View Archived Sermons Third in a summer series: Holy Headlines: news and Good News Luke 10:25-37 records for us the story of the Good Samaritan. This morning I will look first at the text and what is going on there. Then I will share a couple of vignettes related to local and global news that might be enlightened by this story. In context, this story is part of the conversation between Jesus and an expert in Jewish Law or Torah.The…
View Archived Sermons Second meditation on the summer theme, Holy Headlines: news and Good News Col. 3: 15-17 On Thursday, we marked Canada Day. Many of us probably enjoyed fireworks or some other red white and summery celebration, and perhaps we reflected a little on what we cherish about living in our part of the world. Today, our friends in the United States will celebrate their national day with even greater hoopla. I remember vividly the first time I felt…
View Archived Sermons First in a summer series: Holy Headlines: news and Good News Psalm 16 Luke 9: 51-62 Mariam Zahar with a special editorial Report to the Place of Meeting Gazette in Jerusalem: According to our sources in the Galilean region, it has become clear that Jesus of Nazareth, lately from Capernaum, is determined to make his way to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. Folks in Jerusalem have planned for and prepared their normal security measures for…
View Archived Sermons Text: Mark 5:1-20 What have you to do with me? This is, not only the question with which a tortured soul, or the spirits within him, challenge Jesus upon encounter in our reading this morning from Mark chapter 5. It would also be a fair, if provocative, question to be pressed by modern hearers of Gospel exorcisms, who struggle with psychological trouble. Or by those who walk closely with them. What have you to do with…
View Archived Sermons Text: Mark 2: 18-22 Introduction Both last Sunday and today we have been and are blessed by the addition new members to our community of faith. It’s a blessing in a number of ways. Most immediately, there is the simple joy of celebrating the joining itself – whether by transfer and confession of faith or by baptism. Then there is the blessing of coming to know new people – both for those who have been here…
View Archived Sermons (This sermon originally included slides.) Good morning.Here we are in a little/big church or a big /little church not far from the shores of Lake Ontario in the Beaches neighbourhood of the Metropolitan city of Toronto. And in this church, in this gathering of followers of Christ, this morning we are celebrating the baptism of two persons, and receiving others into our fellowship upon transfer of membership and confession of faith. In these…
View Archived Sermons Scripture: Mark 4:1-9, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Shema Ysrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Ehad.”(Hear… the Lord is our God, the Lord is one) Mark 4:3-9He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Hear! A sower went out to sow. …. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to…
View Archived Sermons Gospel of Mark – overview I was one of them. One of his followers, that is. It’s safe to say that here, right? It wasn’t very safe for me that night in Gethsemane; I escaped, but not even with the shirt on my back. Anyway, I’m here because your preaching team told me that you’re starting a series on the Gospel of Mark. Let me tell you that today – the Sunday after Easter – is an…
View Archived Sermons Palm Sunday Who is this King of Glory? Lift up your heads All ye gates And be ye lifted up You everlasting wallsThat the King of Glory might come inWho is this King of Glory? Are you the one who is to come or are we to await another? Who do people say the Son of Man is? Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? Who is this who is speaking blasphemies?…
View Archived Sermons Good morning.Christ is Risen,Christ is Risen indeed. So began our worship service this morning. We shared this greeting with one another in several languages. This is one way we speak about this day and the series of events that culminated in this celebration of Easter morning. On the way to this celebration we journeyed through Lent together and with Jesus. Along the way we noted that there are some things we need to hold on to…