Community, Peace, Ecology
– Readings I Kings 19: 1-4,8-15a, Elijah runs to a cave and God passes by,Psalm 53:6 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Luke 8:26-39 – the story of the man possessed by demons named Legion Is your faith empty of authentic power? Does it seem to have no relevance to the […]
Jeremiah 33:14-16, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, Luke 21: 25-36 God comes to you, like the future, open I love the season of Advent, I think because it is the equivalent of an ultimate ‘once upon a time’, the start of a story that has changed my life and in which I place my trust to find […]
Mark 1:4-11 Make your way, the Way of Jesus. Mark’s gospel is so short, you could say it is the gospel of gaps. We start the story with the adult Jesus appearing in the mid-drama of John the Baptist who is calling thousands to repentance. Baptism is described as minimally as Modigliani drew faces. And […]
Rejoice always! When the Bible appears to be ridiculous sometimes its for important reasons.Paul’s command to Thessalonians ‘Rejoice always!’ seems a silly, even offensive, suggestion. When I tell you more about the people Paul wrote to at Thessalonica you will agree with me. This is probably the earliest document, the first to be written in […]
This season of Lent is, in my experience, best a season of true wrestling, searching, deciding, changing. I hope you find what I share today true to this. It begins with a disturbing report on Radio Canada as I was eating my fruit bowl breakfast. Fascinating and yet hugely challenging to my way of life […]
Sermon 21 October 2018 – Westmount Park United Church Yesterday I went to a spectacular exhibition of Vegan and Vegetarian lifestyle resources at Palais de Congres, along with our new member of staff, Erica Follon. At one point, a person at the Anti-Speciesism booth was explaining to us their work, and he used a key […]
Misogyny, Empathy and Contradiction Westmount Park United Church – Sunday 11 December 2016 Third Sunday of Advent Readings: Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-10, Luke 1:46b-55 The season of Christmas social gatherings has begun. I have been to three already. It struck me that the readings for this season are as regular as all the festivities, and […]
Second Sunday of Advent, Westmount Park United Church, 4 Dec. 2016 Readings: Isaiah 11: 1-10, Matthew 3: 1-12 Open to Hope, open to God? If you think our taking a non-conventional series of themes in Advent, is because I find the traditional one’s inferior, think again. The traditional Sundays of Advent are hope, love peace […]
Sermon Westmount Park United Church Which God are we waiting for? 27 Nov. 2016 Advent 1 Readings Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44 As time goes by, I realise I have been waiting for the wrong God. But stop me there. ‘You lost me at the title Neil’. We have a problem being religious. […]
Rev Neil Whitehouse was formerly installed at Westmount Park United Church on November 15. Here are some pictures highlighting the ceremony: More photos can be seen on our WPUC Facebook page.