Sunday November 29

When Karen, in her sermon today, talked about the ability to delay gratification and wait as a mark of maturity, this really resonated with me. As I have grown a bit older, I have come to like the season of advent more and more.

The hymn we sang today,  "oh come oh come Immanuel" is one of my favourites. I like the fact that "advent" and "adventure" have the same root: as I have grown older and passed more milestones, I have begun to understand how much value there is in embracing the journey. I also liked the use of pregnancy as a metaphor for waiting because that is the kind of waiting I like to think of: it is an active kind of waiting- it is preparing: it is transformative. We can be the change, perhaps, because we are waiting for the change, like John the Baptist.
One closing thought: the handbells and flute were lovely today.

Rebecca B.

Christ the King Sunday, Nov 22

Christ the King: Ruler of the church and His people.

As a believer of Christ we should know and understand that we are not in control of our life Christ the redeemer is. When we understand this principle we will have PEACE in all our undertakings.

Two point from the book of Daniel:

1)      Daniel 3 – 14 : 30

King Nebuchnezzar thought he is in control and has power over all people living in his kingdom; he set up a huge golden image in Babylon and required everyone to bow down before it and worship it. Anybody who refused to do so would be thrown into a fiery furnace, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abdnego understand that they are not in control of their life that God is, so they refuse to bow down or frightened by their situation. They told the king Nebuchnezzar “we believe God is going to deliver us, but even if He does not we are not conforming to your image of what you think we ought to be. We are going to do what God is telling us to do. You can do what you want to with your furnace. But whatever happens to us, we will have PEACE”.

2)      Daniel 6 – 13 : 28

This chapter tell us that Daniel believed in the importance of prayer and that prayer is the way to communicate with God that he in control of his life. The King Darius had issued a royal decree saying that for thirty days, anyone asking a petition of any god or man other than the King Darius would be cast into a den of lions. Daniel continued to pray three time a day, he knew that God’s protection could render men’s threats totally null and void and at the end PEACE will reign. King Darius wrote “I make a decree that in all my royal dominion men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, enduring and steadfast forever, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed and His dominion shall be even to the end. He is a savior and deliverer and He works signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth – He who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."

So, with all the ups and downs in the world we should put our trust in God, surrender our life to God who is the King of our life and behave like Daniel and the three Hebrew that we are not in control Christ the King is and He will bring PEACE back to the world.

Peace in your world.
Ade A.

Covenant Sunday

Artwork created by Heather Mallet for St. Andrew’s Church Ottawa’s 175th Anniversary.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only
love can do that." Martin Luther King Jr.

On this Covenant Sunday we reflected on the generous response of the people of Paris to
assist those who were stranded and in shock over the horrific events of last Friday night. In
the face of attack it is easy to focus on the offence but when we see acts of charity and
kindness it reminds us that humans are created in the image of God.

Glory and praise are ascribed to God when the law of the spirit of life triumphs over the law of
sin and death. The generosity that was expressed in Paris is the fruit of compassion and
triumph of the human spirit.

Jesus demonstrated this when he defeated sin and death on the cross. He also reflected it in
his earthly life when he did not seek equality with God as something to be grasped but humbled himself even to the point of death.

The response of the people to show love and compassion on Friday night is encouraging but
how will France ultimately deal with this grief?

It is also shocking how this horrific event happened so soon after Remembrance Day.
The prayers of the people reminded us that God wants us to live peaceful lives. The church
need not give in to terror or fear for God is near and in control. Jesus said we are the light of
the world and no matter how dark things get this light will not go out.

The bible story today reminds us of how great things can happen out of a seeming hopeless
situation. Hannah was very depressed and turned to God for help. The birth of Samuel was the
answer to her sincere prayer and he was a great prophet. Hannah gave back her son as a gift
to the temple to glorify God.

So what is next? The practice of generosity is often portrayed in bible stories and we are to look for opportunities each day to give freely. It need not be money. It may be our time or energy.

The most generous thing we can do is give our hearts to God and walk humbly with Him. We
get our light from Christ and can accomplish nothing without him. As we bring the light of Christ into the dark places of this world things can truly be on earth as they are in heaven.

Amen

Sharon A.

Remembrance Sunday

Photo: Elizabeth P.

O God Our Help in Ages past, our Hope for Ages to come, the opening words of our first hymn on Remembrance Sunday, as the parade of veterans processed behind the Holy Word of God. These men, and women, led by Mr. Lamont, and Mr. Stewart, showed me the faces of answered prayers. As we lifted up these words, in praise and petition to God, I thought about those who sang them before us, petitioning God to bring peace, salvation, and the end of conflict. As I watched these men and women process into the sanctuary I saw how they, and those that came before them are the answer to prayer for peace, that through their service, they were the angles of God in our world, in the pursuit of peace

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. These are the words of the Act of Remembrance, words we hear each year as we gather to remember our veterans from conflicts gone by, and conflicts alive in the world today. As I reflect, I think about the covenant we renew each time we recite these words, we are committing to remembering those who fought, and died so that we might have freedom and security in our own land, but it’s more than that, in the Act of Remembrance we are also committing to the continued fight for the renewal of peace in our world, lest the death of those who came before us be in vain.

Remembrance Sunday reminds us to take time out of our lives to not only remember those who fought and died in the many conflicts our world has seen, but also to give thanks to God, who preserves this country in peace and security, it reminds us also to be committed to the pursuit of peace in our time, and forever. I remember a number of years ago writing an article in opposition to the White Poppy movement, and I advocated that the poppy we wear on our chests, do not glorify wars, or the conflict, they do not glorify the victor, nor do they condemn those who lost, but rather they glorify the dead, who gave themselves for our sake, and for the sake of our countries, the poppy also provides a reminder to those who came home, who suffer a pain which is arguably worse than death, and those who survived their lost loved ones, those who have died are free, and walk with God, but those who survive must learn to live again.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, my message today is simple, remember and give thanks to the Lord our God, for the veterans who died, but do the same for those who survived and for their families. Friends, we cannot be content with the pain and conflict in our world, we must be ready to respond, ready to support, and ready to defend onward Christian Soldiers marching as to war, Brothers and Sisters we are treading where the saints have trod, as the old hymn goes. Let us go forward, and fight for the causes of peace, in the name of Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Alex F.

November 1, 2015

All Saints Day I.  Wassily Kandinsky, 1911. Lenbachhaus Gallery, Munich
 

OK, so I heard the story of Lazarus a lot when I was a child in Sunday School and again as an adult in church as part of Jesus’ teachings.  And today when Peter read us the story again (John 11:32-44) it was all very familiar until he read out the last line of the passage which says “unbind him and let him go”.  Suddenly a tiny light shone in my brain.  One of those ah-ha moments for sure.

Then when Karen started speaking about All Saint’s Day as being a day to remember and give thanks for the lives of the saints, our parents, our teachers, our children, our siblings…anyone who has loved you and influenced you, it all started to make sense.  She asked what is the truth that bothers you the most? What is it about this climax to Jesus’ ministry that speaks to this great separation from loved ones that death represents?  What depths of agony and sorrow are contained within both Mary’s and Martha’s charge to Christ that “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” In spite of subsequent events in the story and the depth of faith they showed, this cry still resonates within us.  But then she related a story about one of her mentors who suddenly mused in mid-lecture that those whom we call dead are the only ones who are truly alive in Christ.  What a celebratory thought that is.

But what is it that holds us back from the best this life has to offer?  Fear and insecurity are the ties that bind us to being less than our best selves and living to our fullest potential.  So Karen encouraged us all to accept Christ’s invitation to come and see, to loosen the bonds of anguish or anger or sorrow or fear so that we are free to live a life of unbounded joy.  Jesus invites us to love our God with all our hearts, all our minds, all our soul and all of our strength.  In this way, we can shake off the shrouds binding us to a mortal life only and let us go forward in the hope of the resurrection.

Laura M.

Sunday October 18

The word this morning was shared by Rev. Ian MacDonald and what wonderful words of reflection on the last Sunday before Canadians go to the polls. He gave the context of this verse, set in a time when the early church was small and persecuted by the Roman Empire.

The church had no distinction on nationality, race, and gender. In fact everything else is washed away when we become one in Christ Jesus by the seemingly simple act of Baptism. I sat in the pews and pondered what it means for all our labels to be washed away. In those days, candidates for baptism were immersed into the water facing west, spun around and raised facing the rising sun in the east. This act of rising from the water signifies a new beginning. The burial of the old life and the resurrection to walk in the newness of life in Christ Jesus. We therefore are no longer Jew or Greek, Canadian or American, Aboriginals or Settlers, Conservative or Liberals or New Democrats. We are all one, God's chosen people. Baptismal blessing takes away the class system and economic exploitation of our society. Neither slave nor free. The first will be the last and the last will be the first. Neither boss nor employee. Baptismal blessing takes away the division of gender.

We are loved not because of the shape of our bodies but because of the souls that live within those bodies. We are loved not because we are daughters or sons, but because we are children of God. This is the mystery of the sacrament and celebration of baptism. 

 We live in a time where we are free to worship, and we must not treat baptism like a tame event. Instead we should treat it like a life-long process of transformation that it is. Baptism is front and center in our lives as Christians. It reminds us of how we came to be children of God and how we should live our lives. Baptism is not about self, it is not about individuals, it is about the continuous renewal of the people of God.

So on this eve of election, as we prepare to elect our leaders tomorrow. Let’s take a moment to pray for our leaders. Let’s pray for leaders who will create a better world and a just society. Let’s pledge to live renewed – rising in the morning and living afresh like God’s children.

Koko A.

A Word About Worship

From our quarterly newsletter, St. Andrew's in Action. This is the first of four short articles, each one focussing on one of the four different stages we move through as we worship.

The assurance of forgiveness: are you wondering what this is? There have been a few changes to the order of worship this fall, and in addition to moving the place of the prayers of intercession there is this new piece in the service.

The assurance of forgiveness or pardon as some churches call it, is an element that is found in the worship services of many Presbyterian and Reformed Churches, following the opening prayers.

In the Presbyterian and Reformed Church traditions, worship is often shaped through four movements. The first of which is our approach to God. As we are gathered in together, we sing an opening hymn of praise and then incline ourselves in a prayer that is often two fold in its nature, blending together praise for who God is with confession. The nature of this confession is often both personal and communal as we acknowledge before God the way we as individuals and communities have turned from the ways of Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit among us. When I craft these prayers for our worship together, the words I use often include, we are here, we are listening, we are sorry and please forgive us. The Lord’s Prayer often follows these prayers of approach and then we have the assurance of forgiveness.

This assurance is itself one of the proclamatory moments of the worship service. Taken (sometimes directly and verbatim) from the Scriptures, it is a simple statement assuring us of the Good News that in Jesus Christ we have been, as the old hymn says, ransomed, healed, restored and forgiven.

This completes the first movement of our worship, now we are ready to hear God’s word for us today and I will write more about that next time.

-    Rev. Dr. Karen Dimock