When we read Paul’s words, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation,” we recognize that we are in a special time; the time of grace. God is outside of chronological time, but involves himself with humanity within time. His activity now represents our opportunity to receive… Read More »Kairos, God’s time (January 12, 2025)
In this series, we’ll look at three Greek words and biblical concepts: Koinonia, (community), Kiros (God’s view of ‘the times’) and Kenosis (emptying oneself for others.) Koinonia appears in classical Greek philosophy as the ideal relationship to be sought after, sometimes described as “the fellowship of life.” Plato wrote about “a golden age” – happiness,… Read More »Koinonia (January 5, 2025)
This is, of course, the traditional Sunday to reflect on what has happened in our community over the last year. A lot has happened: comings and goings, celebrations and griefs, baptisms and burials, heart elations and deflations… As we consider what has happened, and we consider what might come in the next year, we need… Read More »God is at Work (December 29, 2024)
One candle left. We’ve celebrated, anticipated and contemplated this night over the past month: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. One candle left. This night is honoured in song; either Silent Night or O Holy Night; we pray for both. One candle left. The candle reminding us of the Lamb of God who takes away the… Read More »Christmas Eve Service (December 24, 2024)
The fourth Advent Candle represents ‘Love.’ This is the climax of the advent story; without knowing the Love of God through Jesus we can’t know what Hope, Peace and Joy are. God is Love, the Bible declares this as simply as possible. We need to rediscover God’s love in this world of division, aggression and… Read More »Advent 4: Love (December 22, 2024)
As we light the 3rd candle on the Advent wreath, Joy, we recognize that Joy is far deeper than happiness. It’s good to be happy; to celebrate a birth, a birthday, a holiday or a wedding; we do rejoice in these circumstances. Joy, however, is deeper and can be our state of mind and heart… Read More »Advent 3 -Joy (December 15, 2024)
There is so much more to Peace than the absence of conflict. For me it might be the most elusive of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. For this service, let us consider Shalom, the Hebrew root word for biblical peace. sermon: Advent 2 – Peace (John 14:23 and Psalm 23) with Pastor David Donaldson
Advent has two different but related meanings: It means the anticipation of something big. And it is the arrival or introduction of something big. We live in the in-between age of Jesus’s first advent (our candles and trees and gifts and a baby born in a manger) and his second. We celebrate AND we anticipate. In… Read More »Advent-Hope (December 1, 2024)
On this Sunday before Advent begins, we are reminded advent is a time to prepare for Christ’s coming. But is it possible that we should also prepare for this time of preparation? We will look at a very familiar Christmas passage of Scripture, and perhaps see something new in it, to prepare our hearts for Advent. sermon:… Read More »Signs and Wonders (November 24, 2024)
We just finished our look at the Lord’s Prayer. It is a ‘big’ prayer that covers all the bases and sets the foundation of our lives and ministry. Today we’ll zoom into one prayer … For the ‘one’ in our lives that we long for and look for. Paul, in Colossians, gives very specific prayer… Read More »One … Until (November 17, 2024)