Nelson United Church

Today’s sermon is a dramatic reading: Mary of Magdala A Pentecost Story by Ralph Milton Adapted by David Boyd   John: John Pengelly.  Peter: David.  Mary: Robyn.  Narrator: Robin.   Peter: Close the window, will you, John.  (Irritated) All that singing out there is getting on my nerves. Mary: Peter.  (Gently) It is, after all, read on →

            I’m getting a lot of resources from many sources these days: from the United Church at different levels; from Convergence US, the group working with us to figure out our future; from the Center for Courage and Renewal; Fellowship of Reconciliation USA; Leadership and Faithfulness; Alban News; The Christian Century.  That’s not all, but read on →

         Elizabeth Alexander, an African-American poet and artist, was asked by Barak Obama to compose and read a poem at his inauguration back in 2009.  She followed a West African poetry tradition called “praise song” form.  She called the poem Praise Song for the Day.  This is it: Each day we go about our business, read on →

https://is.gd/voUp5Y      I had to think hard the other day; it was the middle of the week, and I was doing something or other—kind of lost in the concentration of the task—and when I was done, I had this sudden confusion.  “What day is it, today?”          We laugh because that’s a common question these read on →

         Our province is planning a gradual back to work process, outlined later this week by the Premier.  But at the same time, no large gatherings will be permitted for some time yet.  We’ll see how all of this unfolds.  At the beginning of the Pandemic medical emergency declared in BC—now, seven read on →

            I would say that many of us have “hit the wall” this week, so to speak.  It was bound to happen from a psychological point of view, but the terrible and senseless events in Nova Scotia has only added to our sense of collective depression, or if not that strong a word, at the read on →

         In 2015, John M. Buchanan wrote in The Christian Century magazine—a reflection piece about Psalm 16 that we just read: “Every time I read Psalm 16, I think about how an individual’s life is in large measure the sum total of the influence of others.”[1]  In this COVID-19 world, I believe that we are read on →

The stone is rolled away. Longer days in northern climes. Robins nesting nearby, gathering dried grasses; birdsong greets the dawn with songs of hallelujah. Violets, whites and blues carpet our lawns with bursts of colour          After the grey short winter days. The stone is rolled away. With virtual parades and processions, With online sharing read on →

         With today being Palm Sunday, we are entering Holy Week.  But this week isn’t about triumph and pomp and circumstance; it is all about humility, turning things upside-down, and self-emptying love.  This year, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Palm Sunday is less about parades and shouting hosannas than it read on →

         I heard a Rabbi tell a story from the Middle Ages about a young lad who wanted to be a blacksmith.  He apprenticed and worked hard at a reputable smithy and learned the necessary skills.  He decided because he was meticulous, to make a step-by-step list of his duties: the bellows, lifting the sledge, read on →