Becoming and Being Christian April 22nd, 2007 Gary Harder Text: Acts 9:1-6 (7-20) 2 Timothy 1:3-7 John 21:1-19 Acts 16:16-18 Introduction Today I want to share with you one of the classes I like to teach at the beginning of my faith exploration course. This was prompted for me by the lectionary reading from Acts 9 for this morning, the story of the conversion of Paul. It is a wonderful, dramatic story, but often raises problems for us…
Followers in a Dangerous Time: Colombian Mennonites Living Their Faith April 15th, 2007 Tim Schmucker Text: Acts 15:27-32 Psalm 118 Excerpts from lectionary readings • Acts 5:27-32 27When the captain of the temple and the temple police had brought the apostles, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in Jesus’ name….29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any…
Shout a Yes to the Resurrection April 8th, 2007 Gary Harder Text: Acts 10:34-43 Romans 6:3-11 Introduction: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been…
4th Sunday of Lent Theme “Blessed Hunger, Holy Feast” From Alienation to Reconciliation March 18th, 2007 Gary Harder Text: Psalm 32:1-5 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Introduction Our Lenten texts for today focus on two huge, humongous, words. The first one is the word forgiveness. The second is the word reconciliation. These two words belong together. But they are both so big we can take only a very small bite out of them in one sermon. Forgiveness Part one…
3rd Sunday of Lent Theme “Blessed Hunger, Holy Feast” God Pours out Life-giving Drink March 11th, 2007 Lydia Harder Text: Jeremiah 17:7-8 Psalm 63:1-8 Luke 13:6-9 “The beginning of Lent passed me by this year! I had thought about fasting, but never got around to making definite plans. Yes, I received that devotional guide, JD, that you sent around, but never got around to actually reading it! And that healing journey I was going to begin by entering a time…
2nd Sunday of Lent Theme “Blessed Hunger, Holy Feast” Of Violence and Intimacy March 4th, 2007 Gary Harder Text: Psalm 27:1-5 Genesis 15:12-15 Luke 13:31-35 The Hornbill I always enjoy reading the stories which pastor and author Walter Wangerin writes. He provided some of my Lenten inspiration this week with his story of “The Hornbill” (Manger, p.21) In the rain forests of Africa there lives a common, awkward, ugly bird. But I will honour her as exquisite,…
Of Violence and Intimacy February 18th, 2007 Gary Harder Text: Judges 13-16 (16:4-9, 15-22) Introduction “Please be my valentine”. “Come, cupid, shoot your arrows, make us fall madly in love, instantly, magically. Kindle, rekindle, romance.” Valentines day has slipped by us once again. Was yours a hugely romantic day? Or were you like Charlie Brown who waits by his mailbox all day waiting for even one valentine, but not one comes. During this season we need to…
Like a Tree Planted by Water February 11th, 2007 Jeremy Bergen Text: Jeremiah 17:5-10 Psalm 1 When I was 5, my parents bought their first house. Until that point, as relatively poor students, they had rented apartments in Winnipeg, and for two years we lived in family housing at the Mennonite seminary in Elkhart, Indiana, where my parents were students. They moved back to Winnipeg, and with their two point zero kids—myself and my younger sister,…
Humble Ourselves and Pray February 4th, 2007 Gerry Doerksen Text: 2 Chronicles 7:14 Good morning! If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways Then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land. (2nd Chronicles 7:14 ) This Old Testament passage has been important to me since my Bible School days. I think I like it so much because,…
Fellowship Gone Global January 28th, 2007 Gary Harder Text: Psalm 71:1-6 Jeremiah 1:4-13 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 Introduction: Seeing in a mirror dimly Just over two weeks ago now I had some very minor surgery on my right eye. As surgeries go this was about as minor as it gets, though the technical name for it is quite impressive. Right medial pterygium excision and conjunctival transplant. No, not a cataract surgery. It is simply that a film was growing…