September 14, Paul Doerksen spoke on the test of Abraham in Genesis 22. Earlier stories in Genesis showed that God could be trusted in the covenant he had made with Abraham, but Abraham often wavered. This time, even when faced with a deeply troubling command, Abraham trusts God completely. In response, God not only provides a resolution but also reaffirms his trustworthiness.

September 7, the start of a new series titled "God spoke first". Reflections on the idea that in the beginning, God spoke and creation followed. Today, artificial intelligence is also speaking—and creating—prompting new questions about its role in our lives. Mary Anne explores the importance of setting thoughtful boundaries around AI use, while emphasizing the need to prioritize and nurture human relationships in this rapidly evolving era.

On August 24, in honour of the Season of Creation, our worship took place outdoors so we could feel the sun on our skin, take in the flowers... and experience the WIND.

As such, the audio quality for this sermon took a bit of a hit, but it's still worth the listen. Here, in his last sermon before heading off on sabbatical, Aaron offers a window into the narrative themes he's noticed among Gen Alpha, specifically regarding the climate crisis, holding them alongside the story of the Emmaus Road (Luke 24:13-35).

What deeper story is the church telling in a time of impending climate crisis?

Wrapping up our summer series of 'recycled sermons,' Julie Doerksen offers us a reflection by César García, General Secretary of the Mennonite World Conference.

First preached at the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism, Garcia weaves together the stories of Naaman's unnamed servant girl (2 Kings 5:1-11), the early Anabaptists, and our present moment, in a call for courageous discipleship.

On August 10, Janna offered us a memorable sermon by Jeff Chu. Chu is a writer, teacher, former curator of the 'Evolving Faith Conference,' as well as a "pretend farmer," to use his own words. He wears all those hats in this sermon on the theological lessons of worms and compost.

On August 3 we were joined by Janessa Nayler-Giesbrecht, pastor of our sister church, Jubilee Mennonite. With Isaiah 42:1-7 in the background, Janessa offers a chapter from Niigaan Sinclair's book "Winipek." (Longtime listeners may remember we had Niigaan as a guest preacher some time ago!)

This message is especially poingnant for those of us who live here in Winnipeg, and the complex history we thus inhereit.

On July 27, Gordon honoured the late Walter Brueggemann with this timely sermon on 'totality,' drawing on 1 Kings 10:26-29 (Solomon's extractive economy), Jeremiah 22:13-17 (Jeremiah speaks against the king), and Isaiah 19:23-25 (Isaiah’s alternative to imperial power politics).

Unfortunately, we experienced a power outage that morning, which cut off the beginning of the sermon and dramatically affected the audio quality as we tried to get the equipment back on... Hang in there until about the 5 minute mark where it improves a lot.

Our recylced sermon this week comes from a book by Glenn Jordan and Pádraig Ó Tuama, entitled, Borders and Belonging: The Book of Ruth: a Story for our Times. Drawing on the chapter "Counter Narratives," Lori guides us into the more surprising aspects of the book of Ruth.

Continuing with our recycled sermons over summer, Mary Anne offers a sermon she received from Helen Paynter this past May at the Believers Church Conference in Amsterdam. Through Mary Anne, Paynter walks us through Isaiah 6:1-11, and how the call of Isaiah might address us as Christians today—and the honest ways we might respond.

River East is sister churches with Jubilee Mennonite Church, just down the road, and this summer we are populating our pulpits in partnership!

This week we welcome Elfrieda Schroeder from Jubilee, who offered us a sermon she had once prepared but never had the chance to preach, reflecting on the Road to Emmaus story in Luke 24:13-35.