Sermons

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...

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...

01 Aug

Posted at 16:50h in Blog

Feeding of the 5000 (Matthew 14:13-21) Our Grand-daughter Cara, when she was much younger, was caught up with the life of a princess.  She would want to say Grace at the supper table and upon completion she would lift her hands and pronounce: “Let the Royal Feast begin.” Jesus turns to his disciples and says let the “Feast Begin”.  However, the disciples didn’t know how to react.  Close to ten thousand men, women and children and you say let the Feast Begin?  How would you suggest this occur?  Jesus - you are obviously seeing something here that we do not see! The setting...