SPPC Today

News for Sunday, April 13, 2025

Holy Week is the most sacred time in the Christian calendar, a journey through the final days of Jesus's earthly ministry. It begins with Palm Sunday, and culminates in the glorious celebration of Easter. Within this week, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday hold profound significance. Maundy Thursday, with its focus on the Last Supper and Jesus's act of humble service in washing his disciples' feet, reminds us of the importance of love and self-sacrifice. It is a call to communion, both with God and with one another as Christ's followers, and a reminder of the new commandment Jesus gave us: to love one another as he loved us.

Good Friday, a day of solemn reflection, commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus. It is a time to contemplate the immense sacrifice made for our sins, a stark reminder of the cost of redemption. This day invites us into a space of grief and repentance, acknowledging the weight of our human failings and the immeasurable love that bore them. Finally, Easter Sunday bursts forth with the triumphant proclamation of Christ's resurrection. It is a day of joy, hope, and new beginnings, signifying the victory of life over death, and the promise of eternal life for all who believe. It's a celebration of God's boundless love and the transformative power of faith.

In the life of SPPC we commemorate each of these events in our life of worship, starting this weekend, with Palm Sunday, remembering the glorious entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to our perhaps unwitting cries of the crowd, "Hosanna!" which translates us "save us." And through Holy week we may witness the depth and the cost of what our cry meant in Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Saviour!

Worship this Sunday

We are pleased this Palm Sunday to once again welcome the Rev. Grant Wilson to our pulpit. The Rev. Irwin Cunningham will this week be preaching as well as leading baptisms and new membership at Trinity, Victoria, where he still serves as Interim Moderator. We look forward to hearing Grant's preaching here at Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church. So, come join in worship at SPPC this Sunday at 10:00 a.m. You can participate in person or connect with our community online via the live stream. The link is available here.

The Scripture readings are:

• Psalm 116

• John 12:12-16

This week we also look forward to the singing of both the introit, Come into His presence, and the duet, The Holy City by Stephen Adams.

Holy Week Services

• The Maundy Thursday Communion in the Upper Room will take place at 6:00 p.m. on April 17. This short service is a reading of the events of the Upper Room followed by a the Lord's Supper.

• The Good Friday Devotional Service will take place on April 18 at 10:00 a.m. The string quartet will play The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross by Joseph Haydn interspersed by the readings from Christ's passion in the Gospels.

• Easter Sunday Sunrise Service will take place on April 20 at 8:00 a.m. at Cy Hampson Park and will be followed followed by the Easter Breakfast, hosted by the Fellowship Committee, at 9:00 a.m. in the hall at SPPC.

• Easter Sunday Celebration & Communion will then take place at 10:00 a.m.

Upcoming

• Our Wednesday Study, The Gospels: the Extraordinary Life of Jesus of Nazareth will not take place this week, as it is Holy Week. It will resume on April 23.

• The Out to Lunch Bunch will be meeting for lunch at the Legislature Dining Room on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. Information and signup sheet in the Narthex.

• SPPC’s Cleaning Bee will take place on Friday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to noon. 

• We will be celebrating Saturday, SPPC’s 35th Anniversary on Saturday June 7, at 12:30 p.m.with a special catered lunch at SPPC; tickets will be $25.00 each. The menu will be available soon in the Narthex.

May the Lord bless you all!

SUNDAY MORNING

Welcome to Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church. 

Our worship takes place at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday morning both in-person and online (via the SPPC YouTube Livestream button above). We invite you to join us each week as we continue to explore and follow the Word of God. Following the service, there will be a fellowship time at the back of the sanctuary.

For the safety of your neighbours, when you attend worship: 

• Please, perform a health check prior to attending.

• While masks are not required, feel free to wear one if you prefer.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday.