It’s Pentecost! Let’s talk about the Holy Spirit.
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Mission
"Mission work" might sound intimidating, but in reality it's quite simple. Dave shares his experience with mission work, both abroad and at home, and points us in the direction of the work of the Holy Spirit, what that work looks like, and how we might submit ourselves to what it's up to in our lives...
"But Virgins Don't Have BABIES!" - "Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary"
Luke 1
October 16 2016
So let's dive right into the strangeness: what do logical, rational, modern people do with a virgin having a baby? And what does Mary teach us about being Jesus-people?
The church in our neighbourhood has a parade for Mary and it's pretty intense and awesome and odd.
A Family of Unity vs. Empires of Uniformity
A Family of Unity vs. Empuires of Uniformity
Family Reunion
Acts 2, Genesis 11, John 17
Kevin Makins
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Pentecost Sunday is all about the Holy Spirit coming to bring Unity, NOT Uniformity!
And if unity is the sign that Christ is King, perhaps our churches should worry more about how to practice peace and reconciliation instead of how good the band is or how "correct" our theology is!
Participation: Saved FROM Something, FOR Something
2015.11.01 - Kevin Makins - Our Weird Church
Participation: Saved From Something, For Something
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Beginning with the relationship between “Heaven” and “Earth” and ending with a story about salad-dressing-baby-blessing, this sermon looks at what it means to be active participants WITH God.
Because we aren’t just saved FROM something, we are saved FOR something: we are saved to partner with God in the Ongoing Resurrection and Reconciliation of All Things!
That’s some GOOD NEWS right there!
Side note from Kevin (Pastor at EC): At the end of the gathering I got to give these ribbons to everyone in the church, who lined up one by one and received them. I said to them, and I say to you readers now:
“______ it is my honour to present to you this participation ribbon. May you continue to partner with God in the Ongoing Resurrection and Reconciliation of All Things!”
Some people are still wearing them! May you remember you are a participant, and may you find joy in that partnership.
ADDITIONALLY I mention some slides in the sermon, calling them “Circle Theology”, but you can’t necessarily visualize them easily, so the slides are all posted below for your viewing pleasure and aid!
Every Revolution Needs a Clipboard
2015.06.14 - Kevin Makins - The Church Calendar
Every Revolution Needs a Clipboard
Acts 6
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So many of us love when things are “non-institutional” and “organic… man…” So naturally we LOVE the stories about the early church: everyone sharing their resources, the poor being provided for, a genuine Spirit-led movement.
However if we read just a few more pages we stumble along the Spirit of God doing something different… essentially handing out clipboards, putting on a tie, and saying “but for real now, we’ve got to start getting organized!”
How does the Spirit work in chaos, and in order?
MacNab Presbyterian is Not Our Home
2015.06.07 - Kevin Makins - The Church Calendar
MacNab Presbyterian is Not Our Home
1 Peter 2
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Eucharist Church has moved locations five times in five years… which is sort of crazy! What have we learned in that wandering, and what can we learn about wandering from the story of scripture?
These are the questions we ask as we settle into our (hopefully longer term!) new building: MacNab Presbyterian!
A quick tour of our time together on Sunday! We started in the garden outside before the gathering eating popsicles. JP came out and started leading us in music, singing “come into this place, meet us with your grace…”
We then entered into the hall where we will be gathering, and continued to worship and learn and communion together.
Finally we moved into the Sanctuary and got a tour by one of MacNab’s elders. He shared the history of the building, the stained glass windows, and the congregation… and it was super inspiring and gorgeous. We closed with a hymn and a benediction from the mega-pulpit.
Two Kinds of Safe
2015.05.31 - Kevin Makins - The Church Calendar
Two Kinds of Safe
Acts 7-8, 1
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Anyone have a story about a time where someone was hurt by a person who claimed to be a Christian? Where a congregation was prejudice, controlling or judgemental?
… Thought so.
In a time where SO many people have been hurt by people claiming to be Christians, it’s refreshing and encouraging to see so many communities valuing the idea of “safe church”
But there is another question worth asking: should the church be safe?
This week we also dedicated Aaron and Cath’s baby Georgia, so if you hear references to families that are joining us, or some general baby-talk, that’s why!
The text:
Acts 9:1-5
That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.
Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.
Which Floor Are We On?
2015.05.24 - Kevin Makins - The Church Calendar
Which Floor Are We On?
Acts 2
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Who is the Holy Spirit and what is s/he doing in the world?
Also, the first 15 minutes of this podcast feature an EXCITING announcements about the future of Eucharist’s public gathering. If you are someone who attends the gatherings, listen up! If you are just a “pod-rishioner” then feel free to jump to minute 15.
The text:
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: "In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
“Megazord, Broken for You”
2015.05.17 - Leshia Knopf - The Church Calendar
“Megazord, Broken for You”
John 17:6-19
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Leshia’s last sermon of her pastoral internship is a reflection on being like Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the body of Christ… and the strangest metaphor we’ve had in a long while…
Also, the podcast begins with an introduction to Chrisy Hurn and Meredith Park, Eucharist Church’s Artist-in-Residence for the summer of 2015. They’ll be making amazing art all summer.
The text:
“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
Turning Over Temples
2015.03.08 - Kevin Makins - The Church Calendar
Turning Over Temples
John 2:13-22
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What was the Temple all about and why did Jesus cause such a scene?
The text:
John 2:13-22
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Technology: The Stencilling on the Casing of an Atomic Bomb
2014.06.08 - Kevin Makins - So What?
Technology: The Stencilling on the Casing of an Atomic Bomb
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Some of the topics in this series are often talked about in church… but Christians rarely talk about technology.
Technology surrounds us: it’s cars and bikes and running shoes and smart phones and printed books and slides on a screen!
And it shapes us. Whether we want it to or not, technology changes us.
Suffering, the Holy Spirit, and Waiting on Words
Suffering, the Holy Spirit, and Waiting on Words
Acts 2, Romans 8
“Today I have a hard time believing all things work out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Today I have doubt.”
What should we do when we suffering or when we grieve? How do we speak when we lack the words?
Music led by Joel Cumby and Dave Hamilton - starts 25 minutes in.
This Isn't Easy - The Cost of Incarnational Peace-Making
2012.11.11 - Wendy Gritter - This Isn’t Easy
The Cost of Incarnational Peace-Making
John 1, Philippians 4, Matthew 5, Ephesians 2, John 17
Wendy Gritter returns to the Eucharist pulpit with a compelling and powerful teaching on being like Christ: incarnational and peace making.
Wendy shares from her own experience working with the lgbtq community and calls for Jesus disciples to do the difficult work of trusting the Holy Spirit.
(Forgive the recording again, still working out some new problems!)
Music starts 65 minutes in.
Soma: 1 Corinthians - Desire Spiritual Gifts, or, Tongues, Prophecy, and Other Gifts That Can Freak Us Out
2012.05.27 - Dave Witt - Soma: 1 Corinthians
Desire Spiritual Gifts, or, Tongues, Prophecy, and Other Gifts That Can Freak Us Out
1 Corinthians 14:1-25, Romans 12
Speaking in tongues to God? Prophetically speaking to each other? Eagerly desire these gifts?!
Help! Dave Witt! Make sense of the text!
Dave looks at the charismatic gifts of the spirit, specifically speaking in tongues and prophecy, and how to God uses them to build up His church, and break the boxes we tend to put Him in.
Music led by Alex Drumm - starts 55 minutes in.
Soma: 1 Corinthians - Gifts
2012.05.07 - Kevin Makins - Soma: 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Kevin’s back from Uganda, and he brought with him a whole bunch of stories about how the Spirit works, and the gifts that have been so freely given to us!
Music led by Joel Cumby - starts 50 minutes in.
Soma: 1 Corinthians - And in the last days it shall be
2011.10.30 - Kevin Makins - Soma: 1 Corinthians
And in the last days it shall be
1 Corinthians 2:6-16, Joel 2, Mark 1, Acts 2
Paul has done a lot of “wisdom bashing” in the beginning of his letter, but he doesn’t want to suggest that the message of Jesus has no wisdom of its own - it has wisdom and power, but of a very different kind.
This wisdom is a secret to the powers and rulers of our time, it cannot be understood in terms of wealth or success - it is a secret wisdom, revealed to mankind by the Spirit of God.
And that Spirit has been graciously and generously poured out.
Music led by Joel Cumby and Dan Leythem - starts 32 minutes in.