South Arm United Church's Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Grab some grape juice and a piece of bread (or cracker) and join us for Communion/Eucharist. Co-presided over by Lauren Kirkey, Minister of South Arm United Church & Rev. Bruce McAndless-Davis, Minister of Gilmore Park United Church in joint worship. 

Send us Fan Mail In this famous Gospel story, Jesus is in a boat with the disciples when a huge storm comes along. There are gale force winds. The waves are so turbulent they toss the boat around and water starts to flood into the boat. The disciples are genuinely worried for their lives, even though 4 of them were fisherman and know the seas intimately. And Jesus? He's asleep. How can he sle...

Send us Fan Mail God's people are set apart. A more formal word we use sometimes is 'sanctified'. In loving and following God, our thoughts, words and actions are meant to be more aligned with what God desires, than what the rest of the world seems to think, believe and do. We are meant to stand out as salt and light to the earth. But there are times when the ways of the word are ve...

Send us Fan Mail Disappointed in King Saul's lack of faithfulness, God sends a Prophet Samuel to anoint the next King of Israel whom God has chosen. Though worried at first the reigning King Saul will kill him for this, God hatches a plan for him to get safely to Bethlehem and specifically, to the family of Jesse. 7 sons are brought in order from oldest to youngest before Samuel but none of t...

Send us Fan Mail In today's message Rev. Maggie Watts-Hammond shares with us about Pentecost. The Holy Spirit indeed came as Jesus had said and people started speaking in many languages, proclaiming the goodness of God. A bizarre event to be sure, but also a powerful movement of God in the world that would become the start of the church we continue today.  Music between the scripture and serm...

Send us Fan Mail In today's passage we learn about what a Eunuch is and how God goes to extraordinary lengths to meet, minister to and baptize this person on a road in the middle of the desert at the peak of day. If God goes to such lengths for one society would otherwise consider an outcast, how could we imagine anyone excluded from God's love and reach?  Music between the scripture and...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to be a friend of God? And why is there the word "If" in the sentence ("If you follow my command...")? Hear how God (the One whom Jesus called Father) loved Jesus. Jesus has in turn loved us and we are to keep that Love of God and others going. In this, we follow in the way of God and join the periochoresis, the Divine dance of unity, Love and...

Send us Fan Mail Peter and John go to the temple to pray and come across a man lame from birth.  He asks for handouts which they do not have but what they do have they proclaim over him, the name of Jesus. And with that, they direct him to get up and walk. And he does! The authorities are threatened by this power and bring the disciples in to be questioned in an unfair trial, just as they did to J...

Send us Fan Mail When Jesus appears in resurrected body before the disciples, they are sure they are seeing a ghost. Jesus response? (1) Peace be with you, (2) Do you have some fish I can eat (so we share fellowship and you know I am not a ghost) & (3) Jesus takes time to lay out how all their sacred texts point to One who would suffer, die and rise again in glory. All of this came to pass as...

Send us Fan Mail In today's sermon we learn how our faith is Embodied - meaning we experience and live our faith within and 'through' our body. The passage begins with a very sensory approach wherein the disciples testify to having seen, heard and touched Jesus. They then go on to implore us to walk in the light of Christ. This is involves 'walking the talk' so that our fa...

Send us Fan Mail Today we mark the entry into Holy Week as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. We look at what that signalled within the context of the Roman Empire and what it may have revealed to those around him. We also quite ambitiously, weave in a conclusion to The Theological Banquet series.  Music between the scripture and sermon covered under copyright: One License A-607425 & CCLI...

Send us Fan Mail Good Friday. Today we acknowledge that the powers of this world were so threatened by Jesus' teachings, compassion and acts of non-violence that they responded in the strongest manner they knew how - by eliminating the threat by any means necessary. Hear the ordeal Jesus goes through and how unimaginable as it is to us, Jesus was indeed an all knowing and willing participant...

Send us Fan Mail Easter Sunday was a great celebration at South Arm. The South Arm Chimers (bell choir) performed along with a guest pianist, violinist and flutist. What a joy to have so many beautiful instruments come together for such a great act of worship. We hope you enjoy! And thank you to all who gave their time and talent this day. Such a blessing!

Send us Fan Mail Along the lines of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" we sit and listen as Jean Ann (and Trish) bring us, "Twas the Morning of Easter" written by Glenys Nellist,  book illustrated by Elena Selivanova & published by Zondervan. 

Send us Fan Mail Although originally called, "The Death of Death" this sermon really could in the end have been called, "Empty". Hear how we explore the Easter Resurrection story from the perspective of Mary Magdalene. As she sits at the tomb, weeping, wanting to care for Jesus even unto death, she like the tomb may have felt, empty. But that's just how the story starts. H...

Send us Fan Mail In the final edition of the individual Theological Banquet tables, today we learn from those whose faith most calls them to the wisdom path. Whether through Creation, the arts, sciences or anywhere really, these folks love to deepen their knowledge and their relationship with the Maker of the Universe. For Spiritual people, so many things can be a portal to wondering about the God...

Send us Fan Mail Continuing in our Lenten Series, "The Theological Banquet" we learn about the gifts of those whose faith most calls them to want to "do" something for the hurts of the world. Don't just go to church, be the church they would encourage us. The helpers. Bless them. They are a large and important part of our community. We explore the gifts, the shadow side an...

Send us Fan Mail Continuing in our Lenten series, "The Theological Banquet" we join today with those in our church who are called (alongside our Missional friends from last week) to address the world's ills. Ecclesials are those whose faith most calls them to want to find solutions to the issues we see in the world. If it's the environment for example, you would find them not o...

Send us Fan Mail At the prescribed time in the Jewish Law, Mary & Joseph bring their first born male child (Jesus) to be presented in the temple as an offering to God. What happens next they could not have imagined. Not one but two people prophecy beautiful words about this holy child. God shows and tells us through multiple witnesses, exactly who this child already is, and will grow to become...

Send us Fan Mail Throughout Lent South Arm United Church & our neighbours, Gilmore Park United Church are exploring a series called, "The Theological Banquet". This series is based on Rev. Janet Gear's book, "Undivided Love". Today we introduce the series and look at the way God calls people to live their faith. Each a gift. Each made better by the gifts of another in...

Send us Fan Mail Guest Minister, Rev. Brian Thorpe introduces us to the The Evangelical Banquet. At this table in The United Church are people who love God so much, their faith most calls them to praise, worship and especially, tell somebody how a relationship with Jesus has forever changed their life.  Music between the scripture and sermon covered under copyright: One License A-607425 & CCLI...

Send us Fan Mail Guest Minister, Rev. Sally McShane shares with us about those at the Ecclesial Table whose faith most calls them to serve the church. Something special happens in the church community where we come to meet with God and encourage others on the journey. Where Evangelicals go tell people of their faith, Ecclesials invite people in to experience the warm welcome and God's communi...

Send us Fan Mail At the prescribed time in the Hebrew Law, Mary & Joseph take Jesus to be presented in the temple. What happens next they could never have expected. Not one but two prophets say amazing things about the destiny of this child, Jesus. God shows up in the world and tells us exactly who God is and what will unfold in God's perfect time. God shows & tells us who God is. Do...

Send us Fan Mail Casting out a demon? Jesus performing an exorcism? That's uncomfortable stuff for us in The United Church. However... it does say something about who Jesus is that even the Spirit world recognize him and must submit to his authority.  The spirit world know who he is and submit to his authority. Can we say the same? Music between the scripture and sermon covered under copyrigh...

Send us Fan Mail God told Jonah to go deliver a prophetic message of doom to Nineveh that they would be overthrown if they did not straighten up their ways. Jonah at first said No thanks God and ran from the call. But after being in the belly of a whale, when the message came again, Jonah was obedient - though in as brief a way as possible. Nonetheless, the message delivered had the desired effect...