13Jul

This Sunday: Turning to the Lord

Sunday, 16 July - 9am

Life is at times sunny and bright, and we keenly feel the Lord’s presence. At other times life is dark and stormy, and the Lord seems absent. We move from one state to another. The Lord, on the other hand, is constant: appearances to the contrary, He never ceases to bless our lives with love and wisdom. It is up to us to practice turning back to Him, so that we can realize what has been true all along: that He has been at our side, loving and guiding us, through all the states of life.

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

  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon and readings can be found here.
  • Readings
    Readings from the Old and New Testaments and the Teachings of the New Church can be found here.

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05Jul

This Sunday: Good vs Right

Sunday, 9 July - 9am

Which matters more: being good or being right? As a church we know that both matter, and at the same time that goodness is the more important of the two. Yet often we can switch things around and put way too much emphasis on being right to the detriment of being good, This Sunday we will look at the letter to the Church in Ephesus, which urges those who put great weight in being right to focus more on doing good.

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

  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon and readings can be found here.
  • Readings
    Readings from the Old and New Testaments and the Teachings of the New Church can be found here.

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22Jun

This Sunday: Uncertainty

Sunday, 25 June - 9am

“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.” (Matthew 6:34)

This simple phrase holds immense power. It’s easy to become caught up in what the future holds: worry, anxiety, fear. Our instinct is to reach for certainty and take control to make sure everything works out. This pattern becomes exhausting and is futile. Yet when we listen to the Lord we can let go of the need for certainty and instead hope, with the sure trust that the Lord will lead us through all hardships. This week, when you worry about the future, change that worry into a hope.

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

  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon and readings can be found here.
  • Readings
    Readings from the Old and New Testaments and the Teachings of the New Church can be found here.

Read more

14Jun

This Sunday: New Church Essentials, Part 3: The Word

Sunday, 18 June - 9am

One of the central teachings of the New Church is that the Word has a deeper, spiritual meaning. This meaning runs through every story, every phrase, and even every word. This Sunday we’ll talk about this deeper spiritual sense, and why it was revealed only hundreds of years after the Word was written, and the role it plays in the establishment of the New Church.

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

  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon and readings can be found here.
  • Readings
    Readings from the Old and New Testaments and the Teachings of the New Church can be found here.

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08Jun

This Sunday: New Church Essentials, Part 2: Life

Sunday, 11 June - 9am

This week we continue with the them of the essentials of the New Church, in other words, the core ideas that define what the New Church actually is. Last week we looked at a unique view of God. This week our focus is on life. In the New Church one of the central teachings is that we must follow the Lord’s teachings, and it is only through this that we can receive salvation and eternal life. In the book of Revelation we see images of what it means to truly live what we believe and fight mightily to put it into practice.

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

  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon and readings can be found here.
  • Readings
    Readings from the Old and New Testaments and the Teachings of the New Church can be found here.

Read more

01Jun

This Sunday – New Church Essentials, Part 1: The Lord

Sunday, 4 June - 5pm

Our sermon series for New Church Day is going to be three parts. What’s new about the New Church? We’re going to look at what’s new about an idea of the Lord, what’s new about how you live your life, what’s new about an understanding of the Lord’s Word. The first one about the Lord, which we’re going to do this Sunday, is going to be all about the oneness of God. How, when we look at the Lord Jesus Christ, we’re seeing the fullness of God. We’re seeing the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, all of it together in this one person who we can go to, relate to, have a relationship with, learn from, and worship.

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

  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon and readings can be found here on Sunday.
  • Readings
    Readings from the Old and New Testaments and the Teachings of the New Church can be found here on Sunday.

Read more

25May

This Sunday: Thirsty for Truth

Sunday, 28 May - 9am
It turns out that we don’t have all the answers and that we don’t have life more figured out than anyone else. When life gets hard we can quickly go from self-satisfied to despairing over ever knowing how to overcome our troubles. While we might seek to avoid this trap of thinking we have everything figured out only to have it all crash down around us, it is inevitable. Thankfully the Lord uses this experience to lead us to a place of true peace and contentment. This process is laid out for us in the story of Hagar and Ishmael.

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

  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon and readings can be found here.
  • Readings
    Readings from the Old and New Testaments and the Teachings of the New Church can be found here.

Read more

19May

This Sunday: Two Become One

Sunday, 21 May - 9am
Marriage is all about two people becoming one person. But that isn’t always what it feels like. It can feel more like two butting heads or missing each other entirely or being together in person but isolated in mind or heart. So how do two become one? What does it take to fulfil that promise of marriage?

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

  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon and readings can be found here.
  • Readings
    Readings from the Old and New Testaments and the Teachings of the New Church can be found here.

Read more

11May

This Sunday: Honouring Mothers

Sunday, 14 May - 9am
The 4th Commandment directs us to “honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which Jehovah your God is giving you.” I hope you have a chance today to do some of that honouring. But of course, this commandment goes far beyond just one day of the year and beyond just one earthly mother. More broadly we can reflect on how we honour motherhood in general, and how those qualities of motherhood come into our spiritual practices. Whether your mother is still here or has passed on, whether your relationship with your mother is deep, conflicted, or non-existent, it is possible to honour spiritual motherhood.

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

  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon and readings can be found here on Sunday.
  • Readings
    Readings from the Old and New Testaments and the Teachings of the New Church can be found here on Sunday

Read more