watch for more information in the bulletin for initiatives by the Resource Management and other Committees to be responsible stewards of God’s earth. So far, we have:

· Replaced inefficient toilets and windows

· Installed motion sensor light controls

· Replaced inefficient light bulbs with compact fluorescents

We are in the process of substituting all the cleaning supplies in the church with environmentally friendly products.

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Humility - Dictionary definition: ‘the quality or state of being humble’. To elaborate on this, humility is freedom from pride and arrogance, a modest humility of one’s own worth, a sense of one’s own unworthiness, a lack of false pride, not feeling that one is better or more important than others. Humility is not to be confused with humiliation, which is the act of making someone feel ashamed or small. Humility can help one understand how one can live in balance with nature; it is the opposite of pride or haughtiness. Not everyone regards humility as a virtue and it isn’t if a person has low self-esteem and lacks confidence, one should indeed know one’s own strengths and weaknesses and recognize that we are all different and special in our own way.

‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’ James 4.6 Submitted by Rosemary Garside

FROM THE HEALTH MINISTRIES TEAM . . . .

There is a new book in our church library that is both interesting and informative: ‘The Forgetting, Alzheimer’s: Portrait of an Epidemic’ by David Shenk.

This book is an excellent blend of the history, the science and the sad reality of an insidious and difficult disease. (Many thanks to Heather Johnston for donating this book to our Library.) The author, David Shenk, gives clear and understandable insight into this malady that perhaps can best be described as it was by the first patient Dr Alzheimer encountered with the disease that was eventually named after him – “I have lost myself.” Each chapter of the book is introduced by a vivid description of what living with Alzheimer’s is really like, written either by an Alzheimer’s patient, or a caregiver. These poignant words, as well as Shenk’s descriptions of the experiences of well known Alzheimer’s sufferers, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Ronald Reagan, help the reader relate to how devastating this disease is to the person and their families.

It is important to learn that at one time, dementia was thought to be a normal result of aging. While one third to one half of older folks will develop a slight deterioration of memory, what happens in dementia is not a normal process. And while there are different kinds of dementias, it is estimated that 60% is Alzheimer’s. As we are living longer, we see more people with Alzheimer’s. The risk of getting dementia increases with age to the point that by age 85, nearly half of the population will experience dementia.

With the postmortem study of the brains of patients and finding the presence in these brains of plaques and tangles, Alzheimer and others learned that it is indeed a disease process. Plaques are clumpy brown spheres floating between the neurons of the brain and tangles, which are long, black and stringy, choke the neurons from inside their cell membranes. Both of these forms of “cellular debris” inhibit the work of the neurons in many ways, and eventually cause the neurons to die. As the brain is highly specialized, when specific areas of the brain begin to die, so specific functions are lost. It is most interesting to learn that Alzheimer’s “unravels” the brain in almost exactly the reverse order it develops from birth.

While all of this seems quite depressing, the good news is that because this is a disease process, there is a chance of a cure at some point. Shenk describes some of the research that has taken place towards finding a cure and while the book was written in 2003, just in the news this week, there were reports of finding some of the genes that seem to cause the disease to progress.

This book is a fascinating read and I recommend it to all, particularly Chapter 16, where Shenk gives advice about actions to take that might reduce the risks of getting the disease. These include eating foods rich in antioxidants, getting enough sleep, maintaining a high level of social contact and keeping your mind active. So why not read this book –and others - that are in our church library, located just outside and inside the Guild Room! Beth Mackay Reilly, Director of Pastoral Ministries

September 21 - World Alzheimer’s Day

Body and Soul

On Wednesday, September 30^th, from 11am to 1:30 pm, we will once again provide an opportunity for those folks who have difficulties coming to church on a regular basis to come to church! We will begin with a worship service and then there will an opportunity for fellowship as they enjoy a delicious lunch. In order to provide this experience to these very important members of our church family, we need help! We need volunteers to drive folks, donations of desserts and people willing to help both as table hosts and with the cleanup from the lunch. If you would be able to assist in any way, please speak to Beth Mackay Reilly. Thank you!

Service of Hope and Healing

At 7:30 pm on Wednesday, October 7^th, come and experience God’s love in a quiet and contemplative service of Hope and Healing. This service of readings, prayers and music, held in the quietness of the chapel, seeks to provide those present with the knowledge that all times, we are not alone, God is with us. A time of fellowship follows in the Guild Room. All are welcome.

Tai Chi Chuan is coming to Central

Tai Chi Chuan is coming to Central Presbyterian Church under the auspices of the Health Ministries Team. This soft, internal style of martial art is just the ticket to quiet the mind, balance the body & lift your spirit. Studies have shown that even a few minutes of Tai Chi Chuan practice every day has a positive influence on overall health & well being. It is a physical art form from which all the young, old, firm & infirm, experienced, inexperienced, athletic & otherwise will reap rewards & enjoy an enhanced quality of life.

Under the guidance of Susan Walker, a student of Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan for 30 years with Sifu Eddie Wu of the fifth generation of Wu Family of Toronto & Hong Kong, you will learn the basics of the Wu Style. She is a Senior Instructor with the Wu Academy in Toronto & has been teaching for 20 years. With the basic tools provided in class, a little practice & dedication you may discover a whole new attitude toward exercise, energy, meditation, balance & breathing.

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Imagine walking with confidence, sitting with ease, standing with balance, shoulders relaxed, limber muscles, calm breath & a feeling of quiet & harmony even for a few moments a day. Susan would love to have you join a class & show you how all this is possible.

Stay tuned for class times, dates & cost. Please feel free to contact Susan Walker.
You may call her cell @ 905-536-5601 or email walkasoo@yahoo.ca & also check out the website www.wustyle.com. Susan Walker is the daughter of Central members, Jack Walker and Marg Ann
Van Wyck.

From the Erstwhile Custodian……

There comes a time in everyone’s life when one must ‘pass the torch’. In my case, it is the ‘mop and broom’, something less glamorous but all the same, I pass it on with grace and dignity to my successor. Since the bones and sinews are not quite what they were and restoring the tissues is no longer just the work of the moment, I have decided to retire as Central’s Custodian. In October, I will reach the sagacious age of 60, and the wonderful people at Canada Pension are being very accommodating in giving me a monthly stipend, helping to ‘keep the wolves at bay’.

I wish to thank you all for your support, for your kindness, and for the challenging privilege of purging these hallowed halls of the stains of your sinful soles. I wish to thank Jennifer Skelly and
Hubert deBruin for having the good sense to hire me in April of 2000. I thank John Bellingham for being my mentor when I first started. I thank Dave Seeley and his late little Ford pick-up truck for helping me in my early years, taking loads and loads of bric-a-brac to the Salvation Army and the Dundas Transfer Station. And then there are the three gentlemen who know who they are and who probably wish to remain anonymous. They deserve gold medals, steak dinners, trips down the Amazon and a deluge of accolades. Bill, Dave and Ken…I THANK YOU. You have been friends and companions along the way. You boosted my endorphin levels every time you dropped by and you came to lend a hand whenever I needed you. I cannot find the proper superlatives to tell you how much you were appreciated. I know you did not come just for my great coffee. Thank you, Ann Hayes, for the good years we had working together in harmony and mutual respect.

My colleagues on staff, in my nine-and-a-half years, never was there a cross word with anyone. You have all been kindness and friendliness personified, Patti, for your good nature, your cheerfulness and your willingness to listen, especially to my goofy songs, I thank you. Paul, you were always willing to chat about William Byrd, P.G. Wodehouse, Herbert Howells, and countless other topics. You injected a little spice into the monotony of mopping and vacuuming. I thank you. Frances for the bi-weekly envelope, but most of all I thank you for the big hug you gave me one day in appreciation for me just being me. I will never forget that. Beth, you always wished me a cheery good morning and flashed your million-dollar smile. I thank you. Adele, it has been a pleasure working with you. You are a true kindred spirit. You know that a humbug is not just an amber candy with white stripes. Dr. Alan McPherson, when I first started, you comforted me when my mother passed away. You showed concern for my well-being. You always encourage me to take care and not to over-strain myself. I thank you. Rev’d Dr. Clyde, for your whimsical grin every time we passed in the corridors like two ships in the night and for your pastoral guidance from week to week. I thank you.

And so my friends, I must say adieu. It has been an interesting, if challenging time. Should you have a keen eye, you will still see me on a Sunday morning in the back of the choir stalls on the right hand side in the 2^nd bass section. I plan to be there until Maestro Grimwood throws me out, or my voice takes on the quality of a dyspeptic bull frog.

God bless you all.

Humbly and respectfully yours,

Sam Hogeterp

UPCOMING EVENTS AT CENTRAL

Prime Time – 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday of each month – meet in the Guild Room at 2:00 p.m. in the Guild Room.

Companions Along the Way – Every second Saturday morning from 9:30 -11:00 a.m., in the

Guild Room (next: October 3^rd). Please speak with Beth Mackay Reilly for more information.

Men’s Breakfast Club – The last Friday of each month, Central’s men meet at the Scottish Rite at 8:00 a.m. PLEASE NOTE – The meeting on Friday, October 28 will take place at the Officer’s Mess at the Armories on James Street North. Sign-up sheets will be available in the Church Hall prior to that date.

· Body and Soul – Wednesday, September 30 – 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

· The Sacrament of Holy Communion – Sunday, October 4

· Service of Hope and Healing – Wednesday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m.

· Faith Basics – Wednesday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m.

· Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner – Saturday, October 24 at 5:00 p.m.

· Argyll Parade – Sunday, November 1

· Crafters’ Festival – Saturday, November 7 in the Church Hall

· Remembrance Service – Sunday, November 8 during the 10:30 a.m. Worship Service

· Celebration of the 500^th Anniversary of the birth of John Calvin – Sunday November 8 at 3:00 pm.

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GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER?

You are, we hope!!

The Fellowship Committee is planning this exciting social event

for Saturday, October 24^h. Last year’s hosts and dinner guests had a

wonderful time together, and then everyone

came back to Central for dessert.

Watch for a sign-up sheet in the Church Hall and

more details in upcoming bulletins.

Plan to attend and share in this family event of food, fun and fellowship!

Parking at Central:

At the risk of endlessly repeating myself, I write to encourage all able-bodied members of the congregation to consider using alternative parking on Sunday mornings. There are some alternatives to consider:

1. The parking available behind and at the side of the low-rise apartment building on Caroline St, opposite the front doors of Central is available for your use. Enter off Charlton Ave W.

2. Parking behind the Shoppers Drug Market at the corner of Caroline and Herkimer is available to us on Sunday morning. Please enter off Caroline S.

3. Lots and lots of parking space is available to us at Ryerson School behind Queen St. South, to the west. There are two entrances off Queen St. Turn in either off Queen St. either at Duke St or at Robinson St. both of which are two-way west of Queen.

My reason for wanting to encourage the use of these alternative spaces is twofold. First, it leaves the designated spaces along the laneway to the south of our church buildings free for the use of those who have difficulty in walking, and second, it leaves the street parking near the church buildings free for those with small children or those who are visiting and are intimidated by what looks at first sight like a destination that has no parking available. We know otherwise. So I appeal to you, as a way of being part of a gracious and hospitable congregation, to park further away from Central on Sundays, as you are physically able to do so.

Clyde

CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH