You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/_c0ehjpYeTU

Lent is the perfect time to review and renew our rule of life (also known as Rhythm for Life at St. Pete’s). A rule of life is simply a means of intentionally organizing our life around practices or disciplines that invite the Holy Spirit to help us grow into Christlikeness. In other words, it's a personal plan for discipleship. The disciplines are not a means of belonging to Jesus; they are tools to offer the Spirit that we might become more like the One to whom we already belong.

A key feature of the Christian disciplines is that in order for them to bear spiritual fruit, they are undertaken in secret. There are many spiritual disciplines, but most of them fall under Jesus’ teaching on prayer, fasting, and giving (see Matthew 6).

Prayer may include the daily office (Daily Office or St. Pete’s version), spontaneous prayer, meditating on Scripture, lectio divina, silence, solitude, and journaling.

Fasting may include abstaining from food on certain days, certain meals, specific foods, media, entertainment, and work (keeping sabbath).

Giving may include tithing, giving to those in need, donating to outwards partners like Jacob’s Well, serving, volunteering, practicing hospitality, and various forms of stewardship.

If you would like accompaniment in reviewing and renewing your personal rule of life, please do reach out to one of the clergy.

As we stand on the threshold between Epiphany and Lent, we will focus on Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi. In this letter, Paul makes a bold claim: everything he once counted as spiritual success — his pedigree, performance, and religious passion — he now calls loss compared to one thing: knowing Christ.

What if the greatest obstacle to knowing Jesus isn’t failure, but quiet confidence in our own goodness? What if the Christian life isn’t about impressing God, but releasing our grip on achievement and learning to receive?

This Sunday, we explore what stands in the way of intimacy with Christ, how we encounter him in both resurrection power and suffering love, and why Lent is an invitation, not to earn more, but to cling more closely to the One who already holds us.

You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/jQdK4xFNUA0

Each year, every church in our Diocese is encouraged to keep the second-to-last Sunday in Epiphany as “World Mission Sunday.” The whole Season of Epiphany is dedicated to Christ as the Light to the nations, but on this Sunday especially, we are encouraged to reflect on Jesus’ great commission to his Church to make disciples of all nations.

Our sermon this week will reflect on Matthew 9:35-38, wherein Jesus encourages his disciples, saying, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.”

Looking forward to praying with you!

You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/WS59JUtma5s

Long ago, before the co-option of Advent by commercialism, the celebration of the Incarnation - God the Son come to us in flesh and blood - began on Christmas Eve and lasted 40 days until the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, also called Candlemas.

As Grady introduced to us last year, we will again consider the story of the divine appointment at the temple in Jerusalem of the infant Jesus, Mary, and Joseph with two faithful senior citizens, Simeon and Anna. They have waited a long time for this day, and immediately recognize and speak forth that God is fulfilling his Old Covenant promises in the coming of this child who will inaugurate the New Covenant in his blood.

You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/wnHAazhbfZ4

We will be reading about how Jesus begins his public ministry by preaching. His first sermon is this: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

What does it mean to repent?

What is the Kingdom of Heaven?

What does it mean that the Kingdom of Heaven is “at hand?”

Come and see!

You can veiw the full service: https://youtube.com/live/2nEyq781aGA

Our Gospel reading for this Sunday unfolds as a drama of names. Jesus is called by several different names by those around him, lamb of God, the one who was before, Rabbi and Messiah. People can’t seem to decide what to call him. Then, Jesus turns the tables. He looks at a man named Simon and gives him a new name—one that reshapes his future and gives him a new sense of purpose.

As we explore this passage together, I want to pay close attention to the names Jesus is given and what they teach us about who he truly is. After exploring these names, I want to wrestle with why Jesus changes Simon’s name, and what that moment might say—not only about Simon—but about you and me as well.

You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/qAA7-uImj8w

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We gather on Sundays at 10am Pacific Time online and in-person at UBC Robson Square (800 Robson) in Vancouver, BC. If you're able, we invite you to come visit us in-person!

Learn more at https://www.stpetersfireside.org

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St. Peter's Fireside is a church in Vancouver, BC.

St. Peter’s Fireside exists to Discover the Goodness of God together. We believe that Jesus is alive and bringing new life into us and this city. As a church, we are formed by his goodness, and seek to share that goodness to serve each other, our neighbours and our city.

Want to learn more? Visit us at https://www.stpetersfireside.org

We’ll be looking at St Matthew’s account (we’re out of Luke!) of the Baptism of Jesus. Matthew is the only gospel that gives us the little discussion between John the Baptist and Jesus before the baptism happens. John wants to stop it, and we can understand why. Why should the sinless Jesus undergo a baptism of repentance? It doesn’t seem appropriate. Jesus’ answer is that “it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

What does this mean, and what does it have to do with us? Come and ponder this question. Alongside the Baptism of Jesus, we will also joyfully celebrate the baptism of Judah Treschow.

You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/LM75QsxhbZk

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We gather on Sundays at 10am Pacific Time online and in-person at UBC Robson Square (800 Robson) in Vancouver, BC. If you're able, we invite you to come visit us in-person!

Learn more at https://www.stpetersfireside.org

--

St. Peter's Fireside is a church in Vancouver, BC.

St. Peter’s Fireside exists to Discover the Goodness of God together. We believe that Jesus is alive and bringing new life into us and this city. As a church, we are formed by his goodness, and seek to share that goodness to serve each other, our neighbours and our city.

Want to learn more? Visit us at https://www.stpetersfireside.org

Join us back at Robson Square this Sunday for the Second Sunday of Christmas, and our celebration of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/8Asr3b61p3g

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We gather on Sundays at 10am Pacific Time online and in-person at UBC Robson Square (800 Robson) in Vancouver, BC. If you're able, we invite you to come visit us in-person!

Learn more at https://www.stpetersfireside.org

--

St. Peter's Fireside is a church in Vancouver, BC.

St. Peter’s Fireside exists to Discover the Goodness of God together. We believe that Jesus is alive and bringing new life into us and this city. As a church, we are formed by his goodness, and seek to share that goodness to serve each other, our neighbours and our city.

Want to learn more? Visit us at https://www.stpetersfireside.org

This Sunday, on the 4th Sunday of Advent, we finally get to anticipate Christmas! We’ll look at Isaiah’s famous prophecy: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa 7:14). We’ll begin by reading this text literally, in its original context. I think we’ll find that this will leave us unsatisfied. This will lead us to the question: What is the Old Testament for Christians? The answer is incredibly exciting! I’m looking forward to encountering Christ with you this Sunday as he opens to us the Scriptures and as we recognize him in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24).

You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/KfAUbz-xclQ

This Sunday, our apprentice Xue Ting will be preaching as we continue our Advent journey in the book of Isaiah, this time in chapter 35. We journey from the desolation of exile, into the everlasting joy of redemption. We look at movements from barrenness to flourishing, our weakness to God's deliverance, and from spiritual exile to spiritual homecoming. We're looking forward to worshipping together on Sunday!

You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/94z27Gas4HM