September 29, 2024
Small Kindnesses Are No Small Thing
Rachael grapples with how to respond to hard things in the Bible and in life, and shares some learnings from her recent trip to Ireland.
September 22, 2024
A Cure for Chaos
Mark Groleau takes us on a deep and wide journey through biblical theology that leads us to three encounters: a) Chaos (the Sea), b) Calming the Sea, c) the River of Life.
September 15, 2024
The Importance of Truth-Telling
This week, special guest, Jonathan Schut from MCC (Mennonite Central Committee), shared a dynamic and creative lesson from Queen Vashti (in the book of Esther) to introduce the importance of truth-telling to organizations like MCC as they work for justice and peace – and he masterfully integrated our theme of the “Roots of Resilience.”
August 25, 2024
God’s Armour
Using the Ephesians 6 text from the lectionary, Walter’s homily reminded us that Paul’s metaphor of God’s Armour was helping us to stay strong and to endure in our calling of “mutual submission” (non-violent, non-dominating love) as opposed to the spirit of our age that is often based on the “myth of redemptive violence”
August 18, 2024
Hope in Hard Times
This Sunday, Jess Williams explored the role of hope when we walk through hard times in life. Starting with the pain caused by toxic positivity and the cultural pressure to put forward a polished life, Jess asks what the antidote to this might be. She thinks the blessings of Jesus in the Beatitudes have something important to teach us about the kind of life Jesus calls blessed.
August 11, 2024
Stories of Community Resilience
At this Sunday’s “second breakfast,” Jess invited the tables to share with each other stories of community resilience. But first there was an introduction that included Alex Henderson sharing some thoughtful material on community resilience and Walter shared a brief story of what helped SSU to be a resilient community.
August 4, 2024
The Art of Swearing
This morning, Renate used Ephesians 4 to explore the wise use of expressive, yet gracious, language. You can see her power point, and/or listen below. You’re always welcome […]
July 28, 2024
The World Has Always Been a Mess
In this Sunday’s homily, Walter suggests the odd encouragement that it has always been in the context of a very messed up world that we find our resilience with courage and love.
July 21, 2024
Resilience is Messy (& so are we)
Jess Williams reflects on impulses she noticed in herself through a recent experience of asking her friends for help cleaning out her house, and found out she wasn’t alone. She points out how vulnerable it is to let others into your mess, even when that’s what you need most. Then she shares some wisdom gleaned from Fraggle Rock’s character, Marjory the Trash Heap, and Jeff Chu’s teaching on the theology of compost. She invites everyone to trust that God is most at home in the mess, and that all of our so-called failures can serve to nurture the soil of our lives.
July 14, 2024
Timebanking (Second Breakfast)
Mayara and Lorna share the concept of Timebanking, an exchange of skills based on the belief that every person is of value and has something to offer. They are excited to see how Timebanking can build a stronger, more connected community in St. Stephen, and invite and welcome your participation!
July 7, 2024
The Connection of Witness & Resilience
Pulling from the lectionary readings and our current teaching theme, Wendy VanderWal Martin offered a beautiful teaching on the significance of ‘witness’ and how bearing witness to one another (and to our own lives) as we truly are and in ways that assure us we are seen, known, and loved, is a powerful root of resilience.
June 30, 2024
Grief and Transfiguration
This week Renate pointed out references in the lectionary that help us see how we can be transfigured when trust helps us find our way through grief – a powerful addition to our “Roots of Resilience” theme!