Brian Walsh & Sylvia Keesmaat - The Epic Wilderness Sermon

February 23, 2014

Brian and Sylvia, authors of “Colossians Remixed”, happened to be preaching at Eucharist Church on our last week at St Paul’s Presbyterian, a church building we have been meeting in for a year and a half. They took the opportunity to present us with the grandest, most epic “wilderness” sermon you can imagine!

Moving through the entire biblical narrative, Brian and Sylvia told over a dozen stories, and gave us Spirit-filled reflections on community, wilderness, home, and God.

We followed our gathering with a huge potluck under a big tent in the back hall.

At the end of the podcast there is a recording of Hannah Essex, who gave us a closing reflection and led us in a blessing for St Pauls.

We also sang a massive medley that we used to say “goodbye” to the building. It can be found at soundcloud.com/eucharistchurch

The Shadow Side of Faith

February 18, 2014

2014.02.16 - Prayer 2014 - Leshia Knopf

The Shadow Side of Faith

Habakkuk, Romans 8

Leshia Knopf shares an honest and reflective sermon on suffering, lament, trust, and being angry with God. Leshia is a part of the Eucharist Church “Preaching Guild”, a student of theology at McMaster Divinity College, and has spent the last few months driving her mother back and forth to her cancer appointments.

Suffice to say, this is not an intellectual exercise.

Leshia draws from the (little preached on) prophet Habakkuk to present a way of wrestling with God that is both faithful and raw.

Jeff Wynands also lead us in songs of lament, including a remixed version of Psalm 137.

The music starts at 32 minutes.

The lyrics to the song are below:

If I sing it wouldn’t mean a thing

If I dance it wouldn’t prove a chance

If I shout it wouldn’t lift the doubt

But I will if just to trust

We sit in endless sorrow at this river of defeat

We hang our songs in sadness on this tree of memory

Our joys are shapeless shadows these foreign city streets

We’ve fallen prey to mockers and their morbid mockeries

These hands surrender function and this heart it stutters beats

Were I to forget mount Zion my lips would surely seize

The wreck and rubble of a promise now dust upon our feet

We pray the same for the infant of these wretched godless deeds

If I sing it wouldn’t mean a thing

If I dance it wouldn’t prove a chance

If I shout it wouldn’t lift the doubt

But I will if just to trust…

Your will is enough oh God

Father this city’s cursed but you bless it with your name

Oh son this home is exile but you make it all the same

Pray and Breathe

February 9, 2014

2014.02.09 - Prayer 2014 - Jill Weber

Pray and Breathe

Click here to listen (right click and “save link as…” to download)

Jill Weber, of the Greater Ontario House of Prayer, joined us to talk about prayer, breathing, and simple everyday disciplines for ordinary disciples!

Her teaching is designed to include moments of pause and prayer, so please don’t rush through it, and feel free to take part in the activities… even if you’re doing the dishes or driving or cleaning!They don’t require you to close your eyes or anything.

There is also a gorgeous banjo/loud voiced hymn at the one hour mark.

Resonance of Christ

February 2, 2014

2014.02.02 - Resonance of Christ - Stephen Edwards

Titus 2, Luke 19

Click here to read the sermon (that’s right… READ! No recording, it’s just written out!)

The text:

But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds,with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

These things speak and exhort and reprove with all [i]authority. Let no one disregard you.