It was so fun to celebrate the Christmas season with everyone at Hope Alight this year! If you're looking to relive the fun and laughter at home this Christmas the story, "The Adoration of the Magi," and the setlist are below. Merry Christmas! The Adoration of the Magi The eldest king spread his hands, his indigo robe catching the soft morning light. “It’s what my father would have given, if it had happened in his day. Gold for crowns, for prosperity, for the coins that will one day bear his image. It’s the only gift right for a king!” “Gold? Dear Caspar!” exclaimed Melchior. “If the Romans h ..read more

Ah, Christmas is upon us. There are a myriad of desires during the Christmas season, are there not? At the most shallow level, people desire material goods and a reason to hold celebratory gatherings or revisit family traditions. But if we are to be honest, even after fulfilling all those desires, we often still feel unsettled and, dare I say, unpeaceful. For a season where the concept of peace is a pivotal component of marketing material goods and memorable experiences for fulfillment, without the presence of the Prince of Peace, it leaves us wanting more than being fulfilled. The lack of pe ..read more

Definition: Any form of creative, artistic expression done for the simple joy of it, not for any monetary or practical purpose. The final outcome is not the goal, neither is perfection or affirmation from others, but the sheer joy that comes from worshiping and reflecting our Creator by creating.  When did we stop making things just for fun? Doing something creative simply because we enjoy it; not for any monetary or practical purpose, but just because we like to do it. How old were we when that stopped? Do you remember as a child drawing a picture just for the fun of it?  We didn’t ..read more

  One of the most beautiful attributes of God is that of His divine immanence. It stands in contrast to, but is inseparable from, His divine transcendence. In the previous article on the attribute of God’s holiness, we looked at how God’s divine transcendence both causes us to worship and calls us towards infinitely satisfying sabbath rest in an infinitely holy God. In this article, we will see how the immanence of God leads us to the same worship and sabbath rest – even more – that without the immanence of God in the person of Jesus Christ, there could never be rest for us at all.  ..read more

The holiness of God, when applied to us, is both a condemning and a comforting attribute of God.  A Definition of Holiness  Isaiah, having a vision of God surrounded by angels ascribing to Him holiness, immediately responds, “Woe is me!” For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips…” (Isaiah 6:1-5). Isaiah’s response is certainly appropriate because he is condemned by God’s holiness, which exudes moral perfection. Yet it is not only holiness in the moral sense but in the utter transcendence of God, that Isaiah feels a sense of dread. God is unapproachable – “high and lifted up” – w ..read more

Last year, an elderly neighbour of ours had to downsize his life and sold his home. The new owner of the property was going to have the home demolished to build something bigger. Before that happened, I was given permission to save some blueberry bushes from the yard. In the spring, while they were still dormant, I took several neglected bushes and transplanted them into our yard where there was great sun exposure. I ordered a high-acid fertilizer made especially for blueberries and established them in new soil and peat-moss mix that suited them perfectly. I pruned the bushes and watered them ..read more

He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:18-19            The global refugee crisis has gained increased attention since the early 2010s and continues to mobilize pastors, congregations, and prayer warriors around the world to petition our Lord for His divine assistance towards our hurting world. This year, World Refugee Day is on June 20th and we are invited to consider our persecuted ..read more

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. Colossians 1:15-18 Recently, when I’ve asked others how to pray for them, they often respond and ask me to pray: “that I would be satisf ..read more

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 *The below information was included in the March 2022 edition of "Sent & Sending," a bi-monthly missions-focused newsletter.  Justice & Mercy Ministry Overview The Mission We believe that Jesus has a vision for His church: a vision of His people consumed by His love, humbly pursuing His presence and being continuously formed into His image for the good of the city as His Kingdom comes ..read more

We baptized 12 people during the Sunday gathering last week. Praise God! It was an amazing time of celebrating God’s work in the lives of individuals and the step of faith and commitment each of them made.  And here’s something else worthy of celebration: this was an extra baptism service. Typically we would wait until the Spring to do baptisms, as our last one was just in November. But there were three or four people who wanted to be baptized, so we decided to schedule an extra one in January. After scheduling it, God blessed it and continued to bring in more and more people!   If ..read more