Sermons

Darkness is an inescapable part of life. I’m sure it is obvious, but I’m talking metaphorically here just in case it isn’t. It is also literally true that each of us will be in physical darkness at least at some point in our lives. Metaphorical darkness is usually those things that are wrong; sin. Each of ...

This might seem odd but one of the things I don’t like is “progress.” As I am sure you know by now, if you have been following this blog for any length of time, I am fond of making provocative statements to help me, and perhaps others, look at things in a new way. How could ...

Sometimes the word “why” isn’t so much a question as a reason. You will sometimes hear people being asked, not “Why are you doing this?” but rather, “What’s your why?” which is a different question. You hear the question in various circles – recovery, Mom Hugs, etc – meaning, “What’s the reason you are in ...

Lent. Again. It happens every year but it can still, at least sometimes for me, sneak up on us. I would think I’d be used to it by now but . . . this year is one where it snuck up on me. I was asked recently why I observed Lent and I’m afraid the ...

Mountain tops aren’t what they used to be. I have heard it is now possible to make and receive cell phone calls at the top of Mount Everest. Mountain-top experiences, those moments of transcendence, on the other hand, are still happening. There are many places where these experiences happen–camp, camping, nature, even mountains–we love them when ...

Today is Heritage Sunday. This is not a church year Sunday but something the Presbyterian Church in Canada does. It is a Sunday to spend at least a moment or two looking at where we came from so we have a better idea of why we are where we are. The two sermons are looking at ...

We talked about influence last week and we are continuing to do so this week. I don’t mind revisiting topics, I know I frequently profit from going over things again. I might have gone a different way if I hadn’t encountered an online advertisement for an opportunity to be certified as a “professional influencer.” If we ...

Are we called to do the impossible? I have said more than once, God doesn’t ask us to do what we canNOT do. We are never asked to fly without assistance, we aren’t asked to walk on water or turn water into wine. We are frequently asked to do things that are very difficult for ...

The title of this post is a quotation that could be from William L. Watkinson* and regardless of who it came from, the sentiment is a useful one. This week, instead of just talking about anyone becoming a “fisher of people” whatever that might mean, I felt led to talk about light. The word “light” appears ...

Grace, as I am sure I have mentioned before, is one of my favourite words and also one of my favourite things. It is one of the few theologically significant words in common use which has yet to be significantly debased. Grace, graceful, and gracious still retain their positive connotations in our culture. This Sunday’s epistle ...