“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will love, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” ~ John 11:25-26 Grief is one of the great paradoxes of human existence. On the one hand it is one of the common threads that weaves itself throughout all human experience in every place and every time on earth. Some time or another in life, everyone will experience grief. Whether it is the grief of losing a loved one: a parent, a partner, a … [Read more...]
Hope for the Future – Sabbath Week 6
Today we come to the end of our series on Sabbath, and you may ask yourselves ‘now what?’ What does the practice of Sabbath have to do with my daily life? What hope can resting and pausing offer me in a world that moves so quickly that if you stop and pause you’ll be left in the dust? What can we possibly hope to accomplish as a congregation by intentionally resting for one whole year? To begin to answer those questions, I want to talk to you about a park. Some of the most enduring and … [Read more...]
I Can Only Imagine – Wk. 8 Biblical Imagination
Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for. And no religion, too. Imagine all the people. Living life in peace... You.. – Imagine by John Lennon Who recognizes those lyrics? They are from the second verse of John Lennon’s famous song ‘Imagine’ – where he waxes melodically about imagining the world a better place. When I was attending seminary, I lived near Sheppard Subway station and would take the subway into class. On many afternoons and evenings as I … [Read more...]
Sermon for the Second Sunday of Advent
If you missed this Sunday's sermon, here it is! It was prepared and preached by Ryan Ramsden, one of our lay leaders at Grace Church. It explores the themes of repentance, hope, and hospitality, as found in this week's readings, and helps us to connect together and connect with those themes as we continue our journey through Advent, and prepare for Christmas. … [Read more...]