Sermons Archives - Leading in Worship

Changing from the Outside In: A Hallowe’en Sermon – Psalm 109, Colossians 3:1-14, Job 29:14

October 22, 2021

Today’s scripture passage is all about identity. Paul uses an interesting metaphor for the Christian life, he talks about it as putting on clothes. He talks about the old life, with all its negativities such as fornication, impurity, greed, idolatry…he says you need to strip that off. Just take it off, strip it off like you would dirty old clothes, full of mud and dirt. Then he talks about clothing yourself with something new, with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, with forgiveness and above all with love.

Travelling Mercies on Family Journeys – Genesis 37:17-35

October 5, 2021

The story of Joseph and his brothers has captured our attention for thousands of years. It’s a story of family violence. A story of a family walking a long journey with the consequences of that violence. It’s a story of how God can take violent people and turn them around. Why did

Really Listening: The Story of the Wheat and the Tares – Matthew 13:24-30

August 12, 2021

This summer we are hearing sermons about parables. Some parables are easy to understand, some are hard. Some are popular, and some are not very well known. Today we heard a straightforward parable that I think the Mennonite church has not taken to heart. My sermon will be pretty historical

Swearing Oaths: Taking Jesus’ Words to Heart – Exodus 22:10-11, Matthew 5:33-37

June 21, 2021

Today I am talking about swearing and taking oaths, and how that relates to us as Christians, and more particularly as Mennonites. The verbs “to swear” and “to take an oath” have a couple of meanings, and I’m going to talk today about two meanings. The first meaning is the

Reign of Christ Sunday: A Good Sunday for Mennonites – Matthew 25:31-46, Ephesians 1:17-23

June 16, 2021

Today is Christ the King Sunday, or sometimes called the Reign of Christ Sunday, a day where churches around the world remember Jesus as the one who rules over all. We read two of our lectionary texts, and I think they have a lot to teach us, especially as Mennonites.

Our Bodies as Gift and Sacrifice – Romans 12:1-13

June 11, 2021

One of my earliest memories from growing up in a Mennonite church is attending Sunday school and singing in the auditorium with all the children. One of my favorite songs was “Take My Life and Let it Be”: in the wong we asked God to take our hands, our feet,

Take Up Your Cross: On the Home Front – Mark 8:27-38, Romans 5:1-11

June 7, 2021

Take up your cross and follow me: these are some of the most famous words of Jesus. The newest Christian knows them, and yet the oldest Christian might not understand fully what it means. “Take up your cross and follow me.” What do these words mean for our identity as

Jesus in the Synagogue: Terror and Hardheartedness – Mark 3:1-6, Psalm 143:3-8

May 26, 2021

This is a small scripture story, but a story with a lot of heart. It takes place in a synagogue in Galilee. We don’t know which synagogue, but it is somewhere in Galilee. I was in a synagogue in Galilee a couple of years ago. It was in Nazareth Village,

Scripture: A Door That’s Right For You – Matthew 7:7-10, Psalm 19:7-10

May 25, 2021

I wonder whether any of you made New Years resolutions this year. Maybe your resolution was to become physically fit by running three times a week. Maybe you went to the Sportchek sale and bought new sweats and shoes for running at the Boxing Day blowout. Or maybe your resolution

Epiphany in the Ordinary and Everyday – Matthew 2:1-15, Genesis 28:10-16, John 1:51

May 25, 2021

My husband’s parents lived in Winkler, Manitoba, so for many years we used to go there every year for Christmas. I remember one day after New Years I went to go shopping in Winkler. I went right up to the store and tried the door, but it was locked. I

“What about him?” Comparisons in the Community of Faith – John 21:15-23 JB Phillips translation

May 25, 2021

I picture an old, old man sitting at a table. He sits at a table near an open window. He can see the hills of Ephesus through the window. Another person sits with him, a person with vellum and ink. He’s writing. The old, old man, whose name is John,

Before and After: Hope in the Gospel of Luke – Luke 1: 67-79; Luke 2:1,2; Luke 6:15

May 25, 2021

It seems like every generation has a “before and after” moment. When I speak with seniors, they often talk about World War II as such a moment. At least their conversation uses phrases like, “That was before the war…” or “Well of course, that was after the war…” World War

Jesus Saves: Born Again! – John 3:1-21, Romans 6:2-11, 2 Corinthians 5:17

May 25, 2021

Being born is arguably the most important experience of your life because without that nothing else can happen! Today I want to talk about new birth as a metaphor for salvation. Birth is central to being human. Every human being has been born and some here have experienced giving birth.

Jesus Saves: Adopted! – John 1:11-13, Ephesians 1:1-6, Galatians 4:4-7, Romans 8:14-17

May 25, 2021

How does Jesus save us? How does Jesus bridge the gap between us and God? In this sermon series we’ve been looking at different scriptural metaphors describing Jesus’ saving work. Today we are looking at the theme of adoption. I think that being adopted into God’s family is a rich

Jesus Saves: A Ransom for Many – Psalm 49:14-15; Isaiah 35:10; Jeremiah 31:10-11; Matthew 20:26-28; I Timothy 2: 5-6; I Peter 1:18-19

May 25, 2021

Today we are continuing on with our series “Jesus Saves”. Each Sunday in this series we are looking at a different scriptural image that helps us understand how Jesus saves us. Today I am talking about Jesus as a ransom for many. Jesus saves us by being a ransom, paying

Jesus Saves: An Introduction – Mark 8:27-37, Psalm 27

May 24, 2021

This story about Jesus begins with a question. Jesus asks, “Who do people say that I am?” I preached on this passage earlier this year. Remember we learned that Jesus is asking this question in the Roman city of Caesarea Philippi…a city which was famous as a worship destination because

A New Recipe for Church – Luke 9:12-17, John 6:48-51, Psalm 34:8

May 14, 2021

Why do you come to church? There are lots of reasons, probably. But one of the main reasons is that there is something here that feeds your soul. If there was nothing here for you that fills you up, I think a lot of you might stay at home in

Voices for Peace: People That Made a Difference – 2 Chronicles 22:10-12, Matthew 5:16-19, 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

May 14, 2021

In a world filled with war and killing, what is the point of being a voice for peace? What can one small person do in the face of armed resistance, in the face of powers and systems? Does one voice matter? Today on this peace Sunday, I want to tell

Praying for Fire and Brimstone – Jonah 4

May 14, 2021

Where do we find ourselves in the story that we just read? To help us think about this, I’m going to divide the congregation into four groups. Here on my right, you will be Nineveh. To my left, you will be Israel, on the far left, you will be Jonah,

Overthrown: God’s Power to Change – Jonah 3

May 14, 2021

So Jonah went to the great city of Nineveh. The story tells us the city took three days to go through. The ancient city of Nineveh is now the modern day city of Mosul in Iraq, it’s in the northern part of Iraq, on the Tigris River. Archaeologists tell us

Jonah in the Whale: Praying When you are Down – Jonah 1:17-2:10

May 13, 2021

Today’s scripture shows a man who is very down. The Hebrew words for down and deep are used over and over again in Chapters 1 & 2. Jonah goes down to Joppa, down to the port, down below the deck of the ship and lying down, he falls into a

Jonah: Journeying with a Man on a Journey – Jonah 1:1-16

May 13, 2021

In Hebrew, Jonah means dove. The dove is a gentle little bird that turns up over and over again in scripture. Noah released a dove at the height of the flood; the dove brought back an olive branch, a sign of hope in an anxious time. In Isaiah doves are

Creating Sanctuaries: Abuse in the Church – Psalm 32, Exodus 25:3-9

May 13, 2021

What do you call this place where we are meeting? Do you call it an auditorium? A meeting house? A house of God? A sanctuary? The word sanctuary in English comes from the Latin word sanctuarium, meaning a sacred place. I grew up in a church where we called our

Praying for Hope in Gaza – Matthew 2:1-23, Ecclesiastes 4:1-3

May 13, 2021

An epiphany, according to the dictionary, is “a sudden, intuitive insight into the essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple or commonplace experience.” It’s come into our common language from the church, because Epiphany originally referred to the event of the Wise men arriving from the East to

My Neighbour is my Neighbour Too – Luke 10:25-29, Amos 5:21-24

May 12, 2021

The story of the Good Samaritan is probably one of Jesus’ most well known parables. Today we didn’t even read the whole story, we just read the set-up for the story. The lawyer comes to Jesus, discusses what is most important about the law, rightly answering that “love God with

Church School: Disciples in a Discipline – Ecclesiasticus 6:32-37, I Peter 1:13-16, John 14:26

May 12, 2021

If I use the word “church” and “discipline” in the same sentence, what comes to mind? Some of you might think about the church laying down rules and punishing someone for breaking the rules. But that is not what I am talking about today. I am talking about discipline and

A Light in the World: Faith Made Visible – Ephesians 5:1-20, 2:8-10

May 12, 2021

On January 21, 1525 a tall man with a big head of black hair knelt down. They called him “Strong George”. He asked his friend Conrad to baptize him, even though he had already been baptized as a baby. Conrad Grebel baptized “Strong George”. Strong George then baptized all of

What Happens at this Table?: Eating as Miracle – John 6:53-66, I Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:23-26, 12:12-13

May 12, 2021

Before I start talking about our scripture passages, I want to talk about food. I want to talk about this cookie [hold up a cookie]. Have you ever thought about what a miracle eating is? Look at this cookie. It’s a small round disk, made from various plant and animal

You are a Greeter in God’s House – Psalm 84, Luke 15:11-32

May 12, 2021

A doorkeeper in the house of God…that’s the way the way the writer of this psalm talks about himself. Two different things caught my eye in that description. The first was “house of God”. I wondered whether we think about church as a place that is a house of God.

The Transformative Call to Welcome Strangers – Genesis 18:1-15

May 12, 2021

The story we read today from Genesis is about transformation. At the beginning of the story we have three men appearing out of nowhere at the door of Abraham’s tent. They are strangers, aliens. But at the end of the story they are honoured guests. A transformation has happened. It’s

Not the End of the Story: An Easter Sermon – Mark 16:1-8

May 12, 2021

As a worship planner, it’s a hard call to go with only Mark’s resurrection story on Easter Sunday morning. We’ve had a service today with lots of joy and alleluias and rejoicing, but that is not the tone of gospel reading. The young man in the white robe in the

Bartimaeus, the Faithful One who Sees – Mark 10:35-52, Joshua 6:20

May 12, 2021

Let’s look at our gospel story closely. Jesus comes down here to the city of Jericho, and he hears a man shouting. Now, that’s a déjà vu sort of experience, if you know your bible stories. Jericho is famous in the Hebrew Bible. Why? Because Joshua fought the battle of

One Thing Lacking: Jesus Inviting the 13th Disciple – Mark 10:17-34

May 11, 2021

I had a great idea for starting this sermon. I was going to get a powerpoint of all sorts of artist’s depictions of this bible story about the rich man and Jesus. It’s such a dramatic story, I could picture the paintings before I even found them. A painting of

Downward Mobility and the Call to Welcome Children – Mark 9:30-37, Philippians 2:7

May 11, 2021

Today I want to talk about the disciples arguing about greatness, and Jesus challenging them, and encouraging them not towards upward mobility, but towards downward mobility. let’s look at our gospel reading. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus foretells his death three times, and all three times are on his

Prosper the Work of our Hands: Dealing with Doubt – Mark 9:14-29, Psalm 90

May 11, 2021

The other week someone came to the door of the church and asked if anyone in the church did exorcisms. I have no experience doing exorcisms. I did not major in exorcism at bible college, and that wasn’t one of the skillsets I put on my CV when I applied

Transfiguration and the Story of Our Lives – Mark 9:1-13, 2 Peter 1:16-19

May 11, 2021

Today our scripture passage is about a high point. Literally a high point, because it takes place on a mountain. But a high point because it is a spiritual experience that is out of the ordinary. It’s a high point that has a special name. The verses from Mark say

Crosses in the Context of the Family – Mark 8:27-38

May 11, 2021

Take up your cross and follow me. Those are some of the most famous words of Jesus. The newest Christian knows them, and yet the oldest Christian might not understand fully what it means to take up your cross and follow me. Today we are going to be exploring these

No Soil Maps in the Kingdom of Heaven – Luke 8:4-15, Isaiah 55:9-13

May 11, 2021

This is a familiar parable, if you grew up like I did, going to Sunday school. I’ve been hearing this story my whole life. I have heard lots of sermons on this text, as undoubtedly many of you have. Almost all the time, I come away from those sermons thinking,

Come and See! What are we expecting from Jesus? – John 1:35-42, Psalm 66:1-5

May 11, 2021

We’re starting with a bible quiz! I don’t want you to say the answer out loud, I just want you to think the answer. Can you recite the first verse of one of the gospels? You can tell me later which verse you thought of, but I am laying pretty

Supersize it: God in a Box – I Corinthians 13, Isaiah 40:12, 28-31, Job 12:7-10

May 11, 2021

Many of you know this chapter from I Corinthians, because it’s quoted so often. I want to focus on verses 11 and 12 at the end of this chapter: When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when

There’s a Wideness in God’s Table – Luke 9:12-17, Matthew 9:11, Acts 11:3, Psalm 23

May 11, 2021

The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand: you can picture the five loaves and two fishes, lifted in Jesus’ hands, broken into thousands of pieces. Like the Psalmist says, “You prepare a table for me”. A table overflowing, from meagre beginnings. Five loaves and two fish to feed

Deliverance: Before, After and In Between – Exodus 15:1-21, Psalm 105:26-38; Luke 4:18

May 11, 2021

Everyone has before and after moments, watershed moments. You tell the story of your life and you say, “That was before we moved.” “That was after mom was sick.” That was before we had children.” “That was after I went away to school.” Many of you can think of events

Judge Not: Temptation Logistics – Matthew 7:1-5; 26:47-50

May 10, 2021

Are we sympathetic to people who face temptation, or are we harsh in our judgment of them? Today I want to think about how this played out in the lives of a few of Jesus’ disciples. And I want to think about how Wisdom can help us when we see

Epiphany: A Gift Worth Remembering – Matthew 2:1-15, John 3:16, I John 3:16-18

May 10, 2021

Breaking down the Pretty/Ugly Altars – Psalm 139:13-16; I Samuel 16:7; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

May 10, 2021

Today I want us to think about our bodies. Every body has brought their bodies to worship this morning. We are embodied; God made us this way. But our bodies are not something we talk about very often in church, except in “Prayers of the People” when we ask God

God Sees the Sparrow: Churches and the Prevention of Cruelty – Numbers 22:22-35, Luke 13:10-17

May 9, 2021

I was outside in the backyard with my two kids, who were aged five and three. I saw a very interesting beetle on our patio. I had never seen anything like it. I called my daughter Katie over, “Katie, come and see what I’ve found!” She bent down almost double

Testing, Testing: Making Sense of Testing – Psalm 66:8-20, James 1:2-4, 12; I Corinthians 10:12-13

May 9, 2021

Jesus was baptized by John in the river Jordan at the very beginning of his ministry. Three gospels tell us that he was immediately led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested for forty days and forty nights. Did it ever occur to you to ask, “Why did

The Constant Gardener: Confronting our own Sin – Hosea 10:12-13, Galatians 6:7-10, Matthew 7:15-20

May 9, 2021

One of my favorite resurrection stories is from John 20, where Mary meets the risen Jesus for the first time. She doesn’t recognize him, she thinks he is the gardener. Why a gardener? Was he bent over with his hands in the ground? Was he dressed like a gardener, was

Celebrating Faithfulness: The Bottom Line – Luke 8:1-3, Psalm 37:18-26

May 2, 2021

The women who followed Jesus paid the bills for his ministry. We often overlook faithful behind the scenes work. Let’s say thank you to God and to those who serve!

Easter: Are We There Yet? – John 20:1-18

April 4, 2021

Every Easter we listen to the story of Jesus raised from the dead. This year, I chose to read from the gospel of John. It of course contains the wonderful news that Jesus was raised from the dead, but the way John tells the story is a bit odd.

Extinction of Species: Does Jesus Care? – Deuteronomy 22:6-7, Psalm 104:10-23

March 3, 2021

A sermon preached at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate Kitchener, Ontario on March 3, 2021, and Breslau Mennonite Church, Breslau, Ontario on November 3, 2019 by Carol Penner. Texts: Psalm 104:10-23, Deuteronomy 22:6-7 I grew up singing a children’s song, “God sees the little sparrow fall”–a song that tells us God cares

The Gate of Heaven – Genesis 28:10-17

August 30, 2020

There are some bible stories we can’t get out of our heads. They keep showing up; they keep tapping us on the shoulder and whispering, “Hey there.” And we meet something new and surprising sometimes as the story shape shifts, providing something we need to hear, at the moment we need to hear it.

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