I was called to the emergency room at our local hospital the other night. I was covering for pastoral emergencies as a colleague of mine is away on study leave. The nurse told me, “You better come soon, she is not doing well.” But when I arrived the patient had a sudden turn for the better. Her family met me in the waiting area, told me…

There are times when ecumenism can be challenging. The United Church is often teased for its easy-going approach to societal change. One conservative minister, at a seminar we both attended, looked at me and asked, “Do you call the Ten Commandments the Ten Suggestions?” I guess he was trying to be funny. It is true…

You likely know this well-known children’s hymn…”This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.” The hymn is also a spiritual, transformed by the civil rights movement into something more. The Freedom Singers, a church -based group that traveled with civil rights advocates throughout the American south, say…

Our text today includes: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. (John 15:13)

This is a text about Jesus and his disciples, not about the sacrifices made in war time…

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians: Grace to you and peace. We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in Jesus our Christ…And you became imitators of us and of the Jesus…

This prayer, by theologian Stanley Hauerwas, is perhaps the most meaningful prayer I have ever read or offered.

ALL PRAISE TO YOU, Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who Spirits your church into being, making us members one of another…

Have you ever been isolated from family or other people? Being in the military and posted overseas, without your family? Or, moved to a different community where you knew no one? Or, went away to university for the first time and all was new and different? All of those are tough, very rough, very lonely, but…

Today is a convergence of messages; Worldwide Communion reminds us that Christians all over the globe find meaning in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, Paul’s letter to the Philippians reminds us of the centrality of humility in the Christian witness and faith and yesterday we were reminded about our National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Some two decades ago I attended a worship on stewardship at the Atlantic School of Theology Chapel. The lecturer was Knox Seminary (Presbyterian) professor Stephen Farris. As he began his first lecture Stephen took a crisp twenty dollar bill out of his wallet and looked out at the participants sitting in front of him.

When I was a student at the Atlantic School of Theology, we attended chapel services every weekday morning. A different student would lead the service. Because we were an ecumenical seminary, the student might offer a Roman Catholic or Anglican or United Church liturgy. Some students loved to plan and lead such services…

Romans 13:14

Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ (NRSV)

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (New International Version)

Romans 6:1-14 (Cotton Patch Gospel translation) by Clarence Jordan

So what are we advocating? “Let’s wallow in sin, so more grace may pour forth”? Hell, no! How can we who died in sin still live in it?

In today’s gospel lesson, we see how Jesus commissioned his disciples to do the work of ministry. One minute he’s going from town to town, preaching and healing, and the next we’re told he summoned his 12 disciples and put them in charge of carrying out his ministry. Oh, Jesus knew them, of course. They had apparently been with him for at least a little while…

I am not a Biblical literalist. I do not read the Bible as an instructional manual. If I did I would assume the earth is flat, the solar system places the earth at the centre, heaven is located just above the clouds, children who use profanity should be put to death, no re-marriage for divorced peoples, and absolutely no interest can be charged to anyone…

The story of Pentecost--the leaders of the early church all gathered in one place when suddenly there was the sound of rushing wind like a tornado, then tongues of fire appeared resting on every head, and each one of them began speaking the gospel in other languages. On Pentecost, God gave the church the gift of the Holy Spirit.

John’s Gospel declares that Jesus became flesh? Mark’s Gospel reveals Jesus grew tired and slept? Luke’s Gospel describes Jesus at the table. And…Luke narrates the ascension of Jesus, which is today's Gospel lesson. Luke takes great pains to demonstrate that the very same Jesus who became human is the Jesus who ascends to heaven.

A few years ago, everyone was talking about the musical “Hamilton”. I know several people who traveled to watch it, live. The musical really captured the attention of the general public. Yes, part of it was casting Hamilton as African American, part of it was the music itself, catchy and inspiring. But part of it was the storyline itself.

Devoted to teaching and koinonia.

If I were to ask you to discern or evaluate the spirit of a meal you shared with several people, family-friends-newcomers, what metric would you use?

Can you imagine, those two characters striding down the Road to Emmaus. We can almost hear them talking, maybe even arguing about what happened. What on earth were they to make of all this! Jesus was supposed to be the Messiah. Jesus was the One who had come to liberate Israel, to free the people from oppression.

I have been preaching on this Gospel text for 32 years. It’s always the lesson given to the Sunday following Easter. It’s a low Sunday, fewer people, less intensity than our Easter blow out of sacred music, excited preaching, larger than expected congregations. And the text itself speaks of doubt. If we’re being honest, we’ve all been where Thomas is…