WildWords: Sermons from Wildwood Mennonite Church

The Christian tradition has revolved around God as Trinity, but does that name for the Divine have any relevance for us today? It seems archaic, kind of patriarchal, and is it even biblical? Maybe it's a reminder that God holds both unity and diversity within Godself - just like the church community - and that the Divine Mystery can't be reduced to just one name.  Listen to what our guest, Su...

How's your spirituality working for you? Everyone has a spirituality, religious or otherwise: vocation, relationships, stress-management, recreation, self-awareness...all of those things are part of our spirituality, that which gives life meaning and purpose. Regular church attendance used to be at the center of spirituality for many people; now, "going to church" is less of a priority for a growi...

Sprinkling, pouring, drowning, and even a mythical ocean goddess? Who says it's dry in Saskatchewan! Come to the Water, it was time for some baptizin' last Sunday at WMC! #WetandWildwood Hear what Joe had to say in his sermon "Christening."

How do you think you will be remembered after you are gone? What, of your life experience, do you want to pass on? And how can you help to ensure that you are remembered in the way that you would want? 

What is grief - and what is anticipatory grief? Are there “stages” of grief, or feelings we can expect along the way? How do we process our emotions after the death of a loved one? How does our faith impact our understanding and experience of grief? And finally, how can we support those around us who are grieving? Listen to a "Conversation About Grief." 

What is it like to die? No one knows completely, but there's a lot we can learn from professionals who give care in the final days and moments of life and for the bodies of the deceased. Listen in to our panel conversation between a senior care nurse, a palliative care nurse, and a funeral director. 

How do we accompany someone who is dying, and why would we want to do so? What information can be helpful to know at a time that can be stressful? How do we handle our own grief and other emotions even as we hold space for others? And where is God to be found at such a time?  Listen to what Eileen has to share.

To be alive means we have a fatal condition. How do we come to terms with that? How do we even talk about our own death with those nearest and dearest to us? How do we prepare for this inevitability when so much is out of our control? And where is God to be found at such a time? Hear what Eileen has to say in her sermon titled "A Time to Die."

Trivia time: how many people have ever lived--and died--in the history of the planet? Better guess quickly, because you yourself are currently dying at a rate of 300 million cells per second...  Yup, we're talking life-and-death over the next while at WMC, and we're beginning with a planet-sized look at the context of mortality. Also, astronauts! #churchwithnumbers #clickordietrying  Hea...

Better Than A Sermon: Listen to "Not the Gardener?" - Mary at the Tomb - reimagined from John 20

 The new day has dawned. Grace is Everywhere. And we are living in a Christ-soaked world. Come and See! 

Better Than A Sermon: Listen to "The Journey Back," Hannah's story, adapted from 1 Samuel 1.

Ryan Siemens, Mennonite Church Saskatchewan Executive Minister was our guest speaker this Palm Sunday. Hear what he had to share in his sermon titled "When Two Worlds Collide."

Better Than A Sermon: Listen to "The One Who Bleeds," a monologue of the bleeding woman adapted from Grit and Grace by Caryn Rivadeneira.  

Special guests at WMC this past Sunday: Lisa Gungor and Kate Bowler! Well, not in person exactly...but at least the preacher had the good sense to defer to the words of these wise women on things he knows precious little about. #sermonsfromthepubliclibrary Hear what Joe has to say in "Forgetting What We Don't Know."   

 Better Than A Sermon: Listen to "The Debate," a dramatic representation the story of Job re-imagined adapted from Inspired by Rachel Held Evans. 

When we look into the mirror, do we see ourselves as the younger brother? as the older brother? If we understand this parable as “The Parable of the Loving Father”, what difference does it make to us and how we live in the world if we see ourselves as our Creator sees us? Hear what Eileen has to say in "Welcomed with Open Arms."  

Better Than A Sermon: Listen to "The Water," a monologue of The Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4) adapted from Inspired by Rachel Held Evans.

Are you happy with the direction in which you are headed? Since Jesus offers us a full and abundant life, what do we need to turn from, and what do we turn toward in order to be prepared to receive it?  Hear what Eileen has to say in "Turning toward Abundance." 

Better Than A Sermon: Listen to "The Escort," a monologue of Rahab adapted from Grit and Grace by Caryn Rivadeneira.

Better Than A Sermon: Listen to "The Well," a monologue of Hagar (Genesis 16) adapted from Inspired  by Rachel Held Evans.

 "It is in the shelter of each other that we live." Yes. From Rahab to Ahimelech, this is the story of the People of God. How can we join in that legacy of sanctuary today? Hear what Joe has to say in "Sanctuary."

In the Christian calendar, Lent is the season of struggles, particularly the practice of choosing the struggle of self-discipline as a practice to remind and shape us in a longing for God. Yet not all struggles are chosen, and Lent also invites us to explore the meaning of "wilderness experiences" of suffering and loss. Does God want to save us from our struggles? Is struggle worthwhile because it...

In an out-of-the-ordinary WMC Worship Experience we explored the theme of Harmony through singing, all of us, in a choir practice environment. We learned to listen and practice and ultimately sing a new song together in perfect harmony. Or not so perfect--the point is in the trying and learning together. Enjoy an excerpt from our "Harmony: One Voice and One Heart" service with Duff Warkentin as ou...

Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who mistreat us. How do I love the person who abused me or killed my family member? Within our own power it is not possible. But the Spirit is able to change our hearts so we can love rather than hate.