Glebe Road United Church

06/13/2026

Our Summer Sermon Series "All in the Family" starts this Sunday with an episode called All My Descendants.

Each sermon in the series is playing on a TV drama or soap opera, exploring the family dynamics and stories of Genesis and our ancestors in faith.

This Sunday, Rev. Cynthia is speaking on the Call of Abraham and Sarah, and how this story in Genesis is filled with humour. Tune in Sundays at 11:15AM in person or online!

06/12/2026

Join Us Sunday June 14, 2026
In person and online at 11:15 AM
Third Sunday after Pentecost

Rev. Cynthia is beginning a summer sermon series "All in the Family", exploring the family dynamics and stories of Genesis and our ancestors in faith, playing on tv dramas and soap operas. This week, “All My Descendants: The Call of Abraham and Sarah”.

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground. 3 He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” 7 Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

21 The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. 2 Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Now Sarah said, “God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.” 7 And she said, “Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

06/12/2026

The More you Gnow*

*A play on the greek word gnosis, which means knowledge. Each month Rev. Cynthia will share a theological, or churchy word/phrase and its meaning. Photo credit: Rush by Rev. Cynthia O'Connell.

Since we are in the season after Pentecost let’s talk about the Spirit and its biblical names. This instalment is inspired by a conversation with a member of Glebe about the Holy Ghost and a new book by United Church theologian the Rev. Dr. Rob Fennell, "Passion, Power, and Promise: Introducing the Holy Spirit."

In the First (Old) Testament there are two common words for spirit, ruach and nephesh. Ruach is a feminine noun that can be translated as spirit of God, breath or wind. It is ruach that sweeps over the creation in the opening of Genesis. Nephesh is something like life breath, the breath that God breathes into the first human creature adam.

Read more on our blog:
https://www.gleberoadunited.org/2026/06/12/the-more-you-gnow-with-rev-cynthia-oconnell-ruach-and-nephesh/

06/05/2026

Join us for Pride Sunday
June 5 at 11:15 AM
In Person or Online

Psalm 33

Shout to God for joy, you righteous!
Praise is fitting from loyal hearts.
Give thanks to God with the harp;
sing praise to God with the ten-stringed lute.
Sing a new song to God; play skillfully and with shouts of joy.
For the word of God is true;
God’s every deed is faithful.

You love what is right and just;
the earth is full of your constant love.
By your word the heavens were made,
the countless stars by the breath of your mouth.
You gathered the waters of the sea as in a goatskin;
you stored the deep in cisterns.
Let all the earth fear you, O God,
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe.
For you spoke and it came to be; you commanded and it stood firm.
You foil the plans of the nations,
and frustrate the schemes of the peoples.
Your counsel, O God, shall stand forever,
the purposes of your heart through all generations.
Happy the nation who has you as God.
Happy the people you choose as your own.
Our heart rejoices in you, O God, because our hope is in your holy name.
Let your steadfast love be upon us
as we put our trust in you.

06/04/2026

The weather remains unpredictable, but we’ve had a lot of lovely days at Sunday School. We’ve spent some time on a new activity of nature logs in observing the world around us and making Zine’s of our findings.

Read more on our blog ...

A message from our Sunday School teacher, V, about the current activities of our Sunday School.

06/03/2026

Archives – Recipe of the Month (with Jello™)!

From the Glebe Archives: A recipe from the 1972 church cookbook written by the Women of Glebe Road United Church in Toronto, ON, Canada. The recipe features lime green Jello, horseradish, onions and pineapple. Jello salads were inexplicably popular in the 1970s. New recipes shared every month....

A recipe from the 1972 church cookbook written by the Women of Glebe Road United Church in Toronto, ON, Canada. The recipe features lime green Jello, horseradish, onions and pineapple. Jello salads were inexplicably popular in the 1970s.

06/02/2026

March with Pride with Glebe Road United on June 28th 2026

Come join with other United Church congregations as we once again march in this year’s pride parade. Rev. Cynthia will be walking and heading to the parade after service on June 28th.

https://www.gleberoadunited.org/2026/06/02/pride-parade-june-28th-come-walk-with-us/

06/02/2026

Refugee Sponsorship Update (Excerpt)

Our refugee family, like many others, is experiencing the effects of severe shortages of housing, employment opportunities, food, fuel, and public services. The conflict has also diverted international attention and resources away from refugee support efforts. At the same time, refugees continue to face uncertainty, border tensions, and increasing challenges in neighbouring countries. Women and girls remain especially vulnerable, facing extensive restrictions on education, employment, travel, and participation in public life.

We continue to hold in prayer both our refugee family and a member of our Glebe Committee who has close family members in Iran. We pray that God’s Spirit will bring them comfort, strength, and hope during this frightening and uncertain time.

Our committee continues to work closely with our local Member of Parliament and with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada as we seek to advance the family’s application to come to Canada.

Read the full story at:
https://www.gleberoadunited.org/2026/06/02/refugee-sponsorship-update/

06/01/2026

Happy Pride Month, everyone. We are celebrating Pride this Sunday, June 7 at 11:15 AM. Come as you are, and be loved as you are.

Waiting for God's Rainbow

God of the Rainbow,
More than those who watch for morning,
Our souls wait, for the day when each of us,
of every gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation
knows that we are meant to be:
loved, cherished, and protected; and
that we are to be:
proud of our identities; and
celebrated.

For we are your imperfectly perfect children,
called to reflect Christ’s radiant light,
embody Christ’s radical love; and
build your beloved community,
especially when storms of fear and hatred rage around us.

And so, more than those who watch for morning,
we, in our great diversity,
wait for your promised rainbow of peace,
as we work towards a world where every gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation is affirmed as beloved; and,
every soul’s spirit is able to sparkle, shine and sing your dream with pride.

May it be so,

Amen.

—Alydia Trinity United Church, Smiths Falls
https://united-church.ca/prayers/waiting-gods-rainbow