Passion
Scipture: Exodus 32:1-14
Last week we looked at the final steps in what led to the Israelites finally being freed from slavery in Egypt. We saw how God spared them from the final devastating plague by passing over their homes as they followed the instructions God gave Moses. Instructions which we connected to Jesus in the last supper as Jesus gave of himself to save us from the slavery of sin, again when we follow his life, his instructions, and draw even closer to our Lord and Saviour.
This week we’ve jumped way ahead in the Exodus story. We’ve skipped over their escape from Egypt when God used Moses to part the sea so they could escape on dry land. We’ve skipped over Moses going up the mountain and receiving the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20.
Today we pick up the story when Moses has ascended to the top of a mountain alone to be with God. He’s been gone for 40 days when the people begin to get restless.
After all, their leader, both spiritually and as their guide through the desert never told them how long he’d be gone. He’s never been gone this long before, and so the people begin to think they can take the control into their own hands. read more…
World Communion, World Changing
Scripture Reading: Exodus 12:1-13
This morning, we’re changing gears a bit. We’ve spent the last 3 weeks looking at prayer, and now we’re dropping into the middle of the book of Exodus; the ongoing story of the people of God and their journey in Egypt and beyond.
Today is also world communion Sunday, a day we will share in communion together here at Carman, but also realize that we are sharing in this meal with Christians all over the world. So what is a solitary act, in that we are accepting the sacrifice of our Saviour by taking the bread and the juice, it is also a communal act as we, the church of Jesus Christ, do it together with millions of other people.
That’s what’s beautiful about communion. We take the bread and juice personally. In that we eat. We drink. Eating is a personal act. It is the taking of nourishment for our own bodies. We eat so we can live.
But communion is more than just the taking of nourishment for our bodies. It’s more than breaking down the bread and extracting the nutrients to strengthen us. Communion is nourishment for our souls as well. It is the acceptance that Jesus gave his life for ours. And that we are one with him in his death and alive with him in his resurrection. read more…
Feeding off the Vine
Scripture Reading: John 15:1-11
We continue this morning looking at the importance of prayer in our lives as followers of Jesus Christ and children of our amazing God.
Two weeks ago we looked at why it is we pray. Last week we looked at how we pray, and the importance of praying from the heart. Today we look at the power of prayer in our lives, not just as individuals, but as a community of faith who gather in this church seeking to be closer to God.
There have been a great number of studies performed on the effects of isolation on people’s lives.
A professor by the name of Andrew Steptoe studied 6,500 British people over the age of 52 for a period of 8 years. He found that those who were the most socially isolated during his study were 26% more likely to die than those who had the most socially active lives.(http://www.pnas.org/content/110/15/5797.abstract)
Another study has shown that isolation in mice caused increased tumour growth. (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929133115.htm)
Yet another study has shown that the brains of lonely people react differently than those who have strong social networks around them. (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090215151800.htm)
Scientists have spent decades studying the effects of loneliness and isolation on people. The results are all negative. read more…
How do we pray?
Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13
Last week we took a look at what prayer means, why we do it and what we might expect.
Now I know we are sitting in a traditional United Church. We are used to certain things. We are used to a certain type of worship. I remember the first time I went to a contemporary Christian church.
First, I have to admit I like all kinds of worship music. I love the old traditional, but I also love the contemporary music played in some churches.
So Bev and I went to this church we had heard about, it was a big church just outside Halifax. We knew they would be a contemporary church with a live band and the latest music.
The service began with a lineup of powerful music coming from the band. Some of it we knew, others were new to us.
As the service progressed, we felt like things were missing. There were no prayers together, like we do here. There was no confession, or dedicated scripture reading. And after the very fine sermon was given, all that happened after that was a “thank you and have a great week” kind of message. No benediction, no kind of “wrap up” before we left.
We enjoyed the service, but it wasn’t what we were used to, so it felt a little off for a first-timer. Would we go back again? Sure. But now we know what to expect. read more…
Life changing
Scripture: Philippians 4:4-9
15 years ago today was a beautiful Ottawa morning. I remember the sun shining and it being a lovely walk to work, which usually took me about 30 minutes.
Things were pretty normal as I approached the building and passed by security on my way to my desk. It was a typical day at the office.
I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop. I used to chat regularly with a co-worker in Texas. As I looked at my chat screen, the first words I saw were, “A plane crashed into the World Trade Centre!”
The next line, “Another one!”
Followed by the plane that flew into the Pentagon.
From the time I left the front door of my house to the time I sat down at my desk, just over half an hour, the world changed. read more…