Salvogesis

  This has been a busy Christmas season – as are all Christmas seasons at The Salvation Army, We have had a few rookies this year- Dave, our Community Resources Director (food bank and Christmas Hampers) was brand new and so was Adam, our Kettle Coordinator, and others. Karyn, our intake worker, has had some serious health issues. The team did great pitching in, helping each other out. The need was up this year, like it seems to be every year and, of course, we have had a lot of other things to deal with this year as well   The beginning of the Christmas Season seemed a little bit like a Hallmark Christmas movie with all the drama involved: the Temporary Use Permit was a real show. We were led to believe that the area would be re-zoned and that the renewing the TUP was just ‘a matter of marching’, as the expression says.   Of course, we now know that that wasn’t true. Like on a Christmas special, it appeared that there was at least one ‘evil’ city councilor who was workin...

Tonight, Last night, every night we have people working 9pm to 9am – overnight - at the Emergency Weather Response shelter. I don’t know if everyone here is aware that as well as all of the things that we do here at Christmas time and year-round and all the things that we do down at the Bread of Life and Kuu-us, The Salvation Army also runs the EWR shelter attached to the Bread of Life building. We have just been authorized to turn it into a permanent shelter too; so, in the next few months we will be doing renovations and adding bunk beds, hiring new staff and all kinds of fun stuff… And last night and tonight we will have staff, employees working there overnight.   Has anyone ever worked an overnight shift? In my experience, they are not a lot of fun. In my experience, they are not the shifts that people normally clamour for. In my experience, anyone with any experience and education usually tries to be ‘promoted’ off the night shift. Sometimes you get some great workers for the ...

A Christmas Eve Message:   This evening is Christmas Eve. This is when we celebrate the eve of the birth of our Saviour in a manger in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago. There are many things closed tonight and more tomorrow. We hope and we think that we are all prepared for that. Christmas Eve is a time when we hope and think that everything is prepared for tomorrow: stockings are stuffed or ready to be stuffed, presents are made or bought, wrapped and placed under the tree or ready to be placed under the tree, meal plans and/or travel plans are made. Christmas Eve is a time of anticipation. 2000+ years ago, the evening before Jesus was born (whatever evening that was) it must have been a time of great anticipation – at least for Mary and Joseph and whomever happened to be with them. Mary was very pregnant and about to give birth to her first child. Any moms (and even dads) who can remember the birth of their first child, think of your own anticipation and the plans you had mad...

It was tough times in Judea in the 1 st  Century when Jesus was born. They had been part of the Roman Empire for a while. They lived through wars and rebellions. Herod the Great, the king of this region, was instrumental in putting Caesar Augustus on the throne. This is a people torn apart by challenges, circumstances, differing opinions and sentiments - much like today.   Covid-19 in this country is polarizing many people. The rules, regulations, and restrictions by the governments and our organizations do not seem to be consistent. The pandemic is a real concern and each attempted solution seems to either make it worse, or at the very least, not make it any better.   Many people are getting sick, suffering physically: not only from Covid-19 but from our healthcare, hospitals, and/or governments being unable to treat people with other serious ailments. Many people are suffering emotionally – suicide is on the rise, as is Medical Assistance In Dying. Drug use is on the ri...

Isaiah 9:6-7a:   For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:   and the government shall be upon his shoulder:   and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,   The mighty God,   The everlasting Father,   The Prince of Peace.   Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,     This was a verse that I had to memorize as a small child growing up on the Island here. It was my line in a church Christmas pageant many years ago. The Christmas pageants were always quite exciting and performing in them was always a little nerve-racking. The church was always filled to capacity – even the balconies and the lobbies were full. There were stage lights shining on us. There was a microphone in front of each of us as we spoke. With all of this going on it could be very difficult to remember your line. Thankfully, I did. And I still do. This memory verse has stayed w...