Ralph Connor Memorial United Church

The Little White Church on Main Street, Canmore, Alberta

joy

Sea of Galilee

Sermon: Palm Sunday, April 10, 2022 – Luke 19 and John 12

Palm Sunday, positioned at the end of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week, is generally seen as a joyous, upbeat celebration that sets the stage for an even more joyous, upbeat celebration – the glorious proclamation of Easter – but in-between these two high points, we need to go through such a deep valley: the bittersweet sacred meal in the Upper Room, the betrayal of Jesus by one friend and his abandonment by others, the trial/s, and the sadistic …

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Sermon: December 12, 2021 – Advent 3 – Luke 1: 26-45

The annunciation to Mary, followed by the visitation of Mary and Elizabeth. These are our back-to-back gospel readings from Luke for this third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of JOY. Watch at https://youtu.be/BZBuymsiMec  Download PDF: Sermon_12December2021-Advent3C The second scene, of young Mary and her much older kinswoman Elizabeth, is a scene particularly bathed in joy, yet it is with some trepidation that I attempt to unpack what is going on here; for I am hindered both by cultural practices that …

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wildflower growing in Judean wilderness

Message for the Sunday of JOY – 13 December 2020

Today is the third Sunday in Advent, the Sunday of JOY. Watch at https://youtu.be/xAmhdJfNHBk  Download PDF at Sermon_13December2020_Adv3 Each year, this Sunday arrives, with its special pink candle signifying a break from the darker hues of pensive blue or penitential purple.  And every year I draw just a bit of a blank for JOY can be a rather distant word for folks like me who have journeyed with depression over many decades.   Words like pleasant, satisfying and enjoyable, I find easy …

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