Christ is risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
I am indebted to John Claypool’s sermon from back in 1997 for the story of Eugene O’Neill’s play “Lazarus Laughs” and to Henri Nouwen’s “Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Dying and Caring” for the “Parable of the Twins”.
Listen to the Sermon here
Download the worship bulletin here
A Good Friday Sermon preached at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in 2012
The memory of it still haunts me to this day. I was 18 years old. Some friends of mine from church convinced me to go to a big youth gathering. I don’t remember who sponsored the gathering, I do remember that most of the Lutheran youth groups in the greater Vancouver area were in attendance and various Lutheran pastors were involved in the leadership. At some point near the beginning of the event we were each given a small nail, divided into groups and asked to line up behind one of the three wooden crosses that were laying in the hall. We were then given our instructions. We were about to hear a dramatic reading of the Gospel According to John’s account of the crucifixion. When the reading was over we would be invited to proceed to the cross nearest us, knell down, take a hammer, and drive our nail into the cross. With each blow upon the nail we were asked to remember our own responsibility for the death of Jesus. We were asked to remember that it was we who had crucified Jesus, for we were the guilty sinners for whom Jesus died. It was a powerful, gut wrenching experience that still haunts me to this day.
I wasn’t the only young person who wept buckets that day. I immersed myself into the ritual act as I recounted inwardly the list of my own sins. Together with my friends, we left that hall believing that Jesus died because of us. We left judged, convicted, guilty, tormented, anguished, and full of hope, for we knew that Jesus had died to save us from our sinfulness. Like so many who have gone before us and like so many who will gather on this Good Friday, we left that hall believing that God sent Jesus to die for us; to pay the price for our sin. Continue reading
In our parish on Palm Sunday, our liturgy stays with the commemoration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Trusting that our members will join us on Good Friday, we have not adopted the practice of rushing to the Passion of Christ. This allows us time to linger over our Hosannas.
Our worship began outside with the reading of Luke 19:28-4, followed by a procession of palm waving, hosanna cheering congregation. This year I changed the first reading to the story of Jacob’s wounding during a wrestling match with God in Genesis 32:22-31, followed by an feminist interpretation of Psalm 118, and the Gospel text John 12:12-15.
I am indebted to Michael Morewood’s book “Is Jesus God” for the inspiration behind this sermon and to John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg’s “The Last Week” for the historical details.
You can listen to the sermon here.
Lent 5C March 17, 2013
Readings: Numbers 27: 1-11; Acts 13:44-51; John 12:1-8
St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t often fall on a Sunday, but as our congregation’s Annual Meeting would begin immediately following our worship service, I decided to be somewhat playful and irreverent with a sermon designed encourage folk to think beyond words on a page. The first reading brought the wonderful story of the Daughters of Zelophehad to church and as this reading does not appear in the Revised Common Lectionary it was fun to play with
these feisty woman. The reading from the book of Acts is actually the prescribed reading for the commemoration of St. Patrick and the Gospel text is prescribed for Lent 5C. The Guinness was just for fun! Enjoy.
Listen to the sermon here
This year our Lenten Evening Prayer services draw on Peter Rollins collection of Parables found in “The Orthodox Heretic and Other Impossible Tales”. Prayers are drawn from the writings of the Christian Mystics. Each week an audio recording of the service will be posted as well as a copy of our worship bulletin.
Evening Prayer a copy of the worship bulletin can be found here – it is designed to be printed double-sided and folded into a booklet.
Listen to the worship service here
Peter Rollins will wind up his visit to Holy Cross in Newmarket with a Pub Night on April 14th. For details check out the brochure here.
Speaking at ikonNYC Peter Rollins looks back to the classic movie A Brief Encounter to explore the relationship between belief and unbelief as well as the nature of scapegoating as a means of avoiding inner conflict.
Peter Rollins will wind up his visit to Holy Cross in Newmarket with a Pub Night on April 14th. For details check out the brochure here.
Speaking at ikonNYC Peter Rollins looks back to the classic movie A Brief Encounter to explore the relationship between belief and unbelief as well as the nature of scapegoating as a means of avoiding inner conflict.
Our adult education class discussed the importance of play as a dynamic of evolution. Our conversation about the purpose of education having been subverted to one of preparing students for the workforce reminded me of Alan Watts (1915-1973) comments on the subject. Here is the video I mentioned in the class: “What if money were no object?” I first heard this recording on an old reel to reel tape recorder. I remember being blown away by it. It gave me the courage to quite community college, pack a backpack and head for Europe. I spent the next three years following my wanderlust.
Lent_2 Feb 24 2013 
Readings: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Capaxi Universi- Capable of the Universe by Thomas Aquinas; Luke 9:28-36
Listen to the sermon here
Holy Cross’ Re-Thinking Christianity Speaker Series welcomes Peter Rollins April 12-14. Last’s month publication of Peter’s new book The Idolatry of God: Breaking Our Addictions to Certainty and Satisfaction has challenged us to a more Radical Christianity and we are looking forward to learning more from Peter who continues to turn theology upside down. For all the details about what promises to be a marvellous weekend you can download a brochure here.
This year our Lenten Evening Prayer services draw on Peter Rollins collection of Parables found in “The Orthodox Heretic and Other Impossible Tales”. Prayers are drawn from the writings of the Christian Mystics. Each week an audio recording of the service will be posted as well as a copy of our worship bulletin.
Evening Prayer-Feb. 20 2013 NO CONVICTION
A Copy of the worship bulletin can be found here – it is designed to be printed double-sided and folded into a booklet.
Listen to the worship service here (service begins at the 48 sec. mark)
Peter Rollins reads NO CONVICTION
Below are the three video clips we used in class this morning as we continued our conversation about myth and making meaning.
Brian Swimme is a mathematical cosmologist with an uncanny ability to articulate the new story of our origins in ways that those of us unfamiliar with the breakthroughs in science can begin to understand. As science continues to revolutionize our understanding of who we are and where we are, the stories we tell to make meaning of life will also begin to change.
Transfiguration Sunday – February 10, 2013
Listen to the sermon here
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s National Bishop Susan Johnson was our Guest Preacher
Sunday February 3, 2013
Listen to the sermon here
Session TWO: Creation Myths – Myth Making
Myths are created in the context of a culture – shaped by the characteristics of the culture in which they are born. Over time myths have the power to shape culture. However, as our cultural context changes we must continue the process of making meaning and creating new myths.
Here are the video clips we used to explore the process.
Having worked our way through the Living the Questions 2 and Saving Jesus dvd series, our Adult Education Class is using the book: Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity as a frame for our review of progressive Christian theology. Each week I will post the video clips that were used during the class. This week’s class consisted of an introduction as well as an exploration of what it means to move beyond definitions of the Divine toward the reality of unknowing.
Thinking Theologically
“We must get away from this theistic supernatural God that imperils our humanity and come back to a God who permeates life so deeply that our humanity becomes the very means through which we experience the Divine Presence.” John Shelby Spong
Click here to listen to the worship service: Ash Wed Service
Click here to download the worship bulletin Ash Wednesday Feb 22 2012
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