SPPC Today

News for Sunday, August 9, 2026

Last Tuesday, my family drove into town and joined several thousand other Victorians watching the RCAF Snowbirds as they put on their aerial show along the Dallas Road waterfront. It was indeed another spectacular performance of precision flying and acrobatics. If you have never seen it, it is hard to describe in mere words what an amazing sight it is to see nine aircraft flying complex manoeuvres in such tight formation, particularly given that it is the usual practice of aircraft to give one another as wide a berth as possible. Yet these pilots volunteer, and indeed compete, to fly at hundreds of kilometres per hour at a distance of a little more than a metre from their neighbours! Hours of training and expertise go into even the simplest manoeuvres.

Now, the CT-114 Tutor jets that the Snowbirds fly, which are being retired this year, are not the most spectacular aircraft in the sky. Indeed, most of them were built and entered service before I was born in 1964, which makes them over sixty years old. I am not sure a single Tutor flying on high would turn a lot of heads, let alone draw crowds of thousands. It is the incredibly skilled formation flying that makes them so exciting. Each pilot has to constantly watch his neighbours and carefully adjust his position relative to them. Only then can they fly as one.

The Church could well learn from the Snowbirds. The attraction of the Church has never really been the individual Christian, remarkable though many are; it is the unity, the mutual care, and the working together in one direction that makes the Church visible and attractive to the world. It is not necessarily easy to follow Jesus’ command to “love one another,” and so to adjust ourselves for the benefit of our neighbours, or to move as one to follow him. It too can take years of practice. But when it happens, the world will notice!

Worship this Sunday

Our worship service this Sunday begins 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:

• Psalms 127 & 128

• Matthew 7:24–29

This week our soloist is singing You Who Dwell in the Shelter of the Lord by Michael Joncas.

Announcements

• Next Sunday, August 16, we are pleased to welcome Rev. Mitch Coggin back to the pulpit.

• We are gathering for Friendship Coffee on August 27 at 10 a.m. Come and join us for this wonderful time of fellowship and bring along a friend.

• Our next Communion will take place on Sunday, September 6.

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with 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 is 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.