This is the last of our three Sundays on the conversation and prayer that John’s Gospel records Jesus having with his disciples’ Jesus prays that the disciples keep a unity amongst them – that all may be one. Its the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the United Church of Canada whose motto is “that…
May 25, 2025
In today’s lesson from John Jesus promises the disciples that when he leaves them. (He is speaking about his death on the cross) that he will not leave them desolate or alone. We touch the mystery of the Trinity – God in three persons. What can Jesus leave them when he has gone. That’s the…
May 18, 2025
If you’ve ever had to say a permanent goodbye to someone you know how hard and emotional that is. Today’s Gospel is small part of what the write of John calls “The Farewell Discourses” . Jesus begins this conversation with his disciples at the Passover Supper before he is crucified. He upends tradition as he…
May 4, 2025
This week in the post Easter season we meet Peter and the disciples by the lake of Galilee. After all the trauma and change of events that led to the cross and resurrection they’ve gone home. Its what’s you do hopefully when life falls apart. What were they thinking? How were they feeling? Wondering what…
Not Seeing is Believing
In her final sermon as Minister of Crossroads United Church, Rev. Cari opens up John 20:19-31 with the congregation. Appropriate to the moment in the life of the congregation, she notes that the fear of the disciples in the beginning of the text (despite the testimony they have received from the women) is familiar: they…
April 13, 2025
Anyone familiar with this time of year – Holy Week knows that it always begins with Palm Sunday. As tradition dictates, we usually have some form of palm parade. Not this year, thought. Reading from Luke’s gospel, there are no palms in the parade. So, it’s an Un Palm Sunday. Instead, the disciples and people welcoming Jesus threw their…
The Anointed One
For the 5th Sunday of the season of Lent, Rev. Cari preached on the story of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume, and wiping them with her hair. It’s John’s telling of the story, found in chapter 12: 1-8. As part of the retelling of the story, she framed the actors as per the…
Mar 30, 2025
This week’s lesson – the Parable of the Prodigal Son…or sons – or maybe even the Father who does not seem to act like a stern patriarch of a family in Jesus’ day. To unpack the power of the parable and the power in which Jesus uses it we need to understand something of ancient…
Who wouldn’t like Isaiah much…
Rev. Jim’s sermon for the third Sunday in the season of Lent is based on Isaiah 55, a text in which the prophet gives away food and drink to everyone who is “hungry and thirsty.” The focus is on grace, that free gift of God that rejects profitability, and makes space for healing. After catching…