Sermons
Surely not!
Surely not! The late Rev. Dr. John Stott once said about the Beatitudes, “the Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, though arguably it is the least understood, and certainly it is the least obeyed.” Well, that’s a “fine” situation to be in . . . but only if I think I am somehow supposed to change the behaviour of people by my…
A great light
There are many sources of light in our personal worlds. From the sun to a “happy” light to the bulbs that light up our kitchen, light is all around us. So why on earth would I choose to preach about light? The answer is, as it so often is, the lectionary. The lectionary texts both explicitly and implicitly talk about light. When Paul got knocked off his horse, there was…
Who should we follow?
It seems everywhere you turn on the internet these days, there are opportunities to learn about leadership or how to be a leader or a better leader. There is quite a dearth when it comes to follower-ship. Where is a book on the X number of steps to becoming a better follower? If you were to look at the bookshelves at any bookstore, you will find all sorts of books…
A new year and a baptism
Today was not the first Sunday of the year, 2026, but I was thinking about the new year and how, by now, most people will have broken their resolutions and it fit somehow. More importantly this Sunday is the when we remember the baptism of Jesus. Jesus’ baptism is a bit of theological conundrum. There are several theories of course but as this isn’t a theological lecture I’ll pass over…
Epiphany? What’s that?
So what does “epiphany” mean? I don’t generally turn to the dictionary for definitions of words of theological significance, but in this case I did. The American Heritage Dictionary proved quite helpful. I case you are wondering why I am using this dictionary, it is because it was the first one I found and I liked what it had. Epiphany is: The part of the definition I am most interested…
What about Joseph?
We are into the church year’s season of Christmas, which is pretty short all things considered. The lectionary texts continue to draw from Isaiah and Matthew, with prophecies perhaps about Jesus and birth narratives definitely about Jesus. I thought I’d use this Sunday to talk about the most forgotten person in the stories about Jesus’ birth, namely his step-father, Joseph. I wish there were some way I could meet Joseph…
Love and Christmas
There is something about Christmas that brings out the best in many people. You might even say it brings out more love in people. I am okay with this. I went through a stage when I was younger of thinking (and actually saying) any “extra” love showing up at Christmas was false because “where was it the rest of the year?” A not overly-surprising kind of thought for a young…
Is joy simple?
As I was reflecting on the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of joy, the question above became my sermon title. It’s deceptively, well, simple, isn’t it? Is joy simple? The more I thought about it, the more I was taken with the question. It seems the answer is more complex than the question, which is usually the case when we are dealing with profound things like joy. One of…
What does peace look like?
I am not sure I actually know what peace looks like. My favourite and least favourite definition or description of peace is “Peace is the word needed to describe the occasional and brief moments between war.” I can’t remember to whom the quotation is attributed or if it was actually said by any of the famous people attached to it. It sums up a rather bleak view of the human…
New year, new hope?
It is a new church year. As I mentioned in the message, the church doesn’t have its own year to complicate things; it is just how we do things. The church year begins with the four Sundays of Advent. The first Sunday of Advent is the Sunday of hope. I wasn’t frightened of the topic of hope, but when I first thought about it, I was, to be perfectly honest,…