The NorthWord
NorthWord is a daily Christian podcast from St. John's Fort Smith in collaboration with the Anglican Family. Hosted by Father Aaron from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories.
Here's how it works: Every Sunday we release the full sermon preached that morning. Then Monday through Saturday, you get 3-5 minute daily reflections based on that sermon - one thought you can actually use each day. Every Wednesday we explore the rhythm of Jesus' life and how his followers have lived it out for 2,000 years.
Whether you're Pentecostal, Orthodox, Baptist, Catholic, or just curious about faith - this is for you. Ancient faith. Real life. No fluff.
The Word. The North. Your Week.
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The NorthWord
Holy Doesn't Mean Perfect
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Holy doesn't mean flawless — it means set apart, oriented toward a different King. Father Aaron reclaims the word "holy" from shame and weaponization and puts it back where it belongs.
Good morning. This is North Rush. Holy doesn't mean flawless, it means set apart, and that changes everything. Good morning, this is Northword, the word, the North, Your Week, a daily podcast from St. John's Ford Smith, in collaboration with the Anglican family. I'm your host, Father Aaron. One of the titles that St. Peter gives the people of God is a holy nation. And I think the word holy is misunderstood and misused in our vocabulary sometimes. The world uses holy as a weapon. It's used to shame people, to draw lines between the acceptable and the unacceptable, to set up a standard that nobody actually meets and then wield it against the people who fall short. The holier than thou is an expression for a reason. The word has truly been damaged because holy in the biblical sense doesn't necessarily mean morally perfect. It means to be set apart for something. Oriented differently. Having your own customs, your own calendar, your own king. Think about what that actually means practically. We have a calendar that says the world's most important day isn't a fiscal quarter, it's Easter. We have a way of eating together that says the most significant meal of the week isn't whatever's on the weekend menu, it's the Eucharist. We have a rhythm of prayer that interrupts the normal flow of productivity and just stops and acknowledges God. We are a tribe with our own rules, and that's not arrogance, that's identity. The question isn't whether you're perfect enough to be holy. The question is whether you're living as though you belong to a different kingdom. Because here's the thing about living in the world. See, the world will absorb you if you let it. The pace, the grind, these things will solely reshape you if you don't have a counter rhythm to come back to. That counter rhythm is holiness. That's what the Bible is calling us into. So what's one practice this week that sets you apart? Not to be better than anyone, but to stay oriented towards the right thing. Thank you for having joined us this morning. I hope you've enjoyed your time with us. Please feel free to use the text us link in the description to reach out. And until tomorrow, may God be with you. In the name of Flower, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.