Sermon Archive

Text : Matthew 22:15-22 In the aftermath of this past week’s federal election, of what has been described by some as perhaps one of the nastiest election campaigns, we’re still picking up the pieces. Sure, the landscape has shifted a little bit, but not much. If anything Canadians have told those whom we elect to government that the most important thing is to work together… the extremely low voter turnout, I think, betrays a sense of disillusionment with the system. One needs to remember that the governing party was elected by about 35% of the 58% of people who actually voted. The upshot is that just over 20% of those who were eligible to vote public voted for, 38% voted against, and 42% abstained from the whole process. Much of the media’s attention is now focused on this low turnout, and what it means for our democratic system. So what is needed now? A reason for people to care? In the various speeches from election night, there was at least some voicing for the need to work together...

Text: Deuteronomy 8:7-18 “May you live in interesting times.” You’ve probably heard it. It is supposedly an English translation of an ancient Chinese curse. It is paired with two other similar proverbial-style curses: “May you come to the attention of those in authority.” and “May you find what you are looking for.” The saying entered into popular usage in the years leading up to the Second World War. Whether or not its origins are authentically Chinese is still a bit elusive, but we are still very familiar with it. “May you live in interesting times.” This has been a wild month for anyone who has any investments in the stock market… especially this past week. Coupled with this coming week’s federal elections here at home, and next month’s presidential election south of the border, the times are certainly interesting… and for many, not in a good way. There’s no lack of conversational material that will be around Thanksgiving tables this weekend… but it’s much more than simply stuff tha...

Text : Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 They are perhaps the ten best known rules out of the entire Bible… or at least in name they are anyway. They have two epic films named after them. They have been used inappropriately as a theological battering ram by some, dismissed as ancient and irrelevant by others. These days, any mention of them provokes a reaction in people, be it positive or negative… but when they come up people’s teeth are sure to be set on edge. But does it have to be that way? They were never intended to be the kind of bludgeon that the religious right in the States has made them to be. Contrary to what they might tell you, only three of the Ten Commandments actually carries any legal weight these days: do not murder, do not steal, and don’t lie under oath (that’s the false witness one). As the late comedian George Carlin rightly pointed out, in North American society, coveting or being envious of someone else’s stuff is the cornerstone of a market economy… so maybe we need t...