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Am I Enough?
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 2 Jun, 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
Children and Parents
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 26 May, 2019
If you have children, you probably spend a fair amount of time talking about parenting—how things are going for this child or that child, what you’re fighting with your children about (what they’re eating or not eating, screen time, homework, etc.), your worries about their future. But what is the goal? What is the role of a parent meant to be? And what about these children that we’re trying to parent—are they perfect, uncorrupted little angels, are they disrespectful brats that need to be brought into line? There are many opinions about all of these things in the world but what I want to talk about on Sunday is what the Lord says about all of this in His Word. What does He teach us about the nature of children and how does He define the role of a parent? Gaining clarity about this can really help us hold the hard work of parenting in a better way. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA
Other People's Children
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 19 May, 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
Let the little children come to Me...
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 12 May, 2019
This Sunday we’re beginning a sermon series on children with the story in which Jesus says, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them….” The context of this statement is that people were trying to bring their children to the Lord but the disciples were telling them to go away. We might think, why would the disciples try to send the children away from the Lord? But there are actually plenty of times when we might be inclined to do the same exact thing. Let’s take a look. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA
Changing Our Spiritual Landscape
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 5 May, 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
The Movement of Easter, Part 2: Baptise and Teach
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 28 Apr, 2019
Last week we read about the Lord commanding His disciples to go forth and make disciples of all nations and we talked about what He is asking of us in that command. The Lord didn’t just give them that general command; He also told them specifically to baptise people into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to teach them to keep all the things that He had commanded them. Are we all meant to baptise people? Why did the Lord talk about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Are we all meant to teach other people what the Lord commanded? If we want to take this command of the Lord’s seriously, then we need to really think this through. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA
The Movement of Easter, Part 1: Go Forth and Make Disciples
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 21 Apr, 2019
There is a lot of movement in the story of the morning of the Lord’s resurrection. Words like go, come, went, ran are used 18 times in the last chapter of Matthew and almost two-thirds of the verses contain some sort of movement. Women go to the tomb, they are told to go and tell the disciples to go to another place. When the disciples go to that place, the Lord tells them to go out to all nations and make disciples, baptise, and teach. What movement does the Lord want from us? It’s easy to celebrate Easter, eat a few too many chocolates, and go back to normal life without anything having changed. Where does the Lord want us to go this Easter and how do we get up and do it? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA
Can You Recognise the Messiah
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 14 Apr, 2019
This Sunday we celebrate Jesus riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. When He rode in some people recognised Him as the Messiah, other people didn't know who He was, and other people strongly rejected the idea that He was the Messiah. We hope that we would have been among those who saw Him as the Messiah but, a few chapters later, the Lord warns people not to be fooled by people pretending to be the Messiah. Can we tell the difference between the Lord and people pretending to be the Lord? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA
Order and Anarchy
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 7 Apr, 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
What Would Jesus Do?
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 31 Mar, 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
Purifying Motives
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 24 Mar, 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
Founded on Prayer
Worship Service: Childrens Talk only - 17 Mar, 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
Love Over Ego - Part 5 - The Writing is on the Wall
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 10 Mar, 2019
The phrase “the writing is on the wall” comes from the story that we’re going to be exploring on Sunday. During a wild and profane party, the new king of Babylon, Belshazzar, sees a hand write a mysterious message on the wall. And the meaning of the message, as explained by Daniel, is that Belshazzar has been evaluated, found to be deficient, and so will have the kingdom taken from him. In our process of working to have love triumph over our ego, we will have times when the writing is on the wall for some aspect of our lives. Are we willing to have that part of us die? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA
Love Over Ego - Part 4 - Unashamed Humility
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 3 Mar, 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
Love Over Ego - Part 3 - The Freedom to Say No
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 24 Feb, 2019
This Sunday we will be working through the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego and how they were not willing to bow down to an idol that Nebuchadnezzar set up, even if it would mean that they would be burned to death in a furnace as punishment. How did they have such strength in their convictions? Would we be willing to stick to our faith if doing so could result in us facing similarly dire consequences? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA
Love Over Ego - Part 2 - Wisdom in Humility
Worship Service: Childrens Talk only - 17 Feb, 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
Love Over Ego - Taking a Stand
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 10 Feb, 2019
This Sunday we begin our series on the Daniel story, Love Over Ego. When the story begins, Daniel is taken far away from his home to live in captivity in Babylon. But Daniel is given an opportunity to get special treatment and to move up the ladder. When we find ourselves in similar difficult circumstances it’s very easy to justify doing whatever we need to do in order to get ahead. But Daniel, instead, does not just go with the flow and take what’s given to him; he takes a stand for what the Lord teaches. Come on Sunday to hear what happens to him and to reflect on how we also can take a stand for what the Lord teaches. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA
God's Goals For Your Happiness
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 3 Feb, 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
Burn Out
Worship Service: Children & Adult - 27 Jan, 2019
A number of people online are discussing and writing articles about burnout at the moment, prompted by this article posted a few weeks ago. And so it seemed good to spend some time thinking about burnout from a New Church Christian perspective. What does the Lord teach about burning out and how can He help us to notice when we’re heading that direction and change course? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA
Accept the Gift
Worship Service: Children & Adult - 20 Jan, 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
Ezekiel and the Valley of the Dry Bones
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 13 Jan, 2019
The sermon for this Sunday is one by Coleman Glenn, our former Associate Pastor. The text is a dramatic vision that the prophet Ezekiel had of a valley full of dry bones that come back together, have sinew, flesh, and skin cover them again and ultimately turn into a huge group of living people. It's a dramatic symbolic picture of how the Lord can take what's dead within us and bring us back to spiritual life. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA
We Have Come to Worship Him
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 16 Dec, 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
The Two Gates
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 25 Nov, 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
Heaven is Not Transferable
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 11 Nov, 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
Heaven is Not for Everyone
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 4 Nov, 2018
We’re doing a series called “Appealing Heresies” which is about ideas that sound good and sound true but actually are quite problematic when you think them through. This Sunday evening we’re talking about the appealing idea that everyone can go to heaven, no matter what they believe. Many people believe this. Many people think this is what the New Church teaches. It’s not. What’s wrong with this idea? Come on Sunday evening as we unpack the implications of this appealing heresy and try to understand what the Lord actually teaches on this topic. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA