Category: Sermon

(Modified 2021-10-03: Added audio recording of this sermon)

St. Mary’s, Regina, Trinity 18, October 3, 2021 Mark 10. 1-15  Revd. Canon Claude Schroeder

I think today’s sermon would be aptly titled, “ Uncomfortable Words: Part 2” following on from “Uncomfortable Words Part 1”, which was last Sunday. This was the bit about causing one of Jesus’ little ones to lose faith in Him, and getting thrown into the sea with a millstone around your neck, and then better to amputate the hand and the foot, and gouge out the eye that causes you to stumble, than to be thrown into hell where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched…

And today’s Uncomfortable Word? 

Continue reading “Trinity 18, 2021 – Sermon”

(Modified 2021-09-26: Added audio recording – sorry about the static!)

We see today in our Gospel reading what we so often encounter in the Gospels. Jesus’ disciples have some small, local concern they want him to address, but Jesus has his mind on the big picture, the cosmic picture.

John the beloved disciple, whose Gospel and letters teach us a great deal about loving one another, has a very unloving complaint. “Jesus, some dude we don’t know is going around casting out demons in your name. We told him to stop, but he won’t. Do something!”

Continue reading “Trinity 17, 2021 – Sermon”

(Modified 2021-09-19: Added audio recording of this sermon)

Humble Service is the Seal of New Covenant and Shield Against Sin of Self-Gratification

Jesus answered, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).

We may ask questions like: First in what, or of what? And last in what, or of what? What is the reference point to that which Jesus is talking about when he passed on this piece of advice to us? 

Continue reading “Trinity 16, 2021 – Sermon”

(Modified 2021-09-12: Added recording of this sermon.)

St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, Trinity 15, Sept. 12, 2021 Canon Claude Schroeder

2021 is the year of Mark in our lectionary, where on Sunday mornings at St. Mary’s  we have been slowly working our way through  St. Mark ‘s Gospel. And so what have we heard and learned so far? Up to this point in the story, Mark has been describing for us the main features of Jesus’ public ministry, which consisted of essentially three things:  preaching, teaching, and miracles.

The preaching, the message, which Jesus proclaimed concerned the kingdom of God or the reign and rule of God here on this earth. Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the Good News.” (Mark 1.15)

Here at St. Mary’s we seek to pass on this message, this good news that through the life, death, resurrection, ascension of Jesus Christ and sending of the Holy Spirit God has established his reign and rule on this earth, having defeated the power of Satan, sin, and death. That’s the kingdom. And it’s here, and it’s now. 

Continue reading “Trinity 15, 2021 – Sermon”

(Modified 2021-09-05: Added recording of this sermon.)

St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Trinity 14, September 5, 2021 Canon Claude Schroeder

There is a think I certain timeliness to our Scripture readings on this 14^th Sunday in the season of Trinitytide in our church calendar, where in our cultural calendar on this Labour Day week-end we are also marking the 85th Sunday in the season of Corona-tide, and the 4^th Sunday in the season of  federal election-tide. 

In our Old Testament reading this morning, God instructed Isaiah to “say to those with a fearful heart,” Be strong, do not fear! “(Isaiah 35.4)

I need to ask you this morning, on a scale of 1 to 10, just how fearful are you with respect to the future? God knows we have reason enough to be afraid. On top of the usual stresses and struggles around health, marriage, family life and work, we now have advent of the 4^th wave, with delta variants, our government printing money as if there was no tomorrow, and climate change prophets announcing the end of the world. 

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(Modified 2021-08-29: Added audio recording of this sermon.)

Sometimes when we hear the Bible translated into our own language, it’s helpful to also translate into our time and place.

In listening to the conversation we heard about in the Gospel that was just read, with its references to ritual hand washing and dish washing and washing of groceries you brought home from the market, I found myself getting distracted by the obvious parallels to life under a pandemic, when those aren’t really the connections we need to be making.  But then I came across a retelling of the story from a Rev. Charles Hoffacker from Greenbelt Maryland.  He’s reimagined what a version of this conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees might sound like in 21st century North America. 

Continue reading “Trinity 13, 2021 – Sermon”

(Modified 2021-08-22: Added audio recording of this sermon.)

(Modified 2021-08-15: Added audio recording)

FEAST OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN

AUGUST 15, 2021 – 10.30 A.M. Holy Communion

THE HYMN: 320 Ye Watchers and ye Holy Ones

Continue reading “St. Mary, 2021 – Holy Communion”

(Modified 2021-08-15: Added audio recording of this sermon.)

You might have realized the change in the altar colour and clergy vestment from green last Sunday to white this Sunday. This feels and looks really unusual for a Trinity Sunday.

The reason for the change in colour is because we are celebrating the Feast of Mary the Virgin, the Mother of God (Theotokos) Jesus Christ. We are learning more about the person, attributes and role of Mary the Virgin through her own song of praise, commonly known as the Magnificat. 

In the Anglican tradition, we sing or say the Magnificat mostly during the Evening Prayer, where we open our hearts and minds to the Lord, our God, loudly raising our voices, saying: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour…” (BCP 21). 

We put ourselves in the shoes of Mary, the blessed servant of the Lord whose acceptance of the word of God has become a great example of discipleship. Her song becomes our song, her praise our praise, her humility our humility, her fear our fear, and her joy our joy.

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(Modified 2021-08-08: Added audio recording of this sermon)

St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, Regina.

Tenth Sunday after Trinity – August 8, 2021

Rev. Nathaniel Athian Deng Mayen

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35).

What comes to your mind when you read this promise from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? I immediately think of the Holy Communion, where we break the bread and share the cup of wine in accordance with the Lord’s institution until He comes again to establish the kingdom prepared for us from eternity through the plan of our loving and merciful God to sustain us in Christ.

Continue reading “Trinity 10, 2021 – Sermon”