With Christmas around the corner, Pastor Jill looks at what it means for God to take on a particular type of body, and what it can tell us about our bodies.
To download the sermon, right click on the word download above, and click on "save link as..." - you can also download using a podcast app.
Luke 23
October 23 2016
Was the cross cosmic child abuse? Or appeasing the wrath and violence of a distant God? Could God not forgive sinners without someone dying? Why the need for so much blood?
I know from talking with people over the years that the crucifixion is a major stumbling block for some people when it comes to following Jesus.
If you are a person who's always found the death of Jesus confusing at best or troubling and disturbing at worst, this sermon is for you. Because it's actually really beautiful and good news that Jesus was murdered... and I am aware how weird and morbid that sounds.
ART: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/jones-sanctus-christus-de-capel-y-ffin-t03677
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.
John 1, Philippians 2
October 9 2016
Here's where things start getting really unique: was Jesus just a good moral teacher and prophet, or was he something more?
The early Christians made the largest claim possible about Jesus: that he showed us GOD.
Also, his name wasn't really Jesus...
A link to Brad Jersak's incredible children's book "Jesus Showed Us" - buy a million copies for every kid you know: http://www.bradjersak.com/component/ecwid/#!/Jesus-Showed-Us/p/72249160
Click here to listen (right click and “save link as…” to download)
Luke 8, Leviticus 15, Numbers 19
When you think of Advent and Christmas, what comes to mind?
Mangers? Sheep and oxen? Snow and hot chocolate? God with us?
All good answers. But we’ve talked about that stuff before! Let’s face it, after years and years (and years) of Advent, we could be tricked into thinking we’ve mined the depths of the season, and there is nothing left to discover.
But this, of course, would be a huge mistake… because there is always more to discover.
Advent is about the anticipation of GOD taking on FLESH. God coming entering into God’s creation, taking on our skin, purifying our world, and birthing something new in the midst of it.
And there’s something… deeply sexual about the whole thing!
So what if we explore that for Advent 2015? What might we learn about our relationship with God, with one another, with the creation and with our own bodies?
And how might it fill us again with wonder: Wonder at the Divine Mystery of the Incarnation!
This week we start with what it means to be pure and holy, and how it relates to sex, to God, and to Christmas!
2015.01.04 - Kevin Makins - The Church Calendar
Click here to listen (right click and “save link as…” to download)
What do we mean when we say GOD?
Are we talking about a giant white man on a throne in the sky? Are we talking about a physical being at all? Are we talking about a crowd freaking out at a spots game?
And what does it mean to have a relationship with this Divine-Creator-Sustainer-Energy-And-Life-Behind-All-The-Cosmos?
Well, it’s kind of like a plastic cow.
The text:
John 1:1-18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
…
9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
…
16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
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.
2011.12.11 - Kevin Makins - Advent 2011
Numbers 28, Leviticus 16, 1 Samuel 15, Amos 5, Hosea 6, Psalm 50, Genesis 22, Hebrews 10, Romans 12
The way you view the birth of Jesus depends a lot on where you’re standing.
For Advent this year we are going to look at the Christmas narrative from multiple perspectives, and ask the question: “how did each group view the incarnation?”
This week we look at the ox. What did the ox… think(?!)… about the incarnation?
The ox probably thought about the sacrificial system; all the stories he had heard about the altar growing up. He probably reflected on how so many of his friends ended up there, and wondered if this little child might change everything.
Apparently, the ox thought about all sorts of things.
Monologue written and performed by Alex Drumm
Music led by Andrew Huang - starts 1:03 in
