Sunday, December 19

I was delighted by Andrew's choice of sermon topic this morning.

The importance of choice must not be undervalued. Throughout scripture, both Old and New Testaments, we see example after example of the importance, the absolute necessity of choice for our humanity. As far back as the second chapter of Genesis, human choice affects and effects history. But despite the prevalence of examples, we often read these stories without appreciating the essential character of the choices made by the people immortalized in holy literature. Too often, we are comfortable discussing the "wrong" choices made by some - Adam and Eve, Cain, the citizens of Sodom, Pilate, Judas Iscariot - but dismiss the "right" choices as merely submission to the will of God or that person's destiny, ordained by God.

But choice is important. It is essential to our humanity, and it is essential to our relationship with God. Through Jesus Christ we are given a most monumental choice: to accept His salvation and His yoke which comes with it, or not. He gives us the choice to accept the conditions of a relationship with the Divine. What is also remarkable is that even His conception came with a choice.

As Denise Levertov writes in her poem, Annunciation,

But we are told of meek obedience. No one mentions
courage.
The engendering Spirit
did not enter her without consent.
God waited.
She was free
to accept or to refuse, choice
integral to humanness.

Andrew's reflection on the word used by Mary as related in Greek, "doula", was particularly fitting and struck me very personally - and, truly, isn't it always best we are personally touched and affected by scripture? The word originally meant simply "servant" but now, as Andrew noted, it is used to refer to women who attend other women before, during and following birthing. As one who has birthed a child while attended by a doula, who will do so again in just a few months, and as a woman who is also preparing to become a doula myself, I found this linguistic connection struck me very personally. The use of the word "doula" relates that Mary doesn't merely agree to be a vessel, an incubator for the Messiah: she agrees to help the Almighty bring this Saviour into the world. She agrees to help God birth.

A phrase often used in the birthing and doula community in defining the role of the doula in a birth is that she "mothers the mother". Truly, Mary consents not only to birthing the Christ-child, but to being His mother. She agrees to carry Him in her body, but also in her heart. To care for Him, but also about Him. To love Him.

- Darlene M

Sunday, December 12

This year, I am particularly enjoying the progression of the Sundays through Advent, the order of the celebratory candles we are lighting. We began with Hope, with looking forward to what can and will be, accepting the possibility of new and unexpected blessings. It allows us to experience Peace, both peace in our hearts and peace in our lives: we have no need for fear, for we already carry the Hope of Christ. And through that Hope and Peace, we arrive at Joy.

At first glance, it would seem a little unrelated to focus on the ministry and prophecy of John the Baptizer during the Sunday when we light the Candle of Joy. As Dr. Johnston noted in his sermon, the words of John were not particularly joyful or upbeat, but instead he preached repentance and our intense need to a change of heart, a radical altering to our way of life to save us from damnation. But that's just a part of the journey. Our experience as Christians doesn't culminate in our repentance, but in our redemption. As Andrew said this morning, it is only through acknowledging darkness that we can see and appreciate light. It is only through acknowledging our sinfulness and our desperate need for God that we can properly turn towards Him and experience most fully the joyfulness of His offer of salvation.

I truly appreciated the substance of the sermon today, as it is often so easy to become caught up in the "doom and gloom" so often professed in Christendom. Andrew's relating of the failure of the Pharisees and the Sadducees to observe their faith properly was particularly telling: we, too, must not focus only the practice of acts as a marking of observant religion, but must use our practice as a means of turning to God, of reminding ourselves that we alone are insufficient. We need God Almighty and the favour and salvation He affords us.

The final hymn summed up this theme beautifully. Herald, sound the note of judgment: because it is only through judging ourselves to be in need of redemption that we can fully experience it. Herald, sound the note of gladness: we are not alone! Emmanuel! Herald, sound the note of pardon: our salvation is now at hand. Our Saviour has come! Herald, sound the note of triumph: Christ is victorious over the grave. Our ransom is paid and we can live in the light of God's Grace!

Darlene M

UPDATE: The recorded sermon is available here.

Sunday, December 5

 
“God with us” – Emmanuel
 
This morning we celebrated the second week of Advent, in preparation of the coming of Christ to the world two thousand years ago, as well as the second coming, and took part in the Lord’s Supper.  I love the combination of these two.  It feels like we are celebrating and committing ourselves to the birth, death, and then the second coming of Jesus all at once.  These two events, I think, depict God’s complete commitment and steadfast love for us, now and forever.  (Even so, I caught myself busy thinking about things-to-do for the fast approaching Christmas season.  That would be some kind of advent activity on a personal level, wouldn’t it?)
 
When Andrew spoke of “our” song, Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel, I felt that it could easily be “our” song for everyone who believes in God, whose presence is in us for every moment of our life, hence, Emmanuel, “God with us.”  It was not us who came up with that name, or title, for Christ, but it was God himself who gave that name to His only son.  Perhaps, this was God’s way of saying that He wants to be with us, among us.  I just hope that my thoughts, words, or actions would not muck up His desire to be with us, or hinder anyone else wanting to get closer to God.
 
Jonathan K.

First Sunday in Advent

I love the Advent Season - and perhaps the first Sunday is my favourite of all. The lighting of the candle of hope is always very moving for me. It is a time to focus forward, to feel and to know the promise of Advent. By looking toward the future, perhaps we are able to slough off the fetters of the past, and the anxieties of the present.

Reverend Johnston's sermon was entitled "Preparation!" The exclamation point is his, not mine, and I believe to emphasize that the preparing to be ready is as important as the being ready. This is surely comforting - knowing that for all our faults and shortcomings, the work of preparation is our supreme task as Christians.

Following the text of Matthew 24, Reverend Johnston challenged us to change our perspective - to be future-centred, not past-focused. The future described in this passage in Matthew is the Rapture - the Second Coming of Lord Jesus Christ on Earth. It is this future event for which we light the candle of hope, and toward which we look.

The troubling part of this passage for me is the 50% of the people who are not taken. "Are they unworthy?", I think. "Am I unworthy?", I selfishly think. Of course, there is no certain answer to these questions, but there is hope. And there is the work of preparation which may make us more ready to be taken into the glory of the Rapture. This work, clearly, is more difficult than the promise in buying an "R4R" mousepad or t-shirt! But it is the work of preparing our hearts and lives to be acceptable and pleasing to God, and in living out the promise and the hope of the Advent Season that we come to be closer to Christ.

Sunday, November 21

As a confirmed goer to the 9:30 service, it's always a pleasure to experience the fuller service of 11:00. the choir, the children, the fuller congregation - everything! This morning was particularly moving as it was a time for the whole congregation to come together to profess publicly to each other our commitment to Christian life together and to St. Andrew's Ottawa in particular.

I enjoyed the choir being closer to the congregation and I especially enjoyed the Moses story as depicted by the children. I never imagined Moses saying "Holy Smoke", but I'm sure but it was certainly fitting to describe the voice of God coming out of a burning yet not consumed burning bush.

Reverend Johnston pointed out that we identify with the bush, the bush who was going about its earthly business doing whatever a bush does, until one day God needed that bush and acted through it. Apparently, we too are going about our business always at hand to be the conduit for God. It made me wonder if this is really the case. Are we, or at least, am I open enough to be of use to God. Would I be be watching TV when God came? Would I be working? Would I be answering email, texting, playing a video game, even asleep? perhaps God used the bush because, as a bush, it didn't have the luxury of distractions. perhaps i ouht to take some time to be more open, more attuned and more aware, less distracted, less busy, for God to work through me. And this, I think is one lesson of Covenant Sunday - being aware that we as a congregation need to make some time, devote some talent, divert some treasure for His work, through St. Andrews and the Presbyterian ministry.

On a practical note, I've been doing the PAR contributions for 2 years now, and it is so easy. It also makes the option of sleeping in on a Sunday morning less guilt-inducing knowing that the contribution goes to work, even if I don't go to church!

Geoffrey

Sunday, November 14

Music in the worship service is a powerful force. The excellent singing by the choir in the opening and closing hymns, Praise, my soul, the King of heaven and Great is thy faithness, rose and touched me. What is it in the hymn God of the sparrow, God of the whale that is so moving? The simplicity of the words and music? It brought tears to my eyes.

It was wonderful to have The St Andrew’s Hand Bell choir perform. Beyond all Praising was very respectfully played.
Faithfulness was the theme of the sermon. Faithfulness in marriage is our greatest good; it is of the essence.

Margaret M.

Sunday, November 7

Every Sunday at St Andrews is a special Sunday however today was extra special as everyone there heard through the children’s story the importance of saying thank you to the countless men and women who have fought and in many cases even gave their life that we might have a free country in which to live. How moving to hear those young voice in unison thanking our veterans and service people of today.

There were 2 lines from the sermon that caught my attention more than the others.

“Every human life is a creation of God”.

“War for a Christian is never good, it is even considered failure”.

How much value do we as Christians, place on human kind? Do we look at War as failure of God’s will? If we were true to each and every commandment, how do we justify the atrocities of war? Love your neighbour, Thou Shalt not Kill and on it goes

O day of Peace that dimly shines!

Let each of us take time on this Remembrance Day to not only pause to give thanks but also to pray to God and ask him for strength and wisdom to honour this commandment, “Thou Shalt not murder/kill. As the lament of the bagpipes calls us to a place of remembrance, so may our time of prayer draw us to a time of closeness with God that he may guide us in the way he would have us go.

- Grant P.