Sermons
Paradox, another visit
So last week we talked about mystery and this week we are talking about paradox. As I mentioned in at least one of the sermons, this is not a course on how to think. Although, if we all end up thinking better than we did before I’ll call that a double win. Being a follower of Jesus means you are moving into a kind of paradox; the whole thing is…
Not a mystery to be solved
Ah, Trinity Sunday. This is one of the Sundays that preachers might wish never made it into the liturgical year. The Trinity is not exactly the easiest doctrine to explain . . . because it is essentially un-explainable. That doesn’t mean there aren’t things we do know about it, things we can say about it; all it means is that the Trinity is beyond us. Like “eternity” which is something…
Not just tongues of fire
Pentecost is more than tongues of fire and the colour red. Pentecost is the time we have set aside to pay attention to the new way the Holy Spirit decided to interact with people. Many of us can picture the scene, a wind inside a closed house, tongues of fire on people’s heads, people being heard speaking languages they don’t speak. Very dramatic. Very colourful. I have preached about this…
Romans 8.35-39
I’m not sure if I have posted too many mid-week sermons here. This isn’t too surprising because I don’t preach very many mid-week sermons but I did this week. Today in fact. I was filling in at First Baptist Place for my step-mom who wasn’t feeling well. I was given the choice between Romans 8.35-39 or Habakkuk. Seeing as I have at best a passing acquaintance with that particular Old…
Jesus and community
I begin with my yearly restatement that I have nothing against Mothers’ Day (nor Fathers’ Day, Valentine’s Day, or any other day for that matter). I think mothers are the unsung heroes of everything and I don’t think I could have more respect for them in general and specific that I do. The problem is, when you preach the Lectionary, you preach the Lectionary . . . and I do….
Let’s talk friends
Friend. One of the most powerful and evocative words in the language. I have never encountered anyone who says they have too many friends, in this case Facebook friends do not count. We love the friends we have. We want to have friends. So what do we do with Jesus saying in John 15 where he calls us “friends.” Not servants (or slaves depending on your translation) but friends. If…
Not just any shepherd
One of the richest metaphors for the relationship between Jesus and us is that of shepherd and sheep (we’re the sheep in case you are wondering). In fact, it is such a rich metaphor that I’m certain there are a bunch of nuances completely lost on me because we don’t have a lot of opportunities to interact with sheep and shepherds at all, let alone in the context Jesus enjoyed….
Resurrection revisited
I almost titled this post “Resurrection revisited, now with less neo-Platonism” but decided not to, let me know in the comments if that was a good or bad idea. Much of my thinking in this area has been shaped by Richard Rohr and a remark in one of his devotionals really struck home. His history teacher sent Rohr and his classmates out into the world with this remark, “Just remember,…
We are not alone
This Sunday we are looking at two types of community. The first is one that is characterized by fear and as a consequence is hidden; locked away. The second is characterized by care and love and is out in the open; anyone can see them. It is noteworthy that both of these communities are made up of followers of Jesus. Even more interesting, both communities almost certainly contained the same…
He is risen!
The butterfly might not be most obvious symbol for today. I don’t know where you are but we had windchill values of -30 C this morning so there wasn’t much spring laying around. But, the butterfly is my favourite resurrection symbol. There is something amazing in how a butterfly begins as a caterpillar, seems to die after creating its own casket, and then emerges as a brand new kind of…