Texts: “The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver * Matthew 6:25-34 (“do not worry) Video of complete service * Order of service Edmonton is the most northerly city in Canada, and winter sometimes lasts for half the year. So, we relish our short summers with their long days of sunshine and heat. When I had two … [Read more…]
Text: Luke 5:1, 5-8 (Jesus sends out the twelve) Video of part of the service * Order of service The year 2020 is marked by three related crises — a global pandemic, an economic collapse, and a leadership vacuum. Within these crises I see both promise and peril. I believe their resolution could catapult the … [Read more…]
Texts: “To Begin With, the Sweet Grass” by Mary Oliver * 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 (gifts of the Spirit) Video of the complete service * Order of service Saturday is a holiday in the United States. Every July 4th, Americans celebrate the Declaration of Independence of 1776. This year, July 4 might be a painful one for Americans. … [Read more…]
Text: Matthew 15:21-28 (Jesus and a Canaanite woman) Video of complete service* Order of service During the past month of world-wide uprisings against racist police violence, personal realities have presented a challenge for me to understand the feelings being expressed, perhaps because of the positions of privilege I embody. I am a white, male, straight, cis-gendered, … [Read more…]
Texts: “Pandemic as portal” by Arundhati Roy * Luke 4:14-19 (Jesus proclaims Jubilee) Video of complete service * Order of service Today I begin with three of the most challenging questions I can imagine. Could the world rid itself of nuclear weapons? Is there a way to find new homes for the worlds 70 million+ … [Read more…]
Text: 1 Corinthians 12:4-14 (one body, one spirit) Video of the service * Order of service One of the highlights of my first year at Mill Woods United was the Pride Parade on June 7, 2014. When I lived in Toronto, I had gone to the Pride Parade a few times over the years as … [Read more…]
Texts: John 7:37-39 (living water) * Acts 2:1-12 (the Day of Pentecost) Video of the complete service * Order of service Have you expanded your bubble since May 14 when Alberta relaxed physical distancing restrictions? Ten days ago, I had a chiropractic appointment. Last week, I got my hair cut. More and more, I am … [Read more…]
Text: 1 Samuel 8 (Israel demands a king) Video of complete service * Order of service In September 1962 when I entered kindergarten, I did so as a subject of the British Empire. In the staunchly United Empire Loyalist city of Cornwall Ontario, my elementary school seemed entirely British. Every classroom contained a world map … [Read more…]
Text: John 14:15-21 (the Spirit of Truth) Video of the complete service * Order of service In today’s Gospel story, Jesus tells his friends that the world will not accept the Spirit of Truth God will send to them. But isn’t truth a universal value; and doesn’t everyone want to understand reality? So, why does … [Read more…]
Texts: two paraphrases of the 23rd Psalm by James Taylor Click here to watch a video of the complete service On Mother’s Day we focus on family. We give thanks for our mothers and remember with gratitude the ancestors who made our lives possible. But today is a Mother’s Day like no other. Because of … [Read more…]