WildWords: Sermons from Wildwood Mennonite Church

These days, the majority of Canadian culture generally doesn't care about people's sexual orientation and gender identity--and that's a positive step from the fear and stigma towards LGBTQ+ people in generations past. But that's not good enough--in the words of Ted Lasso, "We don't not care. We care very much. We care about who you are and what you're going through. And from now on, you don't have to go through it all by yourself." That sounds a lot like the way of Jesus! What does it mean for us to be allies to LGBTQ+ people in our church, our neighbourhoods and our world?Note: Ted Lasso clips "Colin Coming Out to the Team" and "Ted 'We Do Care' Half Time Speech" can be found on YouTube.

This Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus's triumphal entry in Jerusalem, the beginning of his final journey to the cross. With shouts of "Hosanna!" and waving leafy branches, the crowd welcomes their king. But we know that, in a few days, they will be shouting "Crucify him!" In this messy in-between, where do we find ourselves? Are we ready to accept the kind of "king" that Jesus truly is?

Peter's denial of Jesus is a small but profound story, woven into the Easter narrative of all four of the Gospels. In these moments, Peter's devotion to Jesus is tested, as it was earlier in the garden during Jesus' arrest. Peter seems to lose his way, but is there hope for redemption? As disciples of Jesus committed to peace, can we find the "third way" that's neither violence nor silence in hard times?

This is the first Sunday of the season of Lent, the slow journey with Jesus toward the cross and Easter. The sermon series, Dwelling in Dissonance, invites us to sit in the uncertainty, the aching, and the mystery of our current experience, in light of the stories of Jesus' final days in the gospel of John. We begin with the miraculous story of the raising of Lazarus.

The family stories of Sarah, Hagar, and Abraham in Genesis are full of faith and doubt, joy and sorrow. When they lose sight of God's promises and abundance, they take matters into their own hands and the consequences are discord and unravelled relationships. How can we have radical hope in difficult times, and continue showing radical hospitality when we feel lost or threatened?

In this interpretation of the Hebrew origin stories in Genesis, we follow the humans as they doubt God and forget their true names, which brings a host of consequences. They embark on a journey with God out of the garden, which becomes our journey of recovering, remembering, and reminding others of our truest names: we belong, we are beloved, we are delightful.

This Sunday, we were pleased to welcome Sharon Murugiah, Executive Director of Shekinah Retreat Centre, to share with us about Shekinah Summer Camp. You can learn more about Shekinah at www.shekinahretreatcentre.org/. Sharon also shared with us a reflection on Philippians 1:1-11.

"Love is the Gift of Christmas." Yes. And also, what does that…even…mean? If it’s to be more than a nice holiday sentiment, I’d like a few more specifics. Join Ken Bible and Evangelical Barbie to explore a broad view of the Love of Christmas!