May 17, 2026

Acts 1:1-11
Ephesians 1:15-23

“Because Jesus is in Heaven”

When we recite the Apostles’ Creed, we say a few lines about what Christians believe about what happened to Jesus. This should sound familiar: “On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.”

In the liturgical calendar, Ascension Day actually falls on a Thursday. It’s forty days after the Resurrection, as noted in our reading from the first chapter of Acts this morning: “After his suffering [Jesus] presented himself alive to [the apostles] by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”

But in many churches where we don’t add a special service on a Thursday, we move the celebration of the Ascension to the following Sunday and call it “Ascension Sunday.” And a week later, we will celebrate Pentecost Sunday when the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised to his followers was poured out in power to make them his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

I wonder… when you think about the Ascension, do you picture … Read more »

May 3, 2026

Acts 7:55-60
John 14:1-14

“Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled”

Today’s Gospel text is probably a familiar one for most of us. I’ve read it many times (particularly at funerals). And when you hear it you may notice that beautiful promise of Jesus to his worried, scared, and confused disciples: “In my Father’s house there are many rooms. I will go and prepare a place for you, so that where I am there you may be also.”

When I think about the end of my own life, I can imagine trying to focus on that promise, trusting in God’s mercy and grace, and the gift of everlasting life. Although I don’t know what heaven will be like, I’ve said many times that I believe that there will be a heaven – a continuing reality, in the presence of God, where there is joy and peace and rest.

But when I imagine the end of my life, I imagine myself at an advanced age, and in my bed. It’s not like the end of life that the Apostle Stephen experienced – way too soon, surrounded by an angry crowd, anticipating the agonizing pain of the barrage of stones hitting his head, and body, and legs.

Nonetheless, … Read more »

April 26, 2026

Acts 2:42-47
Psalm 23
John 10:1-10

“Devoted to God and One Another”

This fourth Sunday in the season of Easter is also known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” because of the readings from Psalm 23 and John 10 which compare God and Jesus to a shepherd who cares for the sheep. As individual believers, these passages assure us of God’s loving care and guidance throughout our lives.

God leads us towards green pastures and still waters. God guides us through the darkest valleys. Jesus calls each one of us by name. We know his voice, and we trust that he will lead us out towards nourishment and freedom, and back home to a place of safety.

When we are experiencing difficult times, or when we are afraid for ourselves, for our families, or for the wider world, these passages are a source of hope and strength for us who know ourselves as sheep of the Good Shepherd.

But I think that one of the most important things to notice about the imagery of God or Jesus as a shepherd and God’s people as the sheep is the fact that it means each one of us belongs to the flock. Yes, God cares about us individually too. The Parable … Read more »

April 5, 2026

Matthew 28:1-20

“Goodness is Stronger than Evil”

As I was reflecting on the Gospel story for this Easter Sunday, a little song kept coming to mind. It goes like this:
Goodness is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate;
light is stronger than darkness; life is stronger than death.
Victory is ours, victory is ours through him who loved us.
Victory is ours, victory is ours through him who loved us.

One week ago, we gathered here with palm branches waving to sing “Hosanna! Save us, O Lord!” as we remembered Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem a few days before his arrest.

The Jewish people who formed the crowd on that first Palm Sunday were singing words from Psalm 118. They were remembering and celebrating the fact that God had saved their people in the past – rescuing them from slavery in Egypt, guiding them through the wilderness and into the promised land, and later bringing them back from the exile in Babylon. And they were hoping that God would save them again – from poverty, from illness, from oppression, and from all the other struggles of their present context.

The people wondered that day if this Jesus from Nazareth might be the one who was coming in … Read more »

April 3, 2026

John 18-19
Matthew 25:31-46

“J.S. Bach and the St. John Passion”

On Good Friday, April 7, 1724, Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion was first performed at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. Through the centuries, this setting has remained one of the most revered musical settings of the Passion narrative. Composed in two parts, intended to be performed before and after a sermon during a Good Friday service, the piece contains the text of John 18-19, sung by a four-part choir and several soloists.

When I started to read about Bach’s St. John Passion, I quickly discovered that there has been significant controversy surrounding its performance in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Perhaps the average listener without a working knowledge of the German language wouldn’t notice, but there is an issue with how “the Jews” are depicted in the text.

“The Jews” (Juden) are the ones who arrange for Jesus’ arrest, who accuse him of blasphemy, who refuse when the Roman Governor Pilate suggests that he could be released, and who relentlessly call for his crucifixion. In the narrative that is presented, “the Jews” are clearly portrayed as the “bad guys” who killed Jesus the Lord. It’s no surprise that many people have … Read more »

March 29, 2026

Psalm 118:1-4, 19-29
Matthew 21:1-11

“God’s Steadfast Love Endures Forever”

O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
Let the people of First Church say,
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
One more time:
God’s steadfast love endures forever!

On this Palm Sunday, our liturgy draws upon an ancient tradition of prayer and praise – one of the Hallel Psalms that were recited during major Jewish festivals, the pilgrimage festivals including Sukkot, Shavuot, and Passover, when ancient Jews would travel to Jerusalem to make sacrifices and honour God.

Psalm 118 begins and ends with that antiphonal call and response:
O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
It is a communal declaration of God’s faithful love, and a processional hymn that may have been sung as worshippers approached the temple gates.

One of the festivals that featured Psalm 118 was Sukkot (also known as the Feast of Booths) in which Jewish people remembered their ancestors’ journey through the wilderness after God freed them from slavery in Egypt. One of the practices of that festival, still enacted today by faithful Jews, was to set up temporary tents, booths, or shelters. They would have at least three walls and a roof, but they … Read more »

March 22, 2026

John 11:1-45
Ezekiel 37:1-14

“Greatly Disturbed”

This morning’s Gospel story includes the Seventh Sign of John’s Gospel, the final miracle of Jesus that is included by the Fourth Evangelist to help convince those reading this book that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the One sent by God into the world.

Within the narrative of John’s Gospel, this incident in which Jesus raises Lazarus from death, accomplishes two important things. First, it does convince many people to believe – the Twelve Disciples who came along with Jesus, Lazarus’ siblings Martha and Mary, their friends and neighbours, and others who were present to witness the absolutely shocking and amazing miracle of making a dead man live again. The text tells us that many of them believed in Jesus because of what they saw, and others likely had their faith strengthened and confirmed.

The other thing that this Seventh Sign does is that it convinces the authorities and those opposed to Jesus and his mission that they had better do something to stop him, and do it quickly. Immediately following this episode, the religious leaders decide that Jesus must be put to death (John 11:53). They are worried that a sign such as this will … Read more »

March 15, 2026

“God Chooses Who?”

John 9:1-41

What happens in this morning’s Gospel story is not unusual. Or, at least, it’s not unusual for the Gospels in which Jesus heals people who are blind, allowing them to see, at least five times. This is the kind of thing that we are used to hearing about Jesus – he healed people from diseases, from illnesses, from demon-possession, from deafness, and from blindness.

The healing stories demonstrate Jesus’ compassion and care for the people he encountered. And they also show that he has power from God, drawing crowds of people towards him where they will hear his preaching and teaching.

In John’s Gospel, there aren’t quite as many healing stories – only three, actually – because the 4th Evangelist just selects a few examples of the things Jesus did, in order to make his theological points and convince his readers to believe.

In the Gospel of John, the three healing stories combined with four other miracles, make up the seven signs that point to Jesus’ identity as God’s Son. At the end of the book, the author writes, “Jesus did many other things that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe … Read more »

March 8, 2026

Exodus 17:1-7
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42

“Thirsting for Reconciliation”

Thanks to Jessica Bonish for pointing out that today is International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day (IWD) has been celebrated on March 8th for the last 115 years. It commemorates women’s fight for equality and liberation along with the women’s rights movement. International Women’s Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. Spurred by the universal female suffrage movement, International Women’s Day originated from labour movements in Europe and North America during the early 20th century.

So, it seems very appropriate that the Gospel reading from the lectionary today is about Jesus having a conversation with a woman. We hear about Jesus breaking the cultural norms of his day by engaging with a foreign woman, demonstrating his respect and care for all people, regardless of social status. But at the same time, we may note that the Gospel writer doesn’t include her name, which happens much more frequently with the women characters than it does for the men.

However, even if we don’t get to know who the Samaritan woman was, the detailed story makes it clear that Jesus knew her. Not that he had met her before, … Read more »

March 1, 2026

Psalm 121
Genesis 12:1-4a
John 3:1-17

“Look Up!”

Psalm 121 is one of my favourite psalms. It’s a passage that I often turn to when life is stressful, when I’m feeling worried or afraid. And it’s one of the psalms that I often share with people that I am caring for in times of distress.

But I realized this week that I may have been reading it wrong, or at least mis-interpreting the first line. It begins, “I lift my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come?” And I always thought of the hills as a place of hope and strength. I thought of the mountaintop experiences of many biblical people encountering God up on the hills, and I assumed that when the psalmist looked up at the hills it was a metaphor for seeking God’s help. After all, in the very next verse he says, “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

What I hadn’t noticed, however, was that Psalm 121 is one of the Psalms of Ascent. It was a song sung by Jewish pilgrims as they travelled up to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage festivals. And rather than it being a joyful, hopeful, anticipatory travelling song, … Read more »

February 22, 2026

Matthew 4:1-11

“Avoiding Temptation in Lent”

This message was written by the Rev. Amanda Currie, and presented by the ministry team at First Presbyterian Church in Regina, Rev. Amanda Currie and Rev. Sumi Jung.

AC:     Hey Sumi! Your husband sure did a good job of acting like the devil who was tempting Jesus.

SJ:     Yes, he was so sneaky and so tempting. He reminded me of the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Except in this case, Jesus was able to resist his terrible ideas.

AC:     Every time the devil gave Jesus a bad idea, Jesus turned to the Bible to find wise words from God. He used God’s words to give him strength to resist evil and choose goodness instead.

SJ:     But did you notice that the devil quoted from the Bible too? We have to be careful when we hear someone quoting from the Bible to make their point. It’s not hard for people to take a passage out of context and twist it to mean something that is not from God.

AC:     That’s true, Sumi. We do have to be careful when we hear the Bible being quoted like that, and any time we are interpreting the Scriptures and … Read more »

February 15, 2026

Matthew 17:1-9

“From the Mountains to the Valleys and Beyond”

For all the years that I was serving as the minister at St. Andrew’s in Saskatoon, I kept up the tradition of my predecessors who liked to schedule the Presbyterian World Service & Development service on the last Sunday before the Season of Lent begins.

It made a certain amount of sense because our practice was to have our annual appeal for PWS&D during Lent, so just before the season began we would dedicate a Sunday to telling the stories of that ministry and encouraging folks to support it, just as we did a couple of weeks ago here at First Church.

However, the other reason that it was scheduled that way was because the ministers wanted to avoid preaching about the Transfiguration – the Gospel story that the lectionary always places on the last Sunday before Lent. I know, it’s kind of a strange story. When I announced the text we were going to be reading in Bible study earlier this week, at least one of our members let out a sigh, as if to say, “Not this one again!”

Jesus takes a few of his friends up to the top of a mountain. … Read more »

A Sermon based on Bach’s St. John Passion

The following sermon was written by the Rev. Amanda Currie on February 2, 2026, in reflection on Bach’s St. John Passion and John 18-19.

On Good Friday, April 7, 1724, Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion was first performed at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. Through the centuries, this setting has remained one of the most revered musical settings of the Passion narrative. Composed in two parts, intended to be performed before and after a sermon during a Good Friday service, the piece contains the text of John 18-19, sung by a four-part choir and several soloists.

As a Christian pastor serving in Regina, it has been a blessing for me to sing in the Ignite Chamber Choir and join with the Regina Symphony Orchestra for the March 2026 performance at Holy Rosary Cathedral. In addition to the welcome challenge of learning the difficult and beautiful music by the masterful composer J.S. Bach, I have enjoyed the opportunity to reflect deeply on the Passion of the Christ as it is depicted in John’s Gospel and the way that Bach interprets the Passion through the music. By the time we were a month into our rehearsals, I knew that I wanted to write … Read more »

January 18, 2026

Psalm 40:1-11
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-42

“Safe Forever”

In our Wednesday Bible study meeting this week, we read and discussed the Gospel text. We talked about the earliest disciples of Jesus and how they came to know him, to believe that he was the one sent by God to be their teacher, leader, and saviour.

We noticed the people who were involved in their becoming Jesus’ followers – John, who pointed to the Messiah and essentially said, “That’s him!” Andrew, who met the Christ and then went to find his brother and bring him along. Jesus, who invited them to “come and see” to stay with him and get to know him.

And I found our conversation to be a little nostalgic. I found myself thinking about my parents who brought me to church, friends who shared their faith with me and taught me how to pray, and the gift of the Gospel texts themselves through which I get to spend time with Jesus, getting to know him, and to love him, and to learn his ways.

We marvelled at the fact that when Simon showed up, Jesus looked at him and already knew how Simon (soon to be renamed Peter) would become a servant leader … Read more »

December 21, 2025

Isaiah 7:10-16
Matthew 1:18-25

“What Was He Afraid Of?”

As I read through a bunch of commentaries on this morning’s Scripture readings, the thing that struck me is that we have two passages about men who are afraid and wondering what to do about a difficult situation in their lives.

The story that we’re more familiar with surrounds Mary’s husband, Joseph, who has to decide what to do when his wife is found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit, before the two of them have even lived together in the same house. Probably the less familiar story is about King Ahaz who has to decide who to align himself with when his territory is under threat from powerful neighbours.

And you probably noticed that the two stories are linked by the fact that as the Gospel writer tells Joseph’s story, he quotes from the words of the Prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz: “Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.”

So, let’s start with Ahaz’s story. Ahaz became the King of Judah around the year 732 BCE when he was 20 years old. He reigned for 16 years, died at the age of 36, and was … Read more »

December 7, 2025

Matthew 3:1-12

“Called to Conversion”

I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed that each of the three years in the lectionary cycle is focused on a different Gospel. Last year was Year C so we were reading lots of stories from the Gospel of Luke. And when we started into Year A last Sunday, we switched over to a focus on the Gospel of Matthew.

One of my favourite lectionary commentaries, the SALT Commentary, points out this week that “as we enter Matthew’s masterpiece, it’s worth remembering what sort of thing a ‘gospel’ is. Originally intended to be read aloud, Matthew is a kind of story-sermon meant to declare good news (gospel) in ways that provoke listeners to reflect, repent, believe, and serve the wider world… In short, a ‘gospel’ is a form of strategic storytelling that aims to change your life.”

Have you ever thought about the Gospels in that way before… that when you sit down to read a passage of Scripture that the goal of the author, or perhaps even the goal of the God who inspired their writing, is to change your life?

They’re not just trying to convey some historical information. They’re not just aimed at educating or entertaining those … Read more »

November 30, 2025

Isaiah 2:1-5
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:36-44

“Ready Like Noah”

I know that I’ve shared with you before that the word “Advent” means “coming” or “arrival,” and that Bernard of Clairvaux, a twelfth-century abbot and theologian, wrote about “three Advents” that are each relevant to this season.

First of all, there is the Incarnation, the Birth of Jesus, the Advent at Christmas. That’s the one we probably think of first – with the four weeks of Advent being a time of waiting and preparation for Christ’s Nativity.

Another Advent is the Parousia, the anticipated Second Coming of Christ, the Advent at the end of the age, which is the subject of our Gospel text today.

And the “middle” Advent, the one in between these other two, is the everyday arrival of Jesus: the host at the table, the still small voice, the hungry mother, the weary migrant. We remember that Jesus comes to us again and again, calling us, inviting us to help repair the world, little by little.

You might have noticed that I focused more on that “middle” Advent when I was speaking to the children. We are invited to keep awake so that we can recognize Christ’s presence among us today, and we are invited to … Read more »

November 23, 2025

Jeremiah 23:1-6
Luke 1:68-79
Colossians 1:11-20
Luke 23:33-43

“A Deep Dive into Baptism”

Friends, it is Reign of Christ Sunday, and we have just welcomed a new covenant member into our congregation and into the family of God.

When I first started to prepare for this Sunday, I was fairly sure that the focus of my preaching would be on the passage from Colossians. I was thinking about Baptism as Belonging, and I loved the way that the letter to the Church at Collosae assured a community of early Christians of their place in the Kingdom of God.

The apostle proclaimed to them the good news that God had rescued them from the power of darkness and transferred them into the kingdom of his beloved Son. Although the passage doesn’t specifically mention baptism as the means through which the transfer takes place, that language of being “transferred” reminded me of our understanding that baptism is not something we do, but is the gracious action of God.

Although it looks like baptism is something that we do – pouring water, saying prayers, and choosing to participate in this ceremony for ourselves or for our children – the text from Colossians reminds us that when we are embraced by God’s … Read more »

November 16, 2025

Isaiah 65:17-25
Luke 21:5-19

“The World is About to Turn”

At our regular meeting of the Presbytery of Assiniboia yesterday, I began the devotional time by reading the children’s storybook, “God, I Feel Scared,” by Michelle Nietert and Tama Fortner. But before I started the story, I invited the gathered ministers and elders to think about what makes them feel scared.

We read about the fears of young children – things like wondering what will happen next, things like shadows creeping across a dark room or flashes of lightning. We were reminded of times when trying something new made us nervous, when a sick loved one caused us worry and anxiety, and what it felt like when we got lost.

As we read about how being scared feels, and the various ways that children respond to those feelings, I wondered how much the adults in our meeting might be able to relate to those feelings too. We might remember the butterflies in our stomachs, the shivers, the tears, or the anger. We might remember feeling frozen in place or wanting to run away. And I think that most of us have felt those things more recently than childhood.

When I invited the presbyters to share what … Read more »

November 9, 2025

Luke 20:27-38

“What Happens When You Die?”

The American late night show host, Stephen Colbert, likes to interview some of his celebrity guests using what he calls the “Colbert Questionnaire.” It’s a series of 15 questions that Colbert claims have been carefully designed to reveal the soul of the person. Just before the first question, he usually warns them “Prepare to be known.” And then he launches in with the first question which is “What is the best sandwich?”

Among the other questions, they’ll be asked “Dogs or cats?” “Apples or oranges?” “Window or aisle?” and “What’s your favourite action movie?” At the end, they’ll be asked to describe the rest of their life in 5 words, and that one is usually pretty revealing about their hopes, dreams, and values. But the question I’m always waiting for it this one: “What happens when you die?”

Stephen Colbert is a Christian, and he has his own convictions about the question, but I get the sense that he’s truly interested in hearing his guests’ perspectives on the question. And they’ve had answers ranging from “Your body decomposes in the ground,” to detailed metaphysical descriptions of spirits that live on in the universe.

But most people say things … Read more »