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The Humanness of God
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 26, 2023
Easter celebrates the Lord’s victory over hell, at a time in history when hell was at its strongest. Yet Easter was not just a moment in time: in His moment of victory the Lord conquered hell to eternity. His conquest carries on in us today, and it is able to carry on specifically because of the humanness that God took on, and that still defines Him today. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (16m 33s)
Invited to the Wedding
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 19, 2023
When you are invited to a wedding and reception, do you accept? What if the one who is hosting the wedding is wealthy, even a king, and the only cost to attend is your time, the only requirement that you dress appropriately? Would you not most likely readily accept if possible, and even rearrange your schedule to make it work? There would be no reason not to. And to go further, what if the one throwing the Wedding were the Lord, and to enter the wedding was to enter heaven? How much more likely we would be to accept! And yet, for some reason, the Lord tells us a parable in which the obvious does not occur, in which the invitation is refused. We too live out this parable. From it, we can learn to recognize the Lord’s invitations, and so choose to accept them. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (18m 18s)
Fear of the Law
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 12, 2023
The Lord has many rules that we are to follow. One of the fundamental principles of the church is that we are to live our lives according to His laws. But with so many rules to follow it can begin to feel impossible; and if it is impossible to keep the Lord’s law, than we may start to feel we are doomed to failure. This is not the case. Although it is a challenge, the Lord is able to give us the power to keep His rules, and to even find joy in doing so. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (19m 47s)
God With Us
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - February 19, 2023
With all the distractions of life, the many mundane activities to attend to, the daily grind that never seems to end, God can get lost in the shuffle. Some have tried to transcend all worldly concerns in order to focus entirely on God, but for many of us that is not an option. The world is too present in our lives. Thankfully the Lord does not only exist on high; He is present in the worldly stuff of life, and through repentance everyone is able to meet Him even among the day-to-day concerns. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (16m 42s)
Leaving Shame Behind
Worship Service: Sermon only - February 12, 2023
Have you ever done something to a person that you’re ashamed of, or had a person know something shameful about you? And every time you’re around them all you can think of is how desperately you just want to get away, to escape from their presence so you can stop feeling the shame? I think a lot of people feel that way about God. So they push God away and want nothing to do with him, because His presence brings their shame to life. But there are three pieces to this situation, not just you and God. It’s you, God, and your shame. And instead of pushing away God from ourselves when we feel shame, God calls us to push the shame away when He is present. That is the result of repentance: to push away that shameful behavior and so be present with God. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (18m 42s)
We Need God
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - January 29, 2023
The New Church emphasizes how much charity matters. Charity is the primary purpose of our lives, and without it no amount of faith will save us. What then of faith in God? If charity is all that matters, can we dispose of a notion of an all-powerful divine being who watches over us? How significant is that belief anyway? According to the New Church: essential. Without some acknowledgment of God, we actually cannot practice true charity. We’ll look deeper into why a belief in God is so crucial to how we live. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (19m 30s)
The Lilies of the Field
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - January 22, 2023
We live in a world filled with signs of Divine love and wisdom, and the Divine Providence which is governing our lives every moment – protecting, nurturing, and leading us. The world of nature presents an image of our spiritual lives, and can instruct us in how to grow spiritually. Yet these insights do not come just from studying nature, nor even from just studying spiritual things, but from living what the Word teaches, so that we can see from our hearts the messages from the Lord in the world around us. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (21m 08s)
Children's Talk - Disagreement and Harmony
Worship Service: Childrens Talk only - January 15, 2023
What does it take to love someone you disagree with? At what point does a disagreement escalate to an argument, and in turn ruin a relationship? Is it even possible to fully love everyone you disagree with? There are lots of disagreements around us all the time, many of which do escalate. In spite of our best efforts we will have times when disagreements and arguments break the harmony of our relationships. Disagreement cannot, and should not, be avoided. But it does not have to be a messy affair that ends friendships. If we learn to disagree under the guidance of the Lord’s Word we will find greater harmony in the end. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (03m 50s)
Adult Sermon - Disagreement and Harmony
Worship Service: Sermon only - January 15, 2023
What does it take to love someone you disagree with? At what point does a disagreement escalate to an argument, and in turn ruin a relationship? Is it even possible to fully love everyone you disagree with? There are lots of disagreements around us all the time, many of which do escalate. In spite of our best efforts we will have times when disagreements and arguments break the harmony of our relationships. Disagreement cannot, and should not, be avoided. But it does not have to be a messy affair that ends friendships. If we learn to disagree under the guidance of the Lord’s Word we will find greater harmony in the end. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (14m 26s)
Memorial Service for Gerald Waters
Memorial Service - January 13, 2023
Memorial Service for Gerald Waters | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (38m 45s)
Herod
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 18, 2022
While the Christmas Story sparks joy and gladness, it took place in a time of darkness and evil. That is, after all, the whole reason Jesus needed to be born into the world in the first place. This evil is embodied in the character of Herod, the king at the time of Jesus' birth. Although at first his intentions appeared innocent enough, under the surface lurked jealousy and hatred. In him we see a reflection of our own hidden evils, evils that we need to grapple with if the Lord is to be born into our lives. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (18m 31s)
Spread the Good News
Worship Service: Informal Family - December 11, 2022
What do you do when you hear exciting news? Don’t you go and tell everyone that you can? And isn’t it really frustrating when you have exciting news to tell but someone else says it first? And isn’t that what makes it so hard to keep a secret? Imagine if you were the only one who knew your mom was pregnant, or you found out a cool present your brother will get for Christmas, or you heard about a surprise party that people are throwing for someone. You’d want to tell everyone. As we share in the joyful singing of Christmas carols this Sunday night, let’s also give some focus to how we can joyfully spread the good news of the Lord’s salvation. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (06m 32s)
Healing Spiritual Leprosy
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - November 20, 2022
The Lord came into this world to heal the sick. He did not come to those who were already healthy. Likewise, the Lord did not come to the righteous, or those who thought they were righteous, but to sinners, to heal them of their sin. The Lord pointed to this truth every time He healed someone who was physically ill. The physical healing was only an outward sign of the inward miracle: the healing of spiritual sin. Each and every one of our sins could be portrayed as an outward ailment. This week we turn to leprosy, through which we will learn what happens when we become isolated from God and from each other through sin, and how the Lord reconciles with us and restores us to our communities. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (18m 53s)
Tempted in the Wilderness - 3 - Putting Self First
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - November 13, 2022
This is the conclusion of our three-part series on temptations. In the end we have to confront our love of ourselves. This is at the heart of any spiritual struggle. We want to be in charge, so much so that we want to be able to control the Lord. This is represented in the Lord’s last temptation. The devil took Him up onto the pinnacle of the temple, and told Him to throw Himself to the ground. Doesn’t the Word say that “He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,” and, “In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone”? (Luke 4:10, 11). In others words, test the Lord. The Lord says that He’ll keep you safe. But let’s see if He really will. Force His hand. Make Him rescue you. Yet that is not how it works. The Lord will help us when we have made it clear that we want His help. In order to do this we must put aside love of self and put our trust in Him. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (17m 50s)
Tempted in the Wilderness - 2 - Twisting the Truth
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - November 06, 2022
Last week we talked about resisting the urge to pursue pleasure above all else. This week we will look at the more intellectual side of temptation: the temptation to twist the truth to suit our own needs. This is represented in the Devil offering Jesus the kingdoms of the world, if only He would worship him. Jesus rebuked the devil, saying that God, and God alone, is to be worshipped and served. We are tempted to make ourselves the rulers and arbiters of what is right and wrong. Yet true freedom lies in serving the Lord and abiding by His rules for life. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (19m 43s)
Tempted in the Wilderness - 1 - Hungering for Pleasure
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 30, 2022
This Sunday we will begin a three-part series on spiritual battles, or temptation. The template for entering these spiritual struggles can be found in the Lord’s temptations: before He began His ministry the Lord was tempted by the devil in the wilderness for forty days. The three main temptations that He faced and in which He was victorious encapsulate all of the temptations that we also grapple with: the craving for pleasure, the compulsion to twist the truth, and the drive to elevate ourselves above all others. 2. Twisting the Truth – 6 November 3. Putting Self First – 13 November | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (21m 04s)
Starting Fresh
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 23, 2022
Holy Supper will be offered this Sunday. Every time we take Holy Supper it is a new opportunity to find rejuvenation in our spiritual lives; so how do we let go of the past and really start anew? We’ll look at how the process of repentance washes away some of our baggage and gives us a great chance to start again on our spiritual journey. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (17m 31s)
Dean Gaston de Chazal Memorial Service
Memorial Service - October 19, 2022
Dean Gaston de Chazal Memorial Service | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (28m 57s)
Order Within the Chaos
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 16, 2022
Life is often messy. Many people struggle to stay on top of all their obligations, much less all the other bits and pieces of life. With this experience it can start to appear that there is no real order or purpose to life, no strand tying it all together. Yet even in the chaos the Lord’s order is present. In His eyes, every piece is accounted for, every event foreseen, and every possibility planned for. Even within the chaos, there is order; the Lord’s Divine Order. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (20m 32s)
Old Age
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 09, 2022
Old age can be a time of great reflection: looking back on what has been, looking forward with wonder to what is to come after death. It can also be a time of trial and tribulation: as the body and mind fail, doubt and despair can creep in. Moses, at the end of his life, was able to reflect on the past and from that gracefully hand over his wisdom to the next generation. As we look at this concluding stage of life in this world, we will look at how we too can gracefully age and handover to the next generation. Thank you to Lance Mansfield for once again stepping up to be our Lay Preacher. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (14m 34s)
God's Healing Forgiveness
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 02, 2022
We all have times when we become paralyzed by evil and falsity. We want desperately to be good but for some reason we cannot seem to let go of harmful thoughts and feelings. The Lord’s forgiveness offers us a way out of this spiritual paralysis: when we raise our thoughts to Him, He heals us through His forgiveness, and in that healing we find freedom for our minds. Thank you to Lance Mansfield for being our Lay Preacher | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (12m 01s)
A Heavenly Heritage
Worship Service: Sermon only - September 25, 2022
A person’s heritage is the practices and customs that have been handed down from the past and that in many ways define the group they are part of. To celebrate heritage is to celebrate where a person or group has come from and to appreciate the variety among other cultures. Within all these cultures though there is a uniting thread that holds us all together, that of a heavenly heritage, a heavenly way of life, passed down to us from the Lord. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (14m 42s)
Prepare the Way
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 18, 2022
John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the Lord. Without this preparation the people would not have been able to recognize the Lord’s innocence and love. Likewise, if we do not prepare through living a good life we will miss the presence of the Lord’s innocence and love. The way we prepare is through repentance. This week, take the time to think about how you would like the Lord to show up in your life: in love? In peace? In friendship? In integrity? Then take the steps that will allow you to receive the Lord in this way. The hard work of preparation will have been worth it when it brings the joy of the Lord’s presence. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (18m 58s)
To Be Part of a Whole
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 11, 2022
We talk of organizations as if they have a life of their own: "The company made some good decisions last years;" "The rugby team is making good progress." But of course, no organization does anything apart from the individual choices of its members. The church is no different. We may talk of the church as a separate entity that does things; the reality is that the church only exists insofar as the individual members are living and being the church. Each of us is a part of the greater whole, and the quality of the church will be determined by the quality of our lives. Rev. J. Bheki Dube also reads a lesson. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (18m 53s)
The Spirit of the Law
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 04, 2022
We all break rules from time to time. We speed. We tell a little lie. We browse Instagram at work when no one is around. We always tell ourselves that it is justified. But then someone else does the same, and our righteous indignation bristles: well if they speed, I can cut them off! They lied, so I can bad mouth them to others! They slack off at work, so I can too! What we fail to see is that we are using the technicality of breaking a rule to justify us harming someone else. The Lord calls us to something greater: to look beyond just the letter of the law and focus on the spirit, and from there to have compassion on those who perhaps don't stay within bounds as much as we might hope. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (21m 44s)