August 17, 2025

Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2
Luke 12:49-56

The Trouble With Jesus

In reflecting on today’s Gospel text, Jared Alcantara wrote this: “If a pollster walked around a major city with a film crew and asked strangers at random, ‘Why did Jesus come into the world?’ we can presume that none of the respondents would reply, ‘That’s easy. Jesus came into the world to bring fire upon it and cause division in it.’ If someone answered this way, the pollster might assume the person had misheard the question.”

But that is indeed what we hear Jesus saying in Luke 12: “I have come to cast fire upon the earth! I have come, not to bring peace, but division!” Oh my! It’s not quite what we’re used to hearing in church about love, kindness, caring, and peace. Isn’t peace supposed to be one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Wouldn’t Jesus bring peace into the world and into our hearts?

Certainly, peace is one of the gifts that we do hope to receive from our faith. When our lives are stressful and the future is uncertain, we come to church looking for hope and encouragement, hoping to find peace in the midst of the figurative storms around … Read more »

July 20, 2025

Amos 8:1-12
Colossians 1:15-28
Luke 10:38-42

“The Time is Now”

I love the way that the prophets of the Bible use such striking images to get their messages across. Amos is one of the prophets who was completely frustrated with the people of his time. They were taking advantage of the poor and cheating the needy ones who tried to buy food in the marketplace, and Amos was angry. More importantly, Amos knew that God was angry, and his job was to get that message across to the people. God was not going to put up with their greed, and cruelty, and injustice anymore!

So Amos talked about a basket of summer fruit. I mean, God gave Amos a vision of a basket of summer fruit. Our translation says it’s “summer fruit”, but others describe it as “ripe fruit” or even “rotten fruit” that has been sitting around too long and is starting to get overly soft, perhaps with fruit flies swarming around.

I would like to think that it’s not too late for these people to repent and change their ways, but Amos is pretty clear that their time to act and to change is running out. Maybe it’s just too late now. The damage … Read more »

July 6, 2025

Link to YouTube video of the full service from July 6, 2025

Galatians 6:1-16
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

“The Reign of God is Near”

One of the first academic courses that I took on the Bible was at St. Paul University in Ottawa many years ago, and it was on the Gospel of Mark. I remember learning some interesting things about the earliest of the Gospels to be written, its unique style, and how it had influenced some of the other Gospels as they were being put together as well.

Perhaps the most important concept I learned in that course, however, was the concept of the “Kingdom of God” that Jesus was announcing in his ministry. It’s a big theme in Mark’s Gospel, and one that is picked up in Luke as well. Jesus proclaims that the Kingdom of God is near, and he describes it in parables as surprising, unexpected, wonderful, and so precious.

When I was making notes in my class on the Gospel of Mark, I was using the term so frequently that I started writing “K of G” as a shorthand for the “Kingdom of God.” All these years later, I’m more inclined to use the phrase “Reign of God” to avoid … Read more »

June 29, 2025

Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Luke 9:51-62

“Free to Follow”

The Gospel text this morning, in which Jesus and his disciples are out travelling in the towns and villages sharing the good news, prompted me to start thinking about the church’s mission. Like Jesus and his first followers, the church throughout history has tried to take up the call to tell the world about God’s love and to invite folks to follow Christ.

Certainly, there have been times and places where the Christian church was very committed and determined to spread the good news about Jesus Christ throughout the world to every nation, people, and culture. And that was great… but also not great.

Along with the message of God’s amazing grace and love for us in Jesus Christ came the subtle (and often not so subtle) message that white, European culture, spirituality, gender roles, and community norms were the only good and right way to live in the world. Christian missionaries contributed to the colonizing impulses of powerful nations, and in the process did great harm to Indigenous people, cultures, languages, and spiritualities throughout the world.

And, of course, you could go further back in history to find Christian crusaders who were literally giving people the choice … Read more »

June 22, 2025

1 Kings 19:1-15a
Luke 8:26-39

“Talking about Mental Wellbeing”

When I read the Scripture stories that were set for this Sunday in the Revised Common Lectionary, it was the mental anguish that stood out to me. Jesus met a man who was tormented by a legion of demons. In a Roman army at that time, a legion was 6000 soldiers – so we’re talking about thousands of demons tormenting this poor man – filling his mind with negative thoughts, taunting him with threats and misinformation, plaguing him with anxiety and fear, and keeping him from living a fruitful and happy life.

Although first century people described what they saw in this man as a legion of demons, in the millenia since that time, we’ve come to understand that not only our bodies, but also our minds can suffer illness and cause all kinds of mental anguish.

As a young adult, I had the opportunity to learn a little about mental health when I worked for a few years in a group home that supported folks living with these kinds of challenges. I learned a little about bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and OCD. And I started to recognize severe anxiety, depression, and manic episodes, as I worked … Read more »

June 8, 2025

Pentecost Sunday Intergenerational Message

The Story of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21)
Pentecost is one of my favourite days of celebration in the Church Year! You may really like Christmas, and Easter Sunday is pretty special, but Pentecost is amazing!

I love that I get to wear my red stole on Pentecost. The red colour reminds us of the fire of the Holy Spirit, and my stole also has these lovely doves flying down to bless God’s people. I’m happy to see that many of you wore red today too!

We’re going to start today by telling the story from the Book of Acts about what happened on the first Day of Pentecost after Jesus died and went up to heaven. Marianne and I thought it would be fun to tell the story from Acts 2:1-21 by singing about it. But we’re also going to need your help to make the story really come alive!

The story takes place in Jerusalem seven weeks after Jesus went up to heaven. So we’re going to need someone to hold the sign for Jerusalem, so we remember where we are.

On that day in Jerusalem, the disciples were gathered together in one place. So we’re going to need some people to … Read more »

May 25, 2025

Acts 16:9-15
John 14:23-29

“The Next Step”

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you,” Jesus said to his worried disciples. “I do not give to you as the world gives,” he continued, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

Aren’t those beautiful words? In a world where peace is so desperately needed, Jesus gives his followers the gift of peace. He doesn’t give it “as the world gives” – It’s not an exaggeration or an empty promise. It’s not a trick, with payment or payback expected.

Today’s Gospel text tells us that Jesus gave the gift of true peace to his first disciples in the midst of the most stressful, confusing, and dangerous time of their lives. And it suggests that Jesus wants to give us that peace as well.

The reality today is that “peaceful” is probably not how most people would describe their state of mind. A lot of people go about their daily lives feeling stressed, worried, or fearful a great deal of the time. And it’s not that we’re just a bunch of nervous people who are getting worked up over nothing. The reality is that we have a lot to … Read more »

May 18, 2025

Acts 11:1-18
John 13:31-35

“Will They Know Us?”

Jesus said, “When you love one another, people will know that you are my disciples.” In other words, the true followers of Jesus were not going to be identified by their race or culture, by their attire, or even by their practices of worship or prayer. There was going to be one characteristic that Christians would share in the generations to come, and that would be their striving to love one another.

In this morning’s wonderful story from the Book of Acts, we see the Apostle Peter growing in his understanding of the faith community that Jesus was forming in the world. Up until this point, the followers of Jesus has been Jewish people, primarily from Palestine. Their community had included men and women, mostly working people, but with some others with financial resources as well. But it has been limited to people who already believed in the One God of Israel, who followed in the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The disciples of Jesus had been people like Jesus, Jewish people who practiced their faith in the home and the synagogue, and followed the laws of Moses, including the circumcision of their men and the … Read more »

May 4, 2025

Acts 9:1-6
John 21:1-19

“Turn and Feed my Sheep”

I love this Season of Easter, when our Sunday readings include all these wonderful stories of Jesus’ Resurrection appearances. After all the worry, stress, pain, and regret of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and execution… And after the strange and unsettling realization that his body was no longer in the tomb on the third day… Jesus shows up for his friends and followers to assure them that he is actually alive again!

He appears to them. He speaks to them. He shares food with them. He allows them to touch him and to see that he is really alive. And in doing that, he assures them and us that God is more powerful that hatred, violence, and even death itself. Though he was dead, he is alive again! And though we also will die, we also will live forever with God.

But today’s two stories – from the Gospel of John and the Book of Acts are particularly important for the church. They are important because they are Jesus’ encounters with Peter and Paul, who will become two of the most influential leaders of the Christian Church.

Most of you have probably heard that I had the privilege last … Read more »

April 13, 2025

Luke 19:28-40
Luke 23:1-49
Philippians 2:5-11

“And Every Stone Shall Cry”
Inspired by hymn #219 in the Presbyterian 1997 Book of Praise. Words by Richard Wilbur, Music by Paulette Tollefson)

A stable lamp is lighted
whose glow shall wake the sky;
the stars shall bend their voices,
and every stone shall cry.

And every stone shall cry,
and straw like gold shall shine;
a barn shall harbour heaven,
a stall become a shrine.

A long time ago, in an unimportant town, a young woman gave birth to her first child. In many ways, his birth was like many others. Mary wasn’t the first or the last girl to be found pregnant before her wedding day, and Joseph was good enough to marry her anyway and be a father to the little boy.

What is unusual about this child is the fact that we have heard his story – not only the stories of his adult accomplishments when he became well-known for his teaching and healing and political activity.

But we have heard the stories of his birth. This person impacted the world so much that we celebrate his birth, and legends are told about how he arrived and how he survived into adulthood to do all the great and good things that he would do.

They … Read more »

April 6, 2025

Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8

“Tender Care”

In addition to the lovely story about Mary of Bethany anointing Jesus before his death, the lectionary suggests for today a reading from the third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Church at Philippi. Earlier this week, I read the passage from Philippians over several times and asked myself, “How does this reading relate to the one from John’s Gospel? Why has the lectionary put them together for this day?”

The Apostle Paul begins by writing about his credentials and status as a law-abiding Pharisee who used to do very well at living according to God’s laws and teaching others to do the same. But he’s writing the letter from prison, where he has been locked up because of his preaching about Jesus. The status and respect that he used to enjoy, and the confidence he had that he was a good religious person who would please God with his piety and obedience, are gone.

After his conversion to the Way of Jesus on the Road to Damascus, Paul gives up so much. He gives up his power and influence, as a Pharisee who had persecuted Christians. He gives up his self-reliance when he realizes that even he cannot … Read more »

March 30, 2025

Instead of a traditional sermon today, we had a dialogue reading of the Gospel passage, followed by a little skit in which a reporter interviews the narrator and characters in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Narrator: Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! 3 So Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father,

Younger: ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’

Narrator: So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him … Read more »

March 23, 2025

1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9

“With Tender Loving Care”

When the Apostle Paul was writing to the Christian community at Corinth, trying to instruct them in the Way of Jesus and to help them to build a loving Christian community, he wrote to them in chapter 10 about the sins and failings of their ancestors.

He told them about how God had saved, protected, and guided the Hebrew people through the wilderness, giving them the spiritual and physical nourishment they needed to survive, and how the people nevertheless turned away from God and did wrong things.

The people worshipped idols instead of God. Their first concern was their own physical comfort and pleasure, and they complained against God again and again. They were impatient, and disobedient, and ungrateful.

And Paul says that the Corinthians should learn from their mistakes. He tells the Christians that nothing is happening to them that other generations have not had to deal with as well, and he warns them not to make the same poor selfish choices that were not pleasing to God.

It is a warning not to become complacent. It is a warning not to assume that we are good enough. It is a warning to “repent, and change our … Read more »

March 16, 2025

Psalm 27
Luke 13:31-35

“If My Parents Forsake Me”

Like a child rests in its mother’s arms, so will I rest in you.
Like a child rests in its mother’s arms, so will I rest in you.

I wonder if, like me, you still have memories of the care and comfort that were provided for you when you were a small child, perhaps many years ago. I wonder if you remember sitting on the lap of your mum or dad, auntie or grandparent, or another trusted adult, where you felt safe, and loved, and surrounded with care.

I don’t personally remember specific instances, but I do remember the feeling. I remember our whole family snuggled together under a blanket on the couch, reading stories out loud to each other. I remember that if I woke up in the night and felt scared, I would hop out of bed, go down the hall, and wiggle into my parents’ bed with them – in the monster-free zone, I guess. And I remember what that felt like – warm, peaceful, and most of all, safe.

Like a child rests in its mother’s arms, so will I rest in you.
Like a child rests in its mother’s arms, so will I rest … Read more »

March 9, 2025

Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Luke 4:1-13

“Trusting God in the Wilderness”

On this first Sunday in the season of Lent, we are given the story of Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. This story is probably the reason why the church chose to make the season of Lent last forty days. From Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (the day before Easter), excluding the Sundays, Lent is forty days in which Christians are encouraged to pray, fast, and give.

And Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness before he began his ministry was likely intended to remind Jewish Christians of the forty years that their people spent in the wilderness, after escaping from Egypt, and before finding their way into the Promised Land.

Those wilderness times, whether measured in days or in years, had a lot in common. First of all, they both included struggle and hardship. Besides not having the usual comforts of home, there wasn’t much to eat, and finding essential things like water was very difficult.

You may remember that God provided the basics when they were needed, but the Hebrew People didn’t get anything extra to store up. They had to trust God day-by-day that they were going to … Read more »

March 2, 2025

Exodus 34:29-35
2 Corinthians 3:12 – 4:2
Luke 9:28-36

“A Shine That Never Fades”

The biblical texts set in the lectionary for this “Transfiguration Sunday” are very strange. They invite us to hear about two mysterious spiritual experiences of encounters with God on mountain-tops, and then to consider what these stories may mean for us today.

Most of us have probably heard the New Testament story about the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain-top with his disciples. We usually read one version or another of that story every year on the Sunday just before the Season of Lent – Transfiguration Sunday.

This year, the story about Jesus on a mountain-top is paired with one from the Book of Exodus about Moses on a mountain-top. In both cases, God is present and meets with them. And both men are transformed physically by the experience, with their faces (and in Jesus’ case, his clothing too) beginning to shine.

Moses has been on a mountain-top to meet God before, of course. Back when God first called to him out of a “burning bush” and sent him on a mission to get the Hebrew People out of Egypt, that was on a mountain-top. And after Moses does actually lead the people … Read more »

February 23, 2025

Genesis 45:3-11, 15
Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40
Luke 6:27-38

“Don’t Fret!”

On Sundays like today, I do appreciate the way that the Revised Common Lectionary has put Scripture passages together that relate to each other in interesting ways. It’s obvious, right of the bat, that today is all about loving our enemies. It’s not the easiest topic, by any means, but the theme of the day is certainly clear.

So let’s start with the Gospel reading. Picking up where we left off last Sunday, today’s Gospel text is another section of Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Plain.” And rather than telling stories or teaching through parables as he does in other places, Jesus is simply giving instructions.

“If you want to follow my way,” he tells the people, “If you’re still listening to me and you want my advice,” Jesus says: “Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it … Read more »

February 9, 2025

Isaiah 6:1-8
Psalm 138
Luke 5:1-11

“God’s Purpose for Us”

I am very often amazed by the ways that the Scriptures – the stories of God’s people thousands of years ago – still speak to us today. Whether we’re listening to one of Jesus’ timeless stories, like the Parable of the Prodigal Son, that was our focus at Messy Church yesterday… Or if we’re hearing a story about Jesus and his disciples or one of the old prophets like Isaiah… Regardless of the fact that they lived in a very different time and place, and had very different lives than we do today, still God speaks to us, guides us, and encourages us with these texts in the context where we live today.

For example, when we read the prayers of the psalmists, as we did today with Psalm 138, I am well aware that the troubles and worries that they were dealing with so long ago were not the same as mine. But when I hear about them feeling lowly, walking in the midst of trouble, and asking for protection against their enemies, I can relate.

Because we are living in troubling times as well. Like them, we may feel helpless against the powers of … Read more »

January 26, 2025 – Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The following sermon was preached at an ecumenical service at Christ the King Roman Catholic Parish in Regina on Sunday, January 26, 2025 at 2:30 pm.

Thank you for the invitation to preach this afternoon at this special service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. As was mentioned, I’m the minister at First Presbyterian Church here in Regina, and I’m currently also serving as the President of the Canadian Council of Churches.

I’ve been a Presbyterian representative on the CCC for almost 10 years. But long before I was connected with our national ecumenical body, I was involved in the work of the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism in Saskatoon. And the WPCU, celebrated in January every year, has always been on my agenda. It is a special time for Churches and Christians to come together in prayer and worship, to strengthen our relationships across denominations, and to encourage us towards greater unity, cooperation, and shared witness and mission throughout the year.

This year’s theme is quite unique. As always, we have a theme text and a title: “Do you believe this?” based on Jesus’ conversation with Martha of Bethany in the Gospel of John. But we also have a theme “Creed”, … Read more »

January 26, 2025

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-7, 8-10
Luke 4:14-21

“Do Not Weep”

We are gathered together this morning to do something that God’s people have done for millenia. We have come together, as we do every week, to read aloud from God’s Word and to interpret it for one another. There are other things that we do in our worship. We sing, we pray, we share Sacraments, and we make offerings. But the central part of worship in our Reformed tradition is the reading and preaching of God’s Word.

The Scripture passages that we read aloud today included two stories about God’s people doing something similar. First, there was the text from the Book of Nehemiah. After the Exile in Babylon, as the Israelites were re-settling in Jerusalem and Judah, the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate.

They hadn’t yet rebuilt the Temple, and yet it seemed important to gather and listen for God’s voice. They met in one of the busy gathering places, where everyone went in and out of the city to get water for their households.

Ezra, the priest and scribe, took out the Book of the Law of Moses, and began to read. He didn’t read three or four short passages … Read more »