Tim, Pastor of The Table – ss_site_title

This Week at The Table (November 16, 2014)

brentj — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 12:46:47 +0000

Hello Tablers! Hope that you have all been just absolutely LOVING the onset of winter…or, if that isn’t quite the case, finding ways of coping with it that are constructive. In either case, a warm welcome and a hot beverage at 493 Notre Dame on any given Sunday morning (10:30 a.m.) may be just what you need.

This week we’ll be exploring a little parable in which are reminded that money can’t buy what we most need (didn’t the Beatles have a song about that?), and that there is no sense buying a lottery ticket, because people you don’t really have a relationship with will descend like vultures if you win. (Didn’t know that was in there, did you?) We will also speculate about how the room we find ourselves in after we die will be decorated. I think this is relevant to how we choose to live, but don’t take my word for it. Get your frozen self out of bed, say “Hello winter- I LOVE YOU!” and come to The Table. (Or just pull on your toque and trudge on over…)

Dates To Note:
Next scheduled Kid’s Table gatheringis on November 23rd. If you are interested in helping our little folks with their spiritual explorations talk to Amy or reply to this email and I’ll put you in touch with her.

Also, remember to mark the evening of Sunday, December 21st for our Christmas gathering. We will only meet in the evening on that Sunday, not in the morning.

And a final reminder of the “Love and The Outcome” concert on November 20th. Ticket link as follows:

TICKET LINK: http://bit.ly/ZH72xk

This Week at the Reno Sight (November 2, 2014)

brentj — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 20:36:11 +0000

Blurb:

Just wanted to say a special “Thanks” to the good folks at Independent Jewelers for upgrading the entry to our gathering space. You really didn’t have to do that, but it sure looks awesome! (And we’re so very thankful for the place to meet!!)

If human experiences can be analogous to taking a trip in a car, sometimes I feel as though I’m standing at a busy intersection watching a multi-vehicle pile-up. This has been one of those weeks. Those sorts of experiences can raise all kinds of questions, not the least of which is “Where is God in all this?”, followed closely by “What can/should I do?”

Not surprisingly, given the context in which I’m writing this, there is a parable that tosses us headlong into just those questions, and we’re going to explore it together this Sunday morning.

Noteworthy Items:

This message is from Judi Heppner. For those of you that don’t know Judi (she and her kids are a relatively new presence at The Table), she works with an organization that provides various kinds of support for those in need, including housing. This is her message:

“I was wondering if I could let the community know about a need I observed for one of my tenants. A young mom with a newborn who moved in with no furniture, not even a mattress. If anyone could help they could email me at this address – judi.heppner@hotmail.com”

Dates to note:

Next scheduled Kid’s Table gatherings are on November 9th and 23rd. If you are interested in helping our little folks with their spiritual explorations talk to Amy or reply to this email and I’ll put you in touch with her.

Also, remember to mark the evening of Sunday, December 21st for our Christmas gathering. We will only meet in the evening on that Sunday, not in the morning.

Finally, as promised, following are more links to information regarding the upcoming “Love and The Outcome” concert on November 20th:

POSTER LINK: https://markedmusicinc.box.com/s/kpfs4pif0qexgnoczi89
TICKET LINK: http://bit.ly/ZH72xk
FACEBOOK EVENT LINK: https://www.facebook.com/events/650540571727140/
WINNIPEG PROMO VIDEO: https://markedmusicinc.box.com/s/u57ghfjwbs568579st1c

Peace to you all. See you on Sunday.

Tim Plett

This Week at The Table (October 26, 2014)

brentj — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 16:46:44 +0000

And what a pancake-fueled party last Sunday was! A great big THANK YOU to everyone that helped to make that breakfast happen. We’ll do that again sometime.

If you were there last week, you may have noticed that there were more kids around than ever. A bit of a trend, and not just because people keep having babies! Those of you that have been around The Table for a while may recall that this was one of the core reasons we changed locations. Kudos as well to everyone that helped out with the little people last week – it was much appreciated, not least of all by the parents of those kids.

The Kid’s Table is on this Sunday. Next scheduled Kid’s Table gatherings are on November 9th and 23rd. If you are interested in helping our little folks with their spiritual explorations, or with discovering all the cool things you can do with a toy truck and a long chunk of empty hardwood floor, talk to Amy or reply to this email and I’ll put you in touch with her.

Also, remember to mark the evening of Sunday, December 21st for our Christmas gathering. We will only meet in the evening on that Sunday, not in the morning.

This week I’ve had several conversations that have reminded me in a fresh way just how fortunate we are to be part of a community of people that are thoughtful, intelligent spiritual explorers. I love that!

One of the reasons I love it is because those conversations invariably challenge and inform my own explorations, and jolt my perspective so that I can consider new ideas. I believe we all need that kind of thing in our lives, if only because we seem to have a tendency to “settle”; to act as though the way we presently see reality captures all the possibilities. When we get into a “nothing new to see here, folks!” sort of approach, it’s time for some shaking up!

So this week, I would like to explore a story in which Jesus shakes up the perspective of the people that are convinced they know how this “God thing” works. It a sort of tragic/comic tale, complete with typically muddled agricultural details and considerable insight into the sometimes absurd ways we try to get God to “save” us, and/or try to help God do save others.

We’ll meet at 10:30 a.m. on the second floor of Independent Jewelers. You may find the entry pathway somewhat altered, but enter boldly – we’re still here!

Oh yeah – if you read this all the way to the end, and you’re a coffee drinker, you may be pleased to know that we are getting a new / better coffee maker and if all goes according to plan it should be here for this Sunday. Will this result in better coffee? Will better coffee change your life? You be the judge…

Peace,

Tim Plett

This week at the Pancake House (Sunday, Oct 19, 2014)

brentj — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:55:46 +0000

Yep, this is THAT Sunday! Pancake Breakfast at 9:00 a.m, followed by our “normal” gathering. Come whenever you want / can, but be advised that if you care about bacon and you’re late for the pancake breakfast, no one can guarantee that there will be any of the deadly stuff left. Your call…

Other Important Dates To Note:

Kids Table – October 26^th, and November 9^th and 23^rd.

Christmas Gathering – Sunday, December 21st evening. That will be our gathering for that week; we WON’T gather that morning.

This week I heard part of a documentary about the legendary eastern Canadian fiddle player Buddy MacMaster. As part of the doc, the producers had invited another fiddle player to join them by remote from a distant studio, and the challenge for Buddy was to tell the audience where he was from just by how he played. He rose to the occasion, correctly identifying not only the region the player was from but who it was!

That might seem like just a musicians “party trick”, but I found myself quite emotionally moved by it. Weird, right? So of course I had to probe that. The closest I can come to why that event got at my heart so directly was the idea that we long to be deeply known, and part of that longing is can be seen in our desire to have someone understand us even when we aren’t communicating with words. To me, that sounds a lot like what prayer is.

This week we’ll be exploring prayer in general, and in particular the prayer that Jesus offered as a response to the question “How should we pray?”.

See you on Sunday. We’ll meet at 10:30 a.m., as usual. You will find that our entry through Independent Jewellers has been somewhat altered, but once you get inside you’ll still find wonderful people, and room to explore.

Peace,

Tim Plett

This Week At The Table… (October 5, 2014)

brentj — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 18:26:36 +0000

At the heart of our “reason for being” at The Table is the joyful work of making room to explore what we believe. Given the nature of exploration, that should be a fairly adventuresome enterprise…and I believe it often is. But it can also pretty easily turn into an exercise in navel gazing – self absorbed introspection and the spiritually angsty version of “what about ME?!”

Add to that the fact that our community history includes some seasons where we were barely surviving as an entity, and you could have a recipe for an inward looking group of people that aren’t making much of a conscious, collective contribution to bettering the wider world. That doesn’t feel very congruent with genuine exploration. So what to do?

As I have mentioned on a few occasions, there has been some background work going on regarding a partnership between The Table and an African development project. I realize that is so vague as to be meaningless, but I haven’t wanted to be specific for a couple of reasons.

First of all, this project is one that will initially be quite small – sort of like we are. And it will be personal – it’s the vision of a few people that want to partner with some other folks that they can actually get to know. At the heart of the project at this point is one guy – Vurayayi (“You can call me Ray”) Pugeni. When I encountered Ray, heard his story and felt his passion for this project, I knew right away that I wanted to introduce him to The Table to see if we could all work together.

So…this Sunday morning, that is finally going to happen! Ray will be our guest, and we’ll all have chance to hear what he is passionate about, what a partnership could look like, and how we can work together in a practical, “do-able” way to make a positive difference in one part of the wider world.

Other Items Of Note:

Kid’s Table: Upcoming Kid’s Table gatherings are scheduled for October 12^th and 26^th, and November 9^th and 23^rd.

Pancake Breakfast: before our gathering on October 19^th, starting at 9:00 a.m. Check the white board at the back of The Table, and fill in a blank spot.

See you on Sunday!

Peace,

Tim Plett

This Week at The Table (September 28, 2014)

brentj — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 02:06:14 +0000

As personality types go, I tilt toward “Type A”. One of the implications of that is limited tolerance for just “hanging out”. I have a constant undercurrent of needing to get things done. I’ve kind of had to learn the value (and the pleasure) of “the hang”.

There is some comfort in knowing that I’m not the only one. In fact, as far as I can tell, there have been people to whom this aspect of life doesn’t come naturally for about as long as…there have been people! And in our frenetic 21^st century world, more and more of us seem to need a bit of a nudge toward just chilling a bit.

So this Sunday at The Table we’re going to explore, in a laid back sort of way, the value of “doing not much”. If I invite you to come and join the community at 10:30 on Sunday morning, is that going to add stress to your life? Sorry…come out anyway, if you can.

Stuff To Look Forward To:

Party at The Plett Ranch: THIS SUNDAY!

NOTE:this is a “come when you can, stay until you wish / need to leave” gathering. Don’t hesitate to come late if you need to, or to just come for a part of the time.

Details: Arrival starting at 3:30, pot luck meal around 6:00. Come and hang out inside or outside, around a fire in the evening if weather permits. Enjoy some ping pong, fooz ball, or pool, or slackline, climbing wall, and badminton. Sit on the deck and relax and just enjoy lots of good people to talk to. Our kids are excited to get a Capture the Flag came going with anyone who would like to play (:

Pot luck details – hot dish, salad or desert. BYOB or a shareable beverage. We’ll make sure there are buns and one of the hot dishes…you take it from there. Please RSVP to this email if possible, but show up even if you forget to reply.

Directions: North on Highway 59 (over the Floodway), East on Garven Road (at the traffic lights), North on Highway 206 (at the Stop sign) past the East Gate of Birds Hill Park, East on Sapton Road (the first signed road after the East Gate), then North on Birchwood Drive (the first signed road on your left on Sapton). We are the forth driveway on the right (driveway #47).

Kid’s Table: Currently, we have Kid’s Table gatherings slated for this Sunday (the 28th) as well as October 12^th and 26^th, and November 9^th and 23^rd.

Pancake Breakfast: before our gathering on October 19^th, starting at 9:00 a.m. We might still need more bacon or other such heartiness. Check the white board at The Table.

I think that’s it for now. See you on Sunday!

Peace,

Tim Plett

This week at The Table (September 21)

brentj — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 12:04:25 +0000

Hello Tablers. Lots on the go at The Table these days, so be sure to read this one right down to the end, just so you don’t miss anything that might be relevant to you.

I got a call from a “country neighbor” this past week. They will be doing some travelling in the coming months, and he was wondering if I would pick up their mail. No problem…love to help! These folks are awesome neighbors!

Around the same time, I noticed an issue of Mcleans with the headline “Stop Ignoring Your Neighbors – How our increasingly closed-off lives are poisoning our politics and endangering our health”.

In Luke 10, a cagey lawyer looking for some wiggle room tries to get Jesus to define who his “neighbor” really is, just in case there is a loophole in the “love your neighbor as yourself” command. In reply, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan (yet another parable I think is mis-named, an opinion I will expand upon on Sunday).

If that isn’t an irresistible confluence of ideas, I don’t know what is! So, off into the land of the Good Samaritan we shall go…

In other matters, a few reminders about upcoming items of interest:

Your Team Is Calling…Thanks to those that have already responded to our need for a few new team members this fall. In particular, the Media Team (the gang that takes care of all the things that go up on the screen) still needs some more folks to help out. If you are interested, talk to Jane Penner or reply to this email.

Kid’s Table – The next Kid’s Table gathering will be led by Amy on September 28th.

Hang at the Plett Ranch – We (the Plett family) would like to invite you to come and hang at the “Plett Ranch” on Sunday, September 28th. We’re thinking arrival starting at 3:30, pot luck meal around 6:00. Come and hang out inside or outside, around a fire in the evening if weather permits. Enjoy some ping pong, fooz ball, or pool, or slackline, climbing wall, and badminton. Sit on the deck and relax and just enjoy lots of good people to talk to. Our kids are excited to get a Capture the Flag came going with anyone who would like to play (:

This Week At The Table (September 14, 2015)

brentj — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 21:26:35 +0000

Hey folks…So good to see lots of familiar faces and several new ones as we gathered last Sunday morning. Many of you shared about challenging things that are going on in your lives or the lives of those around you – thank you for inviting your community to journey with you. We need to know we are not alone in the world, and sharing stories inviting others to travel with us is one of the most profound ways we can come to that understanding. I want to follow up on some of that in what follows, as well as let you know about several things that are coming up for us in the next couple of months, so all I’ll say about the reflection is that we are going to continue to explore the parable of the unmerciful servant.

Now…on to the “shared journey” items:

You may remember that Jacqueline told us about friends of hers that have lost an unborn twin, and have real concerns about the health of the surviving unborn child. When she told her friends later that we had prayed for them, the response was very positive. Jacqueline emailed a bit more detail about that situation to help us all as we keep this family in our thoughts and prayers. She wrote:

“When I first found out about the loss of one of the twins, I had this intense hope that Lisa and Kirk had given her a name, which they did. So, I want to share both their names; that might be good to know for anyone who wants to pray about their family. Blythe Olivia is their daughter that they had to say goodbye to before really getting to say hello. Eloise Joy is the baby who is still with us and whose recent MRI showed signs of swelling. Lisa and Kirk are praying for the miracle of God healing her brain completely. I know Lisa feels most comfortable being surrounded by people, which is support it sounds like she’s been receiving throughout all of this, so that’s a good thing. They are waiting to hear when their next MRI is.”

Let’s keep praying for these guys, and for Jacqueline as she walks with her friends through all of this.

Important Info Stuff:

Your Team Is Calling…As we get back into gear this fall, we need some of you to step up and join the teams that help our morning gatherings happen. In particular, the Media Team (the gang that takes care of all the things that go up on the screen) needs some more folks to help out. If you are interested, talk to Jane Penner or reply to this email. Outstanding benefits (including premium seating on Sundays and free coffee…)

Kid’s Table – is back in action! Amy will be leading Kid’s Table gatherings this month on the 14th (this Sunday) and the 28th.

Hang at the Plett Ranch – late afternoon / potluck supper / evening of September 28th; details to follow.

Pancake Breakfast – before our gathering on October 19th; details to follow.

As is our custom, we will gather above the bling (493 Notre Dame) at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday . If I’m not mistaken, the coffee is back on…

Peace,

Tim Plett

And…We're Back! (SUNDAY, Sept. 7)

brentj — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 11:49:01 +0000

Hello Tablers! This evening, with it’s blustery wind and rain and cool temperature, feels like a harbinger of the change of seasons. Not to get too far ahead of the weather curve – this is my favorite time of year, and I’m looking forward to the brilliant days of late summer and early fall.

And…I’m looking forward to our return to Sunday morning gatherings. I’ve very much enjoyed our relaxed and engaged Wednesday evenings, but I also know there are folks that have been waiting for the schedule to change so they can join us again.

On one of the lovely evenings this past week, I was walking at Birds Hill Park with a friend that loves to probe the “big questions”. We got into it! It was a delightful and energizing conversation, and I thought my insights were mostly pretty good – until I started to try to articulate the size of the gap between humanity and deity. I won’t trouble you with why that mattered in the discussion – suffice it to say that I ran out of wisdom and words at about the same time.

I had our little dog Meika with me, and all of a sudden the thought struck me that whatever the difference is between God and humanity, its a far more pronounced difference than the one that exists between that little pooch and me. And yet, we seem to be both drawn to and welcomed to explore that gap and to see how it might be reduced or even drawn toward closure.

This week we’ll be doing that exploring through catch-up conversations, the sharing of our lives in community time, our prayers for one another, and through the parable of the Unforgiving Servant.

Just in case you’ve forgotten, we meet at 10:30 a.m. at 493 Notre Dame. I’m looking forward to being with you all!

Peace,

Tim Plett

This (Last) Wednesday at The Table… (August 27)

brentj — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 11:49:10 +0000

Hey folks – as the subject line suggests, this is our last Wednesday evening gathering at The Table before we go back to meeting on Sunday mornings. Jason Miles will be sharing some of his thoughts with us. This is his take on where he will be headed:

“Hey friends!
We just got back from an intense week at camp, and this whole summer has been a little hectic. We’ve been doing a little late summer tidying, mostly prompted by the chaos of last minute packing for camp and our inability to find stuff in our house that we know we have, but also to prepare for another year of school. I hate tidying. I love the result, but the process is brutal.

Hanging out at camp with teens who are young in faith or even brand new to it, had me thinking about faith clutter. I think that over my years I’ve picked up some clutter in my perception of God, the revelation of Jesus, and the goodness of creation.

I’d love a chance to share some of my own clutter, and possibly give us all a chance to share about our clutter. Then I’d like to explore how Jesus helps us with our clutter, inviting us into something more beautiful and free than we can imagine!
See you Wednesday!”

Just to clarify the dates for our shift back to Sunday mornings, here are the actual dates and times:

Wednesday, August 27th (this Wednesday) – 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, September 3rd – no gathering

Sunday, September 7th – 10:30 a.m.

See you tomorrow!

Peace,

Tim Plett