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: Isaiah 60:1-5 (“Arise, shine, for your light has come!”) Does anyone else here remember the 1986 Canadian rock hit “I’m an Adult Now?” This past Wednesday as I contemplated writing a Reflection for Epiphany and putting it in the context of my ancestry, the title “I’m An Adult Now” came to my mind. So, … [Read more…]
Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11, 16-18 (“Pray without ceasing”) Every Advent, the following debate surfaces: is Christmas secular or religious? Today, we are in the middle of Advent, a season that includes the four Sundays before Christmas. And while the retail and entertainment industries try to conflate Advent and Christmas, they are two distinct seasons. Advent … [Read more…]
Text: Exodus 3:1-5 (Moses and the burning bush) Have you ever encountered something so startling that it makes you stop in your tracks? When Moses passes by a burning bush that is not consumed, he stops, looks, and listens; and he hears a voice telling him that he is on holy ground. I imagine we … [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: 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…]
Text: Acts 2:1-21 (the day of Pentecost) * Context: part of a joint service between Mill Woods United and Zimbabwe United Methodist – Edmonton The dream of Pentecost is a sweet one. When tongues of flame alight on the heads of the first followers of Jesus, they are astonished to find they can preach in … [Read more…]
Text: John 9:1-41 (Jesus heals a blind man) Light can lead to enlightenment; and so light is central to healing. In today’s reading, Jesus calls himself “the light of the world” before he heals a blind person. Like a person born blind, many of us live in darkness. Happily, the ups and downs of life … [Read more…]
Text: John 4:5-42 (Living Water) Who are we? How do we describe ourselves? And with whom or what do we identify? These are some of the questions that come to my mind after hearing today’s Gospel reading. In the reading, the author notes that a person who approaches Jesus is a Samaritan; she in turn … [Read more…]
Text: Luke 9:51-62 (the costs of discipleship) What does it cost to belong to the church? There is the money we put on the offering plate, money that could otherwise be used for household expenses, luxuries, or savings. Then there is time we spend — at Sunday worship services, at outreach programs like The Bread … [Read more…]