Text: Romans 1:1-17 (“made right by faith”) Last week as I followed the news, I wondered if Alberta’s Council of Catholic School Superintendents was playing a Halloween trick on the province. Halloween is just two days away, and this year it has an extra significance. This year hundreds of millions of people around the world … [Read more…]
Text: selections from Isaiah (“make straight in the desert a highway) The music album and graphic novel “Secret Path” by Gord Downie are about a 12-year-old boy, Chanie Wenjack, who tried to find a way home in 1966. Chanie attempted to walk from his Indian Residential School in Kenora Ontario to Ogoki Post, where his … [Read more…]
Text: Exodus 1:8-17 (Midwives disobey the King of Egypt) As you may have noticed, I got my hair cut last week; and as always, I enjoyed chatting with my barber. Earlier this year, one of our monthly chats turned to the politics of racism. But that conversation didn’t get too far. My barber used the … [Read more…]
Text: Matthew 26:20-30 (The Last Supper) “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!” These words of Paul from his letter to the church in Philippi seem like a good opening to a Thanksgiving sermon. Every Sunday we give thanks. But on Thanksgiving, we are supposed to give thanks with extra enthusiasm. On … [Read more…]
Text: Ecclesiastes 1:1-9 (“there is nothing new under the sun”) Beside Edmonton’s Accidental Beach, another major draw for tourists this summer was the total solar eclipse on August 21, one that carved a path across the United States. Did anyone here travel to Oregon or Idaho to experience the eclipse? The eclipse came to my … [Read more…]
Text: Mark 1:14-20 (Jesus calls his first disciples) Happy New Year! Does Labour Day still seem like the start of a new year to you? For students, of course, it marks the beginning of a new grade; and I have not yet lost the sense I gained as a child that Labour Day is the real … [Read more…]
Delivered by Paula E. Kirman, Mill Woods United Church’s Marketing/Social Media Coordinator on September 3, 2017. Subtitle: Activism and Spirituality, or, “What’s a Nice Jewish Girl Doing In the United Church?” I was asked to make a presentation about my spiritual journey, activism, and accomplishments, in the context of what exactly I do for Mill … [Read more…]
Text: Mark 16:1-8 (the empty tomb) Imagine walking on a spiritual path all your life. Then imagine achieving your goal. What happens when you reach a pinnacle of spiritual development? This summer, we have reflected on the stages of spiritual growth. I started with baptism in early July. Baptism marks our arrival as physical beings … [Read more…]
Text: Galatians 2:15-21 (“Christ lives in me”) Questions of identity often confront us. This summer, with the sacraments of the church in the background, we have reflected on physical, emotional, and intellectual identity. Do we base our identity on ancestral heritage? On feelings and desires? On how we articulate perspectives and ideas? For Paul, the … [Read more…]
Text: Mark 14:1-9 (Jesus is anointed at Bethany) “Jesus Christ Superstar”, the 1970 rock album, which was produced as a musical on Broadway in 1971 and a film in 1973, was a big deal for me and my friends. In 1971, the confirmation class to which I belonged discussed the album; and we probably learned … [Read more…]