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.
Is Taking Care of Myself Selfish?
The final Stump the Preacher request for the summer of 2022 lands on Labour Day weekend, and invites Rev. Cari to reflect upon what Jesus might have had to say about self-love. In particular, in his response to the question, ‘What is the greatest commandment of all?’ in Mark 12:28-34. Along the way, she touches…
Is Heaven a Real Place?
Today Rev. Cari returned from vacation to take up this 7th Stump the Preacher question: Is Heaven a Real Place? Her texts were Psalm 82 and Luke 17:20-25. She opens with a discussion of “heaven” then quickly pivots to the Luke text (which includes within itself a “Stump the Incarnate God” question from the Pharisees…
Evil Spirits
Stump the Preacher returns today as Rev. Jim Short picks up the mantle. The question centres around the images in Matthew 12:42-45) Matthew says that, when one evil spirit is cast out of the house and the house is empty, the spirit circles back and brings seven more with it. What does this mean on…
Is Jesus the only Way to God?
Continuing with Stump the Preacher series, Rev. Cindy Terry chose the great question “Is Jesus the only Way to God?” This is what she was taught in Sunday School, Bible Camp, and some Bible Study groups. There are Bible verses, especially in the Gospel of John, that declare this to be true. Jn14: 6 —…
Fearing God
In today’s sermon, Rev. Jim Short takes the Stump the Preacher torch around the question — why do the scriptures have so many references to fearing God? Does God wants us to shrink in fear and focus on thinking, doing or saying something that might bring punishment down upon us? Why are so many religious…
Be Blessed
What makes you happy in life? What do you need to be happy? Those questions can spark a lot of conversation and we can turn many places for the answers. Followers of Jesus often pause to reflect on Jesus’ teaching in what we call The Beatitudes. This Sunday, Rev. Paul Ivany encourages us to…
Releasing Resentment
For the third sermon in this summer’s Stump the Preacher series, Rev. Cari preached, as requested, on the parable of the Prodigal Son (found in Luke 15:11-32) but focussed on the elder son (mostly). The request was for a good hard look at resentment, and in particular, what to do as a person who has…
Original Blessing & Original Sin
For this second Sunday of “Stump the Preacher” Rev. Cari jumps in with Genesis 1 and 3, parts of the two creation stories that are part of the gathered witness of Israel. She hearkens back to a sermon she heard in 2012 given by Alanna Mitchell on the work of Fr. Matthew Fox in his…
Is the Bible Flawed?
Our summer “Stump the Preacher” fun begins! Immediately, Rev. Cari has been challenged by this excellent question: “Is the Bible Flawed?” In order to make an approach to answering the question, she includes reflection on parts of Psalm 19, and the short section of 2 Timothy 3:14-17. During this sermon, Cari actually answers the question…
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’…