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.
Wanted: Dead and Alive
Preaching on the epistle text for the day (Romans 6:1b-11) Rev. Cari opens up the counter-cultural notion of being “baptized into Jesus’ death.” In the course of the sermon, she talks about baptism, refers to her colleague (recently retired) the Rev. Dr. Ed Searcy’s blog, talks about the theology of glory and the theology of…
We Live in God’s World
Our Youth-led worship featured a sermon reflection on the “New Creed” of the United Church of Canada, with Amanda Fix leading by reciting the words of the creed, and other members of the group (and one leader) offering brief reflections following each section of the creed. The sermon was followed by the Youth Choir singing…
Strangers No More
Preaching in consonance with many other Christian leaders in the Greater Vancouver area, on the theme of “Welcoming the Stranger” for the “One City: One Message” effort, Rev. Cari told stories in this sermon. The text was Matthew 25:31-46 (as chosen by the One City: One Message folks) but Cari chose to share a few…
Translation Not Required
On Pentecost Sunday, Crossroads welcomed two delegates from the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea, and fittingly, the service featured translation back and forth between English and Korean. This short reflection (and invitation to the congregation to share for a moment) from Rev. Cari was in response to the story featured in Acts 2, when…
Mystical Unity
This was not the sermon Rev. Cari planned to preach, but it’s the one that was given! Exploring John 14:15-21, part of the “sermon” Jesus offers to his disciples before his passion, she shares some of the reflections (and a story) from a recent Policy Board meeting during the sermon. She also defines the Greek…
Q&A re Mama Orphans Children’s Home Today
The sermon for May 14, “Mama’s Day” at Crossroads, was no ordinary sermon. A Question and Answer session with Bobby Odhiambo, the son of the Rev. Monicah Oduor (Mama herself) and Colleen McCormick, founder of the Kenyan Orphan Children Foundation, the Vancouver-based charity which supports Mama’s work in Kenya. Though the conversation starts out on…
Devoted to Abundant Life
Rev. Cari preached on John 10:1-10 on this fourth Sunday after Easter, also referring (just at the end) to Acts 2:42. Drawing a bit on Jean Vanier’s exposition of this text which introduces Jesus as the “Noble Shepherd,” she plays a bit on the duality between the care of Jesus for his sheep, and the…
Spiritual Heart Burn
Two Sundays after Easter Rev. Cari opens the sermon with the question, “When’s the last time your heart was burning inside you?” And after walking down the road to Emmaus with the two disciples and the “stranger” in Luke 24:13-35, the congregation did take some time in pairs to consider that question. You’re invited to…
Doubting Thomas
On the Sunday after Easter, preacher Nam Ok Yoo hosts John 20:19-31 with the Crossroads congregation. Stating her disinclination to dwell upon the concept of “doubt” or “skepticism” so soon after Easter, Nam Ok then proceeds to compassionately open it all up, avoiding the temptation to “make Thomas the bad guy” and finding the key…
What I Mean When I Say…
Easter morning’s sermon wasn’t just any old sermon… it was a full-fledged dialogue between the preacher and the Crossroads massed choirs! The Children’s, Youth, and Adult Choirs all shared in the preaching task with Rev. Cari, punctuating the spoken word with choral responses. Our recording capacity, unfortunately, is lacking these musical offerings, so we’ll display…