St. Peter's Fireside

Our senior apprentice, Xue Ting, will be leading us through Acts 2:14, 36-37! Join us for “Marks of an Easter People,” where we’ll look at how to live out transformed lives in community as people who have experienced, identified with, and belong to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/cvE2p0DuJfM

What does the resurrection really mean? This Sunday, we explore two teachings from Peter: one is the first recorded post-resurrection sermon, and the other was written decades later to Christian exiles scattered across the world. Together, these teachings reveal a God who acts in history, a risen King who reigns, and a living hope that changes everything. We will see that the resurrection isn’t merely about what happened to Jesus, it’s about what happens to us: new birth, enduring hope, and faith refined through every trial. You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/dclzIPttGdI

Join us this Sunday as we journey from the season of Lent towards Easter together. As Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey into what will prove to be a crucial week, the people are shaken, asking, "Who is this?" We will look at how we answer that question, the danger of merely following the crowd, and what Jesus himself reveals about who He is. You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/gsmiBCqrWmY

This Sunday we will look at the wonderful story of Jesus healing the man born blind from John 9. Why does Jesus spit on the ground? Why don’t the blind man’s neighbours recognize him after he is healed? Why do the Pharisees throw him out of the synagogue, and what does it all have to do with us? Come and “see”! You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/8o4uqXxyRhc

This week's sermon will include a discussion of one of the hot-button topics in the church and wider society today. In Romans 1, Paul lays out how we collectively exchanged the worship of God for the worship of idols. Because of this, God “gave us over” to all manner of impurities. The list Paul gives of our impurities is long, but we must admit that he includes homosexual acts as a chief example. How are we to approach this? We might experience same-sex attraction ourselves, but even if we don’t, we all have loved ones who do. In her wisdom, the Church pairs Romans 1 with John chapter 4 and the account of the Samaritan woman at the well. This woman, like all of us, has experienced relational and sexual brokenness as a result of our collective sin. Having had five husbands and currently living with one who is not her husband, we might say that she is “maritally irregular” in her society. We will explore how Jesus treats her, and us. Come and see. You can view the full sermon here: https://youtube.co

Join us this Sunday as we journey through the season of Lent together. You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/ebqoe5HyHGU

You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/_c0ehjpYeTU Lent is the perfect time to review and renew our rule of life (also known as Rhythm for Life at St. Pete’s). A rule of life is simply a means of intentionally organizing our life around practices or disciplines that invite the Holy Spirit to help us grow into Christlikeness. In other words, it's a personal plan for discipleship. The disciplines are not a means of belonging to Jesus; they are tools to offer the Spirit that we might become more like the One to whom we already belong. A key feature of the Christian disciplines is that in order for them to bear spiritual fruit, they are undertaken in secret. There are many spiritual disciplines, but most of them fall under Jesus’ teaching on prayer, fasting, and giving (see Matthew 6). Prayer may include the daily office (Daily Office or St. Pete’s version), spontaneous prayer, meditating on Scripture, lectio divina, silence, solitude, and journaling. Fasting may include abstaining fr

As we stand on the threshold between Epiphany and Lent, we will focus on Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi. In this letter, Paul makes a bold claim: everything he once counted as spiritual success — his pedigree, performance, and religious passion — he now calls loss compared to one thing: knowing Christ. What if the greatest obstacle to knowing Jesus isn’t failure, but quiet confidence in our own goodness? What if the Christian life isn’t about impressing God, but releasing our grip on achievement and learning to receive? This Sunday, we explore what stands in the way of intimacy with Christ, how we encounter him in both resurrection power and suffering love, and why Lent is an invitation, not to earn more, but to cling more closely to the One who already holds us. You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/jQdK4xFNUA0

Each year, every church in our Diocese is encouraged to keep the second-to-last Sunday in Epiphany as “World Mission Sunday.” The whole Season of Epiphany is dedicated to Christ as the Light to the nations, but on this Sunday especially, we are encouraged to reflect on Jesus’ great commission to his Church to make disciples of all nations. Our sermon this week will reflect on Matthew 9:35-38, wherein Jesus encourages his disciples, saying, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” Looking forward to praying with you! You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/WS59JUtma5s

Long ago, before the co-option of Advent by commercialism, the celebration of the Incarnation - God the Son come to us in flesh and blood - began on Christmas Eve and lasted 40 days until the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, also called Candlemas. As Grady introduced to us last year, we will again consider the story of the divine appointment at the temple in Jerusalem of the infant Jesus, Mary, and Joseph with two faithful senior citizens, Simeon and Anna. They have waited a long time for this day, and immediately recognize and speak forth that God is fulfilling his Old Covenant promises in the coming of this child who will inaugurate the New Covenant in his blood. You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/wnHAazhbfZ4

We will be reading about how Jesus begins his public ministry by preaching. His first sermon is this: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” What does it mean to repent? What is the Kingdom of Heaven? What does it mean that the Kingdom of Heaven is “at hand?” Come and see! You can veiw the full service: https://youtube.com/live/2nEyq781aGA

Our Gospel reading for this Sunday unfolds as a drama of names. Jesus is called by several different names by those around him, lamb of God, the one who was before, Rabbi and Messiah. People can’t seem to decide what to call him. Then, Jesus turns the tables. He looks at a man named Simon and gives him a new name—one that reshapes his future and gives him a new sense of purpose. As we explore this passage together, I want to pay close attention to the names Jesus is given and what they teach us about who he truly is. After exploring these names, I want to wrestle with why Jesus changes Simon’s name, and what that moment might say—not only about Simon—but about you and me as well. You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/qAA7-uImj8w -- We gather on Sundays at 10am Pacific Time online and in-person at UBC Robson Square (800 Robson) in Vancouver, BC. If you're able, we invite you to come visit us in-person! Learn more at https://www.stpetersfireside.org -- St. Peter's Fireside is a ch

We’ll be looking at St Matthew’s account (we’re out of Luke!) of the Baptism of Jesus. Matthew is the only gospel that gives us the little discussion between John the Baptist and Jesus before the baptism happens. John wants to stop it, and we can understand why. Why should the sinless Jesus undergo a baptism of repentance? It doesn’t seem appropriate. Jesus’ answer is that “it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” What does this mean, and what does it have to do with us? Come and ponder this question. Alongside the Baptism of Jesus, we will also joyfully celebrate the baptism of Judah Treschow. You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/LM75QsxhbZk -- We gather on Sundays at 10am Pacific Time online and in-person at UBC Robson Square (800 Robson) in Vancouver, BC. If you're able, we invite you to come visit us in-person! Learn more at https://www.stpetersfireside.org -- St. Peter's Fireside is a church in Vancouver, BC. St. Peter’s Fireside exists to Discover the Goodness

Join us back at Robson Square this Sunday for the Second Sunday of Christmas, and our celebration of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ. You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/8Asr3b61p3g -- We gather on Sundays at 10am Pacific Time online and in-person at UBC Robson Square (800 Robson) in Vancouver, BC. If you're able, we invite you to come visit us in-person! Learn more at https://www.stpetersfireside.org -- St. Peter's Fireside is a church in Vancouver, BC. St. Peter’s Fireside exists to Discover the Goodness of God together. We believe that Jesus is alive and bringing new life into us and this city. As a church, we are formed by his goodness, and seek to share that goodness to serve each other, our neighbours and our city. Want to learn more? Visit us at https://www.stpetersfireside.org

This Sunday, on the 4th Sunday of Advent, we finally get to anticipate Christmas! We’ll look at Isaiah’s famous prophecy: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa 7:14). We’ll begin by reading this text literally, in its original context. I think we’ll find that this will leave us unsatisfied. This will lead us to the question: What is the Old Testament for Christians? The answer is incredibly exciting! I’m looking forward to encountering Christ with you this Sunday as he opens to us the Scriptures and as we recognize him in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24). You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/KfAUbz-xclQ

This Sunday, our apprentice Xue Ting will be preaching as we continue our Advent journey in the book of Isaiah, this time in chapter 35. We journey from the desolation of exile, into the everlasting joy of redemption. We look at movements from barrenness to flourishing, our weakness to God's deliverance, and from spiritual exile to spiritual homecoming. We're looking forward to worshipping together on Sunday! You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/94z27Gas4HM

This Sunday, we continue our Advent journey in the Book of Isaiah, this time in chapter 11. This chapter reveals much about the Messiah. He is a “Sprout from a Stump,” Spirit-saturated, the Just Judge, the Corrector of Creation, the Eliminator of Evil, and the Flag for All Folk. Our Messiah is glorious in his multifaceted splendour! Looking forward to worshipping Him with you on Sunday! You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/ksidBmbpWY0

If I had to pick a book of the Bible to represent the spirit of Advent, it would be Isaiah. This Sunday, we will begin a new series called “Advent in Isaiah.” We begin this week with Isaiah 2:1-5 and the striking image of the mountain of the house of the Lord being raised above all other mountains, drawing all nations to itself. We will also light Advent candles and sing one or two Advent favourites! I can’t wait. Come, Lord Jesus! You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/jhwasJjolRQ

This week, for Christ the King Sunday, we'll be jumping into the middle of Jeremiah - a book that spoke to God's wayward people on the brink of catastrophe and exile in a way that brought comfort and hope. In Jer. 23.1-6, God confronts the sin of Judah's unfaithful kings (or shepherds), promises to care for his sheep, and points ahead to a "righteous" king who would come to save them. This should be a comforting and hopeful message within the context of our own (trying) times! Looking forward to seeing you there. You can view the full sermon here https://youtube.com/live/fwgGHgwOD5M

Believe it or not, we are nearing the end of the Liturgical Calendar (The Christian Year begins in Advent). In this season, sometimes nicknamed “Kingdomtide,” the readings are challenging. They speak of the political, environmental, economic, religious, and social upheavals that will occur before the return of the Lord. What is the Christian response to these upheavals? Do we do everything we can to try to avoid and escape troubles? Do we capitulate to the World and cooperate with its machinations? Or is there another way? Come and see! You can view the full service here: https://youtube.com/live/RLisH6-k-TM