Sermons

05 Feb

Posted at 14:37h in Blog

Dear Friends. It is hard to believe that I will be with you as Priest in Charge since March 1, 2020.  We have not held very many services in St. Andrews and none in St. Matthews.  I sure hope this year will see changes to that. We continue to pray for the day when we will meet once again. As you may have noticed, we did not have an AGM last year due to Covid-19 and this year we will be trying something new.  We are going virtual;  a Zoom meeting.  Please see below for the invitation to join me on February 21 at NOON.  You can join either...

29 Jan

Posted at 15:43h in Blog

January 28, 2021 Mark 1:21-28 21They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught.  22They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  23Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit,  24and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”  25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”  26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying...

24 Dec

Posted at 10:38h in Blog

Do you see what I see?  Do you hear what I hear? This Christmas Carol has been playing in my head all week.  Do you ever have a tune that you just can’t stop humming? It started with the sights and sound of Christmas that I noticed this past week.  Or maybe it is the sights and sounds that I haven’t heard.  I haven’t been to a mall, there has been no Salvation Army donation Kettle with the bells ringing through the street.  No Christmas parties;  No Yule Tide greetings at all really.  Then I heard a vehicle coming down our...

20 Dec

Posted at 11:13h in Blog

Advent 4B - 2020.12.18 Ready or not Christmas is upon us.  This Sunday is Advent 4 and we have but a few days remaining until Christmas.  The Advent season has been a time of preparation, planning, getting ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus. In the workforce today there are all kinds of planning seminars for those who are getting ready to retire.  Experts say it is often the men who have the hardest time with retirement because they don’t know what they should do to keep busy and so it is said they need to put things in place for their retirement.  (Or maybe...

13 Dec

Posted at 17:33h in Blog

  Advent 3   Preparing for the joy set before us … preparing for the coming Messiah.  We are approaching the 3rd Sunday in Advent.  We should be gathering at St. Andrews and lighting the rose coloured candle on the Advent Wreath.  Of coarse that is not possible this year with the COVID 19 restrictions.  It was to be the candle representing Joy!  Singing hymns like Joy to the World the Lord has Come and Joyful, Joyful we adore thee.  I wonder, can we still have a heart full of joy this year? But what is joy?  Maybe a hard question to answer. ...

01 Dec

Posted at 22:33h in Blog

         Ann Weems reminds us in her book Kneeling in Bethlehem:                             In each heart lies a Bethlehem                            an inn where we must ultimately answer                            whether there is room or not.                            When we are Bethlehem-bound                             we experience our own advent in his.                            When we are Bethlehem-bound                            we can no longer look the other way                            conveniently not seeing stars                            not hearing angel voices.                            We can no longer excuse ourselves by busily                            tending our sheep or our kingdoms. As we enter this Advent Season, we once again prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus.  As Ann Weems reminds us:  we are Bethlehem bound. This journey brings us right into the middle of the Incarnation.  It is a journey that...

22 Nov

Posted at 10:26h in Blog

Nov. 22 is Reign of Christ or Christ the King Sunday. The Reign of Christ Sunday is like New Years Eve.  We reminisce about the past year and look forward to the New Year;  beginning with the First Sunday of Advent.  Advent is a season filled with expectation and preparation and the year ends with the celebration of the Reign of Christ. However, this year as we reminisce on the past year, we missed most of the liturgical celebrations with the closing of St Andrews.  Instead of looking back at a year with fondness, we instead see the doors of St. Andrews...

12 Nov

Posted at 11:16h in Blog

Today I watched the Remembrance Day Service broadcast from the War Memorial in Ottawa.  I was once again struck by the sacrifice our men and women have given over the years.  It was hard not to get chocked up as the 2020 Silver Cross Mother laid a wreath for all family members who have lost a loved one.  My wife Susan worked at the Vets Hospital in Ottawa and Deer Lodge in Winnipeg and she would tell stories of her patients who suffered much:  both physically and mentally.  Whether it be the Second World War, Korea, Bosnia or Afghanistan.  The casualties of war have had a...

12 Nov

Posted at 11:16h in Blog

Today I watched the Remembrance Day Service broadcast from the War Memorial in Ottawa.  I was once again struck by the sacrifice our men and women have given over the years.  It was hard not to get chocked up as the 2020 Silver Cross Mother laid a wreath for all family members who have lost a loved one.  My wife Susan worked at the Vets Hospital in Ottawa and Deer Lodge in Winnipeg and she would tell stories of her patients who suffered much:  both physically and mentally.  Whether it be the Second World War, Korea, Bosnia or Afghanistan.  The casualties of war have had a...

06 Aug

Posted at 09:26h in Blog

When I worked for Imperial Oil as a Power Engineer back in the 1970’s a popular phrase we used was:  all things are subject to change or cancellation without further notice.  This was the sentiment felt by many employees as management were making changes at the time. However this may be an accurate description of today’s environment with Covid-19.  Each day there seems to be news that changes or cancels different ways we do things.  So too with St Andrews.  The Corporation and Vestry has worked hard at designing and implementing protocols so that we might open safely.  The protocols were presented...