Jeremiah 23 – Currie-Jesson

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 20, 2022

Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 46
Colossians 1:11-20
Luke 23:33-43

“When you come into your Kingdom”

As many of you know, I spent part of this past week in Mississauga at meetings of the Governing Board of the Canadian Council of Churches. You may be relieved to know (as I am relieved) that it was my last trip away from Regina for this calendar year. And I’m looking forward to moving into the seasons of Advent and Christmas with First Church without having to fly off to Ontario for any more meetings.

But besides the contributions that I am called to make to these larger church committees and organizations, I always benefit personally from my attendance, learning a great deal from my colleagues and hopefully sharing some of those benefits with all of you.

One of the things that struck me this week came from President Das Sydney’s report to the Governing Board, which connects well with this morning’s readings. He began his report by setting the context of this time in which we live. He wrote: “As the nuclear age became entrenched in the years following the last Great War, W.H. Auden created a phrase to describe the ethos and climate of the times. He called it an … Read more »

November 22, 2020

Thanks to the Rev. Bob Wilson for leading worship at First Church today!

… Read more »

November 20, 2016

Sermon by the Rev. Amanda Currie

Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 46
Colossians 1:11-20
Luke 23:33-43

“When you come into your kingdom…”

In the midst of a world in which the refugee crisis is staggering, with millions of people on the move and looking for a place to call home…

In the midst of a world in which human rights abuses are committed every day in Iraq, Burma, Gambia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and so many other regions…

In the midst of a world in which there is talk in the U.S. of building walls to keep people out, deporting millions, and registering and monitoring people of a certain religion…

In the midst of a world in which, even in Canada, there are attacks on houses of worship, based on religion, culture, and race…

We need the words of the psalmist more than ever: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult… the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

The morning after the U.S. election a couple of … Read more »

November 24, 2013

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

“Kingdom Coming”

In the course of the liturgical year — the church year — today, we are at the end. This morning we celebrate the reign of Christ, and next Sunday we begin the Season of Advent, the time of waiting for the birth of Christ into our world. But for many of us, we’re already starting to get ourselves ready for Christmas.

When I went to lead worship at one of the retirement homes on Wednesday, the first question I was asked as I was setting up for worship was, “Are you going to talk about Christmas today?” I said, “No, it’s a bit early to talk about Christmas today. It’s still November!” But then just yesterday we did have our annual Christmas Tea and Bake Sale here at the church, our children are starting to practice their Christmas Pageant this morning, and look, we even have a Christmas tree (or at least an Advent tree) lit up this morning.

We’ve got “baby Jesus” on the brain already in November, but the lectionary this morning jumps us forward in time, past the angels and shepherds, past the childhood and baptism of Jesus, past his ministry in Galilee, all the … Read more »

November 21, 2010

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

I don’t think I will forget the sound of her voice on the phone. She said, “Everyone is against me!” The words themselves, and the fear and desperation in her voice brought back memories of some of the folks I worked with years ago in a group home.

When they said, “Everyone is against me” it was usually a case of paranoid symptoms coming up in what was a relatively well-managed mental illness. These were people who were well cared for, safe, and secure, but who suffered from paranoid delusions at times.

But the single mother of four on the other end of the phone line was not delusional. She was simply lamenting the reality of her situation. She didn’t have a safe place to live. She didn’t have good food to feed to her children. And as often as she tried to access services to help, she came up against one road block after another. She felt alone and abandoned, and like everyone was against her.

As I stumbled to speak the words of reassurance that I knew she needed to hear, I was aware that my words would not be enough. As a preacher, I could easily find … Read more »