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The Ten Commandments forbid saying things that are not true; or do they? The 8th commandment is often summarized as “you shall not lie,” but it actually reads, “you shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.” This wording is significant. It implies something broader then just telling facts or lies. Even the “truth” can be used to bear false witness against someone. We are called to heed our thoughts and our words, making sure that they are not only factually correct, but that they bear witness to the true goodness of character of the people around us.

The teachings are clear: we have to repent. We have to identify and acknowledge the ways in which we are breaking the Lord’s Commandments and we then have to ask the Lord for help and actually begin to live in a new way. Our spiritual lives depend on our willingness to do this work. For the next three Sundays we will be looking at some of the 10 Commandments and how a person could repent from breaking those commandments. This Sunday evening we will talk about stealing.

Last week we talked about some of why to read the Bible and how to read the Bible. This Sunday we’re going to talk more about the realities of trying to read the Bible: both the reality of what it’s like to try to read difficult parts of the Bible and also some intriguing things that the teachings of the New Church say are really going on under the surface when we read the Lord’s Word.

We all know that we should probably read the Bible more than we currently do. This Sunday will be a reminder of the value of spending time reading the Lord’s Word, with a focus on the unique value of the New Testament.

The primary phase and Grade R’s have been practicing for the Bible Pageant which will be held this Sunday at 9:30am in the church. The theme for the pageant this year is taking care of those around us, with a focus on forgiveness as one of the ways that we can take care of people. We are looking forward to seeing all the children enacting parts of Bible stories which depict forgiveness. We welcome all parents and the church community to attend.

Last week Malcolm talked about what we can gain from looking back into our pasts. This week we will talk about going the other way, looking forward into our futures. The challenge with the future is the unknowns. It is easy to see how the Lord led us even in hard times when we look back. It is more of a challenge to look forward and trust that the Lord will continue to lead us. And this is as it should be: the Lord asks us to plan for an uncertain future, and work towards it, so that He can direct us down the right path. When we find the right balance of planning and trust we can face what is to come with confidence.

Last week Joel spoke about the importance and value of telling the stories of what the Lord has done for us on our spiritual journeys. When we do look back on what happened in the past, however, there are also dangers. Our memories of the past have a powerful effect on our present experience. When should we try to leave behind what has happened in the past and not dwell on it and when is there value in reflecting on the past? This Sunday we will try to understand how the Lord would like us to hold our memories of the past.

We all have a story. It is a story of our life, the ups and downs, the highs and the lows, the winding ways that we have come from where we were to where we are now. These stories are not just a dry account of our past. The story of our life is the story of the Lord’s power and guidance, if we are willing to see it that way, and through retelling our stories we share that power with others. This Sunday we will look at the command given to the Children of Israel to constantly retell the story of how the Lord had saved them from slavery, so that generations to come would know the Lord’s power and love.