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    • Black History Sunday

      Honouring Elijah McCoy and Rev. Dr. Ali Tote February 21, 2025 by Sebastian Meadows-Helmer
      Filed Under:
      Pr. Sebastian

      The Canadian Black History Month “honours the legacy and contributions of Black people in Canada and their communities” and the 2025 theme is “black legacy and leadership: celebrating Canadian history and uplifting future generations”.

      On this Black History Sunday I’ll present two great examples of black legacy and leadership.

      You can see their...

    • Feb8Sat

      God's Love/ True Love/ False Love

      1 Corinthians 13 February 8, 2025 by Sebastian Meadows-Helmer
      Filed Under:
      Pr. Sebastian

      Back in High School, a song popular with myself  

      and my classmates was

      Haddaways: “What is Love, (baby don’t hurt me)  

      don’t hurt me no more.”

      This Eurodance classic was made even more popular a while later  

      by comedian Jim Carrey, just Google “Jim Carrey head dance”  

      and you’ll know what I mean.

      While the lyrics are...

    • Jan27Mon

      God is at Work on Both Sides of the Divide

      January 27, 2025 by Carey Meadows-Helmer

      Third Sunday after Epiphany

      January 26, 2025

      Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

      Psalm 19

      1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

      Luke 4:14-21

      A highlight for me this week was meeting up with two childhood friends.  

      Our meet ups are infrequent yet consistent.  

      Time and space dictate the possibilities because

      my childhood besties have move around the world - ...

    • Jan22Wed

      Hear O Israel!

      A sermon for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Preached at First United, Waterloo) January 22, 2025 by Sebastian Meadows-Helmer
      Filed Under:
      Pr. Sebastian

      I want to begin by saying what an honour and privilege it is  

      to be invited by your minister Hoeun to preach and lead worship  

      here at First United,  

      while he is busy at St. Matthews.

      Thank you.

      Thank you also to Kathleen for the invitation to perform some pieces  

      I’ve wanted to play for some time.

      Pulpit exchanges are...

    • Jan14Tue

      God Raises Us Up

      Baptism of our Lord January 14, 2025 by Sebastian Meadows-Helmer
      Filed Under:
      Pr. Sebastian

      The song I played earlier,

      You raise me up https: www.youtube.com watch?v=4skT6igCK7g

      is a song composed by Norwegian artist Rolf Lovland with lyricist Brendan Graham in 2002.

      “You Raise me up” was performed first at Lovland’s mother’s funeral.  

      It’s a very popular song,  

      having been covered by over five...

    • Dec31Tue

      Mary, fierce and passionate

      Christmas Eve 2024 December 31, 2024 by Sebastian Meadows-Helmer

      Seeing Mary as a fierce, active follower of God 

      can summon us to focus

      This evening less on “silent night, holy night”

      And more on shattering vanilla hetero-normativity,

      Demolishing white cis privilege, for example.

      It might provoke us to move beyond

      weepy nostalgia for past structures

      Into disrupting systems of oppression, 

      (Which keep the power amongst the powerful).

      It means less listening and trusting in oligarchs and strongmen

      and more listening and trusting in God.

    • Dec23Mon

      Elizabeth, the first prophet of the Second Testament

      Luke 1 (Advent 4) December 23, 2024 by Sebastian Meadows-Helmer
      Filed Under:
      Pr. Sebastian

      Today we have the first of a two-part sermon on the hidden women in the Bible:

      Women who are hiding in plain sight, right behind the main character of the story.

      Today we focus on Elizabeth.

      I find it interesting that we hear about Elizabeth only one single time  

      in the three-year Lectionary, or reading cycle.  

      One Sunday out of 156.

      ...

    • Dec12Thu

      The Baptist: Smash the Patriarchy?

      Luke 3:1-6 December 12, 2024 by Sebastian Meadows-Helmer
      Filed Under:
      Pr. Sebastian

      If you were looking for a modern-day John the Baptist, who would be an acceptable candidate?

      I’d like to propose

      Pussy Riot

      Pussy Riot is a feminist punk rock  

      and performance art collective from Russia,  

      known for their outspoken activism and provocative performances  

      that combine music, visual art, and political...

    • Nov25Mon

      A Fork in the Road: Break the Box Open

      November 25, 2024 by Carey Meadows-Helmer
      Filed Under:
      Pr. Carey

      When have you hit a fork in the road?   A junction or crossroad, where you had to choose the path you would take?  

      Decisions about relationships, finances, health, work, how we spend our time, who we spend our time with, ethical choices or faith.   Some forks in the road are small while others are large. Yes, these forks in the...

    • Nov12Tue

      #47 and the widow

      Mark 12 and Psalm 146 November 12, 2024 by Sebastian Meadows-Helmer
      Filed Under:
      Pr. Sebastian

      Instead, we need to remember Jesus’ way was that of servanthood, 

      The suffering servant is lifted up on a cross, the tree of shame,

      Where God comes nearest identifying with the distressed and the outcast.