My Message for April 7.  I am thinking about a variant of the Velveteen Rabbit for the story.

Courage to Doubt: Courage to Believe 2013 04 07  Acts 5:12-32; John 20:19-31

Draft of Sunday's Message:

A New Heaven and a New Earth 2013 03 31 Easter: Isaiah 65:17-25; Luke 24:1-12

I have posted my message for Oct 21 in a blog.  In it the overriding theme is truning the world upside down in many different ways.  In particular I use the stories from Mark 10:17-52 as examples.  Elsewhere in the service I will briefly refer to the tendency of revoltuionary movements to become status quo movements: PRE in Mexico; Masons which started as the only safe plalce to discuss politics and religion to a place where discussion of religion and politics is discouraged, and the church.

Here is my sermon for today, October 21.

Turn the World Upside Down (Mark 10:17-52)

Do you have any feedback to share about the United Church's 2009-2011 Living for the Earth: Choosing Creation over Empire mission theme? What did you think about the concept? The resources that were produced?

How about ideas for 2013-2015, after we've completed the current "Are We Healthy?" theme? We're looking to hear from lots of people and know what you're interested in and passionate about!

Just over a week ago, I started a job at the United Church head office, in the JGER unit.  That's the Justice, Global and Ecumenical Relations unit, for the uninitiated.  And I was blown away at the breadth and depth of what goes on here.

One of the most attractive things about the character of Jesus for me was his ability to move through social boundaries like class. That to me is a good sign of a love that is not ordinary and a faith that is not conventional. 

First question (well, set of questions), I wonder if folks would like to dialogue on from "Called to Be Church"

How do we name our vision of living God’s mission as The United Church of Canada steps into the future?

What is core and essential, what touches the "heart" of the United Church?

I just came across this article at Virtue Online about how the political left-wing used to work with and through the Christian churches but really isn't anymore.  I wonder if people here feel the same way.

Have we become so affluent (or co-opted by consumerism) that we don't have much to complain about, or fight for anymore?

If that's true, then what is the religious activism of the right-wing about?

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=150