Most weeks, our worship leader offers a 15–20 minute sermon based on the Scripture texts for the day.
Our regular preacher is pretty versatile. She’ll tell stories, pull together different ideas, lead a meditation, give the congregation an “assignment” to talk about in twos or threes, show a slide show or video, or sometimes even sing to the congregation. The sermon functions to deepen our reflection on the Scripture themes of the day, and often leaves us with a challenge or a question.
Scripture texts are outlined in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Who is the Greatest?
Gabrielle McLarty’s final sermon as Minister with Children and Youth at Crossroads United Church was on Luke 9:46-48. It was a short text, and a short sermon! But make no mistake, the call to greater faithfulness was issued with conviction and passion. Listen as Gabrielle walks through this story of Jesus’ response to the disciples’…
Blessed Trinity!
The Trinity, the three-fold mystery at the heart of Christianity, has been a metaphor for diversity for centuries, encompassing the three primary ways we experience the Holy: through God, through Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit. The United Church of Canada itself is also an example of diversity in action, being the first inter-denominational union…
Communication and Covenant
For Pentecost Sunday, Rev. Cari preached on the long story that begins with Genesis 11:1-9 (the story of the Tower of Babel) and continues with the narrative of Pentecost found at Acts 2:1-21. We might think of the tower story as an explanation of the communication problem we face as humans, and the Pentecost story…
What is Preventing Us?
In this sermon on Acts 8:26-39, guest preacher the Rev. Dr. Anthony Bailey offers both the good news of a boundary-breaking Gospel, and an invitation and challenge to Crossroads United Church, to stand firmly in that good news as allies with racialized Black peoples. He walks the congregation through this story of the encounter between…
Jesus’ Peace
In this morning’s text, John 14:23-39, Jesus tells his disciples that “his peace” is different than the peace the world gives them. So Rev. Cari picks up that distinction in this sermon, and explores it. Thanks to Kate Bowler, she describes two North American “cultural scripts” that Jesus’ peace contradicts: the American insistence on Independence,…
The Limit of our Limits
Guest preacher the Rev. Maggie Enwright, Coordinating Minister at Pacific Spirit United Church in Vancouver, preached on Acts 16:9-15 at Crossroads this morning. Her sermon raises the “heretical” question of whether we in the United Church of Canada have turned the concept of inclusion into a sacred cow. Through personal story-telling, exploration of the text…
News from Mama Orphans Children’s Home
Listen in as Leslie Myers (MOCH enthusiast), Bobby Odhiambo (Mama’s son) and Rev. Cari share news from Bobby’s sister Betty, from the Mama Orphans Children’s Home in Busia, Kenya. Leslie and Cari are reading from a letter Betty Oduor sent recently, to update the Crossroads congregation on events at the orphanage. Then Bobby speaks from…
Healing for Goats
For Sunday, May 1, Rev. Cari preached on Matthew 25:31-46, the story of the sheep and the goats at the moment of judgment. This is not typically an Easter season text! But there’s a good reason she chose it. Crossroads is participating in a capital campaign to support the redevelopment of First United Community Ministry…
Thomas Came Back
For this first Sunday after Easter, Gabrielle opens up the story of “Doubting Thomas” as found in John 20:19-31. She draws the connection between the community of Jesus’ disciples on Easter evening, and us, now, in a chaotic world. When they were fearful, the Risen Christ breathed and spoke peace to them. She also walks…
What are You Looking For?
Rev. Cari reflected with the grown-ups on Luke’s version of the Easter morning narrative (Luke 24:1-12) after sharing it as Godly Play with the children. The unique element in Luke’s telling is the question the “shining ones” ask the women at the tomb: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” What happens…