Rev Chris Roth

Exodus20:1-17; Psalm 1; 1Corinthians 6:12-20; John14:15-26 Hear the sermon by clicking the link to the right--->>>>> This is the third week of our sermon series on “big questions”. We asked you what your big questions are about God, the church, or the Bible. The question today is a bit complicated. I was in a coffee shop that is a bit like my 3 rd office, and I asked the barista there what her big question was, and she said something like this,  “I think about the crusades and the horrible things Christians did back then, and I think about how trans-gendered people and gay people have been treated. I also think about Christians not being allowed to marry non-Christians, or divorced people. Even if they are tolerated, they aren’t really accepted, they are sort of cut off from Christianity. There seems to be such a difference between modern ethical values and Christian ethical values. How do you use an ancient book like the Bible and use it t...

“Epiphany” is about light shining in the darkness and revealing what is hidden. Specifically, it is about Jesus being revealed to the world as the divine Son of God. This season of Epiphany we are going to shine the light of epiphany on our questions and doubts. Many of you have submitted questions and doubts that are either your own or that you have received from family, friends, or neighbours.     The question this week is this:  “If God instituted all the different languages and cultures of the world at Babel to challenge us, why would the Church teach Christianity is the exclusive route to God?” How I understand the question is this. We live in a world full of so much diversity- many cultures and many religions- isn’t it arrogant for Christians to claim the only way to God? It’s offensive to say you know spiritual truth (and imply others don’t.)   God is a God of amazing creativity and diversity. It seems at least conceivable that God...

Here are some books I often give to couples that are getting married. I often tell them to file the list away and pull it out and get a book when they feel stuck or want to further develop their relationship. Marriage and Relationship Books The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman guides couples in identifying, understanding, and speaking their spouse's primary love language; quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch. Chapters are categorized by love language for easy reference, and each one ends with simple steps to express a specific language to your spouse. You can build a lasting, loving marriage together. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert by John Gottman Ph.D. From Amazon Gottman, the director of the Gottman Institute... shares the four not-so-obvious signs o...

Great books for studying Jesus (Christology)

Hear the sermon here Read scripture here John 1:1-18 There is a song that came out when I was in high school by Joan Osborne called “One of Us”. In the song she wonders,  “What if God was one of us? Just a slob like one of us? Just a stranger on the bus/ Trying to make His way home?” John would say to Joan,  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being… And the Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:1-3, 14).   John would say to Joan, there is no “what if”. God HAS become one of us. He WAS a stranger on the bus. He was overlooked and not noticed- he was “just a slob like one of us”. He grew up in a village and had a family and worked as a carpenter. He had neighbors. He had friends. He was God, but in many ways he was an ordinary human being. John goes on to say,  “He was in the ...