This morning is the third part of a series on Matthew 25,  

a comforting but also frightening chapter.

The last two Sundays,  

we had parables based on relatively normal circumstances,  

a wedding and an extended trip,  

where people were divided into two groups:

The good and the bad:

The good were those who were prepared and...

Did you ever get a wedding invitation in the mail  

that just filled your heart with a special sort of joy?

A wedding invitation is more than just a piece of paper  

or a ping on your phone, right?.

It's a request to be happy for someone else's big day.  

It is a call to celebrate, to stand witness to the loving union of two...

As I mentioned before, this is an edited version of Carey’s sermon for today.

—

Often when we hear a parable,  

we try to find where we fit into the story.  

We may identify with different angles of the story, we may focus on different parts of the story

which helps us to understand it

Perhaps the situation of the early ...

You know, I have a problem with one of my neighbours.

It’s a problem which has been going on for some years now.  

Well my neighbour,

They have their sump pump runoff  

connected to a hose which squirts out water  

onto the street.

Now as I understand it,  

sump pumps are supposed to empty onto your yard,  

(above...

Ten years ago, I was fortunate to lead a tour group  

to the Holy Land.  

It was amazing to see some of the places where the events of  

Jesus likely occurred.  

The sites around the Sea of Galilee were most meaningful to me,  

as some of the landscape hasn’t changed much in 2000 years.

A place that particularly...

It’s hard to believe,  

but it’s been over 30 years since I was confirmed.  

My confirmation classes took place every Thursday evening for a year when I was in Grade 8,  

at St. John’s Lutheran church in downtown Montreal,  

the church where I was baptized and my family were members.  

My confirmation...

Many toxic plant have look-alikes that are harmless or even tasty (Wild Carrot vs. Poison Hemlock).…

—

Sometimes it is very challenging to distinguish the wheat from the weeds.

One helpful way, a Lutheran way, to look at this  

is to remember Luther’s claim,  

that we are at the same time saint and sinner. ( ...

Our sermon text today is from our Gospel of Matthew reading,  

and it’s sometime entitled “The Great Invitation”.

I’ll read it to you again in the Eugene Peterson translation.

Jesus says: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life....

In our reading from Leviticus this morning, the key to holy living is that we

must care for those living at the margins. This is not just an option, but a command from God,  

which applies to all people.

The command to seek food justice for the poor is as important as prohibitions on incest and human sacrifice,  

Seeking food security...

Our Gospel text from the very end of the Gospel of Luke,

tells of the last appearance of the risen Christ to his disciples.

It's the last time he'll really be seen by them

in a more or less material-physical sense

before he disappears and says goodbye to them.

He then “ascended into heaven,”

as we testify in the Creeds.

There are two...