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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
See Event (24m 43s)
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
See Event (21m 55s)
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)
Joy Comes in the Morning: Dealing with Depression from a Spiritual Standpoint
Banquet Address - June 22, 2019
Joel Glenn's banquet speech at the 2019 New Church Day Banquet at New Church Westville. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (20m 16s)
The Spiritual History of the Human Race, Part 2: The Ancient World
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - June 16, 2019
The Spiritual History of the Human Race, Part 2: The Ancient World In the lead up to New Church Day we are looking at the spiritual history of the human race, in other words, all the churches that went before and how they contribute to where we find ourselves today in the New Church. Last week Malcolm talked about how mankind began in a kind of purity and innocence, but then fell away from that when they decided to make their own sense of self more important than God. This week we’ll look at the next era in spiritual history: the Ancient Church. This is the time period in which people became disconnected from spiritual reality and the Lord had to find other ways of reaching them. By studying this process we can start to understand why God can seem so distant from us today. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (28m 12s)
Am I Enough?
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - June 02, 2019
We are bombarded with messages that we need to do more, give more, be more. Whether these messages are overt and intended or subtle and implied, they push us to ask ourselves, "am I enough?" Am I enough for my children? Am I enough for my spouse? Am I enough for my work? Am I enough for my society? And above all, am I enough for the Lord? The bad news is that we are all lacking; the good news is even in our lack we are enough in the Lord's eyes. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 45s)
Other People's Children
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - May 19, 2019
This Sunday we continue our series on children. When we think of children our minds immediately go to parents as well. But children are not just the concern of parents. Whether we like it or not, all of us have some responsibility for other people's children. As individuals, as a community, and as a church, how do we carry out this responsibility that we have not asked for and at times outright resent? All of us have a role to play in the lives of the young people who surround us. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (19m 41s)
Changing Our Spiritual Landscape
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - May 05, 2019
You can tell a lot about someone by the things and people they surround themselves with. On the one hand, this is because where we choose to put time and effort is a reflection of what we value. On the other hand, it is also because we are shaped by our environments: we become like what we are surrounded by. This statement is true spiritually. If we surround ourselves with heavenly influences, we will become heavenly. If we surround ourselves with hellish influences, we will become hellish. Where and how we spend our time is not just a matter of personal preference. It is a matter of choosing who we will become. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (20m 51s)
Order and Anarchy
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - April 07, 2019
In the western world we tend to value individuality above almost anything else. The freedom of the individual is sacrosanct. The Lord also values individual freedom. Without the freedom to make personal choices we would not be able to choose heaven over hell. Yet that does not mean that all freedom is equal: one kind of individual freedom leads to hellish anarchy while the other leads to heavenly order. If we want to follow the Lord, we need to spend time distinguishing between the two. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 16s)
What Would Jesus Do?
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 31, 2019
In the western world we tend to value individuality above almost anything else. The freedom of the individual is sacrosanct. The Lord also values individual freedom. Without the freedom to make personal choices we would not be able to choose heaven over hell. Yet that does not mean that all freedom is equal: one kind of individual freedom leads to hellish anarchy while the other leads to heavenly order. If we want to follow the Lord, we need to spend time distinguishing between the two. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (20m 15s)
Purifying Motives
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 24, 2019
Doing good things is relatively easy. But what about when you've done your good deed for the day only to be assaulted by the nagging feeling that maybe, just maybe, your motive for doing it was a selfish one? Changing our motives is hard be cause unlike actions, motives cannot be changed directly. We cannot just choose to be motivated by good will at the drop of a hat. Luckily, the Lord lays out a process that we can go through, and if we follow it, over time, our motives will become more and more pure. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (24m 04s)
Founded on Prayer
Worship Service: Childrens Talk only - March 17, 2019
Every year we celebrate the founding of Kainon School with a special worship service. This is a great way to celebrate Kainon, because its real foundation is the Lord Himself. This year, in keeping with the school theme of "Prayer from the Heart" we will look at how prayer gives us a foundation that can carry us through even the most difficult of times. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (10m 38s)
Love Over Ego - Part 4 - Unashamed Humility
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 03, 2019
When a person hits rock bottom, there can be a lot of shame. This is especially true if it seemed for a long time that he had everything together, only to have it all come crashing down. But shame is not where a person has to end. Every failure is an opportunity to learn and grow. When we take that opportunity, the greatest lesson we learn is that of embracing humility and rising out of shame. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (21m 18s)
Love Over Ego - Part 2 - Wisdom in Humility
Worship Service: Childrens Talk only - February 17, 2019
The path to wisdom lasts a lifetime, and even then is never truly finished. Even the wisest man alive is pitifully ignorant compared to the vast wisdom of the Lord. Yet still we strive to grow in wisdom and intelligence, as we ought to do. We turn to experts, to podcasts and books, to life experiences and rationally thought-out plans. We expect that if we only had the right information we would be able to master life. Paradoxically though, wisdom does not ultimately come from grasping at worldly knowledge: it comes when we humbly look to the Lord and acknowledge our own shortcomings. That is the wisdom that will let us master life. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (05m 53s)
God's Goals For Your Happiness
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - February 03, 2019
God definitely wants us to be happy, but it doesn't always feel like it. More often than not there seems to be a tension between what we want to do and what God asks us to do. The Lord understands that we go through this and so He draws our attention to the happiness that lies within keeping His commandments: "Happy are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven," as just one example. Nor is this promised happiness only in the distant future. If we know what to look for, we can see in the moment how denying ourselves and following the Lord aligns perfectly with our own happiness. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (18m 15s)
Accept the Gift
Worship Service: Children & Adult - January 20, 2019
The difference between payment and a gift is that we are entitled to payment for the work we have done, while a gift is freely given. So if the Lord freely forgives and saves us, why does it seem like we have to work so hard for it? What do we get credit for and what do we have to acknowledge is the Lord's? If we can clearly see how the Lord freely gives us what we need to work with, we'll be able to accept that gift in every situation through the choices we make. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (00m 00s)
We Have Come to Worship Him
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 16, 2018
Worship is not something we think of as difficult. Yet there is a lot more to worship than meets the eye. The deeper meaning of worship shows up in the story of the wise men. These men did not simply worship the Lord from where they were. They got up and traveled to find the Lord and give him unique gifts. Likewise, if we want to truly worship the Lord, we have to seek Him out, and offer Him gifts of love, faith, usefulness. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (19m 15s)
The Two Gates
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - November 25, 2018
This Sunday we have the privilege of witnessing and taking part in the two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Supper. In some ways these two rituals seem worlds apart. In one, water is poured over a child's head as he is dedicated to the Lord. In the other we eat bread and drink wine, symbolic of taking in the Lord's love and wisdom. Yet these two rituals contain the whole span of spiritual life. Baptism represents the very first introduction to the Lord, the first glimmers of spiritual life. Holy Supper represents the fulfillment of that life, as we take in the Lord Himself to dwell within us. They are like two gates, and when we have gone through both, we are in heaven. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (17m 03s)
Heaven is Not Transferable
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - November 11, 2018
Wouldn't it be nice if someone else could do all the work of getting into heaven for us? In traditional Christianity this idea takes the form of "substitutionary atonement," the idea that because Christ suffered for our sin, we don't have to. This idea is rejected in the New Church, but it is still appealing to believe we don't have to do spiritual work because the Lord is doing it for us. While we could do nothing without the Lord, we actually need to take full responsibility for our spiritual lives. After all, no one else can do it for us. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (22m 38s)
Heaven is Not for Sale
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 28, 2018
You can’t buy your way into heaven, no matter how much wealth you amass. That won’t come as a surprise to most of you. Yet somehow, subconsciously, we end up trying. Every time we feel entitled to reward because of our good deeds, we have diminished good deeds to a mere currency with which we can buy a slice of heaven. Every time we feel slighted for the ill fortune that befalls us in spite of our goodness, we have reduced God’s living Providence into a mere balance sheet of good countered by evil. It is only when we realize that goodness is its own reward that we can be free from the allure of heaven as a reward. Heaven is not a reward; heaven is the natural result of a life of goodness. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (23m 34s)
Repenting from False Witness
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 14, 2018
The Ten Commandments forbid saying things that are not true; or do they? The 8th commandment is often summarized as "you shall not lie," but it actually reads, "you shall not bear false witness against your neighbour." This wording is significant. It implies something broader then just telling facts or lies. Even the "truth" can be used to bear false witness against someone. We are called to heed our thoughts and our words, making sure that they are not only factually correct, but that they bear witness to the true goodness of character of the people around us. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (23m 08s)
Seeing the Light
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 30, 2018
The past two Sundays Malcolm talked about reading the Bible, sharing techniques for how to do it and how to know if you're doing it right. This week we carry on with the same theme but with a slightly different perspective: not so much how to read the Bible but what happens when we do. Or to put it another way, moving from what we need to actively do to what the Lord does to us in response. If we prepare well, then reading the Bible becomes a source of light and guidance in our lives. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (21m 24s)
Our Spiritual Journeys - Looking Forward
Worship Service: Sermon only - September 02, 2018
Last week Malcolm talked about what we can gain from looking back into our pasts. This week we will talk about going the other way, looking forward into our futures. The challenge with the future is the unknowns. It is easy to see how the Lord led us even in hard times when we look back. It is more of a challenge to look forward and trust that the Lord will continue to lead us. And this is as it should be: the Lord asks us to plan for an uncertain future, and work towards it, so that He can direct us down the right path. When we find the right balance of planning and trust we can face what is to come with confidence. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 01s)
Our Spiritual Journeys
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - August 19, 2018
We all have a story. It is a story of our life, the ups and downs, the highs and the lows, the winding ways that we have come from where we were to where we are now. These stories are not just a dry account of our past. The story of our life is the story of the Lord's power and guidance, if we are willing to see it that way, and through retelling our stories we share that power with others. This Sunday we will look at the command given to the Children of Israel to constantly retell the story of how the Lord had saved them from slavery, so that generations to come would know the Lord's power and love. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (27m 29s)