August 30, 2026

Exodus 3:1-15
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28

“Costly Discipleship”

This morning’s Scripture readings are difficult ones. It’s not that they are difficult to understand, but that they are difficult to embrace because they tell us that being a Christian is going to require us to do difficult things.

These are probably not the texts that will convince your non-religious friend that they should become a Christian. Rather than elaborating all the blessings that come with the Christian faith and being a part of a Christian community, the Apostle Paul lists all the things that are required of us as disciples.

Be patient in affliction, give generously to help others, bless people who persecute you, associate with lowly people, love your enemies and care for them. Or as Jesus put it: “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Do not respond to evil with evil or to hatred with hatred, but respond with goodness, with grace, with love that has not been earned. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I know that many of you have been learning to live in this way for many years. I say “learning” because no matter how … Read more »

August 23, 2026

Exodus 1:8 – 2:10
Romans 12:1-8

“Faithful Resistance”

I’ve found it quite interesting to reflect on the stories from the Book of Genesis this summer. We’ve read about Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar; and about Isaac and Ishmael. We have followed Isaac’s line, meeting Rebecca and their children Jacob and Esau. Jacob married Leah and worked for many years to marry Rachel as well. Altogether, they had 12 sons, including Joseph who was Abraham’s favourite, but hated by his brothers.

Last Sunday, we heard the story in which Joseph, now in a powerful position in Egypt, receives his family during a terrible famine and helps them, leading to the whole family’s move to Egypt.

As the Book of Exodus begins, the deaths of Joseph and his brothers are noted, but of course their descendants continue to live among the Egyptians. Verse 7 describes their presence this way: “The Israelites were fruitful and prolific; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.”

So when a new king rises over Egypt who has no memory of Joseph or respect for him and his family, the situation of the Israelites begins to change. Over the course of likely 3 or 4 hundred years, the … Read more »

August 16, 2026

Genesis 45:1-15
Psalm 133
Matthew 15:10-28

“We are Kindred”

I recently came across a YouTube channel called “Man Explains Everything.” It describes itself as “an educational channel about human history, natural history, and the four billion years of absolute chaos sitting directly underneath your feet, which you have never once stopped to think about.” The videos are quite humorous, with a cartoon “grumpy old man” explaining everything. But they’re also well-researched, quite interesting, and the references are available if you want to check their validity.

Anyway, I watched one video about how there used to be more than one species of human on the Earth. If you go back a hundred thousand years, there were at least four, walking around at the same time. Homo erectus. Homo floresiensis. The Neanderthals. The Denisovans. Possibly more. But now there’s only one species of humans: Homo Sapiens. That’s us.

Of course, the video goes on to explain the various species of humans, when scientists think they lived, how they disappeared, and other interesting details. But the point that stuck with me was the message that all of us human beings today (and for the last 40,000 years) belong to the same species. Even with our various diversities of colour, … Read more »

July 19, 2026

Genesis 28:10-19a
Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

“Thin Places”

Are any of you old enough to remember the Sunday School song, “We are climbing Jacob’s ladder”? It’s a little before my time, but I looked it up out of curiosity the other day. It picks up on the imagery from the text about a ladder (or stairway) set up between earth and heaven. In Jacob’s dream, he sees angels going up and down the stairway; while in the song, Christians become the ones climbing up the ladder, perhaps with Jesus’ help, to find our way to heaven one day.

I found it odd because Jacob doesn’t climb the ladder in the story. Nor does he get told that he should climb a ladder or strive in some way to make it to heaven. I don’t think it’s a story about the afterlife at all, but rather it’s a moment in time when Jacob suddenly becomes aware of the presence of God on earth. God is no longer a distant Creator who is not involved in human life.

The staircase or ladder seems to represent the connection between God and humanity, and when Jacob (in his dream) sees God standing beside him and hears God’s voice … Read more »

July 12, 2026

Genesis 25:19-34
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

“Broadcast Sowing”

A friend of mine shared recently about a question that his six-year-old daughter asked him. “Who do you love the most, daddy? Me, or mummy, or yourself?”

He was caught off guard by the unexpected question, and he managed to avoid giving her an answer until he could think it through carefully. He asked for some advice from friends on Facebook: How would you answer that question from a child? Who do you love the most in your family?

There were lots of funny answers and some serious ones too. But the ones that seemed the most true to me were the ones that emphasized that you can’t really measure love. Love is infinite. You can never run out of it. There’s no cap on how much you can give. Love grows in a family to include all with no favourites. Love is love expanding day by day.

I don’t know if an answer like that would have satisfied a small child, but it fit with my understanding of the love of God and the love that we are made to embody for one another. Love is meant to be shared freely and abundantly, without any fear of … Read more »

July 5, 2026

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

“I Will Give You Rest”

The summer lectionary readings are often a strange mix of passages that leave the preacher wondering, “What is the connection between these texts?” This morning we have a long story about how Isaac got a wife; a kind of confession from the Apostle Paul about how he wants to be good, but struggles with sin; and finally, a lament from Jesus about the people who are rejecting his message and ministry for a number of reasons, combined with a renewed invitation to everyone to come to him.

I think that when I’ve preached on this 6th Sunday after Pentecost in the past, I’ve often focussed on Jesus’ invitation to rest. Coming across the Gospel text just as summer is beginning has felt like a good opportunity to encourage self-care. As I mentioned to the children, at First Church we take a break in the summer from some of the things that keep us busy throughout the year. I plan to take three weeks of holidays a couple of weeks from now. And I hope that many of you will choose to change up the pace of your life and work this … Read more »

June 28, 2026

Genesis 22:1-14
Psalm 13
Matthew 10:40-42

“How Shall I Sing to God?”

There’s a part of me that really doesn’t like this morning’s story from the Book of Genesis. Can you imagine Abraham… having waited and struggled and waited some more to have a child with Sarah to continue his line and grow the community of the People of God… being told by God that he should sacrifice his son, Isaac?

The very idea of human sacrifice is abhorrent, and the notion that our loving God would ask for such a thing is confusing and baffling to me. But rather than skipping the text for this 5th Sunday after Pentecost, or trying to pretend that it’s not in the Scriptures, this week I pondered what God could be saying to us today through such a strange and unsettling story.

And all I feel like I can conclude is that it’s all about TRUST. I don’t know if God really did tell Abraham to sacrifice his son in order to test how much he trusted God. Or perhaps Abraham misunderstood God’s intention, but still demonstrated that unflinching trust in God’s promises to him.

God had promised to Abraham and Sarah that they would have many descendants, that they … Read more »

June 21, 2026

Genesis 21:8-21
Luke 10:25-28

National Indigenous Peoples’ Day: “Rejection, Resilience, and Renewal”

I think it was six years ago on National Indigenous Peoples’ Sunday that we were honoured to have the Rev. Mary Fontaine as our guest preacher for an online COVID-era service. Mary grew up at Mistawasis Presbyterian Church here in Saskatchewan, and she is the founder and executive director of Hummingbird Ministries in Vancouver, one of our Presbyterian Indigenous Ministries.

On the Sunday Mary preached for us, she had the text from Genesis 21 to consider as well. I don’t remember exactly what she said, but ever since that time when I come across this story about Hagar and Ishmael being cast out, almost dying from lack of water in the wilderness, I think about the Indigenous peoples of our country.

The parallels are striking when you think about it – a trajectory that I want to summarize with three words this morning: Rejection, Resilience, and Renewal. Those with more power and privilege decide that others are not worthy of life and dignity and attempt to wipe them off the face of the earth. They are almost successful. Great harm is done, and they are very nearly wiped out.

But with the help of the … Read more »

June 14, 2026

Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7
Matthew 9:35 – 10:23

“We Will Laugh Together!”

I just love the way that Sarah’s laughter was transformed from the private scoffing laughter of disbelief to the shared, buoyant laughter of astonishment and joy. This week’s story from Genesis is a turning point in the story of Abraham and Sarah. God has promised to make them ancestors “of a multitude of nations” even though Sarah is childless and ninety years old. Abraham initially finds this unimaginable, even laughable – and in today’s story, so does Sarah.

After showing three strangers some extravagant hospitality, Abraham and Sarah stand by – and from inside the tent, Sarah overhears the visitors (that may in fact be God who came to visit them) tell Abraham that she “shall have a son.” Sarah laughs to herself in disbelief – she’s ninety, after all! But not only does she eventually have a son (She names him “Isaac” which means “to laugh.”) But she ultimately declares these words: “God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

I didn’t hear anyone telling jokes yesterday at the Queen City Pride Parade or at the OUT in the Park event that followed, but there were a lot … Read more »

June 7, 2026

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
Genesis 12:1-9

“Mercy, Not Sacrifice”

This morning’s Gospel text sounds like many others that describe the ministry of Jesus. We see him welcoming, teaching, and healing a variety of people. The stories confirm Jesus’ abundant love, his surprising power, and his generous commitment to heal and help the people he encountered. It makes sense that people were impressed, and that the news about him began to spread quickly through the district.

But it wasn’t just that Jesus was the best of the itinerant preachers in the area, or that he was the most successful of the doctors that tried to help the sick and suffering people. I think part of what got the people talking about Jesus was that he broke the rules and taught things that were starkly different from the other teachers.

So, I want to look at the brief bit of teaching that Jesus did in this passage. He was in the house having dinner with tax collectors, sinners, and his disciples. Some Pharisees see this, and they ask the disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” It’s obviously not something that the Pharisees would do themselves.

Sharing a meal in Second‑Temple Judaism signaled acceptance, shared … Read more »

May 31, 2026

Genesis 1:1 – 2:4a
Psalm 8

“All Things Under our Feet”

In the lectionary cycle, today is Trinity Sunday, but I’m not going to preach a sermon about how God is Three-in-One and One-in-Three and try to make sense of that mystery.

At First Church, today is also Camp Sunday, a moment to highlight and support the ministry of our Synod camp, Camp Christopher, but I’m not really going to preach about camp either.

I should say that Presbyterian camping ministry made a huge difference in my faith formation and my call to ministry. I was a camper and then a staff member at Gracefield Camp in Quebec for many years, and it had a big impact on my life. But I’ll leave the specific topic of camp to Donna Wilkinson, who will share about Camp Christopher’s ministry a little later in the service.

This morning, I want to focus on the readings from Genesis 1 and Psalm 8 that celebrate God as the Creator of the universe – one of the aspects of God’s being that many of us come to recognize when we have the opportunity to spend time outdoors, away from the city, exploring the beauty and wonder of the natural environment.

One of … Read more »

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 »