Good Shepherd Barrhaven Sermon Stream

Some passages in the bible are just strange. They don't tell us what we expect to hear. In today's sermon, Fr. Stephen tackles a part of the Gospel called the beatitudes. They tell us that wealth, food, happiness and reputation can sometimes be bad things. Poverty, hunger, sorrow and insult can be good. These things don't naturally make sense to us, but Jesus' words show us that his grace and love can be found in unexpected places--even in places we really would rather avoid.

Scripture Reference: Luke 6:17-26

Preached on the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany, February 17, 2019 by Rev. Stephen Silverthorne

Sermon Highlights

• The beatitudes are stranger than we think
• Jesus tells us the things we usually strive for are wrong
• Jesus also says the things we usually avoid are right
• This challenges us to stop just asking Jesus to give us what we want
• Instead, we should ask him to show us what we really need
• Poverty, hunger, and other can highlight our dependence on Christ
• When we depend on him we realize how trustworthy he is

Further Reading

• Russian Doll TV series
• More on the life of Truman Capote
• Answered Prayers by Truman Capote

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Summary

Everyday life often seems to carry a shadow with it. The news brings sorrow, and we get frustrated by the daily setbacks, challenges and fears which life brings. This sermon challenges us to see the light of Christ in our regular life, finding Jesus' comfort, help and love in unexpected places.

Scripture Reference: Luke 2:22-40

Preached on the Feast of the Presentation, February 3, 2019 by Ed Montano

Sermon Highlights

• We often find ourselves frightened by darkness
• The danger posed by darkness is a common theme in life & art
• Scripture shows God as being full of light and truth
• Simeon & Anna are prophets in this story
• They recognize that Jesus is God's light come to earth
• Jesus came to bring his light to us, in the middle of our darkness
• Like Simeon, we should open our eyes in faith to see God's goodness in daily life

Further Reading

• Information on the Sacred Heart of Jesus image

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Faith can be difficult at the best of times, but can be especially tough when we feel God is leading us to do something we don't want to do. This sermon challenges us to examine the hardest question to answer: do we trust Jesus when he tells us he has our well-being at heart? When we are able to answer yes, our whole approach to life and its challenges will be transformed.

Scripture Reference: Luke 4:14-21

Preached on the Third Sunday after Epiphany, January 27, 2019 by Rev. Stephen Silverthorne

Sermon Highlights

• Jesus begins his ministry by proclaiming his good intentions
• This passage challenges us to believe he has our well-being at heart
• We can be naturally distrustful
• We grow when we trust his voice will lead us rightly
• Jesus sees the ways we are enslaved
• He has the power to free us from slavery to bad habits
• He gives us to the courage to see what needs changing in our lives
• Make a habit of trusting him with the things which shame and break you

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Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine is one of many miracles Jesus performs in his ministry. At first, it doesn't seem to be his most significant miracle. Yet, this tells us a lot about who Jesus is and how we relate to him. This sermon reflects on 3 ways the water turned to wine enlightens our daily Christian life.

Scripture Reference: John 2:1-11

Preached on the Second Sunday after Epiphany, January 20, 2019 by Rev. Stephen Silverthorne

Sermon Highlights

• Water to wine shows Jesus' care for our everyday concerns
• Water to wine shows Jesus brings joy and abundance
• Water to wine shows Jesus came to take away our shame

Further Reading

Geoffrey Corbis & his public shaming

The Bose Monastic Community

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Baptism is part of most Christian traditions, and in today's Gospel reading, we see Jesus himself being baptized. So what does this episode tell us about Jesus, and what does it tell us about the meaning of baptism? In this sermon, Fr. Stephen explains how this episode reveals important aspects of who Jesus is, and what Jesus brings to us through baptism.

Scripture Reference: Isaiah 10:33-11:3; Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 3:15-22

Preached on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, January 13, 2019 by Rev. Stephen Silverthorne

Sermon Highlights

• Jesus' baptism tells us a lot about who he is
• Jesus is the Divine Messiah, who can be trusted
• Jesus is the Warrior to breaks oppression
• Jesus is the Saviour who dies to save his people
• Jesus baptism tells us a lot about our own baptism
• Baptism is an act of trust in Christ
• Baptism is a promise that Christ will break our chains
• Baptism is an invitation to live our whole lives for Christ

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Epiphany is the last official day of the Christmas season in the Church. Yet, by this point every year most of us have left Christmas far behind. Why make a big deal out of the 12 days of Christmas, and why make a big deal out of Epiphany. This sermon explains why the Church insists on celebrating Christmas for 12 whole days and not just on Christmas Day itself. Fr. Stephen goes on to explain why Epiphany itself continues to speak to us and our daily lives, despite having happened 2,000 years ago.

Scripture Reference: Isaiah 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-12

Preached on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, 2019 by Rev. Stephen Silverthorne

Sermon Highlights

• The Church calendar teaches us different aspects of what it means to be a fully rounded human
• The length of the Christmas season teaches us to value joy and the good gifts God gives us
• The Epiphany bible readings show us how God wants us to reflect His light
• We reflect the light of God when we spend time soaking in His light
• We soak in His light by spending time where God is

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Christmas is a busy season, and Christmas Day is particularly full. Yet, Christmas is worth reflecting on because it tells more than a charming story which happened long ago. It tells us that God is near to us, and that His salvation is always close. This reality is easy to forget throughout the year, as the world moves on to other things. Reflecting on the story of Christmas helps us to hold onto this truth when other things try to lead us elsewhere.

Scripture reference: Luke 2:1-20

Sermon Highlights

• We are busy every Christmas
• Reflecting on the Christmas story encourages us to invite God into our lives

Further Reading

• The life and legacy of St. Ignatius of Loyola
• Come Sunday

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A sermon about the dignity God gives to the weak.

Our world is preoccupied with the rich and famous. They are the ones we follow on social media, and the ones we write stories about. Yet, Christmas every year introduces us to a small family which seems insignificant. By being born into a poor, humble family, God shows us the worth he places on those who are weak. This sermon challenges us to let go of the contempt and frustration we feel for the weaknesses of others, and for the weaknesses we see in ourselves

Scripture Reference: Luke 2:1-20

Sermon Highlights

• The familiar Christmas story strangely endures in a world craving novelty
• The people in the story are unremarkable, and weak
• What makes the story meaningful is that God finds it meaningful
• By choosing a humble family to be born into, God shows His regard for the weak
• This encourages us to have regard for those we see as weak
• This also encourages us to have regard for our own weaknesses

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Christians are supposed to be hopeful people. God gives us great promises about how He will care for us, and how He will make all things right. Yet, these hopeful promises can be hard to believe when our everyday life is full of challenges and disappointments. This sermon argues that Advent is meant to help us keep hope while remembering that the challenges are real.

Scripture Reference: Jeremiah 33:14-18; Luke 21:25-36

Preached on the First Sunday of Advent, December 2, 2018 by Rev. Stephen Silverthorne

Sermon Highlights

• People flourish when they stay hopeful without denying the bitter truth
• The birth of Jesus reminds us that God keeps His promises to Israel
• Jesus' prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem shows us that when an era ends, it is natural to be fearful
• We can keep hope that Jesus will come again, when we prepare ourselves through daily looking for ways Jesus is present now

Further Reading

A useful prayer app for preparing us for Church in Advent

• Pray As You Go: Advent Reflection
• An Advent reflection for each Sunday of Advent

The Practice of Examen

• A prayerful method of self-examination
• Developed by the Jesuit Order in the Roman Catholic Church, this daily reflection method helps us see how God is at work in our lives

A Book Fr. Stephen Mentioned in the Sermon

• Good to Great by Jim Collins
• A book about business and leadership, which mentions Jim Stockdale and insights gained during his imprisonment in Vietnam

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This section of Mark's Gospel is hard to read because it talks about judgment, signs and wonders. Fr. Stephen explains why this type of writing is known as apocalyptic literature, and how we can understand it despite it being odd-sounding. He also notes that this passage is about judgement on the Jerusalem of Jesus' day but also speaks to us about our responsibilities in uncertain times.

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