St Andrew's Presbyterian Church Fergus
325 St. George Street West N1M1J4 Fergus, ON, Canada

Christ the King The Sunday immediately before Advent is called Christ the King Sunday (this year that was Nov. 22). It is the Sunday that ends the Church Year, for the Church Year begins anew with the First Sunday in Advent. This week we will be looking at the 3 gospel readings attached to Christ the King Sunday. This does not mean these are the only passages that speak of Jesus being King but they are a good sampling of the things meant by the statement that Jesus is King....Continue reading

Join our online worship service today! This week, Chris wraps up the 10-part series on Paul's letter to Ephesus. https://youtu.be/OGbzA2VNGk4

Youth group bible study during Covid is a unique challenge. As the weather gets colder, the fires get bigger!

Devotional for Nov. 20 Ephesians 6:21-24 21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus will tell you everything. He is a dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, to let you know how we are, and to encourage your hearts.... 23 Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul’s letters were most frequently carried by a messenger to the people Paul was writing to. Here at the very end of the letter Paul introduces the people of the Ephesian church to Tychicus, a brother in the faith and a faithful minister. Tychicus is to encourage the church in Ephesus and assure them that Paul is in good spirits even if Paul is in prison and about to face the emperor. And then comes the benediction and themes from earlier in the letter re-appear. Peace be to the whole community in Jesus Christ the walls of division are gone therefore the tensions between the groups in the church are absorbed into what Christ has done. Love with faith we have been saved by grace through faith, that is all of God’s work and now we join God in the good works of love that have been prepared for us to do as part of God’s reign. The last sentence of the book intrigues me. An undying love a love that does not fade away. In Revelation 2:4, the risen Christ says to the church in Ephesus that they have lost their first love. That is, the passion and love for Jesus that was part of their following Jesus at the start of their Christian walk has ebbed away, and the risen Christ asks them to re-kindle that first love. Do we have a hint of the same thing here in Eph. 6:24? And so the letter ends with a question how is our love for Jesus? Is it as passionate as it once was? Or is the fire of love dying out? PRAYER: God of grace, you have loved us with an overwhelming love, tearing down all the walls that prevent us from having relationship with you and with one another. By the Holy Spirit, fire our love for you. That we may serve you with an undying love. These things we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Devotional for Nov. 18 Ephesians 6:18-20 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.... As Paul moves to talk about prayer and the mystery of the gospel it may feel as though Paul is no longer thinking about the struggle between good and evil. In fact, he is very aware of that on-going conflict and prayer and the message of the gospel are central to that conflict. First, as the Declaration of Faith Concerning Church and Nation, a doctrinal statement of the Presbyterian Church in Canada says, the Church must remember that the weapons of her warfare are finally out of this world. The hymn says put on the gospel armour, each piece put on with prayer. In the conflict Paul invites prayer at all times for all the saints. Prayer is how we engage in the struggle. In prayer we participate with God in what God is doing. In prayer we join the God of the universe, and the community of faith around the world, in the growth of the reign of God in the world. Second, Paul is personally aware that the conflict is on-going. He is an ambassador of Jesus Christ, an ambassador of the gospel, and he is in chains. Being a follower of Jesus Christ does not protect him or anyone else from facing challenge, imprisonment, and more. He asks the church in Ephesus to pray that he, Paul, would be able to stand fast, be faithful, even as he is in chains. That invitation comes to us to remember in prayer all our Christian sisters and brothers, that together we would have boldness to speak the message of good news that is Jesus Christ. PRAYER: God who hears and who sees, you know the struggles your people face as we seek to live faithful to you and to your message of good news. We pray for Christians who face persecution, that they would know that the Holy Spirit is with them giving them strength and hope. Make them bold, make us bold. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Andy the church mouse is helping Peter with sermon preparations today. Are you able to spot him?