Sermon Archive

Text: Jeremiah 31:27-34 Jeremiah is a prophet of contrasts. In one moment, he proclaims doom and gloom, while in the next, he preaches hope whilst standing on the brink of disaster. His words are powerful. Jeremiah has an intimate sense of where and how God was working in the life of Israel, even in the face of the greatest disaster that nation had yet known. He preached and proclaimed, and yet it seemed as if no one would listen to him. He was discouraged that no one paid attention… sure they paid lip service to their faith, but when it came down to it, everything he said seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Jeremiah wondered if anything would ever stick with these people. Would anyone hear what he had to say? Did anything he do ever amount to anything? Only history would vindicate him, and in spite of everything that happened, Jeremiah was still able to see and proclaim hope. It’s no wonder that preachers can relate well to this guy. When I was a student, I had my first real en...

Text : Romans 8:26-39 It is by all accounts one of the single most comforting passages in the New Testament. Sure, the 23rd Psalm is more familiar, but fewer passages have both the theological depth and comfort than this chapter from Paul’s letter to the Romans. It is often read at funerals as an encouragement to those who grieve. Even so, I am not necessarily sure if Paul originally intended it that way. Unlike his other letters, Paul’s exhaustive missive to the church in Rome seemed to be less about individual crises, and more about the big picture. We get more of a sense of what Paul knew and understood about his faith, because he was addressing a church that he did not found. If anything, this largest of all the letters is both a resume and a position paper on Paul’s understanding of the fledgling Christian faith. He was introducing himself to the church in Rome, because he wanted to use it as a launching point for the next stage of his life in ministry. After having founded church...

Text: Deuteronomy/Reflecting on the Day It only happens maybe once every seven years, where the first Sunday in October happens to be the day before the second Monday. Traditionally, the first Sunday in October has become World Communion Sunday, where Christians all over the world celebrate the sacrament of communion together as a sign of unity. In Canada, the Sunday before the second Monday of the month is Thanksgiving Sunday. So in a rare convergence of dates, today is both World Communion Sunday AND Thanksgiving Sunday. One would think that I would be pulled in two different directions as to what the theme of the service should really be. Yet having the two on the same day is not a bad thing at all. In fact, when combined together, there is something about the greater whole that both shine a light on each other. Our Thanksgiving holiday as we celebrate it in Canada has no real Biblical link. It was created by the government in the 19th Century. Given how cold the Canadian Winters c...