‘Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down."’ ~ Mark 13:2 When I was a teenager I had the wonderful and privileged opportunity to travel to several European cities for conferences, sports tournaments and the like. Throughout my three years living in Moscow, Russia, I travelled to Zagreb, Prague, Warsaw, Dublin, The Hague and more if you include the trips we took as a family. During these trips, we often had … [Read more...]
Mo Money Mo Problems – Sermon for Nov. 7th
“They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." ~ Mark 12:40 Over the last few months, as we have been reading through the Gospel of Mark, one of the common themes that we have been seeing come up in Jesus’ teaching and his ministry is the turning upside down of the ways of the world because the Kingdom of God inverts the priorities and the expectations of our culture and society – the weak become strong, the least and … [Read more...]
O When the Saints – Sermon for All Saints 2021
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them” ~ Revelation 21:3 As someone who loved both medieval and church history throughout high school and university, the lives of Saints played a significant part in my education. Even a secular study of history cannot ignore the impact that ‘saints’ and their legends had on communities, the church and the course … [Read more...]
Eyesight to the Blind – Sermon for Oct. 24
“When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" ~ Mark 10:47 As someone who has the gift of sight, I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose it. There is so much that we take for granted when we have our sight, so much that are passive about the way that we enjoy the world around us. Even without my glasses, which are very necessary for my sight – I can see colours and shapes and read in ways that I … [Read more...]
Baptism into the Kingdom – Sermon for Oct. 17
“Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized” ~ Mark 10:39 When I think of the things I have truly missed most in ministry during the time of the pandemic, baptism is right there at the top of the list. Baptisms are wonderful celebrations in the church, where families and the church come together to welcome someone, usually, a baby though not always, into the mystical body that we call the church, to … [Read more...]
Grateful Kingdom Hearts – Sermon for October 10th
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” ~ Matthew 6:33 Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. While most people that tell you not to worry are well-meaning, more often than not the act of telling you not to worry has the opposite effect of making you worry all the more. I remember when I was first tasked with leadership of Grace, everyone around me told me not to worry, that I was ready and would do a great job – from the bishop to … [Read more...]
Kingdom Focus – Sermon for Sunday Sept. 26
"If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.” ~ Mark 9:42 When I was a child my sisters and I loved Harry Potter. Well in fact my sisters really loved Harry Potter, but I couldn’t get into it when they first came out. By the time the fourth book came out, my sisters were deep into the world of wands and wizards and I finally took the plunge. … [Read more...]
Love Will Overcome – Sermon for Sunday Sept 19th
"Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me." ~ Mark 9:37 While we all want to find comfort and soothing words at the feet of Jesus, the reality there are times that he could make his disciples uncomfortable, and us along with them. Over the last two weeks, we have heard from the Gospel of Mark and Jesus’ frequent announcements of his impending torture, humiliation and death. Last week Peter had found it so … [Read more...]
For the sake of the Gospel – Sermon for September 12, 2021
“He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." ~ Mark 8:32-33 This past summer my house was dominated by the Olympics. Morning and evening we would take our seats on the couch and take in whichever event happened to be on that day. As Canadians, we would obviously be rooting for our national … [Read more...]
Kingdom Breakthroughs – Sermon for September 5th
“Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go--the demon has left your daughter." Mark 7:29 One of the great paradoxes of parenting is this: On the one hand, to be a good, kind, patient and loving person getting enough sleep and being well-rested is essential and on the other hand children, especially young children are exhausting, often interrupting your sleep and developed periods of rest. It is a good thing that God created humanity with the biological imperative to love and care for … [Read more...]
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