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…
Strong and Stern Words
This morning, Rev. Jim was preaching on Mark 9:38-50. Mark ends Jesus’ time teaching his disciples in Galilee with some strong and stern words. Cutting off pieces of the body if they sin should (thankfully) not be taken literally! Jesus is saying, “Pay attention! This is very important!” Like us, the disciples struggle to hear…
The Gospel in Chairs
This was another sermon from the Rev. Jim Short, reflecting on Psalm 130 and Ephesians 4:25-5:2. The audio version may not do it justice, because Jim did one of his “many chairs” extravaganza sermons. The basic question is “How does God see us?”
Aug 4, 2024
The Rev. Jim Short preached at Crossroads this morning, and his texts were Psalm 145 and John 6:1-21. He asks, “Does reading our Bible give you that ‘loaves and fishes’ kind of feeling? What does reading the Bible do for you? Is it like stone soup without the extras?”
July 28, 2024
The Rev. Jim Short preached at Crossroads this morning, and his texts were Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 and Psalm 23. Jim looks way back in history and asks, “How and where, after the Emperor Constantine was baptized and Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, did we lose our way?” Buckle up for a…
July 21, 2024
The Rev. Jim Short preached at Crossroads this morning. His texts were Ephesians 2:11-22 and Psalm 89, and in the sermon, he suggests a bit of composting! “What do you need to let go of in terms of things you learned along the way about faith and life? And how challenging is that for you?”
Visions of Peace
Rev. Jim Short grapples with John 20:19-31 for this first Sunday after Easter. Imagine Thomas, looking for the Resurrected Jesus, bursts into the room where the disciples are hiding in fear from the temple authorities. They say to him, “We saw him and the marks of his crucifixion. We were filled with joy, and he…
Israel – Gaza Conflict – What might Jesus think?
Two major armed conflicts in our world alongside many smaller ones turn our attention to the topic of war and what Jesus would think or do. Despite numerous attempts at a peaceful solution to the Palestinian–Israel conflict which is rooted in the past, and profoundly affected by decisions made by Western nations in the breakup…
The Church: Walking the Talk
Sermon preparation felt like a game of snakes and ladders. I rolled the dice on Monday with a thought and hit a few snakes on the way and ended up on Friday where I least expected. I explore the importance of the current vision and values process and why it’s important and how it relates…
It Looks Easy But it Ain’t
We explore what seems like a way passage: “Love God with your whole being and your neighbour as your self”. Asked by a Pharisee what is the greatest commandment Jesus links the “SHEMA” with Leviticus 19 and say they are one. We explore what that means and how the three loves fit together with a…
