Community and Change-Wandering in the Wilderness Exodus 13: 17-22 (January 19, 2020-2nd Sunday after Epiphany) I hope you like self-deprecating humour. How many church members does it take to change a light bulb? The answer—“Change!? We don’t change!” Individual change is hard enough but institutional change that involves so many people with different personalities, values and agendas can be daunting, rife with…
Nothing to Prove—Matthew 3: 13-17 (January 12, 2020-Baptism of Jesus) I can’t imagine anything more frustrating than having my identity stolen. Frank Norman, from St. John’s, Newfoundland had this happen to him after his wallet was taken. It was one nightmare after another for him. He was arrested for stealing from a Wal-Mart even though he’d never been to the town in…
A Moment of Epiphany Matthew 2:1-12 January 5, 2020 – Parkminister UC – Rev. Heather Power Note: Some inspiration for this sermon came from a reflection on patheos.com. Over the years I have coordinated a lot of Christmas pageants. Perhaps it’s because I’ve directed so many Christmas pageants, but when I hear the story of the wise ones visiting the baby Jesus,…
Christmas—The Next Day—Matthew 2: 13-23 (December 29, 2019—1st Sunday after Christmas) (This reflection relies extensively on the work of Nadia Bolz-Weber. It is an adaption of her sermon, “Fear vs Love: a Sermon about 2 Different Kinds of Men.” It can be found at https://www.patheos.com/blogs/nadiabolzweber?s=matthew+2) To coin a common phrase these days, “Well, that escalated quickly”. It was just five days ago…
Christmas Possibilities—Luke 2: 1-20 (December 24, 2019—Christmas Eve Communion Service) I wonder sometimes if we aren’t all a little tired of this story. Perhaps that’s why Christmas has been re-invented as a key economic indicator, eagerly anticipated for it’s economic stimulus. Gift giving once a symbolic act of God’s gift to us has become disconnected from any spiritual meaning, co-opted by the…
Dreaming God’s Dream—Matthew 1: 18-25 (December 22, 2019—4th Sunday in Advent) Everybody is looking for a bargain this time of year or at least the appearance of a bargain. I see where some stores are holding “Boxing Week” sales before Christmas even happens. Well let me tell you about the great 2 for 1 bargain you get with scripture. Every time you…
Hoping Without Expectation—Matthew 24: 3-4, 36-44 December 8, 2019- 2ndt Sunday in Advent I have a hard time with Matthew’s Gospel. It’s full of dire warnings about what will happen if you don’t follow God’s way. In Matthew, God is a judge and a punisher who separates out the faithful and the unfaithful. Frankly, on first reading Matthew’s theology forms the backbone…
Note: some illustrations adapted/inspired by The United Church of Canada’s Children’s Sunday resource materials. The Maasai people of Kenya retain much of their traditional ways and cultural heritage. For as long as anyone can remember, their warriors used to greet each other with what translates to “How are the children?” It is the most widely used greeting by the whole community. The…
I love baptism Sundays. There is so much hope in the air on days like today. Not much different from what the crowd in our faith story must have felt. Everything looked so promising. Here was this itinerant preacher/teacher from a small hick town riding into Jerusalem, into the heart of civic and religious power proclaiming a new vision for a people held under the thumb of Roman rule. Jesus was like an open window that magically appeared in the locked room of their existence.