South Arm United Church's Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey's colt which marks Palm Sunday and the entrance to Holy Week appears in all 4 Gospels. Each Gospel writer tells the story a little differently. This year we focus on Mark's account. But what does that mean? How does Mark frame the story next to the other Gospel accounts? Well, you're in luck because this week Reverend Lauren p...

Send us Fan Mail Continuing in our Good News series we examine the story of the woman accused of adultery who is brought into the temple for judgement. Faith leaders confront Jesus and ask what should be done with her. The scene reads like a set up. But Jesus flips the script by writing some things in the sand which cause these righteous leaders to drop their stones and walk away. None is left to...

Send us Fan Mail We continue in our "Good News" Lenten series this week acknowledging the systemic injustices that exist in our world, how Jesus meets people on the margins with compassion and love and calls us to love to do likewise. We acknowledge the rhythms and pressures of empire vs. the rhythms of God. We acknowledge that God forming us for this world, for this time means we are a...

Send us Fan Mail Continuing in our Lenten "Good News" series, we look today at Mark's account of "The Feeding of the 5,000". Jesus sent out the disciples (here called Apostles for the first time which means, 'sent ones') to do as he has done - teach, encourage people to repent, pray, anoint, heal the sick and follow Jesus' example. Having gone out in pairs t...

Send us Fan Mail There are times when God's word is so good I who love to preach (Rev. Lauren) just want to sit down, be quiet and let God speak. This Sunday was one of those times. Someone asked if I could put the big point of the message up front and in this sermon I did just that. After giving the big point in the first 1-2 minutes I was very tempted to sit down and let the words sit with...

Send us Fan Mail First Sunday of Lent. We are following a series created by 'A Sanctified Art' entitled, "Tell Me Something Good". Each week the sermon title begins with the words, "The Good News is...". Today we find Jesus at a wedding party where he will perform his first miracle (sign/wonder work) that points beyond the act itself to revealing something of his iden...

Send us Fan Mail The banners in the church turn to white for this service as we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday. This is from the last Sunday of Epiphany/Ordinary Time before the Lent season begins next week. In Matthew 16 the religious elite ask Jesus for a sign (which he does not provide anymore than he has already), Jesus and the disciples cross a lake and head to Caesarea Philippi where Jesus...

Send us Fan Mail God gives a word to the prophet Isaiah to deliver to God's people, you fast and act holy in vain when you don't live as my people the rest of the week. Is it good to fast? Yes, absolutely. Is it good to worship? Yes, absolutely. Is it good to bow down in prayer? Yes, of course. But what good is any of that if we return to our normal lives and live like everyone else, as...

Send us Fan Mail United Church Growth Animator, Rev. Scott Reynolds was with us all weekend.  On Saturday he lead our Seeking God's Vision team on a Retreat to begin imagining where God is calling us to serve and grow as a community.  Sunday morning Rev. Scott co-lead service and was our Guest Preacher. His message reminded us: (1) How the way of Christ looks very different to the ways of the...

Send us Fan Mail This Sunday we had a special Guest Preacher, Jeannie Van Zandt. Jeannie is a student at Vancouver School of Theology (VST) where she is completing a Master's of Public and Pastoral Leadership towards being a Hospital Chaplain. Today she lead our in-service Children's Time with a beautiful illustration from The Chronicles of Narnia and then spoke on Why Jesus Came. And af...

Send us Fan Mail Having spent a good amount of time in Corinth, Paul has established relationships and has encouraged the home churches there. He gets reports that things have gone sideways a bit and sits down with a fellow leader, Sosthenes, to pen this letter to the Corinthian churches. They have divisions and disagreements to do with following different leaders, worship styles and right beliefs...

Send us Fan Mail In Matthew 3 we find John the Baptist in the wilderness cleansing people of their sins (ways that do not align with God's best for our lives and turning towards God with humbled hearts). This is a call John takes seriously and lives out beautifully, set apart for a purpose, including a different wardrobe and even diet. One day Jesus Himself comes to be baptized and John is re...

Send us Fan Mail Fear doesn't stop us. This recording is from 04 January 2026, the Sunday closest to Epiphany (the day we celebrate the wise men reaching the holy family and paying homage to Jesus with their worship and precious gifts). On the road to Jesus the wise men are confronted by King Herod. Threatened by any mention of another king, ruler or authority in his earthly realm, Herod hatc...

Send us Fan Mail Christmastide and the Holiday season can be fraught with memories of years past, loved ones we miss, loneliness, stress and an manner of struggles. The human experience is not all sunshine and rainbows. We hold both the hope, peace, joy and love of Christmas while at the same time acknowledging that life can be quite hard and the world is a challenging and often violent place in w...

Send us Fan Mail There are lots of moments in life both joyful and difficult where reaching out for someone's hand is of great comfort. In our service today we hear the call to reach out for God's hand for our comfort and strength and then to reach our hand out to those in need. 

Send us Fan Mail The news headlines we read and the top stories on TV and Radio news that seem to get the most attention tend to be negative. But in a world with lots to get us down and be concerned about, there are also plenty of Good News stories as well. They are just not featured as prominently. But there are plenty of people doing beautiful things in the world if we take the time to look. And...

Send us Fan Mail Today we look at the story of the angel's anunciation to Mary that she is to be with child and this child is of God. While we may never have an angel visitation and hear those words, "do not be afraid" we are reminded that God calls us to walk faithfully, to pray and to serve others through all times and places - including in the very midst of our fears. 

Send us Fan Mail Thanks to www.sundayschool.store we found a free, no practice needed family pageant with a theme centring on the lights of Christmas and "The One True Light of Christmas". Listen in as school teacher Jean Ann who often leads our Children and Families programming along with Reverend Lauren work our way through a pageant with no rehearsal. The script was in place, Jean Ann...

Send us Fan Mail Advent 2 (Peace) Are you The One who is to come? Or, is there another? John the Baptist asks these 2 pivotal, important questions from prison he wishes to have resolved with Jesus. In our day and time we might expect a simple 'Yes' or 'No' response to those prompts, but Jesus answer is not so simple or straightforward. Instead, Jesus quotes Isaiah and cues John...

Send us Fan Mail Reign of Christ/Christ the King Sunday. We begin today by looking at the text before today's text so that we have the full context of the message. Elizabeth and Zechariah are mature in years and have never had a child. While Zechariah is serving in the temple and angel appears and tells Zechariah that his prayers have been heard and Elizabeth will against all odds, by the wil...

Send us Fan Mail Advent 1 (Hope). This year we follow a series produced by "A Sanctified Art" with the theme, "What Do You Fear? Insisting On Hope This Advent". Today we revisit the story we touched on last week of Zechariah and Elizabeth and dive deeper into the Hope it offers us for our time. 

Send us Fan Mail Visions of heaven a new earth fill our Christian imagination. One day God's new Kindom will come about. One day justice will be the way. One day all will live peaceably side by side. Children will be born, people will live long and the ways of this world will be turned around for good. Until that day, we as followers of Jesus are called to be good news bearers, light givers a...

Send us Fan Mail There are a myriad of theories and beliefs around the end of times. Some of them sound very convincing. Paul reminds the believers in Thessalonica to stay the course, remember what you were taught and to keep calm and carry on in following and serving God. Do not be distracted by 'fake news' of convincing theories of the end of times. Is it today? We don't know. Did...

Send us Fan Mail Every 3 years The United Church of Canada has a meeting where worship takes places with representatives from across Canada, the business of the national church is conducted and a new Moderator who is our head of the church is elected. Susan Johnson from our neighbouring church, Gilmore Park United Church was a delegate to this huge occasion. Today she blends worship with news of w...

Send us Fan Mail The Revised Common Lectionary today offers a letter believed to have been written by the Apostle Paul with words of encouragement to a community of believers in Thessalonica. Under persecution, their faith and love for one another are growing stronger. Paul, Silvanus and Timothy commend the community and encourage them to be worthy of the calling God has given them. However the le...