Intarsia panel from the Gubbio Studiolo, designed by Francesco di Giorgio Martini (1439–1501). New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

 When we look at the world around us, genuine conversation seems increasingly rare. The goal of communication seems to be to convince rather than understand, to win rather than seek the common good. If we think communication breakdown is a new thing, it’s not. Jesus contended with it too. We turn to the Gospel of Matthew to examine how Jesus manages tricky conversations, and redirects us from idol-making to worship of God.      
 
Join us as we welcome Julielee Stitt to lead our service, as she has done monthly during this time of transition. Julielee is an elder of this congregation, and a ministry student at Presbyterian College, Montreal.
 
Organ preludes will begin around 10:25 a.m. and the service will commence at 10:30 a.m. This is the link for this morning’s service is: https://youtube.com/live/LWtRZyyu8rc?feature=share
Previous services can be found on the St. Andrew’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/StAndrewsPresbyterianChurchKingston
 
Have a look at the Order of Service, scripture readings, hymn lyrics and announcements below – this electronic form includes hyperlinks for easy connection, but you can print the pages if you wish for reference as the hour unfolds, or even through the week. We invite you to join in worship, study and service as you are able.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

 

 

Adoration of the Golden Calf. Andrea de Lione, copy after Nicolas Poussin. 1626-29.

“When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.’ They rose early the next day, and offered burnt-offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.” ~Exodus 32:5-7

 
There are several ways of defining the concept of “idolatry.” In this week’s sermon, we will define idolatry as “mis-identifying God.” There is an informative example of what it means to mis-identify God in the story of the Golden Calf. In effect, those who built this idol completely misunderstood the deep relationship between divine otherness and God’s personhood. In the process, they also missed some aspects about the meaning of human personhood. These are also issues for the modern church.
This Sunday is also “Student and Colleges Sunday,” so the sermon ends by suggesting how theological education can help the church not to mis-identify God.
 
Join us as we welcome the Rev. Dr. Bill Morrow to lead our service. Rev. Morrow was an ordained Presbyterian minister who is now active as a non-stipendiary priest at St. James Anglican Church on Union St. Until his retirement, he was Professor of Hebrew and Hebrew Scriptures at Queen’s School of Religion here in Kingston.
 
Organ preludes will begin around 10:25 a.m. and the service will commence at 10:30 a.m. This is the link for this morning’s service is: https://youtube.com/live/mrOGpeOLkAo?feature=share
Previous services can be found on the St. Andrew’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/StAndrewsPresbyterianChurchKingston
 
Have a look at the Order of Service, scripture readings, hymn lyrics and announcements below – this electronic form includes hyperlinks for easy connection, but you can print the pages if you wish for reference as the hour unfolds, or even through the week. We invite you to join in worship, study and service as you are able.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

 

 

 

“Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet:
‘I will open my mouth to speak in parables;
I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.’” ~Matthew 13:34, 35

 
Jesus often taught using parables. The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke contain all 39 of them. The word “parable” comes from the Greek parabole (Latin: parabola) which means “to throw beside.” Parables, then, were little juxtapositions, little short stories that Jesus “threw beside” his listeners to teach an important spiritual truth 
 
He himself indicated that he had a dual purpose to using parables: to both reveal and hide his truths. Through the parables, people who were willing to really listen to him, and think deeply about what he said, would actually understand the profound and divine truths contained in them. On the other hand, people who had hardened their hearts to the truth of Christ’s teachings would only hear the parables as little stories containing nothing more important. 
 
Join us this Sunday as we welcome the Rev. Heather Kern to once again lead our service. She will elaborate on the meaning of some of the parables in Matthew, which liken the Kingdom of Heaven to various familiar objects.
 
Organ preludes will begin around 10:25 a.m. and the service will commence at 10:30 a.m. This is the link for this morning’s service is: https://youtube.com/live/cQ8ueCJUylk?feature=share
Previous services can be found on the St. Andrew’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/StAndrewsPresbyterianChurchKingston
 
Have a look at the Order of Service, scripture readings, hymn lyrics and announcements below – this electronic form includes hyperlinks for easy connection, but you can print the pages if you wish for reference as the hour unfolds, or even through the week. We invite you to join in worship, study and service as you are able.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

 

Worker in a Vineyard. Adolphe Valette. 1876-1942.

‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.” ~ Matthew 21:28-32

 
“See you later” usually means “goodbye.” In the context of the Bible passage above, however, it means so much more. It implies that we will see – later on – if you actually meant what you said. 
 
 Join us this Sunday as we welcome the Rev. Dr. Paul Kern to once again lead our service. He will speak about how we can discover God’s will as workers in the vineyard, and how God’s ultmate will for us is to repent and believe.
 
Being the first Sunday of the month, as is the custom at St. Andrew’s, we will also be celebrating Communion. We continue to provide individual, sealed Communion packets as you enter the sanctuary. Alternatively, we encourage you to bring your elements from home to use during the service. And if you are joining online, perhaps take a moment before the service to prepare a cup and some bread, so that you may commune with us.
 
Organ preludes will begin around 10:25 a.m. and the service will commence at 10:30 a.m. This is the link for this morning’s service is: https://youtube.com/live/e7UxVwV-nIg?feature=share
Previous services can be found on the St. Andrew’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/StAndrewsPresbyterianChurchKingston
 
Have a look at the Order of Service, scripture readings, hymn lyrics and announcements below – this electronic form includes hyperlinks for easy connection, but you can print the pages if you wish for reference as the hour unfolds, or even through the week. We invite you to join in worship, study and service as you are able.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

 

Taking a Leap of Faith

“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained
access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of
sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our
sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance
produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not
disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts..”
Romans 5:1-5
 
Growing our faith is a lifelong process! Today, we will explore what it takes for us to grow in our faith, and how we as Christians develop as individuals and as a faith community. Are we willing to follow in order to lead and share the message of God’s love shown through Jesus?
 
This Sunday we welcome our candidate to preach for the Call! We pray that God will make clear for us the path forward for our congregation, and continue to bless us richly as in the past.
 
Organ preludes will begin around 10:25 a.m. and the service will commence at 10:30 a.m. This is the link for this morning’s service is: https://youtube.com/live/iPMVwRx6T5E?feature=share
Previous services can be found on the St. Andrew’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/StAndrewsPresbyterianChurchKingston
 
Have a look at the Order of Service, scripture readings, hymn lyrics and announcements below – this electronic form includes hyperlinks for easy connection, but you can print the pages if you wish for reference as the hour unfolds, or even through the week. We invite you to join in worship, study and service as you are able.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

 

 The Israelites Passing through the Wilderness, Preceded by the Pillar of Light. William West. 1845

 

“The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night…Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.” ~Exodus 14: 19-20; 30-31
 
We all need legends – great stories with fabulous endings that lift us up and show the power of good – the power of God. This Sunday we welcome the Rev Dr. Malcolm Sinclair to lead our worship service. He will speak to us about one of the great legends in the Old Testament, namely how the Israelites crossed the Red Sea on dry land. He will focus on how it was God’s power that delivered them – God in the pillar of light and cloud, and the One who gave Moses the ability to part the Red Sea.
 
Organ preludes will begin around 10:25 a.m. and the service will commence at 10:30 a.m. This is the link for this morning’s service is: https://youtube.com/live/uPA5yD5XGFI?feature=share
Previous services can be found on the St. Andrew’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/StAndrewsPresbyterianChurchKingston
 
Have a look at the Order of Service, scripture readings, hymn lyrics and announcements below – this electronic form includes hyperlinks for easy connection, but you can print the pages if you wish for reference as the hour unfolds, or even through the week. We invite you to join in worship, study and service as you are able.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

 

The Lost Sheep. Alfred Usher Soord. 1898

“‘Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it..” ~Matthew 7:13-14
 
 
The “Straight and Narrow”, while obviously straight and narrow, is not an easy path. There are so many distractions that pull us off – many of them mentioned in this chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. But there is Good News (great news) in the end…both for those who are on the road, and for those who have ‘run out of gas’ or ‘blown a tire’.
 
This Sunday the Rev. Dr. Paul Kern will elaborate on this theme. Thank you again to Paul for leading our worship so often this past year. We are grateful for his words and presence with us.
Thanks also to the Rev. Bob Docherty, Wendy Worling and Annabelle Twiddy for contributing to our worship this week.
 
Organ preludes will begin around 10:25 a.m. and the service will commence at 10:30 a.m. This is the link for this morning’s service is: https://youtube.com/live/P6OTmtJNwNk?feature=share
Previous services can be found on the St. Andrew’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/StAndrewsPresbyterianChurchKingston
 
Have a look at the Order of Service, scripture readings, hymn lyrics and announcements below – this electronic form includes hyperlinks for easy connection, but you can print the pages if you wish for reference as the hour unfolds, or even through the week. We invite you to join in worship, study and service as you are able.