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Grief and Gratitude
Worship Service: Informal Family - December 29, 2019
A different baby was born in Bethlehem, hundreds of years before Jesus was born there. The mother of that baby died in childbirth and soo named her son "son of my sorrow" before she died. Later the father renamed that baby, "son of the right hand" or "son of strength". This story offers an opportunity to reflect on our sorrows and the strength that the Lord has given us through our sorrows and also gives us another way of understanding why the Lord was born in Bethlehem. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (11m 22s)
Why Was Jesus Born in Bethlehem?
Worship Service: Informal Family - December 25, 2019
Jesus was birn in Bethlehem, a town that did not seem particularly interesting or exciting. And if we want to find our Savious we need to be willing to look in places that also don't seem particularly interesting or exciting. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (18m 30s)
Trampling the Serpent
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 22, 2019
There are prophecies of the Lord’s coming scattered throughout the Old Testament. Many of these are well known: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…” for example. But the first prophecy of the Lord’s coming is much more obscure and less well known. It is spoken by Jehovah to the serpent in the Garden of Eden: I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall trample your head, And you shall batter His heel. Not your usual Christmas cheer perhaps, but this prophecy describes the purpose of the Lord’s coming: to confront the selfishness that rises like a serpent within each of us and trample it down until we can be saved from it. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (26m 46s)
We Might Not Want the Lord to Come, But We Need Him To
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 01, 2019
As we approach Christmas we often talk about the Lord coming into the world and Him coming into our lives in a new way. At this Sunday’s evening service we will be talking about prophecies from Malachi about the Lord’s coming and why we might not actually want the Lord to come into our lives. That might sound strange but some of the prophecies about the Lord’s coming do not sound very pleasant. But we actually do need to go through those unpleasant things to really be ready for the Lord to come into our lives in a new way. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 39s)
Halfway There
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - November 24, 2019
When Saul was commanded to destroy all the Amalekites and all their possessions, he only half obeyed: he destroyed all the worthless possessions, but kept the precious things, and spared the king. Yet he still claimed that he had obeyed the Lord. How often do we only follow the Lord halfway, but claim that we have done everything He asks? And how do we come to a place of wholeheartedly separating ourselves even from the evils that we really love and are attached to? | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
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Invitation
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - November 17, 2019
As a church we are focusing on invitation for the next couple of months. As we work on invitation I want our thinking and our actions to be informed by what the Lord teaches about it. And when you look for it, you can find teachings and stories about invitation and even direct invitations from the Lord throughout the His Word. Let’s learn from the Lord about how to invite. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 38s)
Unintended Consequences
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - November 10, 2019
Intentions matter more than actions. In other words, someone who is good hearted but makes mistakes is better off than someone who is malicious even while doing the right thing. Yet even the most well-intentioned person can cause harm. Their good intentions do not negate the damage they can cause in ignorance. Rather than justifying ourselves or others by saying, “they meant well,” we must find ways of addressing the harm and correcting it, even as we support and acknowledge the good intentions lying behind it. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (30m 53s)
Labouring from the Lord
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - November 03, 2019
Why do we work on our spiritual lives? Why do we work to be more kind, more thoughtful, more generous? Is it for ourselves, other people, or the Lord? This week we will be looking at how our motivations effect our happiness, moving us toward jealousy and anger or toward joy and contentedness. How do we get from being reward focused to truly labouring from the Lord? | By Rev. Richard M. Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (26m 33s)
Praise the Lord
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 27, 2019
Again and again, the Bible stresses the importance of praising the Lord, but why? We praise other people to let them know we love and appreciate them, but the Lord knows every part of us. He knows how we feel before we could think to say it. What then, is the purpose of praising Him? Who is it for? This Sunday, join us as we examine the use of praising the Lord, and what that praise can look like. | By Rev. Richard M. Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (19m 32s)
"Unless the Lord Builds the House...."
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 20, 2019
It's very easy to buy into the idea that if we just work hard enough we can make sure that things work out the way we want them to. But then sometimes the things that we put hours and hours of effort and energy into building still fall to pieces. And then it feels like it's not worth working on anything. But the Lord can help us to find a healthier motivation to keep on working hard, while also leaving the outcomes to Him. This sermon is based on a chapel talk by Thane Glenn. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
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Unity in Worship
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 13, 2019
This Sunday we will talk about having unity in worship. The General Church has congregations all around the world, with people of various cultures and backgrounds. How do we remain unified in a way that makes us all feel part of the same Church, and how can we come together in worship and be lifted up by the Lord? In contrast, what are the things that cause us to feel at odds with each other, and feel that we are not all part of the same Church? As always, the Lord has the answers for us! | By Rt. Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs | Westville, RSA
See Event (28m 37s)
Embracing Weakness
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 06, 2019
If someone called you weak, you would take it as an insult. But what about when the Lord calls you weak? Because He most certainly does: compared to Him, we are utterly powerless. And yet far from being insulted, if we embrace our own weakness, we can let down the burdens of perfection and self-reliance, and receive from the Lord a greater power than we could ever muster on our own. We may be utterly helpless, but the greatest force in the universe is on our side. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (19m 12s)
Life is Hard, Part 2, What Do We Do?
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 29, 2019
A few weeks ago we talked about how to cope with how hard life in this world is. This Sunday we're going to focus on the question of what to do about it. What actions should we take in response to hard and terrible things that happen? It's easy to feel quite powerless in the face of tragedies or huge problems. Can we make a difference? What do we do if our best efforts seem to accomplish nothing? Life is hard; what do we do? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (22m 25s)
When Moses is Gone Too Long
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 22, 2019
Imagine that you are in this beautiful world, but there is a canvas sheet a few feet above your head. You can go on living, but a lot is lost. This describes a condition with good people who are trying to go to heaven. But there is a danger. The story of the golden calf the people made when Moses was up on the mountain for too long tells of a danger of earthly life and how we combat it. | By Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss, Sr. | Westville, RSA
See Event (27m 11s)
Innocence is Bliss
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 15, 2019
There is a certain magic in holding a little baby. Their innocence brings a sense of contented peace. But what does it mean to be innocent really? It doesn’t mean being naive. It doesn’t mean being ignorant. But it doesn’t mean being perfect either. Can we keep our innocence as we grow? Should we? This Sunday we’ll explore what Jesus Christ tells us about innocence and what we need to do to live a life led by the Lord. - By Richard Glenn | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (21m 27s)
Life is Hard, Part 1, How Do We Cope
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 08, 2019
There are a lot of hard aspects of life in this natural world—in our personal lives and also in the world around us. What do we do with it all? How do we cope? Is it better to try to ignore the hard stuff? If we don’t ignore the hard stuff, how do we keep from being flattened by it? This Sunday we’re going to try to learn from He who has “borne our griefs and carried our sorrows,” about how we can cope with life in this hard world. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
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Good News, Fresh from Heaven, Part 2: Seen, Heard and Felt
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 01, 2019
This week we continue to explore the Teachings of the New Church and what they can mean for us. One of the more unusual aspects of these works is the descriptions of conversations with spirits and angels and the surroundings in which they took place. Swedenborg did not just share ideas, but also the things that the Lord allowed him to see, hear, and feel. Although unusual, what can these experiences teach us about heavenly life that mere ideas could not? | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (20m 30s)
A New Name
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - August 25, 2019
We get to witness two baptisms as part of the service this Sunday. When someone gets baptised we talk about them being baptised in the Lord’s name. There’s a lot that’s contained in that simple idea. This Sunday we’ll talk about what it means to take on the name of being a Christian and how we can find a new sense of identity in the Lord. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
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Memorial Service for Edward Palmer
Memorial Service - August 25, 2019
On the 18 August 2019, Edward Palmer peacefully passed away at the age of 86. It's always a hard adjustment when someone passes away, even when they've been sick for a long time like Ted had been. While we grieve his passing, we also are glad for him that he is no longer encumbered with a sick body but instead can enjoy the full use of his spiritual body and can again walk, run, talk easily with people, explore, and eat whatever he wants. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (34m 40s)
Good News, Fresh from Heaven
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - August 18, 2019
People are often intimidated to try reading Emanuel Swedenborg’s books. He wrote a lot of books and they get into some pretty deep and complex topics. And yet in his own words, these books are "the coming of the Lord." So how do we approach these books in a way that moves beyond philosophy and enters into a real, living relationship with the Lord? | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
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What Does it Take to Make Good Decisions in a Difficult Moment?
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - August 11, 2019
There's a lot about life that is beyond our control and so it's easy to feel like life is just happening to us and we are being dragged along for the ride. Despite that we do still have choices to make--big ones and little, day-to-day ones. How do we make good choices? What things do we need to have in place in our lives to give us the best chance of making good decisions in the midst of our busy, stressful, or just overwhelming lives? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (19m 45s)
Samuel, Part 3: Less Than Ideal, But Better Than Nothing
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - August 04, 2019
Towards the end of Samuel’s life the Children of Israel began demanding a king. They wanted someone in charge who could defend them from their enemies, and besides, all the neighbouring tribes got to have their own king. God had two responses to their demand: Don’t do it If you do, here’s how you need to do it Even though God knew that having a king was less than ideal, He was also willing to work with their demands and show them a way of doing it that would be successful. Likewise, when we balk at the Lord and demand to be able to do spirituality our own way, God is willing to compromise, provided we remain within a certain framework of truth. This Sunday we’ll talk about that less then ideal but still workable way of following the Lord. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (29m 35s)
Samuel, Part 2: Beyond Skin-Deep Spirituality
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - July 28, 2019
What makes someone spiritual? Is it how they talk and what they say? Is it the rituals they take part in or the practices they have developed? Is it how they treat other people? All of these things do go into a person's spirituality, but what really makes a person spiritual does deeper, to what is going on in the heart. The Children of Israel's superficial treatment of the Ark of God, and their subsequent defeat, has a lot to teach us about the need to go deeper than just going through the motions and to take what God says to heart. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
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Samuel, Part 1: Hearing the Lord's Call
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - July 21, 2019
This Sunday we’re starting a series on the story of Samuel. As an adult, Samuel becomes a pivotal figure in the history of the Children of Israel but his story begins in his childhood. The Lord calls out to him and at first he doesn’t know that it’s the Lord. We too can struggle to distinguish the Lord’s call in our lives from a lot of other inputs. With Samuel we can learn what it takes to recognise the Lord’s call and what sort of messages the Lord has for us. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 44s)
Heavenly Imbalance
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - July 14, 2019
“Everything in moderation” seems like a sound rule for life. After all, anything, even something good, can become harmful when taken to an extreme. Yet this common-sense truth finds surprisingly little support in the Lord’s Word. As just one example, Jesus says, “no one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). There is no moderation or balancer here: rather pick a side and wholeheartedly follow it! This Sunday we will look at how a blind devotion to moderation can be harmful and why thinking in terms of prioritisation is a more heavenly outlook. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (24m 23s)