Text: 1 John 4: 7-21 (God is Love) “Let’s talk about love.” That’s the title of a mega-platinum album released by Celine Dion in 1997 and of a single from that album written by Bryan Adams. It’s also how I think about church. For me, church at its best is a never-ending conversation about love. … [Read more…]
Text: Luke 4:1-13 (Jesus tempted in the wilderness) Lent is supposed to be a season of silence, fasting, and prayer. As in today’s story of Jesus in the wilderness, we are invited to spend the 40 days and nights of Lent in contemplation with just the Holy Spirit, and perhaps the devil, for company. This … [Read more…]
Text: Luke 6: 17-26 (the beatitudes and woes) Why do we value truth? Doesn’t lying help one gain power, fame, and fortune? Lying sometimes plays a part in politics, and racism provides an illustration. Most of us believe that no one race is better than any other, and many of us are aware of the … [Read more…]
Text: Luke 9: 28-36 (Jesus is transfigured) * why Transfiguration today? See below Last Sunday, Kim and I attended an Anglican service in Puerto Vallarta. It might seem odd that we spent time in worship while enjoying a week at a delightful all-inclusive resort in Mexico, but I appreciated the experience. Part of it was … [Read more…]
Text: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (“foolish wisdom”) Paul’s words from First Corinthians that we just heard remind us that following Jesus is an unconventional choice. Some even see it as a foolish or absurd one. Conventional wisdom supports values like patriotism and obedience. It is about fitting in to get along. And for centuries, Christian churches … [Read more…]
Text: Luke 8:14-25 (Jesus stills a storm) When I looked at the long-range weather forecast last week, I felt a shiver of fear. Ten days in which it never gets above -20 degrees, with the overnight low forecast to be -34 on Tuesday? I know that Edmonton is the most northerly city in the Western … [Read more…]
Texts: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 (the Body of Christ); Luke: 4:14-21 (Jesus preaches in Nazareth) Ever since stories about Jesus and the letters of Paul began circulating in the Roman Empire, the church has described itself as The Body of Christ. Today, we heard one of the passages where Paul develops this metaphor. He notes that … [Read more…]
Text: Mark 8:27-35 (“take up your cross”) Truths that we find difficult to accept are also ones that can open us to healing and love. This is a message I take from our Gospel reading this morning. Jesus tells his friends the honest truth. Even though they see him as heir to King David and … [Read more…]
Text: Luke 3:15-22 (the baptism of Jesus) The church sometimes calls Jesus a powerful king. But if so, he is a remarkably humble one. He is born as a helpless infant. He never achieves political or military power. He is yet another peasant straining against imperial rule. And in the end, he is executed as … [Read more…]
Text: Matthew 2:1-16 (the birth of Jesus; and the flight of the Holy Family) When I was 19, I hitchhiked out West in search of adventure. I had finished my first year of university in Ontario; and I planned to take a break from school to seek my fortune in the Canadian West. Unfortunately, I … [Read more…]