Welcome to the Cedar Park United Podcast! 

Competing visions, hopes and fears of the future are in the news right now, and they are all in today’s Gospel reading also. In the Gospel two responses are offered by Jesus. The question is, do we, will we respond in those ways, or not? In this reflection from November 17, 2024, Rev. Dr. Elisabeth Jones invites us to consider that even as our community of faith, our denomination, our nation, our world are facing “end-time” struggles, Jesus tells us that “these are more like the pains of labour” and that “something new is waiting, straining, to be born.”

Hear the reading of the scriptures, from Mark 13:1-8, 37 in the livestream recording.

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Welcome to the Cedar Park United Podcast! 

Human history is punctuated by war, violence, and the clashing of competing ideologies. It is also filled with tiny, yet mighty acts of peace-making, compassion, resilience, and love-despite hate. “Remembering” brings all of the human story together, and worship brings all that we see under the redeeming love of God. In this Remembrance Sunday sermon from November 10, 2024, Rev. Dr. Elisabeth Jones lifts up the might of the widows’ mite, as seen through Jesus’ eyes.

Hear the reading of the scriptures, from Mark 12:38-44, in the livestream recording.

Connect with Cedar Park United here:

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⁠⁠🟠youtube.com/c/CedarParkUnited⁠⁠

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Welcome to the Cedar Park United Podcast! 

In this sermon from November 3, 2024, Rev. Dr. Elisabeth Jones asks: Who could ever have imagined a time in living memory when it would seem “odd” to practise welcome, hospitality, respect, reverence, truth in our shared lives? Now is a good time to be reminded, by Scripture, that these are at the heart of God’s Dream for human community within creation: a place where everyone is welcome at the table.

To hear the scripture, head to the livestream.

Connect with Cedar Park United here:

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⁠⁠🟠youtube.com/c/CedarParkUnited⁠⁠

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Welcome to the Cedar Park United Podcast! 

As Hallowe’en approaches – the Christian tradition’s way to commemorate all God’s, and our, beloved saints – we gather to remember together the “Saints of God” of our families and our faith community who have died in the past year. We also remember those loved ones whose death feels like only yesterday. It is a much-loved service which enfolds our grief with God’s love, and with candles, prayer, meditation, and community.

To hear the scripture, head to the livestream.

Here is the sermon by Nadia Bolz-Weber that Rev. Elisabeth refers to.

Connect with Cedar Park United here:

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Welcome to the Cedar Park United Podcast! 

Today’s Gospel takes us to Jericho, where we meet a blind man,  Bartimaeus,  of whom Jesus asks “What do you want me to do for you?” How did Bartimaeus answer? How would we respond to Jesus’ question?

To hear the scripture, head to the livestream:  https://www.youtube.com/live/cjagBlx6Y0U?si=ZxB8db3qO0se77mT&t=1456 

Connect with Cedar Park United here:

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⁠⁠🟠youtube.com/c/CedarParkUnited⁠⁠

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Welcome to the Cedar Park United Podcast! 

This was Thanksgiving Sunday on the Canadian calendar, and also the day we marked the 125th anniversary of this faith community, which began as a Presbyterian mission in 1899 meeting in the then newly built schoolhouse, and which over the decades grew to become Lilly Memorial Church and then in the 1950s, Cedar Park United Church. 

We indeed have so much for which to give thanks, together. And “giving thanks” is most fulfilling and most impactful when we can include a true “action de grâce.” When we accept that all things are God’s gift to all, generosity and sharing become the natural outpouring of gratitude.  

To hear the scripture, head to the livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/yxuIZWQLVVI?si=VkW0hqFNiVD_x16b&t=1310

Connect with Cedar Park United here:

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⁠⁠🟠youtube.com/c/CedarParkUnited⁠⁠

🟢⁠⁠facebook.com/cedarparkunitedchurch⁠⁠ 

🟣⁠⁠instagram.com/cedar_park_united

In this scripture reading and reflection from June 20, 2021, Rev. Dr. Elisabeth Jones reflects on Psalm 80 and the practice of making space for grief and lament, specifically around the communal and intergenerational impact of settler policies and actions on the lives of Canada’s indigenous peoples.

“Everything we know about God’s utter fidelity to God’s Dream of abundant, flourishing life for all, means that God will do whatever it takes for us to step into the story not only of our guilt or grief,

but of God’s mercy. Which means accepting God’s gifting and equipping us to make apology, make amends, to be part of the healing, and reconciliation that mends brokenness, if not in our generation, in those to come.”

This was the third practice in our 4-week worship series around SNAIL (Spiritual Nourishment practices that Anchor Intentional Living).

Grief? Guilt? Lament. Starter pack. 

Connect with Cedar Park United here:

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⁠⁠🟠youtube.com/c/CedarParkUnited⁠⁠

🟢⁠⁠facebook.com/cedarparkunitedchurch⁠⁠ 

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In this worship from September 29, 2024 we brought ancient texts and an even more ancient practice of meditation together to experience the mystery of the divine. As it’s quite hard to reproduce the first-hand experience of meditating in the presence of singing bowls, in our worship livestream we used an audio recording from Benjamin Iobst, from his 1999 CD, Seven Metals, with thanks.

Dr. Shelley Snow is both a member of the Cedar park United congregation and a registered music therapist and psychotherapist. Shelley has pioneered the research and development of sound-based therapies for mind-body-soul healing and health. You can find out more about her work on her website: https://www.healingpowerofsound.com/ 

To see the singing bowl worship happening in the Cedar Park United sanctuary, head to the livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/WuUew0571h0?si=qtnp4hEh4BOeHiSC&t=1485 

Connect with Cedar Park United here:

⁠⁠cedarparkunited.org⁠⁠

youtube.com/c/CedarParkUnited⁠⁠

facebook.com/cedarparkunitedchurch⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠instagram.com/cedar_park_united

Being God’s people is both a blessing and a challenge! In this reflection from September 22, 2024, Rev. Dr. Elisabeth Jones turns our attention to the Gospel story (Mark 9:30-37) that reminds us that often we just don’t “get” how radical, counterintuitive, and countercultural it can be to live God’s Dream. Sometimes Jesus has to sit us down and show us. But…when we do get it, well, that’s amazing!

To hear the Scripture head to the YouTube recording.

Connect with Cedar Park United here:

⁠⁠🔴cedarparkunited.org⁠⁠

⁠⁠🟠youtube.com/c/CedarParkUnited⁠⁠

🟢⁠⁠facebook.com/cedarparkunitedchurch⁠⁠ 

🟣⁠⁠instagram.com/cedar_park_united

In this reflection from September 15, 2024, Rev. Dr. Elisabeth Jones invites us to lend our ears to “Lady Wisdom.” In today’s Old Testament reading, “Lady Wisdom” cries out from the crossroads in the city, (not from some lofty ivory tower, or majestic temple), and what she cries is often hard to hear. She is forthright, not backing down from hard truths, calling out injustice. How can that possibly be “Good News?” Today’s worship invites us to listen, to hold on tight, and to imagine–and work for–a world where Wisdom’s vision of a world restored to God’s Dream becomes our own. 

To hear the reading from Proverbs that Rev. Elisabeth refers to, head to the YouTube recording.

Connect with Cedar Park United here:

⁠⁠cedarparkunited.org⁠⁠

⁠⁠youtube.com/c/CedarParkUnited⁠⁠

⁠⁠facebook.com/cedarparkunitedchurch⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠instagram.com/cedar_park_united⁠⁠