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Central Presbyterian Church - Sunday Service

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July 29, 2026

July 26

<div class="et_pb_section_0 et_pb_section et_section_regular et_block_section"> <div class="et_pb_row_0 et_pb_row et_block_row"> <div class="et_pb_column_0 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough"> <div class="et_pb_audio_0 et_pb_audio et_pb_audio_module et_pb_bg_layout_dark et_pb_audio_no_image et_pb_module et_block_module"> <div class="et_pb_audio_module_content et_audio_container"> by Mark Gaskin <audio class="wp-audio-shortcode" id="audio-311632-1" preload="none" style="width: 100%;" controls="controls"><source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://cpcchurchimages.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/29112723/July-26-Sermon-1.mp3?_=1" /><a href="https://cpcchurchimages.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/29112723/July-26-Sermon-1.mp3">https://cpcchurchimages.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/29112723/July-26-Sermon-1.mp3</a></audio></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="et_pb_row_1 et_pb_row et_block_row"> <div class="et_pb_column_1 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough"> <div class="et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module"> <div class="et_pb_text_inner"> <h2>1 Kings 3:5-12(NIV)</h2> 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. 7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. </div> </div> <div class="et_pb_text_1 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_flex_module"> <div class="et_pb_text_inner"> <h2>Matthew 15: 21–28</h2> <h3>The Faith of a Canaanite Woman</h3> 21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="et_pb_row_2 et_pb_row et_block_row"> <div class="et_pb_column_2 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough"> <div class="et_pb_text_2 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module"> <div class="et_pb_text_inner"> <h2>Transcript</h2> (Transcribed by TurboScribe) Alexander: Our speaker this morning is the Reverend Mark Richardson. Mark is a long-term friend of Central. We’re so glad that you’re here, Mark. Mark is retired from Westside Galt and from Central Church in Brantford, and we are so glad that he’s here. No, no, we don’t have to correct Alexander. I’ve messed up his name several times. Mark Gaskin: And, you know, if I had to be confused with somebody, Richardson is the one I’d want to be confused with. He’s a great guy, the other Mark. I don’t blame him. There’s something about this presbytery, and Lynn Pennington knows, for a while, there were four, there were at least four ordained ministers in the presbytery of Waterloo West. Mark Lewis, Kitchener, Mark Gedke, also in Kitchener, Mark Richardson, and Mark Gaskin. And the clerk of the presbytery started to give us nicknames. I have no desire to share with you what my nickname was. So Richardson is fine, Alexander, fine. I did also want to mention that I’m wearing my Camp Kintail shirt. They’re coming to get Alexander. When you confuse me, that’s when I, 911. I’m wearing my Camp Kintail shirt because I know this congregation has a deep relationship with Camp Kintail on Lake Huron. I know Jonathan and Teresa, the co-executive directors of the camp, have worshipped with you, have led worship. Every time I’m up at camp, and I go up several times a year, there is their Sunday suppers. There are also, it’s also Kirk and the Cedars. In fact, there’s one today, four o’clock, they worship in the chapel. And then there is a gathering in McDonald Lodge, afterwards a meal in McDonald Lodge. We often go up, myself and our adult children and their children, will have for several years gone up for family camp held in August. And when I mention to Jonathan and Teresa that I have preached at Central Cambridge or will be preaching at Central Church in Cambridge, they always say to me, please say thank you. They are deeply grateful for the support they receive, monetary and otherwise, especially the men’s ministry, that goes up in, is it twice a year or else, spring and fall, and just does the work that needs to be done on that acreage. There’s always something, and especially, it used to be that they would close down for the winter. So there was this spring cleanup and the fall shutdown. It’s a year-round camp now. So there’s always, there’s more to be done. And I know Jonathan and Teresa and the board at Camp Kintail very much are grateful for the support they receive from Central Church Cambridge. Our first reading is from 1 Kings 3, beginning at verse 5. King David has passed and his son, King Solomon, has come to the throne. It’s been a few months. And this is the dream that King Solomon has. At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, ask for whatever you want me to give to you. Solomon answered, you have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. Now, Lord, my God, you have made your servant King in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours? The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have you asked for the death of your enemies, but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. And our good news reading for this morning from the gospel according to Matthew, and this is what I’ll be basing the message on today. Matthew tells us that Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman came from that vicinity, came to him crying out, Lord, son of David, have mercy on me. Your daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession. Jesus did not say a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, send him away for she keeps crying out after us. He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. The woman came and knelt before him. Lord, help me, she said. He replied, it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord, she said. But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table. Then Jesus answered, woman, you have great faith. Your request is granted. And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Amen. In the name of the creator, the redeemer, and the sustainer. Amen. Once upon a time, a woman came to a Presbyterian church. Let’s call it Knox St. Andrews on the Speedy Grand River. And she asked him, would you do a funeral for my dog? I’ve had this dog many, many years. A wonderful companion to me. I would like to have a funeral for my faithful dog. Well, the minister was more than a little taken aback. And he replied with a certain tone to his voice, well, I couldn’t possibly conduct a funeral for a dog. Perhaps you should try one of the other churches in town. The woman was polite, thanked him, and started to leave. And then turned back and she said, oh, just so you can help me when I visit these other churches. Is $500 enough of an honorarium for this type of funeral? And would I make that out to the minister or to the church? There was a pause. And the minister says, you didn’t say that the dog was Presbyterian. I’d be happy to help. I’m glad you laughed. And I am quite sure that many of you have heard that joke before. But it’s easier to tell that joke than it is to deal with this passage. We’re hearing Jesus speak in a way that we have not heard before. And we don’t hear very often. Because there’s nothing funny about these words. It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. Those words land with a thud. They sound harsh. They sound insulting. And if we’re honest, they don’t sound very much like the Jesus that you and I like to talk about. And it really comes down to that one word. Dog. Now, today, in our culture, in our time, dogs are beloved companions. They sleep on our couches. They have birthday parties. We sentimentalise our dogs in ways that would have seemed very strange to the ancient world. And let’s not just think about the companionship that dogs offer. Let’s think about service dogs. And how that area has expanded over the years. To include that they once helped disabled or impaired individuals. And now they do a host of activities with that population. And let’s think about the working dogs. That search for explosives or drugs. Canine dogs that protect you and I. That was not the role of dogs in Jesus’ time. They weren’t pets. They didn’t do anything. They were scavengers, mostly. Wild, dirty animals that wandered the streets. Feeding on refuse and garbage. To call someone a dog, even in our time, it’s not really a compliment. But we have a different understanding. But to call someone a dog in Jesus’ time was an absolute insult. No compliment whatsoever. Scripture reflects this attitude over and over again. The prophet Isaiah says, Israel’s watchmen are blind. They are all mute dogs. They cannot bark. They lie around and dream. They love to sleep. Dogs were representations of things that were unclean, unworthy. They were outsiders. They did not belong to any household, any group. And that is exactly what was meant when Jesus said, made that statement. A Gentile woman comes pleading for healing for her daughter. Jesus answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. She kneels before him, Lord, help me. And then comes the response that shocks us. It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. The point is unmistakable. A Jewish rabbi who abandons his own people in order to minister to outsiders, to Gentiles, well, that would be like a parent taking the food off the table that’s feeding his children and throwing it on the floor, giving it to animals instead. There is no way to soften those words. Preachers try to. I have tried to in the past. I have said, well, it’s a test of faith for the woman. I mean, after all, later in the story, he says, you are a woman of great faith. Others suggest that he was drawing out her courage by this statement, perhaps. But why not let the story just speak in all of its uncomfortable honesty? Why not hear what was being said? Matthew doesn’t hide the difficulty. He lets us hear Jesus exactly as he sounds. And maybe that honesty is important. After all, this is the same Jesus, the same Jesus who makes the statement. Elsewhere, he welcomes sinners and tax collectors. This is the same Jesus who touched lepers. It’s the same Jesus who blessed children, forgave enemies, and sat down at tables where respected people would refuse to sit. Those are the stories we know well. That is the Jesus we know well. Why can’t Jesus be as complicated as humans are, as you and I are? We’re not one person or one thing. We are complicated. That’s our nature. Why can’t Jesus be the same way? So when Jesus speaks this way in this occasion, we are unsettled. And perhaps that’s where the gospel wants us to be at that time. The mystery of the incarnation, the mystery of Jesus’ birth, is that God became truly human. We say that in our prayers, in our creeds. That’s what we read in the gospels. Jesus had a human side. And every once in a while, we see it. He doesn’t just appear to be human or pretend to be human. Jesus was born a first-century Jewish man. He lived within a culture that drew sharp distinctions between Jew and Gentile, clean and unclean, insider, outsider. The incarnation, the birth of Jesus, meant that God entered a real culture at a real time in history. He came into the real world with all of its assumptions and boundaries. So sometimes, maybe not very often, but sometimes we might be tempted to see Jesus sort of floating above his time and place, floating above human history, floating above human temptations, drawbacks, limitations. Untouched by the world around him, Matthew will not let us do that. He shows us that Jesus is genuinely human. Yes, divine, without doubt. That’s what Easter is all about. But in this moment, genuinely human. This is a Jesus who listens. This is a Jesus who responds, who grows. And that might be one of the most hopeful things in the gospel. Because if Jesus is truly human, then he engages people as real people do. Most of us do not easily change our minds. I know my wife marks on the calendar the number of times I change my mind. At the end of the year, it’s not an exercise I like to go through. Because I think I’m Mr. Flexible. That’s one of the nicknames I’ve given myself. Clerk of Presbytery never used it, but I think of myself, Mr. Flexible. Oh, sure, I listen to people. Give me a well-reasoned argument, I’ll change my mind. We cling to assumptions. We hold on to prejudice. We protect the boundaries that comfort us, that we can be sure of, that have always worked for us in the past. Sometimes we are reasoned with. Sometimes we can be challenged. Sometimes we can be confronted. And sometimes we change our minds. But lots of times we don’t. We cling on to what we know. But look carefully at this story. The woman refuses to walk away. She doesn’t become angry. She’s not confrontational. She doesn’t become defensive. She just answers Jesus with remarkable wit and astonishing faith. Yes, Lord. I hear what you say. You don’t throw food from the table to the dogs. Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table. It’s one of the finest, most faithful responses in all of the New Testament. She accepts Jesus’ image. She accepts that characterisation and then turns it inside out. Is there enough bread for God’s children? Sure there is. Then surely there are enough crumbs for everyone else. If God’s grace is truly abundant and eternal, then no one needs to ever be hungry. Her faith is bold. Her persistence is courageous. Her love for her daughter is unstoppable and unmistakable. And Jesus hears that. He hears all of that. And he allows himself to be changed by that encounter. He says, woman, great is your faith. And her daughter is healed. This is not a story about someone winning an argument. It’s a story about the kingdom of God becoming larger than anyone could have imagined. Even larger than when Jesus’ own disciples, they saw that Jesus was expanding it, making it bigger. But this was still new territory. This is not what they expected. The boundaries begin to fall. They continue to fall. The table continues to grow wider. The invitations become larger. The grace of God spills over the edges. It cannot be contained. Winston Churchill once said, to improve is to change. To be perfect is to change often. Whether Churchill intended it or not, those words echo something deeply Christian. Faith is not stubborn certainty. Faith is open to the spirit of God. Faith is allowing ourselves to be surprised. Faith is discerning that God’s mercy is always bigger than we could have imagined. And this is where the gospel finally meets us. Because the question is no longer simply whether Jesus changed. We can debate that in coffee. The fellowship time. We can have that discussion. The question is, can we change? Can we allow ourselves to learn something from someone that we might have dismissed? Can we allow a stranger to help us grow in our faith? Can we admit that an outsider might reveal something about God? History suggests that’s how the Holy Spirit works. Again and again, God speaks through people that we don’t expect God to speak through. God surprises us when God speaks through foreigners and children and the poor and the outsider. Perhaps the greatest miracle in today’s gospel is not that the daughter was healed. That is a miracle. But that has happened before. Perhaps the greatest miracle is that was a conversation where God once again welcomed more people into God’s world. Which was always God’s intent. But this was God’s Son doing the welcoming. The work of welcoming people into God’s world is not finished. That’s one of the reasons that Central Church exists. That’s your mission statement. It should be every church’s mission statement. A place where God’s people are welcomed into God’s world. People still build walls. I know that. We still divide people into insiders and outsiders. People who spend time discussing who belongs and who does not. I am happy that that’s not a characteristic of this church. That every time you gather around Christ’s table, you hear this message. There is enough bread. There is enough grace. There’s enough mercy. There’s enough room. The table belongs to Christ, not to us. And everyone whom Christ welcomes is already welcomed. Every person. Without exception. Amen. And so be it. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

July 23, 2026

July 19

<div class="et_pb_section_0 et_pb_section et_section_regular et_block_section"> <div class="et_pb_row_0 et_pb_row et_block_row"> <div class="et_pb_column_0 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough"> <div class="et_pb_audio_0 et_pb_audio et_pb_audio_module et_pb_bg_layout_dark et_pb_audio_no_image et_pb_module et_block_module"> <div class="et_pb_audio_module_content et_audio_container"> by Rev. Mark Gaskin <audio class="wp-audio-shortcode" id="audio-311599-1" preload="none" style="width: 100%;" controls="controls"><source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://cpcchurchimages.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/22220536/July-19-Sermon.mp3?_=1" /><a href="https://cpcchurchimages.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/22220536/July-19-Sermon.mp3">https://cpcchurchimages.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/22220536/July-19-Sermon.mp3</a></audio></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="et_pb_row_1 et_pb_row et_block_row"> <div class="et_pb_column_1 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough"> <div class="et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module"> <div class="et_pb_text_inner"> <h2>Isaiah 44:6-8</h2> <h3>The Lord, Not Idols</h3> <div class="poetry"> 6 “This is what the Lord says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. 7 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come— yes, let them foretell what will come. 8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.” </div> </div> </div> <div class="et_pb_text_1 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_flex_module"> <div class="et_pb_text_inner"> <h2>Romans 12:17</h2> 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. </div> </div> <div class="et_pb_text_2 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_flex_module"> <div class="et_pb_text_inner"> <h2>Matthew 13:24-30</h2> <h3>The Parable of the Weeds</h3> 24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="et_pb_row_2 et_pb_row et_block_row"> <div class="et_pb_column_2 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough"> <div class="et_pb_text_3 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module"> <div class="et_pb_text_inner"> <h2>Transcript</h2> (Transcribed by TurboScribe) Three passages of scripture to share with you this morning. An Old Testament reading from Isaiah, and then a short verse from Paul’s letter to the Romans, and then a passage from the New Testament on which the sermon will focus. From the 44th chapter of Isaiah, this is what the Lord says, Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty. I am the first and the last, apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come. Yes, let them foretell what will come. Do not tremble. Do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other rock. I know not one. Two short verses from the 12th chapter of Romans. Do not repay anyone for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. And from the 13th chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells a parable. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while everyone was sleeping, the enemy came and sowed seeds among the wheat and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, Sir, didn’t you sow good seeds in your field? Where then did the weeds come from? An enemy did this, he replied. The servants asked, do you want us to go and pull them out? No, he answered, because while you are pulling out the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters, first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn. Then he left the crowd and went into the house. Amen. Let us pray. God of wisdom, your thoughts are not our thoughts and your ways are not our ways. As we listen to the scriptures, send your Holy Spirit to grant us understanding of what you desire and fresh resolve to do your will. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. I may have mentioned this in past years. Much of the mid to end part of June, so last month, you will find me in a strawberry field. From mid-June to the end of June, I make four to five trips to Brantwood Farms. It used to be their old location on Linden Road, now their new setup on German School Road. I go out there four or five times, pick the strawberries. Sometimes I have a grandchild with me to help, so it takes longer. I take those berries home, clean them, and then make freezer jam, strawberry freezer jam. It’s really good. Now I’m pausing here to look out there and say, how many of you are thinking, oh no, he’s going to bring out a trophy and talk about it. No, no, I have never won a trophy for my strawberry jam. Now you’re thinking, well, is it placed in the top 10? No, no, I’m, is it the people’s choice? Yes, people who are related to me really think it is wonderful strawberry jam. And in July, this month, from about the beginning of July to now and maybe another week, I’ll go out to Jerry’s Berries. I love that out in Cope Town, Jerry’s Berries. It’s part of lots of hostas. And I pick my raspberries there and I take that home and I make raspberry freezer jam. And I know some of you are thinking, oh, now he’s going to bring out the trophy for No, no, no, no trophies, no top 10. But again, it’s definitely the people’s choice amongst people who are related to me. The strawberry field on Old German School Road and the raspberry patch in Cope Town are beautifully well-maintained fields. Tom and his family at Brantwood Farms and Glenda and her family in Jerry’s Berries, clearly it’s work that begins the previous fall, obviously not so much during the winter, but in the spring, the fields are, well, you do whatever you do to those patches. Because when I go out to pick that fruit, it’s beautiful. The berries are beautiful. It’s just wonderful to be out there. But there are still weeds. Even though all that has been done to prevent it, you still see some weeds in amongst the bushes or off to the side. It’s part of growing things. Any vegetable gardener, any flower gardener will tell you that. Where you’re growing things, weeds show up. And that’s one reason I like this parable. Because even in a perfect strawberry field, even in a perfect raspberry, even in a perfect flower garden, even in a perfect vegetable garden, weeds are still there. You don’t want them there. You did everything to prevent them from being there. They’re still there. That’s why I like this parable. Because it seems to me to answer a question that Christians, especially when we get old enough to ask this question, why in a perfect, why in the world that God designed, why in a world where God loves us, why is there evil in this world? You and I aren’t evil people. God wants no one to be an evil person. God has given us everything we need in this world. What are good, God-fearing people supposed to do about all the evil in the world? That may not be the question that was asked directly to Jesus. And it may not be the question Jesus is answering directly. But it is the question behind the parable of the wheat and the weeds. Jesus tells this story. A farmer sowed good feed in a field. But while everyone was asleep, an enemy, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and slipped away. When the wheat sprouted and produced grain, the weeds appeared as well. The servants came and asked the owner of the field, sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did all these weeds come from? That is a good question. Later in the chapter, Jesus explains the parable. I didn’t read that part. I knew you saw where this was going. He explains the parable. He says the field represents the world. And the world is weedy. It’s corrupt. It’s not the way God intended it to be. No one has to convince us of that. We watch cable news. We listen to the radio. We scroll through social media. And we hear more stories than we want to hear about violence and war, abuse and greed, injustice, poverty, hatred, discrimination. We shake our heads at the enormous gap between the way the world ought to be and the way the world is. Where does all this evil come from? That’s a question answered in other stories in other parts. But what we are to do about that, that’s what this parable answers. Now we might think, as the servants did, well, let’s get out into the field and pull up all those weeds by its roots. That’ll get rid of it. It seems like a practical suggestion. And it is one, I’m pretty sure speaking to the gardeners in the group, it is one you actively employ in your vegetable garden and in your flower garden. But not in this parable and not in this field. Because the owner of the field says, no, no, we’re not going to pull them out. Let both grow together until the harvest. In this story about evil in the world and God’s response to it, Jesus is telling us something that might be difficult to hear. For now, God does not intend to uproot every evil thing immediately. God is not asking us to uproot every evil thing that we see immediately. God’s plan, at least for the present, is to let the wheat and the weeds grow together. That’s the parable. That’s the parable Jesus tells. That is not easy to accept. But that’s the lesson of the parable. Even though the world is full of weeds, even though there is corruption and wickedness, it is not our calling to pull out every evil weed ourselves. Why? Well, we remember what the owner told the servants. Do not pull up the weeds, because while you are pulling up weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Oh, okay. We are reminded that there is always a chance that we will do more harm than good. However unintended, there are situations where we might do more harm than good. The part of the reason, and the listeners would have understood this in Jesus’ time, they would have got this right away because of their, because it’s a small villages and connected to the rural area around them. If they weren’t farmers, they had they had family members who were farmers. They knew that Jesus was talking about a specific kind of weed and wheat. The Latin name is here. I don’t know why I put it here. I can’t pronounce it. So I’ll just, the, the weed is commonly called Darnell. And it’s an unusual grass that looks remarkably like wheat in its early growing stages. It’s easy to mistake this weed for wheat as it’s growing. And that’s why Jesus used this parable and this example, because it fits into the life that you and I live. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference between good and evil in the early stages. Oh, I know later there’s lots of times we can tell what’s evil, but I’m talking about those times when we don’t have all the information and we, we don’t really understand what’s going on. Sometimes in trying to pull up with what we think is a weed, we discover too late that we’ve damaged the wheat. There’s another part of this story that’s always intrigued me. And again, it’s one of those parts of the story. It’s just, it’s barely a sentence. It’s said, and then there’s no more comment on it, but it’s there for a reason. The enemy sows the weeds and then slips away, leaves. The enemy is no longer part of the story. We, we, the enemy doesn’t feel the necessity to come back and sow more weeds, water the weeds to do anything else. The enemy only had to plant the weeds. The damage is already done. There’s no need to stay around. Scatter a few seeds of darkness, scatter a few seeds of fear, scatter a few seeds of misunderstandings, and let good people give in to fear and give in to darkness and give in to misunderstandings. And they’ll do the damage as they pull up the weeds and harm the wheat. Scatter enough weeds so that we become anxious, fearful, angry, impulsive enough, and then see what happens. That’s why the enemy slips away, doesn’t have to do anything more. Unless, unless the owner says, wait, be still, trust me, let them grow together until the harvest. Let them grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to gather the weeds to be burned and gather the wheat and put it in to my barn. The owner doesn’t like having weeds in the field. What, what farmer, what grower, what person who’s trying to nurture seeds into, into beauty and growth and fulfilment, what, what grower would want weeds in their field? No, no, no grower. The farmer, the owner simply has a different way of dealing with them. He has a different plan. And that’s, that’s sometimes frustrating to servants who want to act now, who want to be impulsive. And the owner says, wait, be patient. I have a plan. Jesus wants us to understand that this is God’s way of dealing with evil. Not always immediately, but he will deal with it finally. This is way, God’s way of dealing with evil. Not partially, but God’s plan is to deal with it completely. And Jesus would know. It’s not like the world that he came into was any better or worse than the world that you and I are living in right now. His world was full of weeds. The disciples saw that. He saw that. His disciples saw that. They were witnesses to poverty and injustice, oppression, disease, prejudice, violence. They saw it all. They experienced it. Jesus and his disciples, they experienced everything that you and I have to deal with. The problems were real. Yet Jesus did not call on his followers to wage war against every weed. Instead, he called them to live faithfully as wheat. And perhaps that’s, not perhaps, that is still our calling today. In a world full of weeds, perhaps the best strategy that we can adopt is the one that Paul said in the 12th chapter of Romans. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. The field is still full of weeds. I admit there’s some days that that’s all it seems to be full of. It’s not true, but that’s what it feels like sometimes. But it’s also full of wheat. There is in fact more wheat than weeds. The weeds just get our attention. God has not abandoned the field, nor has God forgotten the harvest. So let us live as children of the kingdom, trusting the gardener, sowing the good seed wherever we can, and waiting in hope for the day when Christ will make all things new. Until that day, we overcome evil, not by fear or hatred, but by lives shaped by the love of God. Amen. And so be it. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

July 17, 2026

July 12

<div class="et_pb_section_0 et_pb_section et_section_regular et_block_section"> <div class="et_pb_row_0 et_pb_row et_block_row"> <div class="et_pb_column_0 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough"> <div class="et_pb_audio_0 et_pb_audio et_pb_audio_module et_pb_bg_layout_dark et_pb_audio_no_image et_pb_module et_block_module"> <div class="et_pb_audio_module_content et_audio_container"> by Aubrey Botha <audio class="wp-audio-shortcode" id="audio-311541-1" preload="none" style="width: 100%;" controls="controls"><source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://cpcchurchimages.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/14130359/July-12-Sermon.mp3?_=1" /><a href="https://cpcchurchimages.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/14130359/July-12-Sermon.mp3">https://cpcchurchimages.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/14130359/July-12-Sermon.mp3</a></audio></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="et_pb_row_1 et_pb_row et_block_row"> <div class="et_pb_column_1 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough"> <div class="et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module"> <div class="et_pb_text_inner"> <h2>Genesis 25:21-34</h2> 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 The Lord said to her, <div class="poetry top-05"> “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” </div> 24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.a</a>]">[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2025%3A21-34&version=NIV#fen-NIV-684a" title="See footnote a">a</a>] 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob.b</a>]">[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2025%3A21-34&version=NIV#fen-NIV-685b" title="See footnote b">b</a>] Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. 27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.c</a>]">[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2025%3A21-34&version=NIV#fen-NIV-689c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]) 31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” 33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright. </div> </div> <div class="et_pb_text_1 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_flex_module"> <div class="et_pb_text_inner"> <h2>Matthew 13:1-9</h2> <h3>The Parable of the Sower</h3> 13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.” </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="et_pb_row_2 et_pb_row et_block_row"> <div class="et_pb_column_2 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough"> <div class="et_pb_text_2 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module"> <div class="et_pb_text_inner"> <h2>Transcript</h2> (Transcribed by TurboScribe) Well, thank you, Alexander, and thank you for all those who make me feel welcome on a Sunday morning in your own special way. I mentioned this last week. There’s a lot of good natured teasing that goes on, and that’s simply because, as Alexander shared, I’ve known the congregation a long time. I guess it was 2009, I came to what was then St. Andrew’s Church, just up the hill, and a few years later, St. Andrew’s and St. Giles amalgamated and became Westside Presbyterian Church, and stayed for several, well, more than some years after that, and retired, I think it would be about four years ago, but still active in ministry. I enjoy attending churches, church services on those Sundays. I’m not preaching elsewhere, but one of the things I look forward to is being here for a few weeks in the summer. So, again, thank you to Aubrey and the session for the invitation. Two readings this morning, from the book of Genesis and then from Matthew. Let us hear God’s word. Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebecca became pregnant. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, why is this happening to me? So she went to enquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, two nations are in your womb, and two peoples within you will be separated. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger. When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The boys grew up, and Esau became a skilful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebecca loved Jacob. Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, quick, let me have some of that red stew. I am famished. That is why he is also called Edom. Jacob replied, first sell me your birthright. Look, I’m about to die, Esau said. What good is a birthright to me? But Jacob answered, swear to me first. So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. From Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 13, that same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying a farmer went out to sow his seed, and as he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky places where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, but because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among the thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. And still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear. Amen. In the name of the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sustainer. Amen. We are told earlier in Genesis that for twenty years Isaac and Rebekah had prayed for a child. Finally their prayers are answered, and the miracle of conception came. But it wasn’t smooth sailing. Even in the womb, the twins were struggling with one another. It’s a foreshadowing of what would continue on throughout their whole lives. It leads Rebekah to ask, while the twins are still in the room, it leads Rebekah to ask, why is this happening to me? And God answers, two nations are in your womb. One people shall be stronger than the other, and the elder shall serve the younger. We’re not told within the text how Rebekah would have received this news. It helps us understand what is about to unfold in foreshadows what’s taking place. But it wouldn’t have been immediate help at that time, and especially that latter phrase, the elder shall serve the younger. As I say, it’s not said in the text, but Rebekah must have said to herself, oh this does not bode well, because that’s not the culture. That’s not the custom. Firstborn, the elder, that’s the head, and the younger siblings serve the elder, but that’s not what Rebekah is told. Esau is born first. Jacob falls close behind, grasping at his brother’s heel. Even that small detail foreshadows the life that Jacob will lead, always grabbing and holding on. In fewer than 15 verses, the twins grow from newborns to young men, yet very little has changed in their lives or in their personalities. They were different in the womb, and they are different outside. Esau is impulsive. He’s driven by the moment, never thinking things all the way through. Jacob is patient, calculating, and as we see, he’s very opportunistic. With that understanding of who these twins were and their personalities, we come to the latter part of the story that I read to you. Esau comes in from the field, exhausted and starving. Let me have some of that red stew, I am famished. Jacob replies, sure. First, sell me your birthright. Sell. You’re firstborn. I’m to serve you. Sell it. Not even give it. Sell it to me. Esau, again, in the moment, not thinking it through. I’m about to die. What good is a birthright to me? And just like that, Esau gives away the birthright over a bowl of lentil stew. Now, I know something about the persuasive power of a good bowl of food. I know I’ve mentioned, I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before. After all, I’ve been coming here for some years. I’m sure I’ve mentioned the trophy I received for cooking chilli. Just happen to have it here. I have it at home, but if there’s a display case, I’m happy to leave it later. Yes, the People’s Choice Award from 2003. Okay, a few years ago. The Rotary Club of Brantford Sunrise, the ninth annual chilli cook-off, June 21st, 2003. The People’s Choice. Not just awarded by, the people spoke and gave me and my team this, I know the power of a good bowl of food. Now, some of you are saying, wait a minute, 2003, anything more recent? Funny you should ask. I thought I heard somebody ask. 2020, just before the world changed, we had in February of 2020, we had our annual Super Bowl contest up at Westside. Super, S-O-U-P-E-R. And yes, if you are asking, I placed in the top 10 of that competition. There were nine of us in entry, but that still places me in the top 10. A good bowl of chilli, soup, stew, that can certainly be tempting. But it’s probably not worth however good it is. It’s not worth your inheritance, your birthright. Neither brother comes out of this encounter looking particularly good. Esau acts impulsively with little thought for the future. Jacob sees his brother’s weakness. He sees it and he exploits it. Neither brother comes out looking good. And let us not completely overlook the parents. It says within the text, the father favoured one child and the mother favoured the other. It’s not just the brothers are not looking good. The family is not looking particularly good. Later in the book of Genesis, Jacob will deceive his own ageing father as well. So where does this ancient family story, and I know many of you would be familiar with this story, where does that ancient story about a long ago family meet us today in our circumstances? With our families. Well, when we think about our families, most of us still feel the pressure to convince the world that everything’s fine. Most often that’s certainly the image we would like to project in a natural way, that everything is okay. Family is normal. Everything’s under control. But when we’re honest, and we can be honest with each other at times and with good friends, when we’re speaking a little more honestly and it feels safe to do so, we know better. We know families can be complicated. We know relationships can be strained. Old wounds can linger. Misunderstandings happen, and sometimes as they’re explained, the situation does not get better. I’ve offered enough explanations over a misunderstanding that I have successfully made the situation worse with my explanations. Sometimes the people we love the most are the ones who can hurt us the most. And yet, let’s get to this, and yet God is still present. God is still there in the midst of that, in the midst of the strain, and the misunderstanding, and the friction, and the tension. That’s one of the great gifts of the stories in the book of Genesis. The very first book, the book that not only emphasises our ongoing, our original and ongoing relationship with God, but also talks about the families that are within that relationship with God. The Bible never pretends that God’s people are flawless. The Bible never pretends that families are not without their challenges. Quite the opposite. Again and again, God chooses to work through people. Again and again, God chooses to work through families that are imperfect. At the heart of Genesis is the inspiring truth that God accomplishes God’s purpose through some of the strangest, most awkward, most hard-to-understand families imaginable. When God looked across the world for people through whom to bless the nations, that’s where that phrase comes from Genesis, when God looked for people through whom to bless the nations, God did not choose people who seemed to have it all together, who had no flaws, that had never known challenges. Sometimes it looks like God would choose the B team, that God would choose not the best and the brightest, but God would still choose them. Families that argue, families that failed, people who doubted, people who made terrible decisions. God would still use them, people just like us. Many of the stories in Genesis make the very first book, as I said, of God’s story with God’s people. Many of the stories make this wonderfully clear. We do not have to be perfect before God can use us. We do not have to have everything figured out before God can bless us. We do not have to belong to a flawless family before God can call us to be a blessing to others. The good news is that God does not wait for perfect people. The good news is that God is faithful even when we are not. If God could work through Isaac and Rebecca, if God could work through Esau and Jacob, if God could bring blessings to people, to nations, to the world through that family, then surely God can work through us and ours. You’ve heard me say in the past, and I mean it with the utmost sincerity, Central Church has a lot going for it. And I hope this doesn’t shock you. But it’s not because you’re perfect. I’ve never heard anyone claim that about Central Church. What I have heard, it’s a group of people who care about each other, who care about the neighbourhood they’re in, who care about the community that you’re part of. Not perfect, but perfectly caring people. This is a church that God has, that God can, and God will continue to work through. Because by the grace of God, we are exactly the kind of people that God has always used and loved to use. People, people just like us. Amen, and so be it. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

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