As shared at Lennoxville United Church – June 18, 2023 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to thee, Lord. Amen. Today’s reading from the 18th chapter of Genesis is both strange and powerful. Strange – because it is one of those places in the Hebrew Scriptures that bears witness to the presence of other pre-monotheistic religious traditions in the stories that constitute the foundation of our Judeo-Christian narrative. I had a colleague in the Religion...
Month: June 2023
Matthew 9:35-10:8 The harvest is plenty, but the labourers few. Since I began to fulfill my responsibilities as the Regional Executive Minister in January, I’ve become particularly worked up about the future of the church. We all know the stories: a church closes every week across Canada. Ministries are having to move to hiring part-time ministers because they can’t afford full-time ones. Some have decided to try to make it work without a minister, without a building or by sharing ministry...
As a Christian church with biblical roots and a liberative theology, we speak out against the growth of intolerance and hatred that is being expressed in Québec, in Canada and internationally. We will not be silent. We are deeply troubled by extremist laws that were adopted this week in Uganda that punish the LGBTQ population and their allies with long jail terms and the death penalty. Uganda is now the twelfth country in the world to create death penalties for the LGBTQ population. We’ve also...
Genesis 1 Matthew 28:16-20 The passages we read this morning are, in many ways, a model for planning our lives together as a church. In the United Church’s New Creed, we talk about God who has created and is creating. God has created in the past and continues to create today. It’s an important reminder that God was there at the start of all things when the world was being created, to set everything into motion… and at the same time God is working in our world today and is accompanying us in...
June 3, 2023 (Sherbrooke, QC) - Popular opinion says that churches of all denominations are declining; the governing body representing United Church communities of faith across Quebec respectfully disagrees and will meet in Sherbrooke on June 3, 2023 to discuss strategic growth instead. With a theme based on the biblical story of Jesus feeding the multitude with five loaves and two fishes, ministers and lay people of Conseil régional Nakonha:ka Regional Council will assemble at...
United Church of Canada
- Regional Council Raises Voices in Song to Make Bold Statement of Inclusion November 18, 2024The East Central Ontario Regional Council of The United Church of Canada put its words into action by extending an invitation to the Brighton community to join them in singing songs of inclusion on…
- Canada Must Not Undermine the UN’s Work in the Middle East November 15, 2024A statement to support the work and recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967, and to uphold the work of the…
- In Trust Center Resource Grant Approved November 1, 2024A USD$15,000 seed grant for innovation from In Trust Center will be matched by The United Church of Canada, along with contributions by United Church-affiliated theological schools.
- Moderator Writes Pastoral Letter to Support General Council’s Decision October 21, 2024Local congregations empowered to adopt advocacy strategies regarding Palestine and Israel, as General Council affirms applying justice principles to the conflict.
- Strength in Partnership: Supporting Community Resilience in Zimbabwe October 9, 2024The Scaling Up Resilience Project in Zimbabwe, a partnership with the Zimbabwe Council of Churches and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, addresses food insecurity through community-driven solutions,…