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Perhaps the clearest command that the Lord gives us in regards to evil-doers is that we ought to forgive them. This command is one of the hardest commands to follow and it is crucial for our spiritual well-being. Yet if forgiveness is our only response to evil then we miss the bigger picture. So in addition to forgiveness, what else does the Lord teach us about responding to evil? This Sunday we will explore how to broaden our view of that response.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

You are not allowed to attend church in-person at the moment. We will let you know when this changes.

• Song Lyrics
  We will have three songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics to the songs here.
• Readings
  The readings for the service can be found here.
• Text Sermon
  A PDF of the text version of the sermon can be found here.

It has been a hard week. This Sunday we will have a special service with Joel, Malcolm, and the Rev. Bheki Dube each playing a part. In the Psalms we read, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (27:14). Join us online as we ask the Lord to strengthen our hearts.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

You are not allowed to attend church in-person at the moment. We will let you know when this changes.

• Song Lyrics
  We will have three songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics to the songs here.
• Children’s Talk
  A PDF of the portion of the service aimed at children can be found here.

Last week we talked about some general principles as to what makes for a healthy or unhealthy relationship with what the Lord teaches. This week we’re going to talk about what it’s like to be an individual navigating the ups and downs of our individual relationship with what the Lord teaches.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

You are not allowed to attend church in-person at the moment. We will let you know when this changes.

• Song Lyrics
  We will have three songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics to the songs here.
• Readings
  The readings for the service can be found here.
• Text Sermon
  A PDF of the text version of the sermon can be found here.

Avoiding is something we all do. We do it with small things, like when we ignore our body’s signals that it’s time for bed or when we procrastinate on the dishes. We do it with bigger things, like when we put off that important but difficult conversation we need to have or when we put future decisions out of mind. And we do it even with the most important things in our spiritual lives, when we know we have an issue but it is to challenging to face. But if we are to grow spiritually we cannot put off or ignore our flaws. We need to address them head on. This Sunday we will look at some of the reasons we avoid spiritual challenges and what we can do to overcome that tendency.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

• Song Lyrics
  We will have three songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics to the songs here.
• Readings
  The readings for the service can be found here.
• Text Sermon
  A PDF of the text version of the sermon can be found here.

If you are planning on attending in person you must fill out the Health Screening Questionnaire each time you are attending on the Sunday morning before the service.

You must also read the full explanation of the rules.

Every June, as New Church day approaches, we turn our attention to the book of Revelation. Revelation presents fantastic imagery of plagues and warfare, of dragons and angel armies, of a colossal city and a lake of fire. What it does not appear to do is lay out nicely and clearly what the New Church will be. Why did the Lord choose imagery over rational explanation to paint a picture for us of the New Church? This Sunday’s talk for the whole family will dive into what we can learn of the New Church through understanding John’s visions.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

• Song Lyrics
  We will have three songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics to the songs here.
• Readings
  The readings for the service can be found here.
• Text Sermon
  A PDF of the text version of the sermon can be found here.

If you are planning on attending in person you must fill out the Health Screening Questionnaire each time you are attending on the Sunday morning before the service.

You must also read the full explanation of the rules.

In talking about what the New Church is we could focus on how the New Church is different from other churches but this Sunday I’m more interested in talking about how we hold those differences. Are we meant to be trying to be different? Do we feel embarrassed to be different or maybe superior? Let’s work to have the Lord guide our thinking about being different.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

• Song Lyrics
  We will have three songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics to the songs here.
• Readings
  The readings for the service can be found here.
• Text Sermon
  A PDF of the text version of the sermon can be found here.

If you are planning on attending in person you must fill out the Health Screening Questionnaire each time you are attending on the Sunday morning before the service.

You must also read the full explanation of the rules.

Every year on 19 June we celebrate “New Church Day.” We treat this day as the birthday of our church. But what is it that we actually are celebrating? What is the New Church? How does the New Church fit into the broader world of religions and faith? How widely does it extend? How does it differ from any other faith? This June we will spend time looking at exactly what the New Church is, and especially how it fits into the world around us.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

• Song Lyrics
  We will have three songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics to the songs here.
• Readings
  The readings for the service can be found here.
• Text Sermon
  A PDF of the text version of the sermon can be found here.

If you are planning on attending in person you must fill out the Health Screening Questionnaire each time you are attending on the Sunday morning before the service.

You must also read the full explanation of the rules.

Have you been born again? Or, to ask the same question in a different way, have you been significantly changed by trying to follow the Lord? That’s the point, right? To become a less selfish, more loving, more wise and useful person. Who could you become if you really gave yourself over to loving the Lord and loving other people? Sometimes it can feel like we’re not making much progress in that direction. Is that because we’re not trying hard enough or not letting go enough or just because it’s hard and it takes a long time to change? These are the questions that we’re going to wrestle with on Sunday.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

• Song Lyrics
  We will have three songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics to the songs here.
• Readings
  The readings for the service can be found here.
• Text Sermon
  A PDF of the text version of the sermon can be found here.

If you are planning on attending in person you must fill out the Health Screening Questionnaire each time you are attending on the Sunday morning before the service.

You must also read the full explanation of the rules.

Last week we witnessed a baptism. Malcolm talked about the importance of baptism as a mark of committing to a certain way of life. But he also mentioned how rarely many of us reflect on our own baptisms. In the New Church we practice infant baptism, meaning many of us were not even conscious of what was going on when it took place, and have no memory of it. How do we confirm and affirm that we as adults accept the promises made when we were infants? Or if baptised as adults, how do we confirm and affirm the promises made years ago when younger? This Sunday we will look at various ways of confirming the promises of baptism and making sure the commitment of baptised remains with us.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

• Song Lyrics
  We will have three songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics to the songs here.
• Readings
  The readings for the service can be found here.
• Text Sermon
  A PDF of the text version of the sermon can be found here.

If you are planning on attending in person you must fill out the Health Screening Questionnaire each time you are attending on the Sunday morning before the service.

You must also read the full explanation of the rules.