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February 25, 2025: History, Role & Significance of Music in the Christian Faith
Music has the power to inspire, encourage and connect us with others. It impacts us emotionally and retrieves forgotten memories. In the Christian faith, music helps us to worship, to celebrate, and to mourn.
In this lecture, Rev Sandy briefly describes a history of music's role in Christianity, from the early church and its spread through the western world to the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther's influence on hymn writing and congregational singing.
Sandy then shifts to more recent church history and the role and significance of music in the United Church and other denominations.
View the recording on YouTube here:
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January 21, 2025: Relationships
Relationships affect all of us, in all phases and stages of our lives. They are a source of support, injury and growth for all of us. God invites us into a relationship that we value and nurture. As humans, we’re involved in both voluntary and obligatory relationships with varying outcomes, that can test our faith in humankind, and in God.
As we launch ourselves into 2025, we find ourselves in a world that feels decidedly unsettled and more dangerous than in recent decades. In this lecture, Sandy addresses relationships on a larger scale – those influenced by wars, viruses, public violence and social media angst. He also considers relationships on a scale closer to home, where our relationships with others can ripple out and have an impact.
From history and from Scripture, Sandy looks at various instances of people in a state of flux and how they dealt with one another.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/hjI8gtNN5MQ?si=DJqgjpZIXNRKqcLB
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December 5, 2024: Religion vs. Kingdom
In this lecture, Sandy invites us to explore the differences between religion, which tends to be humankind’s way of relating to God, and kingdom - God’s way of relating to us. Referencing the birth narrative, as well as the adult Jesus, Sandy addresses the differences between the natures of the baby and the man, linking those to the concepts of religion and kingdom.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/nwL-PqC7vH8?si=EA9HPFP2tH4Vh0H9
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October 31, 2024: Faith and Friction
Globally, technology has become integral to our lives. It’s presence and progress continue at an ever-increasing pace. Artificial Intelligence has gained considerable attention, as well as a degree of notoriety. In this lecture, Rev. Sandy invites us to consider possible friction points between technology and faith. His scriptural references may be more from a perspective of allegory. Star Trek references are pretty much guaranteed! This promises to be a thought-provoking topic as we reflect on AI, what it means to be human and what it might mean for Christians as people of faith.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/CtEeL3rlliI?si=Sn0KQRhAJwm1dbC6
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September 19, 2024: Inclusive Worthiness
The University of British Columbia, in its equity and inclusion glossary, defines inclusion as “an active, intentional, and continuous process to address inequities in power and privilege, and to build a respectful and diverse community that ensures welcoming spaces and opportunities to flourish for all”. What does inclusive worthiness mean within our society? How is it practiced? What do the scriptures have to say about it? Rev. Sandy addresses this topic using Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, referencing Titus and Timothy in considering the dark side of rejecting inclusive worthiness.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/aFHcjYcq690?si=bm1bxcyrAgalWYgV
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April 23, 2024: The Book of Acts and the Early Church
What can learn from the Book of Acts and the early days of the Christian church? In this lecture, Rev. Sandy addresses the tension between the vision of Acts, expressed through radical inclusiveness and heroic imagery, and the reality of the formation of the church within a Roman society experiencing fundamental change. He considers how the early church was successful, as well as some troublesome legacies that continue to impact us today.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/6OQTlm22K_k?si=frKUox5jqOKlX3xI
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March 5, 2024: Reverence
In this lecture, Rev. Sandy shares general observations about the human capacity to feel reverence. He goes on to share Scriptural insights and examples of reverence in the 1st and 2nd Testaments. Sandy then considers modern reverence and reverence in the sight of God.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/h6V4YMAaYV8?si=lAAABihBVowIte1e
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February 6, 2024: Bioethics and Religion
Using the creation narrative in Genesis 1:26-31, Rev. Sandy invites us to consider what the bible says about how and why we were made. He then addresses the larger picture of how medical science understands the world in comparison to traditional religious belief. Sandy briefly speaks to specific examples of medical interventions, including abortion and assisted dying.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/VA8Cj7ZWHbI?si=MAeQWN9te4pPbt7R
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January 9, 2024: Stories that Wound, Stories that Heal
In this lecture, Rev. Sandy invites us to consider six stories that are found consistently throughout the Bible. These are stories of Domination, Purification, Revolution, Isolation, Victimization, and Accumulation. Then, he addresses the seventh story, the one that Jesus tells, the Good News and all that it encompasses.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/_dxOHKoyFOE?si=765vrb7XoOEYFc4e
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November 28, 2023: Christian Activism
In Rev. Sandy's previous lecture focused on "The Sermon on the Mount", he shared the context and impact of this beginning of Jesus' ministry. In this lecture, Rev. Sandy introduces us to three different approaches to Christian activism, by sharing with us the work of Archbishop Oscar Romero, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Iona Community.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/sfBdD3QZE3A?si=jj12sCo0eLZwiXGS
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October 31, 2023: The Sermon on the Mount
In this lecture, Rev. Sandy provides the context of the time that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount and the impact of Jesus' teachings at that time. The lecture goes on to address the ways in which Christians have engaged with the text, then considers how we may engage with it in the context of the challenges faced in today's world.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/xyfU9NkBUwQ?si=ILkuBi2sxp2CzaBk
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May 16, 2023: The Humanity of Jesus
Was Jesus fully human? Was He the product of a “normal” family? Was He a “real human”, or a “perfect” human? Why the Messianic secret?
These are some of the questions that Rev. Sandy addresses in this lecture, referring primarily to the Gospel of Mark. Sandy considers the complexity of the human Jesus in the context of the 1st Century and then shares his insights and perspectives on the humanity of Jesus and how it shapes the Kingdom of God today.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/b7_YtceyEp8
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Apr 18, 2023: Resurrection: The Meaning of Easter
The cross and empty tomb represent the central mystery of the Christian faith. In this lecture, Rev. Sandy references the mythological pattern of a dying god that pre-dates Christianity and appealed to the Gentiles, as well as generations that followed. Sandy considers what the Gospels say regarding Jesus' resurrection, and also Paul, who only knew the resurrected Christ.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/SgbUq7mWL9E​
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Feb 21, 2023: Prophets
In the 1st Testament, the prophets were the charismatic commentators on social, political, economic and religious issues of the day, that offered a safety valve within a system ruled by kings. They were often political figure – scathing speakers against religious norms. This lecture considers some of the early prophets, such as Amos, the most radical voice of the times. Rev. Sandy provides insight into the nature and role of the prophets, as well as the relationship between the prophets and kings of the 1st Testament, in comparison to their relationship with the leaders of the Roman Empire in the 2nd Testament. He speaks to the constructs of the prophets of the 1st Testament, then the interpretation to involve Jesus in the Jewish saga.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/LInaY8PKVqw
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Jan 24, 2023: Paul's Letters
Paul's letters have become a source of mainstream theology of the Protestant church. In this lecture, Rev. Sandy will address such questions as: Who was Paul? What were Paul's beliefs? Who comprised Paul's audiences? and Why do today's mainstream churches often struggle with engaging with Paul's words
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/O4Z9IEO1K7I
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Dec 6, 2022: The Book of Revelations
This lecture addresses when the Book of Revelations was written, and by whom. The relevance of the symbolism is considered in the context of the times in which the book was written. This lecture then looks at how the Christian church has dealt with Revelations through the ages, and offers tools to read and appreciate the book.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/_K00txvQRbI
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October 26, 2022: Prayer
This lecture considers scriptural references to prayer and focuses on Psalms that reflect both community and individual prayers. This lecture also addresses popular perceptions of prayer and prayer in the United Church.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/CgxeeHZM6wU
September 28, 2022: The Jewish Exilic Experience
Using the biblical analogy of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Judean exile to Babylonia (they left as Judeans; they returned as Jews), this lecture explores the exilic experience of trauma and recovery: judgement, lament and hope. Today, we lament the impacts of the Covid-19 experience. We can also explore those impacts and consequences, learning valuable lessons that can lead to a renewal of hope.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/f96s2aTlf0s
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July 13, 2022: Language of the Bible
Sandy addresses the key languages spoken and written, as associated with both the 1st and 2nd Testaments. He considers the history of these languages and their impact on Biblical interpretation.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/0b3oXcZxY8I
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Bonus: UCC Song of Faith
Strathearn United Church is pleased to share the United Church of Canada’s Song of Faith.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/1lz--_XWMCQ
June 1, 2022: The Protestant Reformation and its Legacy
Sandy addresses key factors that prompted and supported the Reformation and introduces us to some of the religious leaders at this critical time in the history of the church, including Martin Luther. He goes on to speak of a number of the results of the Protestant Reformation, including its impact on legal, educational and cultural values, many of which are with us today.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/2nIx5CC6Qr8
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May 4, 2022: The 1st Era of Definitions
Sandy addresses the period from the end of the Jewish Revolt to the rule of Emperor Constantine and the establishment of Christianity as an institution. He explains the meaning of “Era of Definition”, then provides context, history and Biblical references regarding the 1st Era. In this lecture, you will learn about what happened in those earliest days, when Christianity moved from evangelizing to scattered communities, to an Imperial Christian faith.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/SN-xEWj7GaE
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April 6, 2022: Holy Week: A Hero's Narrative
Looking at the events from Palm Sunday through the Last Supper and Jesus’ arrest, Rev. Sandy’s lecture explores the gaps between the evidence-based history and the Gospel narratives. He also offers insights as to why the Gospels differ in their narrative of the Passion.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/iBuV6eJ28F0
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Lent 2022: Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians
Sandy explains the historical context of leadership in the Corinthian community, drawing on scripture verses that addressed social and political realities of the time.  He goes on to address Paul’s approach to teaching and leading this community of Christians, reminding them of the Vision of Christ as they lived within the realities of their time.
View the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/jJm1bEiXu0s