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
Sitting in Jericho: When Victory Is Everywhere Except Your Life
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What do you do when everyone around you seems to be thriving and you feel completely stuck? Father Aaron explores the story of a blind man sitting in Jericho — the ancient city of victory — who couldn't see any of it. If you've ever felt surrounded by possibility but unable to access it, this one is for you.
Good morning. This is Northword. What do you do when you're surrounded by people who are winning and you feel completely stuck? Good morning. This is Northword, the word, the North Your Week, a daily podcast from St. John's Fort Smith, in collaboration with the Anglican family. I'm your host, Father Aaron. So in the Gospel of Mark, there's a blind man sitting on the side of the road in Jericho. That detail, Jericho, is not just geography, because in the history of the Jewish people, Jericho is the city of victory. It's the very first miracle of conquest that God gives his people when they enter the Promised Land. It is a place that is symbolizing the idea of a breakthrough with God showing up against impossible odds. And here is a blind man sitting in the street in a city of victory, unable to see any of it. I think that image lands because most of us have been there. Not necessarily blind, not necessarily in Jericho, but in some season of life where it seems like everyone around us is moving forward, experiencing joy, finding their footing, and we're just stuck. We can feel the energy of something good nearby, but we just can't seem to access it. We can't see our way into it. And what this man is experiencing isn't just physical blindness. The whole point of the story goes deeper than that. He represents all of us who, in moments of real prosperity and possibility, are still somehow stumbling in the dark. The psalmist captured it perfectly. How long, O Lord, will you forget me? Forever? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts? That is not a prayer from someone who has given up on God. That is a prayer from someone who is still talking to God, even when God feels very far away. There is something honest and courageous about that. To sit in our blindness and still cry out. That is not weakness. That is faith in the making. If you are in a season like that right now, I want you to hear something simple. The fact that you feel stuck does not mean you are forgotten. It means you are exactly the kind of person this story is about. And the story doesn't end in the street. This has been Northword The Word, the North Your Week, a daily podcast from St. John's Fort Smith in collaboration with the Anglican family. Thank you for tuning in today. If this spoke to you, uh spoke to you in your life right now, why don't you share it with someone who might need to hear it as well? You can also reach us and share where you are in your journey by using the text us link in the show notes. We'd genuinely love to hear from you. And until tomorrow, God be with you. In the name of Flower, the Sun and the Holy Spirit. Amen.