WildWords: Sermons from Wildwood Mennonite Church

As we wade into the murky waters of wilderness, let’s do our best to remember the promise we celebrate in baptism, of a God calling us into life. But if that’s a hard hope to cling to, remember the words of Anne Lamott “The opposite of faith is not doubt: It is certainty.”

Still waiting for the release of Top Gun 2? This is definitely not that... but week 3 of our Lent series invites us to take to the skies in search of Wisdom. So please place your copies of Psalm 19 under the seat in front of you, raise your tray tables and securely fasten your seat belt--it's time to buzz the tower!

"If you would save your life, you'll lose it. But if you lose your life for my sake, you'll save it. What would you gain if you were to win the whole world but lose your self in the process?" A provocative challenge from Jesus (Mark 8:31-28). Are we meant to literally follow him to the cross and our own deaths for the greater good? And if not that extreme, then what?

Lent 2021 begins with a global disaster (of course it does....) Well, a story about one, anyway--Noah and the Great Flood. What's so inspirational about a vengeful god destroying the planet, you ask? Besides the cute animals, obviously...

Our theme this Sunday is "Called to Hear" which follows the theme of the Mennonite Church Saskatchewan Annual Delegate Sessions coming up next month. Our "guest speaker" this Sunday is Josh Wallace, Church Engagement Minister at MC Sask. He shares a sermon on The Call of Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1-21).

In times of change, how does our understanding of God deepen and shift? Do we hold fast to the traditions that have sustained us this far or do we adapt and create new ways of thinking and being for the new times? In this middle section of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17-48), Jesus demonstrates how to hold together tradition and growth. What would that look like for you in 2021?

Does the pandemic have you feeling #blessed? Me either. So what is Jesus up to when he promises that "Blessed are the spiritually bankrupt, for theirs is the kin-dom of the heavens"? (Also, what the heck is a kin-dom?) Follow us up The Mountain to find out! #blessedarethecheesemakers

Psalm 19 says the law of God is perfect. But what if the law of the land is far from the justice that God longs for? And what is the church’s responsibility to engage the law of the land, especially when it impacts those that Jesus is particularly concerned with— the vulnerable? Despite rumors of political non-engagement, Mennonites have wrestled with the laws of the land for generations, not only advocating for change, but helping bring it about. Today, Indigenous peoples are calling on governments and faith communities to adopt and comply with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (TRC Calls to Action 43 & 48).

Remember a week ago when everybody was excited to bid farewell to 2020, just certain that 2021 was going to be So. Much. Better. Well.... how's that working out for ya? Not so much? Take heart, you're not alone. Join us to hear about Tamar, and Rehoboam, and Josiah, and others who have felt like they'd reached the end of their story, yet found something more on the other side. #toosoon #imiss2020?

In this week's worship, we took a look back at the past year through the lens of Ecclesiastes 3: "There is a time for everything; a season for every purpose under heaven." In lieu of a sermon, Joe led us through a guided reflection exercise on that famous poem. inviting us to consider the many different times that we found ourselves in and the possibility that God was with us in and through them all.