Janet Sermons

Isaiah 60:1-3; Matthew 2:1-12 Introduction “Arise! Shine for your light has come!” (Isaiah 60:1). Did any of you witness the sunrise this morning? What was it like in your corner of the world? Isaiah uses the image of the sunrise breaking over the horizon to describe the light and warmth of God’s love washing […]

Restoration is Near: Longing and Waiting Isaiah 35 Introduction Have any of you ever taken part in a restoration project? Maybe you restored a piece of antique furniture, an old car, or an antique tractor. Or maybe you restored the hardwood floors or the natural woodwork in an old house. Maybe it was

Psalm 85 Introduction Partway down the slope of the Mount of Olives, just outside Jerusalem, there is a chapel called Dominus Flevit, which translated, means “the Lord wept.” The chapel is constructed in the shape of a teardrop, marking the location of Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem. This “teardrop chapel” commemorates the story of

Isaiah 52:6-7; Exodus 3:1-6 Introduction When I was a kid growing up on the farm, summers were about bare feet–the freedom and the ease of it–just to run outside without bothering to put on shoes or boots. In spring, we couldn’t wait for that first warm day to leave our shoes behind and walk

1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 27-31 Introduction When I was in highschool I had a good friend who belonged to the local Pentecostal church. I recall one morning, she found me in the hallway before school started, grabbed me by the arm and pulled me into the closest private space she could find–the girl’s changeroom.

John 21:1-14 Introduction: A Feast for the Senses The story we heard this morning is one to experience with all five of our senses. Can you smell that damp, fishy odour of the seashore?  Hear the splash of the oars. Feel the rough rope of the fishing net in your hands. See the