“But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." ~ Acts 9:15-16 The saying goes “Good fences make good neighbours.” But do they? From the earliest pre-historic hunters who built walls around their hunt camps with mammoth bones to the walls of Athens that differentiated them from the nation-state of Sparta to the defensive … [Read more...]
Invited Series Week 6 – Acts 10:1-36
Over the last few weeks we have been looking at Inviting. Today, as we conclude this deep exploration of invitation, I want us to contemplate where our triune God is inviting Christians. Where the church is being invited. In the story of Peter and Cornelius, we see a lot of inviting going on. Cornelius sends messengers to invite Peter, Peter invites the messengers to stay the night, Peter stays at Cornelius' house for several days... it's just one big invitation fest. But I want to push … [Read more...]
Caught Between Heaven and Earth – Sermon for Ascension Day
When I lived in Moscow, Russia during my high school years, I had the chance to go on a school trip to the Ural Mountains for a week as part of Discovery Week at my school, which was a program designed for us to explore parts of Russia we wouldn’t normally see. The Urals aren’t a particularly high set of mountains, but they are the divide between Europe and Asia which is their claim to fame and as part of the trip we took a trip up on of the peaks of the mountain range. I’ve never been a huge … [Read more...]
The Spirit Carries On – Sermon for Easter 6
"Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" – Acts 10:47 As the father of two girls, even as young as they are, I am intimately aware of the lingering inequalities and injustices that exist in this world even as white middle class Canadians we enjoy many, many privileges. When my eldest daughter first became enthralled with the Blue Jays three years ago, she quickly decided that she wanted to play for them when she grew up, and … [Read more...]
Look, Here’s Water – Sermon for Easter 5
Look. Here's water. What's to prevent me from being baptized? When I was a teenager, I began to ask impertinent questions about religion. In this way, I was a pretty typical teenager. Once I approached a church-going relative and asked about Jesus. I was beginning to think there was more to this Jesus person than simply “Jesus-loves-me-this-I-know.” So I asked this relative of mine and he said, "Well, you just gotta love Jesus. If you don’t, you’ll go to hell!" I don’t blame my … [Read more...]
Living in the Light of Easter (Part 1)
“With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.” – Acts 4:33 When Bethany and I were first engaged, I must admit I was appalled by the whole wedding-industrial complex. Weddings these days are complex events, often requiring a wedding planner to pull off all the various elements. It seems that people look to one-up one another on how extravagant their wedding can be – the best dress, the best ring, the best cake and … [Read more...]
Power to the People – Sermon for Pentecost
Power to Witness – Sermon for Easter 7
Sweetest Devotion – Sermon on Acts 2:42-47
“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:42 Have you ever been part of a really exciting and seemingly life-changing event? Have you been at the centre of a craze or a fad as it exploded to epic proportions? I wasn’t around for them, but I know that some of you experienced the power and fervor of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusades – the energy was electric, thousands of people renewing their faith, for many it was a … [Read more...]
Can I Get a Witness?
“This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.” - Acts 2:32 Today we celebrate Pentecost, the birthday of the church, the coming of Jesus’ promised gift of the Holy Spirit and the moment which led to the transformation of a small group of disciples almost two thousand years ago, into the Christian movement which spans the globe and numbers over 2 billion to this day. … [Read more...]