Looking Ahead to February 1, 2026

This is the first Sunday of the month so it is a week both to celebrate Communion and to highlight or Local Outreach Fund.

The Scripture Readings this week are:

• Psalm 15
• Micah 6:1-8

Source

The Sermon title is How Should We Live?

Early Thoughts: In the face of injustice, in the face of a deep lack of grace, in the face of a serious absence of humility how should we live? What should we do?

If we truly believe that choosing to follow The Way of Jesus calls us to be different people, if we truly want to live as transformed people what would that look like?

In a world where state-sponsored terrorists execute citizens on the streets on Minneapolis, where governments restrict the rights of people based on gender or sexuality, where the richer get richer and the poor struggle to get by, where 'me/I/mine' too often seems more important than 'we/us/ours' how should we respond?

Scripture answers these questions over and over again. From Moses through the Prophets to Jesus the answer is laid before us. Still we seem to struggle to get it right.

Do Justice. Love Kindness. Walk Humbly with God.

It is easy to say. Even easy to sing. It might be harder to actually do. In fact I know it is harder to actually do. Apparently it is even harder to push our governments, our wider society to do.

In some United Church circles Micah 6:8 has taken on a very special status. It has been lifted up time and time again, usually with the emphasis on the first instruction -- do justice. We as a denomination with strong roots in the Social Gospel movement of the late 19th-early 20th centuries have often pushed hard for a more just world. Social, Community, and Financial Justice is a key issue in Scripture. We need to continue not only to push for justice but to actually do it ourselves in our own circles of  power and influence. But there are two more instructions.

What does it mean to love kindness? Kindness sometimes gets confused with niceness but I don't think they are the same. Niceness can too easily become "don't make waves" or "just get along" whereas loving kindness brings to my mind the Golden Rule philosophy -- do unto others as you would have done to you. To love kindness, I think, means caring for the needs of the people around you -- at which point it often intersects with the first instruction to do justice.

Then we have the question of humility. One of my colleagues has pointed out in the past that this may be the piece of Micah 6:8 where we most often fall short. When we think it is all up to us to rebuild the world we have failed to walk humbly with God. When we fail to listen to the people around us we have failed to walk humbly with God. When we insist that we are the only ones with the correct point of view we have failed to walk humbly with God. Most certainly can do better at being humble.

The world is not what we wish it was. Justice, love, kindness, and humility often seem in short supply. God calls us to live as transformed people. God calls us to put our faith in action, not just words and songs. We know how we are called to live. How will we respond?
--Gord

Lent Newsletter -- Deep Spirituality

 Let us start with a story...

Jane looked at the time. Listed office hours were over. There was nobody else in the building. With a deep sigh she pulled out her phone, turned it off and put it back in her pocket. Then she stood up and made her way to the sanctuary.

There Jane turned on the sound system and started playing some gentle instrumental music. Then she turned off all the lights, letting the space soak on the sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows, and made her way to the chancel. Jane flipped open the big Bible on the communion table till she found the passage she was looking for. She read it aloud into the empty space, letting the words resound off the walls, then she flipped open the book of poetry she had brought from the office and read aloud one of her favourite pieces. As the last line of the poem echoed across the room Jane set the poetry down and sat silently in the choir loft.

4 or 5 minutes later she stood up and made her way down the chancel steps. Slowly, reflectively, even meditatively, Jane started weaving her way through the rows of seats. Carefully she passed between the rows, back and forth, like it was a very basic labyrinth. As she walked Jane allowed her mind to drift. For a while she reflected on the passage she had just read. For a while she replayed the poem. Then she started to quietly murmur words of prayer. Finally she fell silent and walked on, down one side of the sanctuary then back up the other, until she found herself standing again at the foot of the chancel steps.

There Jane settled into the front pew. She sat with her eyes closed, letting the music flow over her, silently lifting up her joys, her worries, her confusions, her hopes to the Holy One.

Suddenly she heard the church door slam and a cluster of voices in the hall, calling out her name. Then a group of people, the Social Committee, burst into the sanctuary. “Oh good! You aren’t busy!” the chair called out. “We need to have a quick meeting to discuss next month’s pancake supper!”

Jane grimaced. Then, as calmly as she could, she said: “Actually I am in the middle of something. If you go to the library I can join you in about 15 minutes.” The group left (though she could hear some grumbling as they went) and Jane tried to find that quiet calm place from which she had been dragged. But alas the moment was gone. She gathered up her book, turned off the sound system, grabbed what she needed from the office and joined the group in the library.

The next day there was a phone call from the chair of the personnel committee. They were concerned that when a group of people had come in (unannounced) and asked to talk Jane had made them wait even though she had clearly had only been resting in the sanctuary. Jane explained that she was working, she was doing the work she needed to be ready to serve, she was taking care of her Spirit. The call ended with a rather brusque “Well don’t let it happen again”.

....................

Back in 2022 the General Council released new vision and mission statements. Embedded in those were three pairs of words: Deep Spirituality, Bold Discipleship, Daring Justice. We were all invited to embrace those ideals as ways we live out our Christian faith. This year our newsletters will invite us to reflect on them. As it happens I have also chosen them as the launching points for three of our Sundays in Lent this year.

We start with the most foundational piece – Deep Spirituality. This is, in my mind, what we build on if we are to be bold disciples. It is what gives us the courage to dare and take risks for justice (as I write these words I think of the people of Minnesota where dozens of clergy were arrested this weekend as part of protests against the terror inducing activities of ICE). As people of faith we are invited and encourage to intentionally take time and sink into God’s presence. As people of faith we feed our spirits/souls to allow us to live out our faith.

Christopher Grundy has a song called By the Stream. Within that song are these lyrics (I think inspired by Psalm 1)

“Blessed are those who trust in God

they will be like a tree by the water
and sending out its roots by the Stream”

Listening to the song, reflecting on those lyrics reminds me of the importance of attending to our spiritual needs. There we get nourishment. There we get what we need to be able to live out our faith.

The story about Jane up above is a work of fiction. It started writing itself in my head a couple of days ago. It is not a “names changed to protect the innocent” thing it never happened to anyone I know. In fact it is based on an old joke about the minister in their study praying and someone comes in and says “oh good you aren’t busy”. I just expanded it a bit. But the story (and the old joke) tells us a lot about how we sometimes see the work involved in deep spirituality.

Sometimes we see those quiet, “non-productive” times as less important, a thing that can be knocked off the calendar in favour of more important “productive” work. With all the important things to do can we really take time to sit quietly, or walk along the creek, or watch the birds, or sing random hymns? I think we have to. I think that when we don’t take that time it is so much harder to keep doing the “important” things.

As people of faith our guidance and strength comes from God. If we don’t attend to our spiritual health, if we don’t sink deep into God’s presence and love we suffer. We might become exhausted. We might lose hope. We might start to think it all depends on us. Deep Spirituality may not always prevent such things but it can help avoid them, it can help us recover when they hit.

I close with one of my favourite verses, one that I have used as a bit of a mantra at times to sink into God’s presence: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)

Looking Ahead to January 25, 2026 -- 3rd Sunday After Epiphany

 The Scripture Reading this week is Matthew 4:12-25

The Sermon title is Good from Nazareth?

Early Thoughts: In the John reading from last week there was one line that always sticks with me. When Phillip tells Nathanael about Jesus Nathanael responds with "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

This week's reading suggests the yes, indeed something good can come from Nazareth.

Most scholars agree that Nazareth was a bit of a backwater town. Some have suggested that even worse it was a backwater town from a backwater province. Galilee and Galileans were not always seen positively by those in Jerusalem and Judea. They spoke differently (as in a regional accent). They were far from Jerusalem. Can anything good come from way out there?

SO glad we would never hold those sorts of attitudes today....right?

At any rater maybe the idea that Galilee was removed from the center of things is why Matthew tells us the Jesus withdraws there after John the Baptist is arrested. Maybe Jesus is going where the heat is a little bit less. [Narrative note, as Matthew tells his story this makes it appear that Jesus returns from his 40 days in the wilderness (temptation story) and immediately heads north to Galilee.] Away from Judea, away from Jerusalem. At the same time Matthew has told us earlier (chapter 2) that Jesus grew up in Nazareth so maybe he is just going home?

At any rate we are still left with Nathanael's question from last week. Can anything good come from a backwater town? Cana anything important come from a place we easily forget?

Yes. Yes it can. God tends to surprise us that way. In fact I would argue that throughout the course of Scripture God often comes from unexpected places to launch something new. Amos was a vine dresser. David was a shepherd boy. Jesus came from Nazareth.

And then something amazing happens. This unknown person from a backwater town arrives with a splash. People leave their very livelihood to follow him. People from all around start coming seeking wisdom and healing.  Something good indeed came from Nazareth.

How many times might we miss what God is doing because we fall into the trap Nathanael falls into? How many times might we discount the source and stop looking (which Nathanael did not do, he remained engaged and saw Jesus for who he was)? Can we have the open hearts and minds to see where God is active?

This is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Christian Unity is one of those things that often seems like a good idea but not a reality. Churches often fall prey to dismissing what another church does simply because they are doing it. Churches often have trouble getting past our differences and recognize what God is doing in that place.

I challenge all of us to get past those times when we are tempted to say "Can anything good come from______?". I challenge all of us to look for what God is doing even (or perhaps especially) when the source seems very unlikely to us. Who knows what surprises we might find with that level of openness?
--Gord

Looking Ahead to January 18, 2025-- 2nd Sunday After Epiphany

 

From Facebook

The Scripture Reading this week is John 1:29-51

The Sermon title is Come and See

Early Thoughts: It isn't enough to know second hand. Sometimes you need to see/experience for yourself.

There is a story in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 11:2-6) where disciples of John come and ask Jesus if he is the one who was promised or if another was coming. In answer Jesus tells them to go back and tell John what they have seen. What have they experienced? Actions matter, seeing is more important than descriptions.

In these early verses from John's  Gospel many people are told about Jesus. They all need to go and see for themselves. John (the Baptist, not the Gospel writer) believes because he saw. John then tells others about Jesus and they go to seek him out. Then Jesus invites them to "Come and See". One of them then goes to his brother and says (I think) "you gotta come see this guy!" and another connection is made, another follower joins the crowd.

Then we have Phillip and Nathanael who again are called forth by immediate contact --even through Nathanael's initial skepticism. 

That first hand experience of the presence of God has more power than someone telling you of their own experience. This is not to say that we should not share our stories and tell others of our experiences. We need to do that but we need to do it as a way of inviting others in to seek their own experiences. Think of Andrew going to Simon/Peter after spending hours with Jesus. He invites his brother to come and see for himself. We nee to invite others to come and see what God is doing in the world today.

Seeing for ourselves is the best counter to our doubt and our skepticism. Experiencing for ourselves hits harder, sinks deeper into our psyche than relying on second-hand experiences.

This continues into John's story.  When Jesus stands before Pilate  Jesus asks "Do you ask this on your own or did others tell you about me?" (John 18:34). Do we know Jesus, know who Jesus is only because of what other say or because we have met him ourselves? Do we know about God or do we know God (or probably both)? John is also the Gospel writer who gives us the story of Thomas, the disciple who refuses to believe in the resurrection until he has his own personal encounter with the Risen Christ.

Seeing, experiencing for ourselves is important. Inviting others to "come and see" so they can see and experience for themselves is part of how we spread the Good News of faith.

What would make us offer that invitation? What would we invite others to see, to experience? Who in our story of life and faith has offered the invitation to us?
--Gord

Looking Ahead to January 11, 2026 -- Baptism of Christ Sunday

 

The Scripture Readings this week are:

• Isaiah 42:1-9
• Matthew 3:13-17

The Sermon title is Beloved Servant

Early Thoughts: What does it mean to remember that you are baptised? 

It could be an act of blessing and affirmation. It also could remind us of a deep calling. Both at the same time.

From the earliest days baptism as been the rite of initiation for the Christian church. From the beginning it has been a rite where the newly baptized is joined with Christ -- "dying and rising with Christ" is the traditional language. In baptism, as our baptism liturgy puts it,

we are called, claimed, and commissioned:
we are named as God’s children,
claimed by Christ,
and united with the whole Christian community
of every time and place.
Strengthened by the Holy Spirit,
we live out our commission;
to spread the love we have been given throughout the world.

So what does it meant to remember that you are baptized?

Our readings this week talk about Jesus. One tells of Jesus being baptized by John -- and indeed on of the reasons Christians hold Baptism as a sacrament is because while we have no record of him baptizing anybody Jesus himself was baptized. The other is one of the passages from Isaiah that talks about the Suffering Servant. There is some disagreement about who Isaiah had in mind as the Suffering Servant but Christians have long read these passages as being about Jesus. SO taking the two together we have Jesus as Beloved Servant.

In Baptism we share in the death and resurrection of Christ. In Baptism we are named as God's children, we are claimed by Christ, and we are commissioned to take part in God's action of remaking the world. Maybe in Baptism we too are named as God's Beloved Servant?

This is both blessing and challenge, to me at least.  It is a great blessing to be reminded that we are Beloved by God, tat we are a Beloved child of God. We tend to like that. But there is the commissioning side to it as well. We are to be servants, to serve. 

Called to serve means we advocate for the Reign of God (remembering that Jesus was all about proclaiming the present/coming Kingdom of God). It means that we speak out against those things/persons/policies that work against the Reign of God. It may mean we have to run counter to some powerful or influential voices in the world around us. This can be difficult.

Still we are able to do this, to the best we can, because of the first part. We are able to play a part in God's ongoing mission to repair and remake the world because we are God's Beloved children. Remembering this moves us past our guilt and shame and regret. Remembering that we are Beloved helps us to turn (or to repent) and go a different direction, to go home by another way.

We need to remind ourselves of the blessing and the burden of being Baptized on a regular basis -- maybe even daily. We need to remind ourselves what it means to be baptized and reflect on how that gets lived out. Sometimes we do this to push ourselves (and each other) to live into God's mission. Sometimes we do it to lift ourselves out of depression or shame or guilt. Sometimes we do it to give us hope for the future.

In Baptism we are reborn (or "born again" to use a different turn of phrase). When we remember what it means to be baptized we can be reborn again and again and again. When we remember and recommit ourselves to our identity as Baptized. life wins and we are reborn.  Thanks be to God.
--Gord