“Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!” ~ Psalm 148:1 What is the purpose or meaning of life? I remember back in high school, my biology teacher used to joke that biologically speaking he was a failure of a human being, that he had not fulfilled his biological purpose, because he had never had children. You see, from a purely biological perspective, the purpose of any creature is merely to continue the existence and thriving of its species beyond its … [Read more...]
Shepherd of My Soul – Sermon for Easter 4
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” ~ Psalm 23:1 If you were to say this verse to anyone that grew up in Canada or another part of the British Commonwealth, they would likely know the source and many could probably continue the passage at least a few more verses. Whether you learned it in school, Sunday school or have heard it at countless funerals – the twenty-third psalm is easily one of the most recognizable passages of scripture. It has also found a place in our culture’s … [Read more...]
Sing for Life – Sermon for Oct 18
Our psalm today might be a little hard to hear in this strange time and place we live in ravaged as we are by the COVID-19 pandemic, with its emphasis on singing – something we are unable to do safely together at this moment. Three times in the first 2 verses we hear the imperative to sing! O Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to Lord all the earth. Sing to the Lord and bless his name. We all want to sing O Lord, but alas we cannot for the sake and safety of others. While the psalm might be … [Read more...]
Lay Stewardship Witness – Craig Gustafson
“Gather before me my loyal followers, those who have made a covenant with me and sealed it with sacrifice.” Psalm 50:5 This verse from our Psalm today gives a glimpse into what God has promised us, and what we give in return. God has made a covenant with us, which we read in Jeremiah 31:31–34 and which was accomplished by Jesus on the cross, and we offer a sacrifice to God in response to his blessings in our lives. I am Craig Gustafson, I was born in Fort Frances, Ontario, which is … [Read more...]
Trinitarian Life – Sermon for Trinity Sunday
Sermon exploring the nature of the life of the God as Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And how our lives are shaped by God's very life. … [Read more...]
The Song Remains the Same
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.” – Psalm 98:4 Sing a new song to the Lord, sing a joyous song to the ends of the earth, break forth into joyous song, the hills will sing together, the floods clap their hands at the presence of the Lord! These are a collection of verses from the Psalm 98, in another time we likely would have sung this Psalm. For those of you that love to sing this is the psalm for you – it is a psalm that is … [Read more...]
Joy to the World?
What is the essence of the Christian faith? As we near the end of this Advent season, as we near the celebration of our Saviour's birth on Christmas, I invite you to explore this question. I hope that this sermon can uplift and challenge you and my prayer is that you might be renewed in God's joy for you in this Christmas season and for evermore. … [Read more...]