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Is the story of the resurrection just a ancient "magic trick," or is it something much deeper? In this final instalment of our Lenten theme, "Going All In," we grapple with the weirdness, the skepticism, and the cultural overexposure of Easter to find the heartbeat of the story. Moving beyond the debate of literal vs. metaphorical, we explore the idea that resurrection isn't a violation of the laws of nature, but the ultimate reveal of how the universe actually works. From the death of stars and the germination of seeds to personal transformations in the trans community and the "resurrection" of neighborliness during a pandemic, we see God making all things new. Join us as we learn what it means to be a people of New Life, trusting that death is never the end. Scripture Reading: Matthew 28 Watch the full worship service on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QpVZEoO-nlw Learn more about Young United Church: www.youngunitedchurch.com This sermon was preached in Winnipeg on April 5, 2026. All In: Liturgical Theme All in for Resurrection © 2025 Barn Geese Worship. Used by permission.

Why do we call this Sunday both "Palm" and "Passion"? In this message, we reflect on how Holy Week embodies God going "all in" for creation. From the exuberant shouts of the Jerusalem crowds to the quiet intimacy of a final meal and the lifegiving terror of the cross, we see a God who refuses to play it safe. Drawing on the poetry of R.S. Thomas and Rumi, we explore why the "best and most fruitful people" are those who don't dispense with the storms. We also celebrate the unique way our community practices this—sharing both our deepest joys and our heaviest griefs—as we answer Christ's call to "remain awake" to the fullness of what it means to be alive. Scripture Reading: Matthew 21:1-11 Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/ZIjXdj89s1Q Learn more about our community: www.youngunitedchurch.com All In: Liturgical Theme All in for the Highs and the Lows © 2025 Barn Geese Worship. Used by permission. Children's Story referenced - The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld This sermon was preached in Winnipeg on March 29, 2026.

For centuries, scientists missed a massive network in the human body—the Interstitium—because they assumed what they saw under the microscope was just "noise." In this sermon, we explore how our own "knowledge" often blinds us to the wonder of God. Reflecting on John 11:1-45, we look at Martha’s incredible "Yes" in the face of her brother Lazarus's death. Faith isn't about believing in the impossible; it’s the humble admission that we don't know everything. What happens when we let go of our assumptions about our brokenness, our scarcity, and even our ends? When we stop assuming the future is only one of decline, what new life can grow in the cracks? Scripture Reading: John 11:1-45 Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/zrRCOlHNV58 Learn more about our community: www.youngunitedchurch.com All In: Liturgical Theme All in for Letting Go © 2025 Barn Geese Worship. Used by permission. This sermon was preached in Winnipeg on March 22, 2026.

What if "Salt of the Earth" isn't about flavoring, but about keeping a fire hot, sealing a covenant, or healing a wound? Drawing on archaeology and ancient history, this sermon explores the diverse roles salt played in the time of Jesus—from earthenware ovens to Roman salaries and sacred sacrifices. We look at the Greek word moranthe, which suggests that "losing our saltiness" isn't about becoming tasteless, but about becoming "inert" or "foolish." Whether you are a healer, a helper, or a fire-starter, your specific "saltiness" is a unique gift to the world. Don't become flavorless dust; live into the distinct essence God has placed within you. Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:13-20 Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/bQWtmArrkU Learn more about our community: www.youngunitedchurch.com

When Jesus delivered the Beatitudes, he wasn't listing checkmarks for personal holiness or promising a fluffy reward in the clouds after we die. He was issuing a thesis statement for a new world—the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. In this message, we explore how the Beatitudes stand in direct opposition to the "Kingdom of Empire" that creates winners and losers, wounds the vulnerable, and colonizes the spirit. The Church’s true purpose isn't just to read these words, but to inhabit them. If the world creates distance, we create proximity. If the world creates winners, we create family. Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:1-12 Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/y9viZ1hJxG8 Learn more about our community: www.youngunitedchurch.com

Why did Jesus begin his ministry standing in a cold line at the river Jordan instead of the halls of power or the Temple? This sermon reflects on Matthew 3:13-17, exploring why the "repentant" crowd was the perfect soil for Christ's movement. We often "dig in" and defend our mistakes because we are terrified that being wrong makes us worthless. But the people at the Jordan knew a deeper truth: Repentance isn't the price we pay for grace; it is the evidence that we have already been touched by it. Discover the freedom of being a "Beloved Child" of God—a status you hold before you ever succeed, and even when you fail. Scripture Reading: Matthew 3:13-17 Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/utwQ8MQOmy4 Learn more about our community: www.youngunitedchurch.com

Why did God choose to dwell in flesh? Drawing inspiration from the Upanishads and the foundational text of John 1:1-18, this sermon explores the profound purpose of the Incarnation. We find that God's desire is not to overcome distance, but to overcome the illusion of our own isolation—to pull us from "I am" into "We are." The physical world is inseparable from the Divine. We challenge the focus on "Right Belief" and explore the call to Right Relationship with all things. This includes embracing the "Harmony Way" concept that recognizes our kinship with all of creation—the rocks, the rivers, our neighbours, and our enemies. The light that shines in the darkness is the recognition that we are one family, one life in God. Scripture Reading: John 1:1-18 Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/oR5adSdfdyE Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

We all anticipate a distant future—a promised land, retirement, or the afterlife. But drawing on the woodcutter's wisdom and the returning exiles of Judah (Isaiah 35), this sermon reminds us that Christian faith is not "God will be with us," but Immanuel: "God IS with us." We are called to stop looking over the horizon for the oasis and recognize the miraculous blooms already springing up in the desert around us. The Holy Highway of justice, peace, and hope is not a destination ahead, but the path blooming right under our feet, now. Scripture Reading: Isaiah 35 Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/76ZU2EbLr0U Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

From a slime mould mapping a rail system to the chaos of the Cambrian Explosion, nature shows us that new life and great solutions emerge from a profusion of experiments. This sermon explores Isaiah 11's prophecy of the "shoot from the stump of Jesse" not as a single sprout, but as a myriad of possibilities emerging after a loss. We are invited to be daring, to send out many threads, and to trust that the shoots guided by Christ's path—compassion, empathy, and love—will grow into the remade world God promises. Scripture Reading: Isaiah 11 Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/lbbdPWQjzmk Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

Advent is a season of hopeful tension, embracing the idea that God's new world is both Already here (seen in moments of grace and peace, like Jerusalem's relief from Assyria) and Not Yet fully realized. Drawing on Isaiah 2:1-5 and Matthew 24:36-44, this sermon encourages us to live in what Parker Palmer calls the "Tragic Gap" between the real and the ideal. We explore how glimpses of compassion, justice, and peace—like turning guns into trumpets—are signs of what could be, calling us to live as though Christ's peaceful reign has already begun. Watch the full worship service Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

On this Reign of Christ Sunday, we explore the political and spiritual tension surrounding the Messiah. The prophet Jeremiah pronounces "Woe" to the bad shepherds (the corrupt kings of Judah) and promises a "Righteous Branch" (Jeremiah 23:1-6). But the King who arrived defied all expectations: where people expected a Sword, they received a Towel; where they expected Vengeance, they found Mercy. This sermon challenges us to recognize that Christ's reign is not a political victory confirming our own biases, but a shocking act of God's radical, universal grace. How do we make room for such unwelcome mercy in our hearts? Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/t4xZtdpzmL8 Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

When we look back at the glory of the past or forward to an impossible ideal, it’s easy to feel like we've fallen short, much like the people rebuilding the Temple in Haggai's time. In this sermon, we reflect on this "small temple problem"—our collective failure to achieve lasting peace—as we observe Peace Sunday ahead of Remembrance Day. We explore atonement as not just saying "sorry," but as a commitment to live like we mean it, working for peace despite systemic violence. We find our strength in God's assurance: "Be strong... and work, for I am with you." Scripture Reading: Haggai 1:15b-2:9 Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/Ij9Ejwc4xwQ Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

Gazing up at the night sky can make us feel small, but it also compels us to ask life’s biggest questions. In this sermon, we join the prophet Habakkuk on his watchtower, grappling with the injustice, violence, and suffering he witnessed and asking, "Where is God?" This message suggests that true faith is not about rushing to easy promises, but about the stubborn, defiant choice to keep watch—to look out, ask big questions, and remain expectant even when the heavens seem silent. Keeping watch is the foundation of hope against despair. Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 2 Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/q3uWd8DcBFU Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

This sermon for Anniversary Sunday challenges us to embrace the "gift of failure." We dive into the deep sea's bioluminescence and the Japanese art of Kintsugi (golden repair) to argue that true renewal and the outpouring of God's Spirit (promised in Joel 2) often come after we risk breaking. We must stop freezing in fear and take the necessary leaps, knowing that the greatest danger isn't failure itself, but refusing to admit and reflect on it. The world needs the church to risk failure for the sake of grace and compassion. Scripture Reading: Joel 2:21-32 Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/fXI-_lDABnA Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com

What do we do when our world is crumbling and false prophets (or even AI) only tell us what we want to hear? Drawing on Jeremiah 29, this sermon introduces the concept of "Marble Hope"—a tough, resilient hope that asks us to "seek the well-being of where you are," rather than waiting for a future rescue. This message is paired with Deuteronomy 26, which reminds us that true gratitude requires remembering our difficult past as the only journey that could have brought us to this one, precious, controllable moment. This reflection calls us to sow hope right here, right now, in the single moment where we have a say in what we do and who we are. Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14 and Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Watch the full worship service: https://youtu.be/kLNu6JSkx9Y Learn more about us: www.youngunitedchurch.com