Guest Preacher

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…