2 Samuel 5: 1-5, 9-10Mark 6: 1-13 How we can love the shiny, the new, the expensive, the’over the top’! In slang this is called “bling” and some people have it in the form of jewelry or hats, others in their home or church decor, others in their car or
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Picture taken by Rev. Karen Bridges at The Banksy Exhibit in Toronto June 2018. 2 Samuel 5: 1-6; 7:11-17 Though David may not at first have seemed destined for Kingship, he was the man! He has been described as faithful, courageous, smart, sincere and competent. He was a good warrior
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Instrumental Music: What’s the Point? Recently, I’ve been pondering the role of instrumental music in the worship service. During my various professional experiences leading music in different denominations and congregations, I’ve noticed that the variety of expectations people bring to worship extends to how they approach the instrumental music,
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Talk about a set up! Imagine being offered a job you have not trained for, no one has held before in a time and land never having experienced this type of leadership! Oh, did I say offered? Saul was not given a choice but rather an anointing and a throne.
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Francis Cleyn’s Samuel’s Reproach to Saul, c. 1630-1635. Copyright and used with permission from http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/cleyn-samuels-reproach-to-saul-t05745. CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0 Unported 1 Samuel 12:1-25 When one is set aside to lead others it is both a frightening and empowering thing. When people seek our guidance, our hearts can swell and we can be
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How do we choose which Scripture readings to do each week? Robertson-Wesley United Church uses a schedule of Scripture readings called a lectionary. There are a few types and in the last four years we have been using one called the Narrative Lectionary. We have been using a newly developed
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Ephesians 4: 1-16 The Gifts of the Spirit Psalm 100 We are called by God to share our gifts of the Spirit to build up the body of Christ. Paul explains to the Ephesians that we do this by leading a life worthy of the calling, with humility, gentleness, patience
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Romans 14: 1-23 Do not judge another Psalm 15 Paul spent a lot of his ministry reminding people of the new commandment that we are to love one another as I would love you. Jesus served God and not himself. In this passage from Romans, Paul reminds the people who
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Acts 8: 26-40 and Psalm 145 Evangelism: what does that even mean? (and celebrating 93 years of the United Church of Canada) How can we share our experience of God’s love without negating others’ experiences? The debate about how to “do” evangelism is almost as fiery as what the word
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Galatians 3:23-29 and Psalm 148 In Christ, there is no East or West…or is there? Paul’s teaching was focused on the amazing Grace of God to unite all – no matter what religious traditions they followed…or did not follow! After he died though his message was watered down or contradicted
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