The Little White Church on Main Street, Canmore, Alberta
This parable: the story of the prodigal. This parable has within it such depth of connection with the human condition, and with the deep grace of the Divine. The elements of the parable are well-known: two siblings, one parent. Although Dad is still very much alive, the younger son cashes in his inheritance early, goes far away and wastes it all on the high life. Things go sour for him, and he drags himself home, hoping to catch on as …
Few books in the Bible are as polarizing as the Book of Revelation. It’s the book of the antichrist, the four horsemen of the apocalypse, the number 666, For some, its apocalyptic narrative provides a clear roadmap of the end times, each symbol and event aligned with doomsday. For others, Revelation is easily side-stepped and ignored because of its weirdness. At times, I must admit, I fall into this category. In these days, particularly in the northern hemisphere, the Church …
Three ways to celebrate Earth Day 2021: on April 21, at 7:15 PM, Tony Snow, Indigenous Lead for Chinook Winds Region, will be leading our Evensong service on Zoom. If you are not on the Evensong mailing list, email office@ralphconnor.ca and we will get the Zoom login for April 21. April 22 at 5:00 PM, United Church of Canada, Chinook Winds Region “Mother Earth Day” service of prayer. For Zoom login go here and scroll down to “Mother Earth Day”. …
A short congregational meeting will be held on Zoom on Sunday, April 11, 2021 at 11 am following the regular YouTube service. Sign in information will be sent closer to the date. Council has negotiated a contract with Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative for the installation of solar panels on the south facing roof of Gordon Hall. BVGEC will pay for the solar panels, installation, repairs and replacement, insurance and monitoring the operations. RCMUC will purchase all the solar energy …
Are you astonished by the beauty of the world – especially the Bow Valley corridor? Are you wanting the empowerment of community as you engage with the needs of this planet? Are you fed by a sense of sacredness or Spirituality in your life’s journey? The Green Exodus: The Canmore Series – will use contemplation, creativity, community and a fresh look at the Cosmos to refresh and realign our relationship with the Earth. We will draw on the lineage of Indigenous, …
note: this was preached at our first in-person Worship service since mid-March 2020, at the Ball Diamond at Millennium Park, Canmore AB. Two very different things happening in coming weeks will converge to shape today’s message, and our worship services from now ‘til Thanksgiving. watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD6VvULF-00 or download PDF at Sermon_13September2020-Outdoors First, it’s the season of Creation, a time when we look at our role as stewards of the earth, and the connection between God, and the earth, and …
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging”. (Psalm 46: 1-3) What a dramatic beginning to our Psalm today, and to our month-long journey in the season of creation. Watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dC3Dk4Q4E0 Download PDF at Sermon_06September 2020 The Psalmist draws these terrifying pictures from …
“…and God saw that it was good.” What a beautiful, daily affirmation that even God sees goodness of this planet, perhaps even detecting a note of pride in it . Throughout the first creation narrative in Genesis, is this refrain, confirming the common goodness of all the earth and seas and sky, an interconnection through the Divine life force that dwells in all of it. In this context, how can we fail to treat the natural world with love and …