For the third Sunday in our Stewardship season, Major the Rev. Jim Short preached on Luke 19:1-10, which is the story of Zacchaeus. After referencing last week’s sermon (and the quote from Fr. Richard Rohr about merit) Jim leads us through the text, weaving his way with quotes from Sunday School era songs of his…
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…
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…
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…
God’s Company
In this sermon for VST Sunday, a regular Sunday in which we feature leadership in worship from the Vancouver School of Theology, Dr. Mari Joerstad preaches on the call of Jeremiah. Dr. Joerstad opens by declaring that this text, from Jeremiah 1:4-10, is one we often have “warm” feelings about. It seems like a comforting…
God Doesn’t Work That Way
Today on the 9th Sunday after Pentecost, guest preacher Cathy Merchant based her sermon on John 6:1-21 and Psalm 14. After Jesus feeds the multitude with the loaves and fishes, the crowd chases after him, trying to force him to become king. Yet he slips away into the mountains, before reappearing later out of nowhere to save his disciples from the storm…
An Apophatic Journey
This Sunday, for the annual visit to Crossroads by a student from the Vancouver School of Theology, Crossroads welcomes fourth year M.Div. student Cathy Merchant. Cathy is a Buddhist studying at a Christian seminary, and her calling is to Interfaith ministry. Cathy reflects with the Crossroads congregation on Psalm 139, hearing it with the ears…