The Universal Christ
In recent weeks, much discussion continues about the continued unveiling of our Canadian History and Indigenous communities. More unmarked graves, how to celebrate Canada Day, and countless stories from residential school survivors continue to surface. Last week, we enjoyed a thought-provoking discussion based on the article Sabine posted on our website written by our previous United Church of Canada's Moderator, inviting us to continue to contemplate what more we can do to assist us in the healing of our nation. This Sunday we are grateful to have Rev. Evan Swance-Smith from the Toronto Urban Native Ministries.
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Our Fun Summer Sunday Series Begins
Once again, Canada is grappling with more tragic news that brings deeper realizations to the unbelievable pain inflicted on our Indigenous communities over several generations. In one of this week's articles shared the SPPC website, former United Church Moderator, Rev. Stan McKay, shares why the church's apologies to the Indigenous communities fell short…
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Church on Zoom: Rev. Randy Boyd
Church on Zoom for the week of June 27, 2021, featuring Rev. Randy Boyd.
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Fifth Week After Pentecost
This week’s lectionary readings include Mark’s famous story of Jesus, a bleeding woman, and a dying girl. It’s a story full of twists, turns, suspense, and surprises — and it gets down to the essence of both “faith” and “salvation.”
This Sunday's service we will be applying our faith as we ponder ways of moving forward using technology to support ourselves and our church community.
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Church on Zoom: Rev. Cameron Trimble
Church on Zoom for the week of June 20, 2021, featuring Rev. Cameron Trimble.
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Fourth Week After Pentecost
At the beginning of a musical or film, sometimes the orchestra plays an “overture,” a kind of preview of the main themes we’re about to hear in the production. That’s what this story is like in the Gospel of Mark. It boils everything down to one dramatic episode: the powerful opposition, the disciples’ fear and doubt, and Jesus’ serene triumph. Viewed this way, the story also foreshadows Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection…
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Church on Zoom: Deputy Mayor Steve Anderson
Church on Zoom for the week of June 13, 2021, featuring Deputy Mayor Steve Anderson.
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Third Week After Pentecost
This week's scripture readings involves Jesus’ parables describing what this “kingdom” is all about. Why parables? As Mark tells it, Jesus teaches this way precisely because parables are enigmatic and mysterious, incomprehensible to “those outside,” but whose “secret” Jesus shares with his disciples. Jesus’ parables are contemplative spaces, evocative puzzles, riddles that beckon us closer…
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Church on Zoom: Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat
Watch the recording of Church on Zoom. Featuring Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat. Recorded June 6, 2021.
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Trinity Anniversary Sunday
This week the season of Ordinary Time begins a period of nearly six months during which the Gospel of Mark (and occasionally John) will be our guide through the story of Jesus’ ministry. In the Genesis story, the first human beings, at the serpent’s suggestion, have just disobeyed God. But instead of stepping up into dignified responsibility, the first humans fall further into…
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Church on Zoom: Rev. Dr. Paul Scott Wilson
Watch the recording of Church on Zoom. Featuring Rev. Dr. Paul Scott Wilson. Recorded May 30, 2021.
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Trinity Sunday
This Sunday is often celebrated as “Trinity Sunday,” an opportunity to intentionally reflect on one of Christianity’s most important ideas. The idea of the Trinity casts a vision of God as deeply, irreducibly relational. If we take Genesis 1 seriously, with its declaration that human beings are created in the imago Dei, then in our own way, we must…
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Church on Zoom: Rev. Ann Harbridge
Watch the recording of Church on Zoom. Featuring Rev. Ann Harbridge. Recorded May 23, 2021.
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Pentecost Sunday
Pentecost (from a Greek word for “fiftieth”) is the fiftieth and last day of the Easter season. Next week is Trinity Sunday, and then nearly six months of “Ordinary Time” begins. The Christian Year almost appears divided almost in half: about six months of holy seasons (Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Eastertide), and about six months of Ordinary Time…
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Church on Zoom: Rev. Colin McCartney
Watch the recording of Church on Zoom. Featuring Rev. Colin McCartney. Recorded May 16, 2021.
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Ascension Sunday
This Sunday is often celebrated as “Ascension Sunday,” marking the risen Jesus’ departure after 40 days of dwelling with the community of disciples. Next week is Pentecost, the birth of the church! As Pentecost approaches, this week and next are a perfect time to reflect on what it means to be “church.” The church is a community that not only “follows” Jesus in the sense of listening to him and learning from him; but also in the sense of succeeding him, of taking up his mantle and carrying on his life and work, so that his joy and our joy might be complete, not just here and there, but “to the ends of the earth.”
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Church on Zoom: Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis
Watch the recording of Church on Zoom. Featuring Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis. Recorded May 9, 2021.
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Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 9 is Mother’s Day, first celebrated in 1908 at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia, honouring Ann Reeves Jarvis, a peace activist who had cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the Civil War. It is also the sixth of the seven weeks of Eastertide, and the third of four weeks exploring Jesus’ teachings about living in intimacy with God. In the scripture readings during this Eastertide, Jesus is saying…
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Church on Zoom: Rev. Stephen Milton
Watch the recording of Church on Zoom. Featuring Rev. Stephen Milton. Recorded May 2, 2021.
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Fifth Sunday of Easter
Last Sunday, our guest minister, Rev. Dr. Trevor Brisbin, offered us a connection between scripture and living amidst conflict. He suggested that we can perceive differences in opinions as a bad thing, or, we can use conflict as an opportunity to connect with one another. We can use conflict as an opportunity to apply Jesus' teachings in order to learn and grow.
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