Recent Services and Series
This Sunday we continue with Part Three of our sermon series called “Heroes of the Faith.” we will be focusing on Lydia.
To prepare, please read: Acts 16:11-40.
This Sunday we continue with Part Two of our sermon series called “Heroes of the Faith.”
“Boldness” has two connotations. Positively to be bold is to be decisive, courageous, confident. Negatively, it is to act shamelessly as in breaking the social (or other) rules of conduct. In the Bible’s story of Rahab, she acts boldly in both senses — she is courageous in obeying God’s command to hide his spies in her home, even as she breaks solidarity with the inhabitants of her own hometown.
Join us Sunday as we consider Rahab’s trust in God that allowed her to act heroically and the lessons we can learn from her as we live as Christ’s agents here in Peterborough!
To prepare, please read: Joshua 2: 1-24
Heroes do not just belong in comic books and blockbuster movies. We have them in real life too– people whose courage, strength, and resilience we can look up to as models for our own lives. In this summer series we will meet four outstanding heroes from our faith story. Their readiness to listen to God’s voice in their lives and act on it inspires us to do the same.
In this the first sermon in this series, we are reminded that God will invite who God will to serve God’s greater purposes. Deborah was a prophet and judge. According to Deuteronomy 18:18, a prophet is one worthy of speaking on behalf of God. Deborah is the only woman prophet mentioned in the Book of Judges, and one of five in the Hebrew scriptures. A judge is a charismatic leader who rises to lead during times of trouble and is a national military leader. Where do we see God’s victories in our present moment?
Each week we ask you to prepare for the sermon by reading the featured scriptures in advance. As an incentive to do so, during this sermon series we will have a brief Bible quiz before we livestream the service. The questions will be easy to answer if you’ve read the passage!
To prepare, please read: Judges 4:1-11; Judges 5:1-9
Rev. Tim Purvis, Associate Secretary of Ministry and Vocations for the Presbyterian Church in Canada, joins us once again, presenting a unique sermon titled ” The Wild Bunch”. Our first reading comes from Isiah 5:1-7; this passage is often called the “The Song of the Vineyard”, where God compares Judah to a vineyard planted and cultivated and cared for, but which in the end grew wild grapes.
To prepare, please read: Isiah 5:1-7 as well as Luke 12:49-56
We welcome Rev. Tim Purvis back to our pulpit this week.
Tim is a perennial favourite of ours, and we are fortunate that he is able to join us today.
This time we are reading from Hebrews Chapter 11; known as the “faith chapter”, with the honour roll of those who worked and laboured for God’s promises even thought they may not have seen them fulfilled in their own lifetime.
To prepare: please read Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 (NRSV).
This Sunday we will conclude our sermon series on the topic of rest by considering how and if we are hindering others’ ability to rest.
Some people in our workplaces, families, volunteer organizations and churches may be doing more than their fare share of the work….and are reaping the consequences. All of us can be alert and watchful for signs of burnout (fatigue, uncharacteristic irritability, anger outbursts, reduced enthusiasm or other personality changes) and mindful that work is divided and shared equitably among several people.
When Moses’ father-in-law Jethro came to visit him after he had led the Israelites out of Egypt, he found that he alone was acting as judge for the people who had disputes with one another. He advised him to handle only the most contentious and complicated of the cases, and to delegate the rest to other capable people from within the community. This relieved Moses from too heavy a load to bear for long.
Join us this Sunday as we study God’s wisdom on how not only people, but even the land and animals he created are called to rest.
To prepare, please read: Exodus 18:1; 5-26 and Leviticus 25:1-22
Sometimes we may view rest as a “nice to have” but not a “need to have.” Faced with a daunting to-do list, or family and friends who need our care and attention, carving out times to rest and enjoy our lives seems well…almost selfish.
How can we accept our need for rest, without feeling guilty for taking some?
By following God’s example and honouring his design.
When God created the world and everything in it, he looked at all he had made and declared it to be “good.” And then, he rested. It is not that God was exhausted and needed a break. One of God’s characteristics is that He is omnipotent (all-powerful). He doesn’t tire as we do — so why did he rest?
He rested that He might enjoy/delight in what he had created. He walked in the garden with Adam and Eve and conversed with them. Unlike God, we were designed to rest. We need regular fuel to function, sleep to restore us, social relationships to bring joy and comfort and so much more. This Sunday we’ll consider how God fashioned us for rest and some of the scientific benefits to doing so!
To prepare, please read: Genesis 2:1-3 and Matthew 11:28-30.
Just as we experience seasons related to the weather here in the Northern Hemisphere, so too do we experience “seasons” in our life. Childhood is a season, for example. We may also have seasons of ill health, of grief, of growth and challenge. Some of these seasons may require us to rest so we can heal, reflect and make wise decisions about what comes next.
Certainly we all went through a season of COVID 19 together. We were forced to stay at home and do less. During that time did you do any reflection on your pre-pandemic schedule? From that reflection what did you learn? Did it cause you to adjust your life in any way?
In the Book of Ecclesiastes, we are reminded that God has ordained a time for everything. There is a time for everything, but not everything all at once. Recognizing that there are seasons in life, the author invites us to view each season as a gift from God and we can allow ourselves to be changed by that encounter. If we trust that God has good things in store for us in whatever season we find ourselves, we can take the long-view, the unrushed view, that allows us to be fully present to our now.
To prepare, please read: Psalm 131 and Ecclesiastes 13:1-13.
Ella Fitzgerald famously crooned, “Summertime…..and the livin’ is easy.” We tend to think of summer as the time when we take it easy, many of us take a break from usual activities to slow down and smell the roses.
Does rest come easy to you? Or do you feel uneasy if you haven’t accomplished “enough” in a given day? Are you able to lay your head on the pillow and get a good night’s sleep?
This Sunday we will begin a new four-week sermon series called “Season of Rest.” In part one we’ll explore what rest is, our attitudes and behaviours toward rest and see how one of God’s servants was burned out and how God cared for Him.
To prepare, please read: Psalm 62 and 1 Kings 19:1-9.
This Sunday we conclude our sermon series called “A New Creation.” Did you know that the Apostle Paul calls US a “new creation” in Christ? Do you feel new? If we do, we may see the newness as UNwelcome…as in a new age spot we see on our hand, or a new ache and pain that shows up out of nowhere.
Fruit-bearing trees produce their fruit naturally as they grow. They don’t have to try hard to make it happen; they just have to do what trees naturally do. The apostle Paul tells us the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives works similarly to produce the qualities of soul he calls “the fruit of the Spirit:” love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Scripture reading: Galatians 5:1, 13-25 (NRSV)
Our weather here in Peterborough is warming up and as a result perhaps you are spending more time in the garden. If so, you may find yourselves in a never-ending battle with weeds, insects and wildlife who, each in their own way, make their presence felt! As I reflected on this gardening reality, I see these in a new light. Perhaps, rather than feel frustrated or annoyed, I could be grateful that life always finds a way.
This Sunday we will continue our study of God’s creation and marvel at his intelligent design. As we learned last Sunday, the globe will not be incinerated when Christ returns…instead heaven and earth will be united, restored and will live in harmony. God will once again live with humanity as he first did in the Garden of Eden.
This gives us hope and a vision to live toward, even as we see the earth struggling in many ways. Cracks are showing in creation, in large part because we have abandoned our role as God’s caretakers. However creation is not “bad” in the same way that divorce doesn’t make marriage “bad” or cancer doesn’t make normal cell division bad. Join us this Sunday as we consider God’s sovereignty over creation and re-capture our wonder and awe of his created order.
To prepare read Psalm 104: 5-24 and Job 12:7-10.
What’s your vision of heaven? Does that vision excite you, make you anxious or bore you? (I don’t know about you, but floating around on clouds, endlessly playing the harp sounds tedious to me!)
What do you think will happen to earth when Christ returns? Is Christ going to incinerate our globe as apocalyptic visions propose?
These are among the questions we’ll explore in a new sermon series we’re starting this week called, “A New Creation.” We’ll explode some common myths/misconceptions about heaven, earth and our place within each.
To prepare read Psalm 8 and Revelation 21:1-7
Doesn’t it seem like every second day there is new dietary recommendations or food cautions being published in the media? Are seed oils bad for you? Should you do intermittent fasting? What are the benefits of keto and paleo diets? It’s all very confusing and some dietary advice is contradictory!
After Jesus’ resurrection, the early Christians were likewise confused about diet, among them the apostle Peter. He was used to observing strict Jewish dietary laws as a way of being acceptable before God…but now he’s being invited to eat with new Gentile converts….and their diet is decidedly different than what he is used to! What should he do? Decline the invitation? Bring his own lunch? Tuck into whatever his hosts offer? Sometimes in holding on tightly to rules, we create insiders and outsiders: those worthy of Christ’s redemption and those who aren’t. These “rules” divide rather than unite.
Join Rev. Tim Purvis on Sunday as he clears up the confusion in his message titled, “The Sheet Heard ‘Round the World.”
To prepare read Psalm 148:1-14; John 13:31-35 and Acts 11:1-18.
We’ve all heard the saying: “it takes a village to raise a child.” This phrase acknowledges that it is not the parents alone who influence, teach, protect and guide their children. This Mother’s Day Sunday we will look at a passage from the Old Testament Book of Exodus that demonstrates this principle in action. Five women are instrumental in ensuring the baby Moses is shielded from danger and reaches adulthood. In this way we could consider that the term “motherhood” extends beyond the biological mother to include other significant “others” in our lives. The “hood” of motherhood is greater than we imagine.
To prepare for this service, and to celebrate Mother’s Day, spend some time reflecting on who guided, nurtured, influenced and protected you as a baby, child and young adult. Perhaps this Sunday you can reach out to not only your mother (if she isn’t already at home with Jesus), but these other role models in your life with a word of thanks and appreciation.
To prepare read Psalm 139 and Exodus 1:6-2:10.
When God created the world, everything was “good” – except for one thing.
What was it? How did God resolve it? What did Jesus tell us to do to support it?
Our scripture readings (all are NRSV):
Genesis 1: 3,4,10,12,16-18,21,25,31a
Matthew 7:1-5
Romans 12:9-18
Resurrected. Reborn. Now what?
The idea of resurrection often includes a sense of spiritual rebirth. But what comes next?
It’s doubtful that we are expected to remain spiritual infants.
In this Hymn Festival, we’ll sing a lot, but we’ll also consider some of the ideas that accompany growth, both physical and spiritual.
Where do you find yourself this Easter? Are you happy, hopeful, fulfilled? Do you feel valued, supported, loved? or do you feel like life has gotten off track…that you’re not where you dreamed you be at this stage of life. Perhaps you feel it is “too late” to change course and make changes…to somehow lead a new, different, better life.
Ah…but that is exactly what Easter is all about! As they watched Christ die on the cross, the disciples dreams of liberation died with him. It was too late — it was all over, or so they thought.
But theirs was a hasty conclusion. Christ would meet their need for new life in a completely unexpected way, and not just theirs but all of humankind’s!
Join us as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection and our assurance that God can and does continue to bring new life to even the most desperate situations and lives.
To prepare, read ahead: Isaiah 65:17-25 and Luke 24:1-12.
We hope you can join us for a special Good Friday service to be held at 10 a.m. This will be a joint service with St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church and will be held there. St. Stephen’s address is 1140 St. Paul’s Street, Peterborough.
The Rev. Wayne Reid will lead worship and I will deliver the message that will focus on the protection Christ’s death offers us.
We all have a need to feel safe and protected. As Jesus approaches the cross on Good Friday we see the disciples need Jesus’ protection as he is arrested; Peter needs the protection of anonymity as he tries to stay close to Jesus during the trial; Pilate desperately seeks protection from political pressures and Jesus’ mother needs protection as she stands at the foot of the cross.
And then, of course, there’s Jesus. Jesus needs protection too, but He has a greater need: the need to live according to His Father’s wishes, even as it leads Him toward death. And so, amazingly, wonderingly, this Christ, who could heal the sick, restore sight to the blind, still the wind and the waves, did not seek protection for himself, but willingly gave up his life for our safety and security, our protection as children of God.
Maundy Thursday, April 17th at 5:00 p.m. we will have a time of worship that is a re-enactment of the Last supper. A simple soup and bread meal will be served — gluten-free options will be available. So that we know how many people to expect, please RSVP to our office administrator, Joanne by email at office@stpaulspeterborough.ca by end of day Tuesday, April 15th or phone and leave a message at 705-745-1411.
As we’ve progressed through our sermon series “All We Need” perhaps you have wondered: “Does God need anything? And if so, WHAT does God need?” The only place in scripture where Jesus explicitly asks for something he needs come in our Palm Sunday reading. He has need of a colt, the foal of a donkey. It’s not that he needs it for transportation, he could walk just fine. So why does he need a colt to ride now? It’s a question we’ll explore, but even more interesting is the response of both the disciples and the colt’s owner. They do not question or ask why the Lord is in need of it; they simply respond even in the absence of an explanation.
How about us? Do we often make our need for an explanation so important that we miss the opportunity to do what God invites us to do?
To prepare, read ahead: Psalm 31:9-16 and Luke 19:28-40.
This Sunday we continue with our Lenten Sermon series: All we Need by considering our need of change.
How do you feel about change? Do you view it as an adventure…a welcome departure from the usual routine of your life, or do you fear change and view it as unpleasant, perhaps even painful? In truth we have both types of change in our lives don’t we?
Change is a necessary part of life. We have only to think of the change necessary for a caterpillar to become a butterfly or the dry bulb to become a daffodil as two positive, and beautiful effects of change. Likewise Christ changed the status quo forever when he conquered death, a gift for all of us who follow Him.
This Sunday we will look at change in the life of the nation of Israel as they left behind their wilderness wandering and at long last entered the promised land. What can their journey teach us about ours? Join us Sunday to find out!
This Sunday we continue with our Lenten Sermon series: All we Need by considering our need of advocates.
At one time or another we all need someone in our corner. It could be that we need an advocate, in this case a lawyer, to help us prepare for an upcoming trial, other times, we may need someone with different skills or knowledge to assist us when we reach the limit of our abilities. (Like me, when I need to hang a piece of art at home – yikes!)
A clear example of human beings’ need for an advocate comes from Jesus’ teaching about the parable of the fig tree. The tree is saved from the ruthless efficiency of the vineyard owner by a patient gardener who counsels one more year of care. The gardener will meet the tree where it is with what it needs to be fruitful, in the same way that Christ, through the spirit, meets us where we are and gives us what we need to come through the trial, not only surviving, but thriving, bearing fruits for the reign of God.
To prepare, read ahead: Psalm 63:1-8; Corinthians 10:1-13 and Luke 13: 1-9.
There is much to rob us of much-needed sleep in our turbulent, ever-changing world. But Psalm 27 reminds us: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid.” We can sleep and rest secure because we know the one who has overthrown death itself. We are known and deeply-loved by the God of all creation.
This Sunday we will re-visit our story of the transfiguration and notice something we didn’t study on March 2nd when we visited this story on Transfiguration Sunday: the disciples were asleep during much of Jesus’ encounter with Moses and Elijah. Why might this be? Join us on Sunday as we explore this more deeply.
When we are vulnerable, afraid or weak we often are loath to admit we need help and to ask for it. But living in a way that denies our vulnerability is decidedly unhealthy.
When Jesus was vulnerable he reached out to his heavenly Father in prayer and rooted himself in God’s word and promises. He also embraced vulnerability as it was a necessity to save us. The devil tempts Jesus with self-reliance that eschews help from anyone, including God. Yet Jesus knows that the source of everything, is God.
How can we too embrace our vulnerability and not deny or be ashamed of it…but instead to give it to God and trust him completely to supply all our needs? Join us this Sunday as we explore this question more deeply.
To prepare, read ahead: Deuteronomy 26:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13
Join us on Zoom using the Sunday service link in StPaulsConnects email or the blue button above.
Right now, in our world, there are so many voices competing for our attention. It is becoming increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction and to know which voices we can trust as authoritative voices who are speaking the truth, and not for self-serving purposes!
Many people, it seems are seeking the spotlight for themselves, for profit or fame and are willing to compromise the truth in the process.
Into this chaos, our scripture readings for this week direct us toward Jesus, who stands apart as God’s beloved son, ablaze with a light of purity and glory. God says, “Listen to him!” When we do, we hear him say, “you are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.” Join us Sunday as we learn how to listen and root ourselves in God’s voice spoken in scripture and strengthened by it, to walk in our dark world as beacons of His light!
To prepare, read ahead: Matthew 5:13-16 and Luke 9:28-36.
Recording part 1
Recording part 2
We are experiencing more and more extreme weather events throughout the globe. These are the result of climate change, and many of us have taken pains to educate ourselves on how we might modify our lifestyle or purchasing habits to lessen our contribution to global warming. However, have you heard anything about climate justice? Rich, developed countries contribute far more to global warming than poorer underdeveloped cocuntries, yet these poorer nations suffer far more from the impact of global warming. Join us Sunday as we study God’s account of creation in Genesis and the responsibility he entrusted to us to care for his good creation.
We’ll also learn how our international aid and development arm known as “Presbyterian World Service and Development” is working with other agencies to achieve greater climte justice. We will take up a special offering to support their work. Please prayerfully consider what you may be able to give to support this important work.
In English we have an expression that we sometimes use when describing another person: he (or she) is the “salt of the earth.” But what does that mean? It means they are a person of integrity, honesty, humility, they work for the good of themselves and others. This expression arises from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew where he gives wise counsel on how to live as people who belong to God’s kingdom even as they dwell here on earth. So what does it mean to be “salty” Christians and how can our saltiness add flavour and preservation to our lives and society in the midst of unjust trials?
Join us Sunday to find out!
This Sunday as we come to the dramatic conclusion of Jonah’s story we discover that Jonah, having delivered God’s message to the people of Nineveh, doesn’t return home. Why is that? It appears that he hopes Nineveh won’t repent and they will get what Jonah feels they deserve! So he selects a ringside seat to the coming “fire and brimstone” show.
When God spares Nineveh the predicted destruction, Jonah’s attitude reveals something is still eating him – this time not a whale, but anger. He doesn’t share God’s compassion for the people and animals of Nineveh. He also fails to see that he himself is a recipient of God’s grace, and as such should desire such grace for others!
To prepare, read ahead: Psalm 103 and Jonah 4
This Sunday we rejoin the reluctant prophet Jonah as he finds himself suddenly and unceremoniously spit out on a Mediterranean beach. But while Jonah has been released from the belly of a large fish, he’s not off the hook from an assignment from God — the very same assignment he was given in the first place (and that he ran away from). God is giving Jonah a second chance to do the right thing. This time, Jonah does not delay in fulfilling his task and warning the people of the ancient capital of Nineveh of coming destruction.
How will they respond to God’s message delivered by Jonah? Will they gratefully respond to God’s second chance, or will they, like Jonah, turn their back on Him. How about us….how are we resonding here and now to God’s invitation to be part of his life-saving work?
To prepare, read ahead: Psalm 32 and Jonah 3
Last Sunday we accompanied Jonah as he ran away from God and hopped onto a boat headed for Tarshish. But this wasn’t a pleasant Mediterranean cruise, but instead a near shipwreck as God sent a storm upon the sea. Jonah, in disobedience to God brought only more hardship upon himself and others. As we rejoin the story this Sunday we find Jonah deep in the belly of a whale. This may lead us to ask: how are we to understand this story? Is it pure fiction with a moral lesson, or is it an actual historical account of events? We’ll explore these questions as well as examine the content of Jonah’s prayer to God from inside the whale.
To prepare, read ahead: Psalm 130 and Jonah 2
This Sunday we will begin a new, four-part series on the Book of Jonah. Many of us may be familiar with the Book of Jonah from our Sunday school days. The idea of a big fish (or whale) swallowing a man whole, and him living to tell about it captures our imaginations, even now, well into adulthood! But the story of Jonah is not just a tale about a whale…in fact, the whale is just a bit player in the overarching narrative. At its heart this story reveals the great lengths to which God will go to call people back into an intimate relationship with Him – a relationship marked by mercy, compassion and a need to “love others as we love ourselves” regardless of their mistakes and foibles.
In Part One, titled: “You can Run from God, but you can’t Hide!”, we’ll consider how we hide from each other, ourselves and God. We may hide to avoid confrontation, because we are fearful, because of poor self-esteem or because we dislike others. This Sunday, we encounter Jonah running from a task God has asked him to complete. He runs in the opposite direction because he hates the people God has asked him to visit. Jonah runs not from God’s wrath…but from God’s mercy.
Have we ever been tempted to run away or hide from God? Join us this Sunday for this look at how God’s grace is greater than our failures.
To prepare, read ahead: Psalm 139:1-10 and Jonah 1
What will the light of Epiphany shine on in your life this year?Will it reveal something new in your relationship with God?
Will it spark a revolution in how you live your life?
We welcome Elder Brenda Roxburgh to our pulpit this Sunday, with her sermon titled ‘Resolutions. Revolutions. Revelations.’
To prepare, read ahead: Isaiah 60: 1-6 and Matthew 2: 1-12.
We welcome Elder Eric Prugh to our pulpit this Sunday, with his sermon titled ‘Letting Go, Letting God”
To prepare, read ahead: Psalm 142; Roman 8: 1-8,28; Matthew 11:27-30.
Join us for a special Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. Christmas Eve. We will celebrate Christ’s birth with a number of beloved Christmas carols and a message that asks us to consider the “uncountable” gift that is our Saviour!
For those of you joining us by Zoom, please use the same link as for our Sunday morning services. For your convenience the link is below.
Once again our best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and many blessings in 2025!
Love magnifies the beloved. It notices the unnoticed. It heralds the unheralded. It calls down blessings on what has been ignored and overlooked. Love is a cherishing attention that requires our whole hearts and our whole selves.
Having been noticed and favoured by God, the virgin Mary erupts in a love song. Before she was one of many women, not particularly noteworthy, just one face among many. But now, God’s notice and love transforms her into one who will be agelessly blessed.
How do we, as Christ’s agents in Peterborough, notice those who may feel invisible? Can we give them time, attention, a listening ear, and by so doing show God’s love for them?
To prepare, read ahead: Micah 5:2-5 and Luke 1:39-55.
This week we have seen images of joyful crowds in Syria celebrating the fall of the Assad dynasty, a dynasty marked by violence, corruption, supression of human rights and more. It is a reminder to us that when things seem bleak, suddenly and often unexpectedly, a breakthrough can occur and with it a joy buried and smothered by worry, want and sorrow, can erupt and overflow.
This Sunday we will study John the Baptist’s words to the crowds who flocked to see him on the banks of the Jordan river. His words seem brutal. He calls his listeners, a “brood of vipers” ! At first glance it seems that John is more of a killjoy than a bringer of joy, an announcer of Good News for all people!.
Yet the Holy Spirit has drawn these crowds there and they ask John “What shall we do?” In his answer we find enduring joy, a joy for all where no one is in want, no one is excluded or exploited, and everyone is transformed by exuberant, unexpected joy. And couldn’t we all use more of that?!
To prepare, read ahead: Zephaniah 3:14-20 and Luke 3:7-18
This Sunday we will pause our “More than Words” Advent series for a special “Lessons and Carols” service. Please join us as we continue our journey toward Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus Christ. This service has more than the usual amount of music with a mixture of familiar carols and advent pieces, including an anthem from our Choir entitled: “Creation shall be at Peace.” A wonderful service for the whole family.
This Sunday we continue our “More than Words” Advent series with a look at the word Hope. Just as care is sometimes confused with love, so too hope can be confused with optimism.The renowned theologian Juergen Moltmann, wrote a classic text on the subject called A Theology of Hope. In it he helpfully explains the difference between hope and optimism. Both, he says entail positive expectations with regard to the future. But they are radically different stances toward reality.
Have I lost you? Here’s a way to think about it: If my daughter Rachel could pick up Little Bear and read it when she was in kindergarten, I could legitimately be optimistic that she would do reasonably well in the first grade. If extrapolation is incorrect, optimism is misplaced, illusory. Perhaps my younger daughter Stephanie is very good at doing cartwheels as a young child (which she was), but it would have been foolish of me to bet that based on that skill alone she would win an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics.
Our positive expectations of the future are based mostly on such extrapolative thinking. We see the orange glow on the horizon, and we expect that morning will be bathed in sunshine. Such informed, grounded optimism is important in our private and professional lives, for the functioning of families, economy and politics. But optimism is not hope.
One of Moltmann’s lasting contributions in Theology of Hope was to insist that hope, unlike optimism, is independent of people’s circumstances. Hope is not based on the possibilities of the situation and on correct extrapolation about the future. Hope is grounded in the faithfulness of God and therefore on the effectiveness of God’s promise.
This is the hope that energizes to work for positive change even when as the world gives into despair.
To prepare, please read: Jeremiah 32: 1-12; 33:1-16 and Luke 21:25-36.
Maybe, like me, you grew up watching courtroom TV such as “The Peoples’ Court” or “Judge Judy.” If so, you might have come to the conclusion that justice is about fairness, responsibility and keeping your word. I think we’d gladly use that definition in daily life. We often see justice as people getting what they deserve, and Judy certainly tried to make sure everyone received what they were owed, that everyone paid their dues and that no one got a free ride, and that no one was treated unfairly.But in scripture, justice isn’t meted out by a pop-culture icon. Justice is the dominion of the Divine. The ability to rule belongs to God and to those whom God has chosen to lead. They are the ones who make sure that dues are paid and that there is a proportional retribution for injustices committed against everyday people.
But what are we to make of our ruler Jesus, standing before Pilate in the gospel lesson from John 18? Jesus is hardly on a throne. He isn’t sitting above anyone. He isn’t administering justice or issuing rulings. Jesus is the one on trial, and the trial itself is a sham, far from just. Join us this Sunday as we study two trials: Jesus trial before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish rulers) and his trial before Pilate. What do they teach us about what justice looks like in Jesus’ kingdom and how we can “do likewise” here and now?
To prepare, please read: 2 Samuel 23:1-7 and John 18:28-40.
This Sunday we will continue our new Advent sermon series titled “More than Words” as we look at scriptures that bring to life the word: faith. It’s one thing to say we have faith, but quite another to act out our faith.We often talk about faith as something we must generate within ourselves: “Just have a little faith,” you might have heard (or maybe you have even said this to someone) while struggling with a difficult problem or relationship. This command to “just have a little more faith” suggests that faith is a matter of will power. But faith, like all the Advent themes we’re exploring this season is a gift from God. However, God gifts us all differently and faith is a gift that not everyone has. The good news is that faith isn’t something you are required to have to come to church. Rather, church is the place to go when you don’t have faith for yourself, because it’s where other people carry faith for you. We lean on each other in loving vulnerability.
If we want to know what faith is, we should begin with God’s own faithfulness. This Sunday we’ll consider the story of Hannah, who longed for a son and believed God could fill her barren womb. She was right. What can we learn from her example? We’ll also consider “misplaced” faith as we eavesdrop on a conversation between Jesus and his disciples. Sometimes it is easier to place our faith in visible, concrete displays of power and wealth than in the honest vulnerability that is the true source of our salvation.
After our Remembrance Day commemoration portion of our service, we will transition into our regular service of worship. This year we are going to have an extended advent of seven weeks versus the usual four. Our theme for Advent this year is “More than Words.” This won’t be a look at how to control our tongues or advice to choose our words carefully…although both are worthwhile pursuits!
No, instead, we’ll be asking how do we, as Christians embody these words. How do we show them in our actions, attitudes, priorities and how does our triune God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit show these in scripture and practice?
Our first word is “care.” Care often gets confused with love. You can care about something without necessarily loving it. For example, if you care about your body you might eat more green vegetables and exercise, although you don’t particularly love either. Making a distinction between love and care isn’t just wordplay; it’s a necessity. Care is characterized by devotion, consistency, attention to detail, and some sense of obligation. It may require specialized skills, or it may just require time. Either way, care requires consistent investment — attention provided over the long haul.
Scripture is full of examples of God’s care for us, and this Sunday we’ll study how different leaders cared (or not) for the people in their communities. God so cared for this world, that He sent his only son, Jesus, at Christmas to show us how to live, love and care for others.
During Advent you will also receive a weekly devotional every Monday morning in your mailbox helping us to reflect and pray about the word we’ve studied the previous Sunday. Your first devotion will arrive November 11th.
To prepare, please read: 1 Kings 17: 8-24 and Mark 12:38-44
This Sunday we will finish our WiseUp sermon series with a look at wisdom as it pertains to money. We know that money can open many doors. If you have a fat wallet you can afford to send your children to private schools, you can take annual vacations to swanky foreign destinations, you can own a large home and many other possessions. That’s why money is often viewed as the universal passport to anywhere.
But as we’ll discover on Sunday there is one door that money cannot open. As Jesus encounters a young, wealthy man, we find that his money owns him. Money, not God is whom he worships. How can we better view our money as a tool to be used, rather than a treasure to be hoarded? Join us Sunday as we dig deeper and gain wisdom in how to manage our money.
Have you ever been harassed or bullied either as an adult or child?
Bullying is on the rise in Canada. One reason is that various technology platforms makes it easier than ever for perpetrators to target someone for bullying, and these attacks can occur 24/7, 365 days a year without bullies ever meeting their victims face-to-face. This anonymity often emboldens bullies to be even more cruel and persistent.
But Jesus tells us to “To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more payback. Live generously. (Luke 6:27-30 THE MESSAGE)
WHAT?! You may exclaim. Is Jesus is asking us to be chumps? Doormats that people can walk all over regardless of how they treat you? Isn’t this just an invitation to more bullying?If these are your questions, I invite you to join us Sunday as we explore just what exactly Jesus is trying to teach us about dealing with bullies or enemies of any kind.To prepare, read ahead: Isaiah 41:1-13; Luke 6:27-36 and 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
It’s a new year, and perhaps many of you are hoping to improve in one or more areas of our life. Often, in order to improve, we week out experts in various fields. If we wish to improve our finances, we engage a financial advisor to help us. Want to lose weight? Maybe a personal trainer is in order. Yet how often do we view our Bible as perhaps the best source of advice and wisdom of all? In this new series for a new year, we’ll look at what wisdom God’s word provides on a range of topics, but first we’ll look at wisdom itself…what it is and how do we acquire it?
To prepare please read: Proverbs 13:12-18; Psalm 14; James 1:2-8.
Rev Lloyd R. Ayre is in the pulpit this Sunday with the message Galilee and 2024. Scripture is Genesis 1:1-5 and the 29th Psalm. Join us for this first service of the new year.
Our own Brenda Roxburgh is in the pulpit this Sunday with a New Year’s Eve message of Resolutions and Revolution. Join us for a joyous and thoughtful service!
Whether you’re still attending school, or your school days are long behind you, your learning day began with the teacher pulling out her class roster and taking attendance. As you heard your name called, you would yell out “here!” or “present!”
This Sunday morning will be our last in Advent…our time of watching and waiting for the Christ child to be born is almost over!As with last Sunday, our focus on Sunday will be on Mary and her encounter with the angel Gabriel. Gabriel tells Mary she has been chosen by God to bear HIS son. We can imagine that she was not only surprised but also overwhelmed — who me? This sounds less like a volunteer assignment, and more like being “voluntold” doesn’t it? Mary, to her credit, accepts the assignment and agrees to have the Christ child dwell within her. Talk about being present with “THE” present!What about us? Do we accept God’s assignment for us even as we feel underprepared, and unqualified? What blessings do we forgo if we take a pass until (or if) we feel ready? Join us Sunday as we reflect on making ourselves present for God himself!
Our culture sells us an ideal that joy is experienced only when we arrive at something we do not yet have.One day…..One day….when I get married.One day…when I am healed of this illness.One day…when I score that dream job.One day…when my spouse changes.One day…when I get out of this funk.On the other side of the coin is our inner judge, reminding us of the regret of missed joy that’s now gone forever.If only…If only…I had savoured that moment.If only…I had been more intentional.If only…I had never made that mistake.If only…I had been a better version of myself.If only…I hadn’t lost that opportunity, relationship, etc.This is the type of joy that slips between our fingers, leaving us empty.But as we look at the story of the teenage, unwed Mary in our Bible, we see a different picture of joy. Despite the hardship that lay before her, Mary is filled with joy because she has been noticed by God and selected for a very important mission in this world.
This season, let us CHOOSE joy, as Mary did, not because everything about our lives are perfect…but because God has come near and chosen us, selected us, loved us enough to save us. Like Mary he sees something in us he can use and work with in his kingdom-building enterprise. It may be hard, it may be inconvenient…but it is oh, so worth it!
To prepare for the service, I invite you to read Isaiah 61:1-4; 7-11; Luke 1:41-55 and Psalm 126:1-3.
So often in our ‘go-go-go’ world we find ourselves multi-tasking or obsessing about something that isn’t quite right or settled or the particular way we like it. We are very accustomed to a preoccupied mind that often has little peace. In this season we will consider how we can slow down and turn back once again to the “Prince of Peace,” the one that John the Baptist announced as he stood in the Jordan river. Jesus came into a world that was less-than-peaceful and it seems that not much has changed! As our world continues to experience poverty, war, disease, racism, corruption and oppression we may wonder why hasn’t Jesus returned to bring the promised lasting peace? If this and other questions are robbing you of peace, we invite you to join us on Sunday for some timely answers!
We live in an increasingly distracted world. Smartphones and the internet mean that we can be reached 24/7. The ping of a notification can entice our attention away from being fully present with the people we love. When we fail to give our full attention, when we are not fully present to the people we are with or the task we are working on…relationships suffer and productivity takes a dive.
In our Advent series this year we are celebrating the gift of being truly present – to each other and to the call of God to make this world a better place. We can be the gift of hope with those who are despairing or grieving. Even if we are poor – whether in resources, in body or spirit, we can simply be a gift of presence when we give our attention and hearts to others.
As we journey to Christmas we are reminded that Christmas was about God coming to be present with us. Advent is not only a time to prepare for the cute babe in the manger, but also for the recreation of this world when Jesus returns again. Are we present, alert and watchful for signs of his work among us?
Series – Autumn 2023
Standing Strong Sermon Series: 1 Thessalonians
How can we “Stand Firm” in our Christian faith in 2023? Events in our lives and in our world can, at times, cause us to doubt in a good, loving and faithful God. Yet we remember that Jesus told us that “in this world we will have trouble, but to ‘take heart’ because He has overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
The early church in Thessalonica needed to be strengthened in their faith and they wrote to the Apostle Paul for clarification about Christ’s return and how they should live in light of it. Paul’s words were an encouragement to them and to us today! You can watch the whole sermon series here.
We are observers and participants in a global shift which began some two thousand years ago and is just lately showing itself as worldwide turmoil that is affecting species of life and the planet itself. It began with a man and continued with an instruction book giving us a roadmap to survive this world and transition to another which is ethereal, promising life to be eternal.. God is in the midst of it, orchestrating his creation. Here are the clues..
St Paul’s own Eric Prugh leads the service.
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4: 1-14 Revelation 7: 9-17 Matthew 5: 1-12
Series – Autumn 2023
Generous Sermon Series: The Beauty in Giving
Did you know that being generous is good for you? It’s true! Researchers are discovering and documenting the benefits that come as people engage in generous practices. Being generous has a measurable, positive impact on an individual’s body, mind, and spirit, as well as on wider society.
But sometimes we hold back on giving to others…why is that? Well our world today runs on a scare-city mindset. The world plugs into our fears and worries and tells us there isn’t enough to go around, and so we hoard what we have which weakens our neighbourhoods and communities. This series teaches us about God’s generous character and his promise that if we give, we will be blessed, and so will others! Click below to access the complete series.
Thanksgiving Sunday we will be considering three kinds of gifts: (1) Expensive gifts (those that cost the most) (2) Precious gifts (those that mean the most) and (3) expensive AND precious gifts. As we know some expensive gifts end up in the landfill as they become obsolete, break, go out of fashion or no longer apply to our age or stage of life. These cost the most, but don’t qualify as “precious.” Other gifts…like a hand-knit sweater from our mom, or a card of encouragement at a moment we are feeling low may not cost much, but lift our spirits even years later. As we consider God’s small and great blessings to us, we will consider how we can turn on our “tap” of gratitude.
We live in a world of constant distraction. Email notifications, the “ping” of a new text message, a blinking light from Alexa or Google, all compete for our attention.
In such an environment, can we hear quieter voices….like the gentle whisper of God? Can we see something miraculous in what once was mundane as Moses did with a commonplace bush…that was burning but not consumed? Can we take our hands off the wheel of our own lives and let God be the driver, by accepting “the cross” he might have us carry?
Join us this Sunday as we welcome Rev. Tim Purvis to our church. Tim will help us study the story of Moses and the burning bush and Jesus’ call on his disciples to “take up their cross and follow him.”
Does God still call people today? If Jesus is on the line…do we pick up?
If someone picked up your smartphone and scrolled through your music selections…what would be the “soundtrack” to your life? Would the one snooping find a selection of sad songs or would your list be full of upbeat joyous music?
Church is one of the few places that public singing still occurs, and those singing don’t need to audition beforehand. The only requirement is a desire to join in singing praise to our creator God.
But sometimes songs of worship break free of our church walls into other public spaces…such was the case when a flash mob startled unsuspecting shoppers at the Seaway Mall in Niagara Falls with a moving rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus. Their performance transformed the crowd from the stress of Christmas shopping to the joyful reality of the reason for the season.
This coming Sunday, our guest speaker Susan Wallace will help us consider how we too can rediscover the joy of worship such that we joyfully sing and live out the melody of the love of Christ such that we can once again astonish and transform a weary world with the beauty of the gospel message. What’s on God’s soundtrack? Join us Sunday to find out!
One of the legacies of Covid seems to be a long list of organizations and companies that are experiencing service disruptions. Some of this is due to supply chain disruptions that have been unable to keep up with the surge in pent-up consumer demand once Covid restrictions lifted. In other cases, continuing labour shortages are to blame.
I’m sure that you, like me, have at times been frustrated or even dismayed (think of the closing of some hospital emergency departments) as these service disruptions continue. What if I told you that even our church is experiencing labour shortages too? What is happening to Christ’s body when some have taken themselves “out of service?”
This Sunday we’ll consider that question and our response as we study a portion of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in ancient Corinth. In it he says we are all members of the body, each one with a gift to contribute…but what happens if we withhold our gift?
Series – Summer 2023
Pathways to Character Sermon Series: How to build a character of integrity
Few of us would argue that western society is facing an integrity crisis. Whether it’s politicians who are indicted for breaking the law, churches and government who tried to abolish a culture and heritage through a program of residential schools, police forces accused of racism and brutality, price-fixing by supermarkets or entrepreneurs and royals accused of sex with minors the list goes on and on.
And the question is, how did we get here? What prompts individuals and institutions to make choices based more on self-interest than the common good? Choices for personal pleasure and gain even as they come with harmful consequences for the most vulnerable?
In our summer 2023 sermon series we studied the characters in Book of Ruth and learned how we can, by following their example, develop a character that protects us from the temptation to compromise our values, and help us make life-giving rather than life-destroying choices. Character that is Christlike in that it only seeks the welfare of others before ourselves. Click below to access the complete series.
Series – Winter 2023
Looking For Love Sermon Series:
Like the lyrics of the popular country song, isn’t it true that today so many of us are “lookin’ for love in all the wrong places”?
Dating sites and apps proliferate, Facebook social and neighbourhood groups populate our feeds, and yet loneliness is on the rise. According to Statistics Canada, 1 in 10 people surveyed reported being “often or always” lonely. It is a paradox that our generation is the most “connected” electronically, reachable instantly 24/7, and yet this connectedness isn’t resulting in deep, fulfilling relationships with others.
We distract ourselves from this reality by finding short term distractions as we chase the shinier, easier treasures in life. Looking for love in “wrong places” results in a fleeting joy, and a shallow peace.
Love is found by simply turning back toward love’s very source: God. Throughout this series, the name of God or Jesus is often “Love.” We are, indeed, looking for God when we look for love. Lent is a time to make more room for God and assess what we understand to be “treasures” worth our time, our attention, and therefore our love.