Audio of Sermon: Mr./Mrs. Beatitudes found below! ”Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:10 Ever since I was a child I have loved both fantasy and science fiction as a genre. Whether it was devouring Tolkien, laughing hysterically at the Hitchhikers Guide Series, or watching Star Trek with my parents – I couldn’t get enough of the stories weaved in the two literary genres. A common enough story in both fantasy and … [Read more...]
New Life – Baptism of Christ Sunday, 2020
“See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.” – Isaiah 42:9 “Gone by 2040? Statistics report wake-up call to church, says primate” If you receive the Anglican Journal or you happened to read one here in our entryway before they were taken, you would have been confronted by this shocking headline, on the front page of our church’s national newspaper. The article is a response to statistics which were recently released … [Read more...]
We Three Kings? – Sermon for Epiphany 2020
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem – Matthew 2:1 Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany here on the first Sunday of the new year, the new decade. Even as all around us Christmas decorations have been taken down and store shelves are now stuffed with Valentines Day paraphernalia, trees put away or put out to the curb, Boxing Day sales have wrapped up, yet our celebration of Christmas continues all the way until … [Read more...]
Shine Christ’s Light with Joy
**Audio below** Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Advent December 22, 2019 Alice J Stewart We have heard throughout the gospels and the epistles that following Jesus can get you in real trouble. We’ve heard this from Jesus himself, we’ve heard this from Paul, and there are other places we can find this truth. And it is truth. Mary and Joseph found this out even before Jesus was born. Mary was in deep trouble having a child out of wedlock. But today let’s focus on Joseph. Joseph was a … [Read more...]
The King Will Come – Sermon for Nov. 26
Today we celebrate the feast of the Reign of Christ, or for those traditionalists among you, Christ the King Sunday. So with that being the case, what’s the first image in your mind when you hear the words King or Queen? Perhaps you’re a good staunch royalist and you picture Queen Elizabeth II in all her dignified regality. Or perhaps you’re more of the history buff (I know I am!) and the first image that comes to mind is one of the great warrior Kings, like Richard the Lionheart, riding to … [Read more...]
If Love Was Fair – Sermon on Matthew 20:1-16
“And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner.”– Matthew 20:16 “It’s not fair! It’s just not fair!” If you had siblings, or children or have kept abreast of popular culture you probably have heard this refrain before – maybe you have even said it once or twice in your life. It is usually uttered when the person saying it, feels that they have been unfairly treated, or when someone else has received something that the person believes they deserve, or when things just don’t … [Read more...]
Forgive it All – Sermon for Sunday September 10th
“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.” – Matthew 18:15 Discipline. In our day and age, discipline is an unpopular word. And I don’t mean the kind of discipline that it takes to be a professional athlete, I mean the kind of discipline that we received at the hands of our parents when we made a mistake, the discipline we received at school for making bad decisions. … [Read more...]
The Hand that Feeds: Sermon for August 6th
A sermon exploring the super-abundance of God in the face of scarcity and how Jesus brings life into the midst of death. May you be encouraged by Jesus, the one who feeds us physically and spiritually. Blessings, Rev. Graham … [Read more...]
Sermon for July 9th – Great Expectations
A sermon exploring our great expectations surrounding Jesus and how God is a God of the unexpected, a God who we cannot box in with our expectations of who he is. May you find both challenge and comfort in Jesus, who's yoke is easy and who's burden is light. Blessings, Rev. Graham Audio and sermon notes available at the bottom of the page … [Read more...]
Sermon for July 2 – Pentecost 4
A sermon exploring the consistency between the Jesus we proclaim and the lives we live as disciples of Christ. May you and those you are with know the presence of Christ as you share the Good News of God and live lives shaped by that Good News. Blessings, Rev. Graham Audio and sermon notes available below … [Read more...]