Preparing for Sunday: Opposites
They say that opposites attract. In our parable for this coming Sunday the Tax Collector may want to have the Pharisee's pious religious observance. However, I am not sure that the Pharisee is comfortable with the Tax Collectors honesty and humility before God. Let's...
Prayer for Simplicity
Gracious God, we have come to this service by many different roads - in more sense than one. For each of us part of the journey has been along a private road; each of us is ignorant of what the others have been through; and so we cannot help arriving here to a large...
In All Things Pray
Text: Luke 18: 1-8 Prayer. Prayer is a real problem. You see half of us probably don’t pray as much as the other half think we do. And most of us pray for things we really shouldn’t pray for. And all of us have unanswered prayer. And for everyone one of...
Preparing for Sunday: Prayer
Prayer is a challenging aspect of Christian devotional life. Challenging because it can often feel like a one way conversation. We don't benefit from an active voice from God responding directly to our prayers in the same way that a spouse, child, parent or friend...
Gratitude
Text: Luke 17: 11-19 Several years ago there was an article in the Irish Times. There had been a traffic accident in the city of Dublin. The driver who was charged with causing the accident was interviewed about what happened and was asked who might be...
Preparing for Sunday: Gratitude
How do we express gratitude and thanksgiving? This Sunday we look at a story from Luke's gospel that teaches us about gratitude and thanksgiving. The story is of ten lepers who are healed by Jesus, however only one returns to say 'thank you.' In response Jesus tells...
Prayer for Life
Creator God, We place our life in your hands. Out of the dirt your formed us, Before we were born you had plans for us. Plans to prosper us, for a future, for hope. As your children instill a deep respect in us for creation. Allow us to care for all aspects of the...
Faith
Text: Luke 17: 1-10 There was once a woman who bought a parrot for a pet. All the parrot did was treat her bad. It insulted her and every time she tried to pick it up, it would peck at her arm. One day she got fed up with the parrot and as it was...
Preparing for Sunday: Some Sayings of Jesus
On Sunday we turn our attention to Luke 17. A section of the Bible which the NRSV sub-titles 'Some Saying of Jesus and which the Good News Translation breaks into three sections: 'Sin, Faith and A Servant's Duty.' Are these verses in Luke's gospel just some sayings of...
Finding God’s Will in Prayer
O Holy One, I surrender myself to you now. In this moment and in all others. May it please you To shine your grace upon me And to fill my cup until it runs over. Caution me And fill my heart with patience To accept the calling you have placed upon my heart. Provide me...
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Cobourg is part of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The congregation was established in 1833 and continues to serve the community.