Sermons by Darryl G. Klassen

SARDIS: THE WAKE-UP CALL   I have a gift. A very special gift. I can fall asleep just about anywhere. And I fall asleep sitting up. I just fold my arms, lean back, close my eyes, and drift off to my “happy place.” Whether it’s the car dealership when I’m getting an oil change or recently when Sharon had her eye examined, if I have to wait, I read something, play on my phone, and suddenly my eyes are closed.              One time, I was in the waiting room at the doctor’s office and patients were slowly being seen. I did my thing. Out like a light. Not sure if my snoring scared the children. I was so far gone that when my turn came to see the doctor, the nurse called my name three times, and I didn’t answer. She was afraid to touch me for fear that I would wake up swinging. I was dead to the world. Finally, I don’t know how many times she called, the nurse roused me enough to wake me and I could see the doctor.              How fair is it to say that the church in Canada has fallen asle

THYATIRA: THE CHURCH THAT TOLERATED TOO MUCH   A lay minister at one of my former churches once said to me, “I love you, but I don’t like you.” How would you respond to that statement? What I believe he meant was, according to Christ’s command, he knew he had to love me as a brother in the Lord, but he otherwise  tolerated  me as his pastor.              As I studied the word “tolerate” this week I came to understand that the word has evolved over time. How we understand the call to be tolerant of others means different things. How I understood this lay minister’s feelings about me was akin to how I tolerate being in a dentist’s chair. I hate the sound of the drill and the feeling when the freezing doesn’t work, but I will tolerate both for the sake of the outcome.              Canadians have made tolerance a virtue in all spheres of life. To tolerate another person and their ideas means, ideally, that I disagree with you but still respect you. This can be a good thing. We have to tole