Calvary ~ St. George's Sermon Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Parish of Calvary St. George's
We seek to rightly divide the word of truth between Law and Gospel, so that the people in the city of New York and beyond might know and confess where they end and God begins. We proclaim the historic faith of Christ and Him crucified. "When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified." - 1 Corinthians, 2 Calvary/St. George’s is a community of people in the Episcopal Diocese of New York, which is a constituent member of the world-wide Anglican Communion. Our worship, which is steeped in The Book of Common Prayer, is intended first and foremost to glorify God in Jesus Christ, and we stand in that theological tradition which owes a debt of gratitude to the great reformers of the English Reformation.
While we cling to our personal "Traditions" just as Tevye did in Fiddler on the Roof, Rev. Meredith explains that they can stand in the way of our accepting our need for a Savior.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith articulates the power and promise of the Gospel.
This week the Rev. Sarah Bonay lays out how our natural longing to belong, to be fully known, deeply loved, and secure is dealt with by our heavenly Father. In Romans 8, Paul reveals that our deepest longing is answered by receiving the Spirit of adoption through Jesus Christ.
In this sermon, John Asirvatham explores one of the greatest proclamations ever made: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”.
In this sermon, the Rev Jacob Smith walks us through the most relatable part of the Bible.
The Rev. Sarah Bonay speaks to how we often think freedom means answering to no one. But Romans 6 reveals a different truth: everyone serves something. Real freedom isn't found in having no master—it's found in belonging to Jesus Christ, who sets us free from sin's dominion and gives us a new identity and a new life.
A wave has crashed over our city, a wave called the New York Knicks that drew everyone together, regardless of borough, background, or whether you even like basketball. This experience has been nothing short of a baptism—and it helps us make sense of what St. Paul means when he says we've been baptized, not into the Knicks, but into Jesus.
The Rev. Sarah Bonay expounds on how God, like a master glassmaker, uses the fires of suffering not to destroy us but to shape us, breathe His life into us, and form us into vessels of His grace. Romans 5:1–8 reminds us that because we are justified through Christ, we can trust that even our trials are being used by God to deepen our faith, strengthen our hope, and draw us closer to Him.
In the first of our Summer Sermon Series through Romans, the Reverend Jacob Smith articulates why, despite what you do or don't do, you are enough before God.
The Rev. Dr. Jason Fout, Dean of Bexley Seabury, delivered a compelling sermon on Trinity Sunday, reminding us of the oneness of the Father, Son, and Spirit.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith talks about the meaning of Pentecost and who the Holy Spirit is.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith explores the meaning behind suffering, specifically when we are called to suffer for the Christian faith.
The Rev. Sarah Bonay speaks to how Jesus reveals that the Holy Spirit is not a wage for the worthy, but a gift for the helpless; He is the 'Spirit of Truth' who convinces our anxious hearts that we are no longer orphans defined by our failures, but children defined by His grace."
John Asirvatham preaches on John 14 and Jesus’ promise to prepare a place for us. When fear makes it feel like Christ has abandoned us, the Ascension reveals that he has gone ahead to bring us home.
The Rt. Revd. Dr. Graham Tomlin reminds us that the word that underlies all reality has been made flesh for us.
Rev. Meredith Hawkins explains that when we encounter the Risen Christ in the Breaking of the Bread, we are transformed by His unconditional Love.
John Asirvatham preaches on the story of Doubting Thomas. So many things in life can pull us down into the dark holes of doubt, but the love of Christ redeems our life from the pit.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith reminds us that expectations can not save you; only Jesus can.
On the final Sunday of Lent, we wrap up our Encounters series with Jesus Encountering Death. The Reverend Jacob Smith explores the question posed to the Prophet Ezekiel: "Mortal, Can These Bones Live?" and in Jesus Christ, the answer is always a resounding YES!
The Rev. Dr. Meredith Hawkins explores the encounter Jesus has with all of our blindness. He is the lens by which we truly see ourselves and others.
The Rev. Magnus Persson (Church of Sweden) reflects on Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well, reminding us that when we start seeking God, he is already on his way toward us.
The Rev. Sarah Bonay speaks to how we are not saved by being a moral, good person but by grace alone, faith alone, through Christ alone.
In this sermon, The Rev. Jacob Smith weaves together all three lectionary reading in order to illustrate the Good News of Lent and the meaning of Jesus in the wilderness for you.
In this sermon the Rev. Sarah Bonay explains how the knowledge of our deaths reorients our hearts and minds towards the one who gives us life, and proclaims that the final word is not ashes but is grace.
In this sermon, The Reverend Jacob Smith talks about the gift of the transfiguration as we go into the shadows of Lent.
The Rt. Reverend Matthew Heyd, Episcopal Bishop of New York, preaches on Sunday, February 8th.
In this sermon, The Reverend Jacob Smith preaches from The Prophet Micah and reminds everyone that Micah 6:9 is not a slogan we shout, but a description of what God is working out in the lives of his people.
Our deepest longing is met in the one whose unconditional love meant that he would be our sacrificial lamb on the altar of the cross at Calvary.
The Reverend Jacob Smith articulates the difference between the baptism of John and Christian baptism, and why Jesus' baptism is Good News for you.
The Reverend Sarah Bonay expands on how suffering, whilst very real in our lives today, will not have the final Word.
The Reverend Jacob Smith preaches on the First Sunday After Christmas at St. George's Church.
The Rev. Sarah Bonay looks at how the promise of Immanu-el,' God is with us', given in the Isaian prophecy, is fulfilled by the saving grace of the miraculous child, Jesus, on the cross.
In this sermon, The Rev. Jacob Smith articulates how Christians move forward in life by looking backwards to what God has already done.
In this sermon, the Reverend Dr. Meredith Hawkins articulates that Christ is our King and, therefore, our righteousness.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith preaches on the truth that for Christians, death is not the end, and this is the Good News behind not a hair on your head will perish.
The Rev. Joe Gibbes (Our Saviour, Jacksonville, FL) reminds us that the resurrection is the linchpin of history, breaking the power of death's finality.
In this sermon, The Reverend Jacob Smith talks about the meaning of the blessings and curses in Jesus' Sermon on the Plain. He also looks at the ordinariness of Christian spirituality.
Although we are all part Pharisee and part tax collector, God declares us righteous not because of how righteous we feel, but because of the righteousness of Christ freely given to us.
In this sermon, The Reverend Jacob Smith shares what is most important to Jesus and how it relates to the prayers of a persistent widow.
In this sermon, The Reverend Jacob Smith articulates the differences between the gift of faith and the effects of faith.
God calls us, not to a feast that divides us into rich and poor, but to a feast that makes us into one body of Christ.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith explains how being lost, helpless, and dead is where God often does the greatest work in our lives.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith discusses why Jesus uses the word "hate" and what happens when the cross chooses you.
Jesus invites us to the ultimate upside-down dinner party—a banquet where sinners are forgiven, the broken are healed, and all are invited.
Jesus fulfills the law of God for us, through his life, death, and resurrection. When we come to God’s mountain, Jesus is our way to God, and to his everlasting party in heaven.
Jesus refuses to rubber stamp the peace of humanity because our peace does not hold up to God’s standards, to his desire for all people to flourish in his love and forgiveness. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus brings judgement to our world that ultimately will bring about lasting peace through his grace.
In God’s goodness, he gives us a kingdom where he lays down his life in order to serve us. Through Jesus Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection, God builds a kingdom where even the lowest and the least are cared for.
Paul writes in all caps to defend the gospel of pure grace. Both the world and our own hearts desire an identity based on scorekeeping, but this only leads to division and competition. The grace flowing from the cross of Christ gifts us a new identity, raising us all to share in Christ’s identity. This grace turns our eyes from the scoreboard to our neighbors, producing love, compassion, and restoration. Rest fully in your forgiveness, leaving failures and successes behind. Let your identity stand firm on the cross alone—all other ground is sinking sand.
Jesus tells us that we don’t have what it takes to follow him. But the good news is that he does have what it takes to save us.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith preaches on what the meaning of Jesus' confrontation with Legion means for you.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith reminds us that the Trinity is not a doctrine to be explained, but a revelation from God to be received.
The Reverend Jacob Smith reminds us that unity comes not from a common strength, but from a common need for God.
The final verses of Revelation invite us to see how Jesus Christ is working in our past, our present, and our future. His future promises are based in his historic death and resurrection, while he is present to us now in the Eucharist.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith talks about the New Jerusalem and your name being written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and why that is of such great comfort.
The distance between an immortal God and mortal humanity ought to be insurmountable. But our God longs to dwell with us forever. He shows us that first in the Garden of Eden, he makes it possible through his incarnation, and at the end of everything, he promises to give us a new Jerusalem for eternity.
The cross of Jesus Christ reconciles us to each other so that we can worship together for eternity.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith articulates how a slain lamb brings meaning to your life.
On Easter Sunday, the Reverend Jacob Smith reminded us that the resurrection guarantees God's word of love and forgiveness for us.
The Rev. Jacob Smith reminds us that we are both saints and sinners, waving palm branches while also brandishing a sword against our Lord.
In this sermon, The Reverend Jacob Smith reminds us that the Parable is not only about a wayward son's return home, but about two sons who would prefer their father dead, and God's lavish grace to save the both of them.
In the wilderness of life we face temptation, but Jesus’s faithfulness gives us hope in the midst of this.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith articulates why Jesus resisting temptation in the wilderness is not about life tips.
In this sermon, the Rev. Sarah Bonay proclaims why the Transfiguration, the climatic event of the Epiphany season, provides the definite answer to the question of who Jesus is.
We know that we will be raised from the dead, but what does that resurrection look like?
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith expounds on the Good News that Jesus actually rose from the dead.
The Reverend Sarah Bonay breaks down the call story of the prophet Isaiah to show how self-righteousness and failings are met by the atoning, life-transforming Grace of God.
The Reverend Sarah Bonay is ordained to the priesthood at St. George's Church on February 8th, 2025.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith highlights the meaning of Candlemas, the 40th day after Christmas.
Jesus is revealed as our bridegroom, who makes us into his bride through the wedding wine that is his blood.
Our visiting preacher, The Reverend Andrew Baughen, powerfully explains how Jesus' baptism transforms our identity and purpose on this earth.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith articulates the difference between general and special revelation and what that means for your faith.
Though no one has ever seen God, Jesus Christ has made him known to us in the Incarnation. In it we see the Father’s heart, as he offers us forgiveness, the sacrament of the Eucharist, and new unity in the body of Christ.
The Word of God, who was there when time began, came to us in swaddling clothes, so that we might become children of God.
When God sends his Son to earth, he works not through earthly power, but through the lowest and the least.
In this sermon, The Reverend Jacob Smith talks about the meaning of joy in the Christian life.
God promises us that he will come to his people. In the midst of this promise, he sends us the refiner’s fire, which is our judgment turned into mercy.
This Advent, our sermon series is titled "Promises Fulfilled." In this sermon, The Reverend Jacob Smith speaks about the promise of righteousness: What is it? And how is it given?
Christ the King Sunday is important because, for many, their ideologies are becoming just as influential as any monarch.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Graham Tomlin reminds us that kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall, but Jesus remains the Messiah through it all.
Mr. Kristoff Reese Grosfeld, our visiting preacher, reminds us that while we may want to give our all to get God's attention, he has already given his all for us.
As redeemed sinners, we live in a world marked by death. But we hope in Christ’s death to destroy death, so that we can enjoy our homecoming in heaven, where God will live with us and prepare a feast for us.
In this final sermon of our Stewardship series, the Reverend Jacob Smith talks about suffering and God's answer to our questions of theodicy.
Jesus’s prayers and supplications to his Father in heaven gave him the strength to endure his passion so that he might become our source of grace, mercy, and eternal salvation.
Salvation is about more than just eternal life; it’s about entering the kingdom of God and finding reconciliation with God and neighbor through his forgiveness.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith shares what the apostles' teaching has to say to us in the midst of suffering.
Jesus frees us from the stumbling blocks in our lives through his death and resurrection.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith explains that while the world may have an agenda for you, so does God, and it is Good News.
On Kickoff Sunday, the Reverend Jacob Smith talked about the good news of taking up one's cross.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith reconciles St. Paul and St. James and reminds the congregation anything done apart from faith, especially works, is indeed dead.
Tune in this week as the Reverend Jacob talks about the distinction between true religion and false religion.
There is something scandalous about who Jesus is and what he offers us through his death and resurrection.
Through his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ offers us his body and blood, to bring us into eternal life. We celebrate this each week in the sacrament of the Eucharist, which is an outward and visible sign of the inward and spiritual grace inside us.
Jesus is the bread that comes down from heaven, that gives us life eternal. In Christ, God offers us both knowledge and food, sustaining our entire person.
God loves you as you are, but he loves you too much to leave you that way. Rev. Jacob Smith explores this truth as illustrated in the confrontation between Nathan and David.
In this sermon, seminarian Jacob Stewart explores how the Feeding of the 5000 shows us that Jesus can transform whatever bread we bring to him, and he is the bread that he wants to offer to us.
God doesn’t deal with the sin of the world by instituting a program of moral improvement. Nor does God work by micromanaging evil. Rather, from the cross, we observe God drowns evil in a deluge of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. God sends his Son in the flesh to put sin to death once and for all.
It is not in our achievements, but in our weaknesses, that God's power is brought to its full, glorious display.
In desperation, the bleeding woman and Jairus come to Christ, knowing that everything else has failed them. Christ is the sure foundation where He continues to be with and for you, no matter what is going on in your life.
The Reverend Andrew Baughen reminded us of the origin story of David who faced Goliath seeing the real problem, relying on God’s power and trusting in the ultimate Savior.
What you and I need is not just a makeover, but a complete and total heart transplant. And this is what King Jesus has come to do; to save us from the inside out.
On AA Founder's Day, Rev. John Zahl of St. Matthew's Bedford reminded us of the deeply Christian foundations of Alcoholics Anonymous and how God loves us all in spite of our sin.
Jesus is a very different King than earthly rulers. He does not want to relate to you by way of commandment, but by way of a specific declaration: "I forgive you."
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith articulates how God speaks to us clearly through two important yet often muddled words: Law and Gospel.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith articulates that if you can figure God out, you don't want to worship Him.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith breaks down the mighty acts of God and what it is that the Holy Spirit actually does.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith highlights three important points from Jesus’ prayer that speak to your life as part of his church.
The disciples struggled with doubt and so do we. By the Holy Spirit, God works in our hearts through the teaching of his Word, the offer of his peace, and the eucharistic meal, to grow our belief in his resurrection.
Jesus comes to the disciples in order to give them a Word. This Word turns fear into peace and doubt into faith. Christ continues to deliver this same Word to us through proclamation and the sacraments.
As humans, we think we can make Jesus a king, but his kingship is actually found in his sacrifice on the cross.
In this sermon, the Rev.Jacob Smith talks about covenant and how Jesus mediates the New Covenant.
Sin wounds our souls like poison harms our bodies. Our healing is found in Jesus, who takes our sinful humanity to the cross, dying and rising again.
In this sermon, the Rev. Jacob Smith articulates how Jesus is the cornerstone of the new and living temple.
Noah’s flood foreshadows baptism; in each sin and evil are washed away in death, and we emerge to new life to hear God’s promises to us. But baptism is only the beginning of our journey, and as we walk through the wilderness, we cling to the promises God made to us in our baptism.
In this sermon, the Rev. Janet Broderick reflects on God's preventing grace in our lives that acts as kindling, igniting love in our hearts.
Through the Holy Spirit, in Word and Sacrament, we have been met by Jesus in our darkest hour and darkest places, reminded that we have been, despite ourselves, saved.
Whether we are caught in the throes of sin or struggling with an addiction, we need the redemption of God found in his grace, mercy, and forgiveness. God pulls us out of the depths to forgive our sin, to his glory.
In this sermon, The Reverend Jacob Smith shares how, often, the temporal can distract us from the Good News of the eternal.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith uses the Nazareth Principle to make the proper distinction between Skepticism and Cynicism.
Through Jesus Christ’s incarnation, God welcomes us as adopted children into his family, where we find love, truth, and grace.
On Christmas Eve, the Rev. Jacob Smith reflected on three themes of Christmas: History, Mystery, and Destiny.
As we experience God’s forgiveness in our lives, we still live in a world marred by the impacts of sin. Advent calls us to look to Christ’s return as a time when our rejoicing will be complete, with sin and death conquered forever.
On this first Sunday of Advent the Reverend Jacob Smith reminds us all that all we are given is today, and therefore everyday is gift to enjoy and share God's grace.
When Christ is revealed as King, he will judge our world. But both our place in that judgment and his place in that judgment are unexpected.
In this sermon The Rev. Jacob Smith reminds the congregation that the right perception of God is really important.
The Rev. Magnus Persson, visiting us from Sweden, delivers an energetic message about the coming of the Bridegroom. Though we will all sleep, we can be assured that Christ will carry us home, waking us up to a glorious future.
On All Saints' Day, we were blessed to have Bishop Graham Tomlin visit us from the UK! In this sermon, Bishop Tomlin answers, "Who is a saint?"
The sum of all commandments is to love God and neighbor, but Jesus goes far beyond that when he reconciles all his enemies to himself, and to each other, through his crucifixion and resurrection.
In Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, he restores humanity to what it was always meant to be before sin entered the world, thereby offering back to God what is God’s.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith shares the assurance that we have been given to know that we have been chosen by God.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith explores the freedom that comes with Jesus as the cornerstone of your life.
Because Jesus’s earthly ministry was so counter to the power structures of the world, people questioned where his authority came from. He answered this in his crucifixion and resurrection, emptying himself and becoming obedient to death on a cross and then rising again.
Jonah’s repentance was imperfect. So was the Ninevites’. But God in his mercy forgave them anyways, as he does with each one of us.
The Reverend Jacob Smith explains why forgiveness is so important to God and why it is so important for us.
The Rev. Jacob Smith reminds us that the confession and essence of our faith - that Jesus is the Son of the Living God - is a gift from the Father. We confess with Peter, knowing that by these words, heaven is opened, the devil is bound, and we have been set free from sin and death.
The Rev. Jacob Smith distinguishes between Law and Gospel through the story of the Canaanite woman. Before the Law of God, we are all stray dogs. But through his Gospel, we can cry out in faith, "Lord, save me."
Visiting us from London, the Rev. Andrew Baughen reminds us what true zeal looks like. It is not zeal without knowledge, but zeal based on the ultimate knowledge of Christ's finished work.
We see a glimpse of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ on the mountaintop during the Transfiguration. But we see a further glory in his crucifixion and resurrection, as he becomes obedient to death in order to save our world from the horrors of our sin.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explains that Biblical wisdom is not an abstraction based in rules or morality. Instead, true wisdom begins and ends in the cross of Jesus.
The Rev. Molly Jane Layton reminds us that God calls us to trust him in the face of evil because he knows far better than we do the difference between the weeds and the wheat.
The Rev. Molly Jane Layton delves into the Parable of the Sower. The deeper we go into the parable, the more clearly we see how God’s Word works in the dirt of our hearts to produce fruit for his glory.
The Rev. Molly Jane Layton teaches that as humans, we often try to find a middle ground, because it seems like a rational, wise way to live our lives. But Jesus calls us away from any middle ground that mixes law and gospel. He upholds the law in all its perfect demands, and then freely offers us forgiveness when we fall short.
The Rev. Molly Jane Layton describes how in the midst of conflict and tension, we long to hear a prophecy of peace, to know how to find reconciliation and healing in the midst of a broken world. God speaks that word of peace to us through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, and promises to heal us and our world.
The Rev. Jacob Smith dismantles our attempts to achieve peace on our own terms, by way of avoidance, scapegoating, or our own accomplishments. Instead, lasting peace is only found in Christ on the cross.
The Rev. Jim Munroe delightfully explains that God's purpose, from the beginning of time, was to bring you into his family.
The Rev. Jacob Smith cuts to the heart of the matter, defining Jesus' mission to seek and save the lost. This mission is epitomized by the calling of St. Matthew the tax collector.
The Rev. Sam Owens describes how we are brought into fellowship with God through the Trinity - a fellowship that continues always, to the end of the age.
The Rev. Janet Broderick teaches us about the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, who comforts and empowers us as believers in Christ.
The Rev. MJ Layton contemplates the story of our redemption and salvation, how a transcendent God came close to us in Jesus Christ to give us eternal life.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores the legend of our church's patron saint whose life, and subsequent martyrdom, was a witness to the Gospel. Baptized into Christ, we too are saints, and we are called to give a defense for the hope that is in us - Jesus, the true Lord.
The Rev. MJ Layton describes how God gives us mercy and makes us into his very own people. Through this, we become living stones in a spiritual house built on top of Christ, and we serve in this house as part of his royal priesthood.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. While it's a comforting image, it implies that we are the sheep who need saving. And as sheep, we are totally dependent on our shepherd.
The Rev. Janet Broderick reflects on Jesus' appearance to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Although they do not recognize him, he walks with them and listens to their hurts, fears, and distress. He opens up the scriptures that they, and we, might behold the risen Christ.
The Rev. MJ Layton explores how doubt is a universal experience that can be deeply wounding. Thomas’s doubts are healed by the sight of Jesus’s wounds. In the same way, Jesus heals the wounds of doubt in our hearts and enables us to believe in his name.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores how "Alleluia Christ is Risen!" awakens us to actually live in the moment as human beings.
The Rev. MJ Layton explores how in his the triumphal entry, Jesus came to Jerusalem as a king, but not the king the crowds expected. He did not use force to establish his kingdom, but instead humbly submitted to death. Now he draws us to himself in gentleness and meekness.
The Rev. Jacob Smith shares how Jesus is the redirection and the life for us right now.
The Rev. Janet Broderick explores a healing miracle of Jesus, and its implication for bringing the kingdom of God to each and every one of us.
The Rev. MJ Layton explores how Jesus offers us living water that flows freely and quenches our thirst. This living water is the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin, renews our relationship with God, and begins to heal the hurts and pains of our broken earthly relationships.
The Rev. Nancy Hanna explores how the Holy Spirit floods the freed, empty space we call despair.
The Rev. Janet Broderick unpacks the Transfiguration, and explores how Jesus meets us in the everyday valleys of the struggle we call life.
The Rev. MJ Layton explores how God’s law sets a standard of perfection that no human being can follow, but Jesus’ obedience makes a way for us to find life in God even when we disobey.
The Rev. MJ Layton explores how It seems foolish to the world to preach Christ’s crucifixion. But through the wisdom of God, we believe that Christ’s death and resurrection have accomplished for us forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
The Rev. Jacob Smith introduces us to the Reverend Dr. Samuel Shoemaker, rector of Calvary Episcopal Church from 1925-1952 and his secret to an unmanageable life.
The Rev. Jacob Smith unpacks Jesus' move to the Galilee of the Gentiles and what it means to be a fish fishing for people.
The Rev. Jacob Smith takes a look at the content of the prophetic message of the Old Testament and how it applies to Evangelism.
The Rev. Janet Broderick explores how anxiety comes from the deepest place which only God’s supernatural power can heal.
The Rev. MJ Layton's explores how the new year brings resolutions to better ourselves, which almost always fail. But the Feast of the Holy Name offers something different: a reminder that Jesus came to save us from our sins.
The Rev. MJ Layton explores how God promises to be with us. This means that he enters the worst parts of our world, the parts that are marred by sin. He comes to be with us so that he can show us his love and forgiveness.
The Rev. Jacob Smith looks at the question everybody is asking and how the collect for Advent III provides the answer.
The Rev. MJ Layton explores how in Advent we look forward to the future coming of Jesus Christ, when he will heal our world and reconcile us to each other and to God. While we wait, we prepare our hearts for him through confession and repentance, trusting in his grace to forgive our sins and heal our wounded hearts.
The Rev. MJ Layton's Thanksgiving sermon. Just like we need physical food to sustain us physically, we need spiritual food to be nourished spiritually. Jesus is the spiritual nourishment who gives life to our souls and it is through our belief in him that we find eternal life.
The Rev. Janet Broderick examines the irony in the story of the thief on the cross, and how Christ himself satisfies the paradoxes in our lives.
The Rev. Jacob Smith takes a look at Jesus apocalyptic teaching on the temple and what that means for us today.
The Rev. Jacob Smith talks about the importance of rescuing Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus from the famous children's song.
The Rev. MJ Layton explores how humans frequently fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to other people. But true humility is found in comparing ourselves to God. We know that we will never measure up to his perfection, but he in his graciousness will extend mercy to us for our imperfection.
The Rev. MJ Layton explores how the pain, hurt, and injustice around us often does not make sense and is not how God intended the world to be. By faith in the faithfulness of God we can live in the midst of these questions and confusion.
The Rev. MJ Layton explains that we do not need to live either in a fantasy that we will get away with our sins or in fear of eternal judgment, because Jesus’s resurrection ensures for us forgiveness of sins and life after death.
Bishop Andrew Dietsche visits Calvary ~ St. George's and unpack the parable of the rich man and Lazarus from the Gospel of Luke.
The Rev. Jacob Smith unpacks one of Jesus’ more confusing parables to reveal the Gospel found within it.
The Rev. Janet Broderick asks "How many things are we shepherding? Looking for? What kind of anxiety is that causing?" Jesus speaks directly to this human condition with love and a suggestion.
The Rev. Matthew Hoskinson examines Jesus' difficult teaching of "counting the cost" and help us find rest in the cross as we look to Christ's goodness not ours, to his sacrifice not ours.
The Rev. MJ Layton explores how Jesus’s comments about dinner parties might seem simply like good advice: “Don’t take the important seat! Make sure you invite someone who has less than you!” But this passage actually points us to something much better: God’s dinner party, enacted each week at the communion table, where we are invited to receive Christ’s body in the bread and wine.
In this sermon, the Rev. Jacob Smith shares the good news of the Gospel for people bent over by burdens.
In this sermon, the Reverend Jacob Smith unpacks one of the difficult sayings of Jesus.
The Rev. MJ Layton examines the stories of men and women of faith who trusted in the promises of God even when they didn’t always see them fulfilled. God calls us to walk that same journey of faith, but we do not do it alone, because God sent us his Son to walk it for us. Jesus walked the journey perfectly and because of him, we also can trust the promises of God.
The Rev. Janet Broderick looks at the character of God in Christ, and the lengths he'll go to answer our prayers in ways we couldn't have imagined.
The Rev. Matthew Hoskinson examines the story of Mary and Martha and finds the freedom that comes with sitting at the feet of Jesus.
The Rev. MJ Layton explores how Jesus Christ identifies himself with the lowly, weak, and vulnerable, to meet us at our deepest point of need and to save the world from itself. When we come to Christ, we get to join his neighborhood, the neighborhood of the least and the lost.
The Rev. Jacob Smith reminds us that the Kingdom of God has already been built and it has come near us.
The Rev. Janet Broderick points us to Christ setting his face toward Jerusalem, as he calls us to leave everything, and follow him, and and still loves us even when we don’t.
The Rev. Janet Broderick explores how the demons of this world wish to rob us of our moral agency, dehumanize us and make us enter into a scapegoat ritual. Jesus condemned the scapegoat ritual and became the scapegoat for us all - that we would no longer need to find one.
The Rev. Matthew Hoskinson explores the often illusive doctrine of the Trinity, and what it means for us in the here and the now.
The Rev. Jacob Smith shares how the gift of faith can steady our present as we move forward to the future
The Rev. Dr. Christopher Beeley unpacks the power of the risen Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the implications for us today.
The Rev. Janet Broderick explores Rev. 7:14 and "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal."
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores a life changing encounter with the risen Jesus, and what it means for us today.
Chloe Sinclair Edmundson explores how in Jesus Christ, God comes to frightened people, locked in rooms of pain and guilt and shame, and with his outstretched wounded hands, says, “peace with you”.
In this Easter Sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith look at why Easter as a metaphor just won't work.
The Reverend Jacob Smith shares how Palm Sunday presents us with an opportunity, to reflect upon the reality of conflict in the world and within ourselves and how God has ultimately entered into our existence to reconcile and redeem that conflict.
In this sermon The Rev. Janet Broderick discusses our unnamed disciple - she shows us a love which is Intimate, Passionate, Public, Powerful, Costly, and Risky.
In this sermon The Reverend Nancy Hanna talks about the Father who runs to his prodigal son and changes everything with a hug and a party.
In his sermon, Jim looks to Jesus setting his face to go to Jerusalem, in order to forgive the unforgivable, to love the unlovable.
In this Sermon The Reverend Jacob Smith explains how Jesus' temptation is not about action, but about faith.
Seeing God’s glory face-to-face in Christ. The story of a kindergarten class after 9/11 and its relevance to what is happening in the Ukraine.
In this Sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith explores Jesus' counterintuitive and impossible ethic, loving your enemies.
When cheerful optimism, and positive thinking have failed us– grace meets us on a level place, with real hope. Gritty, defiant hope that says God is still in control in the midst of all of this.
In this sermon The Rev. Jacob Smith explains why being a sinner is not necessarily a bad thing.
In this sermon The Rev. Jacob Smith demonstrates how Jesus creates both faith and unbelief in our hearts.
In this sermon The Reverend Jacob Smith shares the meaning of the Good News found in what Jesus does and doesn’t read from The Prophet Isaiah.
In this sermon Jacob explores how Jesus’ first miracle at a wedding in the town Canan is a foreshadow of things to come.
Where the Gospel is heard and believed it makes us new people, wise men and women, in the way of faith. And beginning down this aisle Christ has given each and everyone of us a new road to walk, a new way of seeing yourself, a new way of thinking.
Christmas is good news because it’s more than sentimental cheer. Jesus has entered enemy-occupied territory. The grand reclamation project of God’s creation has begun!
Today we celebrate God as a gift giver, and his gift is not based on your goodness and loving kindness but his goodness and loving kindness, it is based on his grace, for if it was based on us and our worthiness, we’d all be on the naughty list and gift-less.
We know that God can do everything and anything he would like to do. He is in control. However, tonight, and the entire Bible for that matter, testifies and confesses not to what God can do, rather tonight testifies and as Christians we celebrate what God wills to do.
The Gospel changes absolutely everything, and makes the impossible not only possible, and hopelessly hopeful, but a new reality. And you and I as Christians live in that new reality.
In our individualist, perfectionist society in which all of the messaging we get tell us to just pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and pull ourselves together - John's words come at us as a directive, rather than as the judgement that paves the way for grace.
It's Advent 2. One of the two Sundays in the season that we zero in on John the Baptist. Repent ye!
In the sermon on Christ Christ the King Sunday the Reverend Jacob Smith explores the difference between truth statements and the truth.
When Jesus talks about the final judgment and the end of time, are we ready? Jim’s sermon looks to the promise of Jesus for something beyond the end, beyond judgment - something new.
Stoicism is not good news. From the beginning, Christians have maintained that an acceptance of Death would be tantamount to an acceptance of injustice. And if there’s anything we’ve learned from the social movements of the past year, it’s that making peace with Death is akin to making peace with oppression. It’d be like making peace with the Nazi party. It’d be like accepting all that wages war against God’s creation as necessary.
The Reverend Jacob A. Smith looks at Jesus' teaching on the commandments, and what Jesus means when he tells the scribe "you are near the Kingdom of God."
Jim’s sermon looks at Mark 10:45 and hears Jesus saying to us “I’m here” in every conceivable circumstance.
In this sermon the Rev. Jacob Smith takes a look at the subtlety of idolatry and God’s gift of eternal life.
In this Sermon Jacob looks at the question behind the Pharisees' question: is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife and Jesus' seemingly harsh response.
In this 2nd class of "The Greatest Hits: Key Events in the Life of Jesus" Rev. Ben takes a look at Jesus' Baptism, and why he had to be baptized in the first place. Rather than being strictly scholarly, this forum is designed to be edifying and devotional, so that you resonate with Jesus' great hits here and now.
In this sermon Rev. Ben DeHart discusses “right-handed” and “left-handed” power. Right handed power is the way of the world: flexing your muscle; exerting your authority through the use of force or dominance. Left-handed power is the way of self-giving; the way of grace and love. Rev. Ben makes the case that’s God’s power is chiefly left-handed power
In this addition to our sermon podcast, enjoy a 5 week class entitled "The Greatest Hits: Key Events in the Life of Jesus." Rather than being strictly scholarly, this forum is designed to be edifying and devotional, so that you resonate with Jesus' great hits here and now.
In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith looks through the lens of Grace and one of Jesus most difficult teachings.
In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith looks at St. James' statement "Faith without works is dead" through the lens of grace.
In this sermon The Reverend Jacob Smith takes a look at the Epistle of James and articulates what makes James different than your typical call for self-improvement.
In this Sermon The Rev. Dr. Matthew Hoskinson shares with us the good news of a perplexing Messiah.
In this Sermon Jacob looks at King Solomon and talks about how the true King of Israel gives us exactly what we need.
What do we do with the Transfiguration? How does it connect to my day-to-day life? Find out here.
David is a hero of both Jews and Christians, so why would the story of his great sin be included in the Bible?
For the second week in a row, Jim’s sermon puts the lie to the phrase - God helps those who help themselves. Jim points to our God coming to the help of those who cannot help themselves
Just exactly where in the Bible does it say that God helps those who help themselves? Jim’s sermon points to a Savior who helps those who cannot help themselves.
How do we love God and neighbor when we don't want to? Our problem isn't necessarily a lack of knowledge, it's a problem of the will...
Jairus was a V.I.P., but that meant nothing when his daughter was dying. Jim’s sermon points to the healing that suffices when all earthly help fails.
If your boat is being swamped with water, do you bail? Jim’s sermon points to a better solution provided by Jesus, a solution for swamped boats and swamped lives.
Pentecost is about power, the power of the Holy Spirit. Jim’s sermon looks to that power being made perfect in our weakness.
The Ascension means that Christ’s self-limitation is over. Like his Father, he is omnipresent, which means he’s omni-available: always listening, always speaking, always interceding to God on our behalf
In this sermon, Rev. Jacob Smith talks about spiritual warfare, and what God has given you to make sure the victory is secure.
What would it be like to be fully, totally, nothing-hidden known - and still loved, no holds barred? Jim’s sermon looks to Jesus as the Good Shepherd for this kind of love.
In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith shares the good news of having a God who doesn't retire and leave it up to you.
Is Christianity simply wish fulfillment? Jim’s sermon looks to Mary Magdalene, St. Thomas and St. Peter for assurance that the Easter hope is no escape into an illusion, but rock solid reality.
In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith explains why God not meeting your expectations is good news.
When it comes to sins like racism, trying a little harder hasn’t worked. Getting by with a little help from God has not been enough. We need the law to be written on our hearts. We need to be seized by the power of a great affection. We need a way to be made out of no way.
God's good work brings us from death to life, from walking without Christ to being seated with Christ.
It’s a shocking scene - sweet Jesus, meek and mild, knocking over the tables of the money changers in the temple. Jim’s sermon looks to the profound grace that is at the core of the anger of Jesus.
In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith reminds the congregation why losing your life in Jesus is the only way to really find it.
On this first Sunday of Lent the Reverend Jacob Smith explains the meaning of the wilderness in our lives and who we can trust to deliver us through it.
Ash Wednesday is a Christian Day of Confession, typically demonstrated with a mark of ash on your forehead. In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith shares with us whose confession actually matters on Ash Wednesday.
Instead of dissecting and analyzing (and thus killing) the narrative of the transfiguration, the Rev. Ben took his homiletical cue from Sufjan Stevens. . .
The Rev. Jacob Smith makes the proper distinction between Law and Gospel in the story of Eli and Samuel.
Those unclean spirits that Jesus encountered - do you think they’re still around today? Jim’s sermon says they are. Jim then points to the authority of Jesus’ love as having the power to cast them out.
The Christian life is a never-ending cycle of repenting and believing. All the while being empowered for service and vocation.
The Rev. Jacob Smith makes the proper distinction between Law and Gospel in the story of Eli and Samuel.
Our baptism means that we can live our lives swimming in an ocean of grace, rather than striving against the current of the river of judgement.
How are you doing, trying to stand on your own dignity? Jim’s sermon points to a dignity that comes in being known through the love of Jesus on the cross.
Christmas is not about recapturing a lost sense of childhood; it’s about the rectification of all that’s gone wrong.
The Lord of our Salvation, God the promise keeper, comes to make the impossible possible because His power to save works amid our helplessness. The annunciation is God’s strength in weakness, for despite ourselves, we are bearers of God’s unmerited grace, so loved that when that sinks in all hope is ours.
The Rev. Jacob Smith discusses how knowing that the difference has already been made, leads us to rejoice in all things.
Apocalyptic Good News. This isn’t hallmark feel-goodness; this is good news from a place of struggle
Is it possible for the experience of being judged to be good news? On the last Sunday of the Church Year - Judgment Sunday - Jim’s sermon uses submarine sandwiches and animal husbandry to point to the good news of God’s grace.
In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith looks at Jesus' parable of the 10 Bridesmaids in light of all the stress going on and reminds us to WAKE UP!
On this All Saints' Sunday, The Rev. Jacob Smith shares why in order to get the beatitudes right, one must get the Gospel right.
This pandemic is taking away from us a lot of wonderful - wonderful but non-essential - things. What’s left that’s essential? Jim’s sermon looks to the essentials of our faith that can’t be taken away.
In the first sermon of the stewardship series, The Rev. Jacob Smith shares why having a mediator is good news for control freaks. He also lets everyone know how they can help participate in the ministry to get the Gospel out to other control freaks.
Believe it or not, when we internalize the fact that Jesus has once-and-for-all silenced the condemning voice of the Law, the Ten Commandments become good news!
The Rev. Jacob Smith talks about the Real Manna and how it is far more nourishing than simply "the Good Ol Days." He also tells you what a fleshpot actually is.
Jesus is concerned about the practical matters or life - like how to deal with conflict. Hint: there's a better way than gossip and Twitter. (on, and there's Gospel here, too.)
The Rev. Jacob Smith shares how Jesus describes life and why that is Good News for you when things go bad.
What’s it like to be encountered by the love of Jesus? Instantaneous or gradual? Jim Munroe’s sermon looks at the witness of St. Peter for some clues to the experience of falling into the arms of mercy.
The Rev. Jacob Smith places the Jesus' encounter with the Canaanite Woman in its proper context and shares the Good News of being a dog in the Kingdom of Heaven
The Feeding of the 5000 is found in all four Gospels, and is one of the most popular stories in the Bible. But what does it tell us about God? What does it tell us about you and me?
The onset of COVID, racial conflicts, unemployment and political tooth-and-nailing have caused the normal groans of life to go postal. God’s response? Jim Munroe points to it in this sermon: Romans 8
God is not some good old chap who looks the other way no matter what, and that’s good news. But there’s more!
The pandemic has highlighted how physically frail we all are. In Romans 8, St. Paul highlights our spiritual frailty. And in this sermon, Jim Munroe points to our adoption into the strength of Jesus.
Rev. Ben talks about the tragedy of the human condition and the good news of the refiner's fire.
If you’re not feeling welcomed, or if you’re feeling that you don’t deserve to be welcomed, then take a look in this sermon at the kinds of people in the Bible who are welcomed by Jesus.
The Rev. Jacob Smith unpacks a hard saying of Jesus. No one ever thought, "take up a cross, gosh, that sounds like he is talking to me. I think I’ll choose to take that on. I’ll at least give it the old Harvard try."
Most of us do not like to think of ourselves as complicit in wrongdoing, but for the Apostle Paul the reality that God revealed his love for us while we were still undeserving is how we can be assured that God will love us no matter what. God does not wait for us to take the first step toward him or even to get to a ‘neutral’ position: “God proves his love for us in this, while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (5:8).
Rev Jacob Smith shares how the roles of the trinity have something to say to our society.
In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith reminds the congregation that the hope of the world is never found within us, but rather it is found in the Gospel outside of us.
The Reverend Jacob Smith shares the Good News that comes from the God who cares about you.
What does Jesus mean when he says, “If you love me you will keep my commands?” Is he the most co-dependent boyfriend ever? As conditional as your hard-nosed boss? No different than your passive-aggressive mother-in-law? Or is he saying something altogether different?
In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith articulates why Jesus’ bold claim about himself is such good news for you today.
It’s Good Shepherd Sunday and I’m hearing Jesus being compared to a gate? What’s the deal? Is this one of those ‘Us vs. Them’ texts? Well, in a way, it is, but probably not the way you’re thinking. Hear The Rev. Ben DeHart talk about why it’s comforting news that Jesus is The Gate.
In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith shows where the road to Emmaus intersects with our roads.
The Rev. Ben talks about why the disciples were fearfully quarantined behind locked doors
The Rev. Jacob Smith tells what the empty tomb has to say about you, God, and how we cope with hardship.
On Palm Sunday, one minute we’re saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord;” the next “Crucify, crucify him.” One second, we’re praising; the next we’re betraying. How true to lived reality is that: to my experience of those closest to me, to my knowledge of myself?
The Rev. Jacob Smith talks about the Good News of life and resurrection in the age of Covid-19.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explains what the works of God are and how believing is actually seeing.
The Rev. Jacob Smith talks about the distinction between religion from above and religion from below and how you are reckoned righteous before God.
Divisions outside, divisions inside, with separation walls everywhere. This sermon looks at the things that keep us apart from each other and ourselves and then looks to the one who breaks down ’the dividing wall of hostility.’
The Rev. Jacob Smith shares how the Mount of Transfiguration thrusts us to Calvary, where we encounter the God who can, will, and has saved you.
The Rev. Jacob Smith talks about worldly wisdom vs. Godly wisdom. In other words, he makes the proper distinction between the Law and the Gospel.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explore how the presentation of Jesus is good news for you and me.
The Rev. Jacob Smith articulates how all righteousness is fulfilled by Jesus and how it is applied to you.
As we wrap up Christmas and prepare for Epiphany the Reverend Jacob Smith takes a look at this mystery that has been revealed and why it is Good News.
If certain people in your family tree are a little shady, take heart. Jim Munroe’s sermon unpacks the family tree of Jesus, opening the door to pure grace.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores the space between unbelief and faith, and shows us how God can often give us more than we can handle in order that we might actually begin to hear and trust in him.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores why we are not given an exact date for the end of time and tells you why your life has meaning right now.
Heaven - its it harp music, or living in Stockholm, or having reunions, or… what? Jim Munroe looks to an answer in two statements by Jesus as he hangs on the cross.
The Rev. Jacob Smith discusses how, when it comes to "the end," Jesus moves from abstraction to Good News.
The Rev. Andrew Baughen explores how Jesus responds to those who think they are "spiritual but not religious."
As we wrap up this sermon series, The Rev. Jacob Smith defines gratitude and the response it produces in our lives and that response actually helps us deal with the anxiety in our lives.
The Rev. Ben DeHart talks about faith. When Christians talk about faith, they're not focusing on reflective faith. They're not all that concerned with looking within to see the state of their own belief. They're interested in the object of their faith. So what is the character of Jesus the King?
Where’s the joy when our prayers don’t (seem to) get answered? Jim wrestles with that question in the story of The Hound of Heaven.”
The Rev. Jacob Smith talks about how the Gospel creates thankfulness in our lives to carry out "The Immeasurable Mission" of sharing the Gospel with the world.
The Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool explores the how the “mustard seed,” of faith that we’ve already been given, invites us to new life in the forgiveness that we’ve already received.
The Rev. Ben DeHart takes a look at how this parable scandalizes its contemporary hearers. But what is Jesus really being provocative about ?
The Rev. Jacob Smith uses the scandal of the gospel to interpret a seemingly scandalous parable.
The Rev. Jacob Smith shares how Moses drives us to Jesus, a better mediator and advocate.
Does the phrase ‘Count the cost’ make you cringe? Just a little? Jim’s sermon explores the only ‘cost’ that really matters.
The Rev. Doug Estella articulates what Jesus' peace is actually all about. He makes the point that Jesus' peace is divisive because it is at enmity with a world in rebellion.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explains how anxiety is a form of worship and faith is really it's only balm.
What solid ground do we have on which to stand in the midst of the epidemic of mass shootings? What solid ground do we have on which to stand in the midst of the fragility of life? Jim Munroe speaks to the one thing, the only thing, that abides and wins.
The Rev. Ben DeHart asks, “If God isn’t a cosmic vending machine what is the point of prayer?”
The story of the Good Samaritan is SO familiar… Jim’s sermon explains why it ought to be banned for anyone under the age of 21.
We’re at the beginning of Luke’s ‘travel narrative.’ Last week we heard that Jesus ‘set his face toward Jerusalem. This week Jesus calls for single-minded devotion to his kingdom. Hear Rev. Ben DeHart unpack what this means.
I know that the Gospel has top priority, but what if I waver/falter/equivocate/weaken/compromise? What if I can't, in all honesty, sing the old hymn, “I surrender all”, but only, “I surrender partly sometimes”? Hang on, there’s good news.
How do Jesus's death and resurrection heal societal divisions and draw us closer together?
The Rev. Jacob Smith discusses why it is important to keep Jesus at the center of the Trinity.
For a fuller understanding of what's happening at Pentecost, we have to know our Old Testament.
The Rev. Jacob Smith looks at Jesus' "High Priestly Prayer" and look at why the church is Jesus' work and not ours.
Have you ever been humiliated? It hurts! This sermon explores the way in which the humiliation of Jesus brings healing - and most of all, peace.
The Rev. Jacob Smith shares the truth about spiritual warfare and why St. George's Day is about more than just dragons.
Sometimes life punches us in the mouth, but we must remember God is still there calling us, redeeming us, because God chose you, because God loves you!
The Rev. Jacob Smith talks about what happens in church and why you should never miss "Low Sunday."
The Rev. Jacob Smith lays out the distinction between a dead promise and the good news of a living promise.
Why is Jesus so peaceful as he nears his death? And how can a man with no arms or legs illustrate that peace? Jim Munroe speaks to these questions in his Good Friday sermon.
How often do you calculate your love and dole it out in controlled, risk-free measures? Jim’s sermon takes a look at the extravagant love of Jesus for us, filling up and spilling over.
In light of evil and suffering in the world, Jesus calls us to repent. What does that actually mean? Molly Jane unpacks how God is patient with us in our repentance.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores the ratification of the Abrahamic covenant. How does it define our faith, and where is the gospel found in that covenant ?
Jesus's testing by the Adversary in the wilderness was no garden variety temptation. His very identity is being called into question.
Today we live in an age where everyone wants to be spiritual. As we move into Lent, The Rev. Jacob Smith gives us all the key to how to do just that.
The Rev. Jacob Smith talks about the importance of Jesus physically rising from the dead, what it means if he didn't, and what it means that he actually has!
The Rev. Jacob Smith focuses on what the word of Jesus creates in us, what the word of Jesus reveals about us, and why all of this is Good News.
One minute Jesus’ neighbors are praising him; the next they’re trying to throw him off a cliff
If you are yearning for some ‘tomorrow’ of love or forgiveness or peace that never seems to arrive, this sermon explores the means by which Jesus changes ‘tomorrow’ into ‘today’.
Jesus’s name means savior. Jesus’s name is above every name. He is the “Lord whose property is always to have mercy.”
Believe it or not, the Fourth Sunday of Advent is traditionally ‘Hell’ Sunday. (Yes, days before Christmas Medieval Christians would talk about hell. Whatever exactly hell is.) In this sermon you’ll hear why we actually shouldn’t give this up.
The Rev. Jacob Smith gets at the heart of John the Baptist and Advent's message and talks about what is the purpose of repentance and how one bears fruit worthy of it.
Close friends and lovers have broken our hearts. Whether we stopped measuring up or people grew tired of us, many of us have found it hard to trust, difficult to love. We’re afraid we might be let down again. Our relationship with Christ is different though, “You are sealed with the Holy Spirit in Baptism, and marked as Christ’s own forever.”
The Rev. Jay Gardner reflects on how the certainty of our present and future are secured by Christ’s never-changing word of grace.
Have you ever met a king? On Christ the King Sunday, a new kind of king speaks to those who yearn to be welcomed home.
The Rev. Jacob Smith articulates the importance of atonement and the desires it creates within us.
The Very Rev. Dr. Ian Markham shares how The Gospel allows us to find grace in the tragic, and live life on the wider canvas of Christian Hope.
The Rev. Jay Gardner shares how the assurance of God’s grace to us allows us to live confidently in the highest and lowest moments of our lives.
What wisdom do the Flying Rodleighs have for trusting God? Jim Munroe looks to trapeze artists - and Scripture - for encouraging us that Christianity is trustworthy.
The Rev. Jacob Smith articulates how the truth of the resurrection can shape our stewardship giving.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explains the freedom that comes from the realization that we’re not all that necessary
The Rev. Matthew Paul Buccheri explores the true meaning of the term "Gospel," and in it finds hope that all our of good works could never deliver.
The Rev. Jacob Smith looks at the subtle difference between Worldly and Godly Wisdom and how the two go hand in hand in this age.
The Rev. Jay Gardner offers a guide on how to better understand the faith vs. works debate in Christianity.
Over the last five weeks the lectionary has taken us through John 6, where Jesus has talked about the importance of abiding in Jesus. In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith walks through Ephesians 6 and describes how we abide and what does abiding look like.
The Rev. Jacob Smith tackles the meaning of eating Jesus' body and drinking Jesus' blood and makes the point that most people actually do not want relevant religion and instead prefer abstractions.
This Sunday’s Gospel lesson makes it clear that Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand is connected to the story of the manna in the wilderness in the Old Testament. Only Jesus ups the ante even more: The food he provided isn’t the bread of heaven, he is...
The Rev. Jim Munroe. The hungers in our lives - can they be satisfied with a snack, or are we starving? And what is this ‘better bread’ that Jesus says can really stick to our ribs?
The Rev. Jacob Smith shares the meaning of Jesus walking on water, and how this 3am miracle, points to our 3pm salvation.
The Rev. Jay Gardner asks again what are the basics of the Christian life. Ultimately, it is about receiving from Christ, not about our efforts or contributions.
The Rev. Jim Munroe. The tendency to overpack is part of the human condition. How can Jesus - the lightest traveler of all - enable us to travel lightly as well, with his redeeming grace our only security?
The Rev. Jay Gardner highlights the Apostle Paul's insistence that we know the power of Christ in weakness not in strength. Despite the many thorns and sufferings we face, we find rest in Jesus, whose grace is sufficient.
The Rev. Ben DeHart explores Mark 5, in which Jesus ushers in a new age. Old ways are overcome, behold the new has come.
The Rev. Jim Munroe. In the Kingdom of God, the correct answer is not always the right answer. In this sermon, Rev. Munroe explores God’s upside down grace in the story of David and Goliath.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores the Good News found in the pivotal shift in God’s favor from King Saul to King David.
The Rev. Jacob Smith preaches about how God has spoke and continues to speak to us today.
Rev’d Matthew Paul Buccheri unpacks who the Holy Spirit is, what he does, and why he came when he came.
When is the last time tears of joy ran down your cheeks? Jim Munroe’s sermon looks at God’s offer of joy in the very midst of the world’s brokenness.
The Rev. Jacob Smith sheds light on the meaning of the commands of Jesus and the good news that comes from simply abiding.
The Rev. Jacob Smith looks at the good news that comes from being a branch grafted into the living vine.
The Rev. Jay Gardner points to how the Resurrection of Jesus changes everything: our past, present, and future.
The Rev. Jacob Smith discusses how in the midst of deconstructing the Gospel, The Gospel deconstructs us, and the makes us brand new.
The first point of the Easter Sermon was inspired by the article "Closer Than you Think (The Trouble with Deconstruction)" by the Reverend Connor Gwin, found on the Mockingbird Blog. The quote taken is as follows:
"Charles Taylor wrote about this in his 2007 book, A Secular Age. In this seminal work, Taylor argues that authenticity is the hallmark of the secular age, which is why doubt is in. Authentic doubt or disbelief is better than inauthentic faith or belief, at least in the secular age.
Deconstruction is the fruit of this seed of doubt. For Taylor, the secular age has not eliminated belief but it has made belief itself unbelievable. This explains why deconstruction is so popular.
Our zeitgeist is marked by deep cynicism and the question, “You don’t really believe that, do you?”
Our superheroes are now dark and gritty. Our politicians are no longer paragons of virtue and civic responsibility (or they aren’t pretending to be). In my own life, I am suspicious of anyone who is too nice or just a bit too earnest."
The Reverend Jacob Smith looks at the Biblical concept of remembrance and articulates how and why the Lord’s Supper comes to us.
The Rev. Jay Gardner takes us on a guided tour through Holy Week with our tour guide: Johnny Cash.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores the contradictory nature of the service of Palm Sunday. What does it say about us, and what does it say about God?
The crowds expected a certain kind of king on that first Palm Sunday. How did Jesus blow that expectation out of the water?
It is the most loved and well-known verse simple or complex, easy or demanding, comprehensive or reductionistic?... Yes
The Rev. Jim Munroe: How in the world can the command to deny yourself and take up your cross be understood as good news? Or is it maybe not a command?
The Rev. Ben DeHart. The powers of Sin and Death have co-opted the 'powers and principalities' for their purposes. We need a deliverer.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores the immediacy of Jesus' calling of Andrew, Simon, and John, and how through his work he turns these terrible fishers of fish, into actual fishers of men.
The Rev. Ben DeHart. In the gospel of Mark Jesus does not invite his disciples to follow him. He commands and they come.
The Rev. Jacob Smith looks at The Nazareth Principal and how God works in our brokenness.
The Rev. Jim Munroe: In the season of Epiphany, which means ‘Manifestation’, how is it that our weakness is the exact place where Jesus is manifested as our Savior and Friend?
The Rev. Ben DeHart. John has no account of Jesus' birth. No shepherds, no angels, no men from the east. What he does begin with is a hymn; a hymn that's first words are "In the beginning." Where else in the Bible does a book begin that way? What might John be getting at harking us back to creation?
The Rev. Jay Gardner shares the good news that God meets us in our lowest places over and over again.
The Rev. Jacob Smith looks at St. Paul’s letter to Titus to illustrate how a baby has literally change everything.
We are not created to be alone. We’re created to love and be loved. How is this core yearning met by the child in the manger?
The Rev. Jay Gardner dispels the belief that God needs us to prepare room for Him to work. Instead makes a way unto our salvation despite our best (and worst) efforts.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores how God's grace can be found throughout all time, even as we approach the 2nd coming.
During Advent, we’re commanded by Jesus to wait well. How good are you at waiting? And what’s the good news of the gospel when we’re lousy at waiting?
The Rev. Jay Gardner grounds our understanding of the Great Judgment in the doctrine of the Great Exchange. By the work of Christ, we are accounted as faithful sheep.
The Rev. Ben DeHart. The message of last week’s parable was wake up and keep watch until Jesus comes again. The parable of the talents carries that message a bit further: while awake boldly use the gifts God has given you... or else. But is this the ultimate word of the Scriptures, and if not what
The Rev. Jacob Smith articulates the grace found in Jesus' parable of the 10 bridesmaids and our call as Christians, while we await the return of the bridegroom.
The Reverend Jacob Smith points out where God's blessing is to be found and where the beatitudes find their ultimate fulfillment.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores the Doxology at the end of Romans 8. We explore God's story, where it's found, and what it does in our lives.
The Rev. Jim Munroe. What sighs and what groans might be in your spirit right now? Could God’s grace transform them into birth pangs of hope?
The Rev. Jacob Smith preaches on the good news found in the doctrine "Christ Alone" in this, part 2 of our sermon series,
The Rev. Jay Gardner begins our five week series on the Solas of the Reformation by discussing how Scripture is the basis for our life and belief. God's Word, which stands forever, continually comes to us as refreshing, good news in the midst of this withering and fading world.
The Rev. Jacob Smith preaches about the unfairness of the Gospel, and why that is such Good News.
The Reverend Jacob Smith looks at the concept of 70x7 and how this exposes the fact that we're more like the unjust servant as opposed to the gracious king.
The Rev. Jim Munroe. CS Lewis defines hell as the state of being all alone. What has Jesus done to allow us to be together, even with all of our disasters?”
The Rev. Jay Gardner points to the true identity of Christ, who is the one who suffers for us to have life. This truth stands in opposition to our normal wish projection and glory seeking in life and religion.
The Rev. Jacob Smith takes a look at Jesus' encounter with a Canaanite Woman and what this encounter has to say to us about being humans in the aftermath of Charlottesville, VA.
The Rev. Jay Gardner reminds us that the miracle of walking on water is not a moralistic example for us to follow. Instead it is an account that reveals Jesus as the Son of God who prays, comforts, and is to be worshipped.
The Rev. Jacob Smith articulates the kind of Jesus we get apart from the mountain top experience.
The Rev. Jay Gardner discusses St. Paul's description of life by the Spirit versus life according to the flesh. Ultimately, it is our adoption as children of God that constitutes a life of fullness, even in the midst of death.
The Reverend Jim Munroe unpacks Romans 8. Your control over your life - how's that working out for you? The thirty-nine verses of Romans Eight speak good news to failed self control.
The Rev. Ben DeHart on Romans 7. I do not do the good I want. The wrongs I do not want to do I do. Who can't resonate with that? But what's the real message of this text?
The Reverend Jacob Smith finds some sweet comfort in some of Jesus' harshest words. Explore how "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword," can be good news for us all.
Ms. E. Marty examines how John the Baptist prepares the way for the coming of Christ, calling us to repentance and giving us knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of our sins.
The Trinity is difficult to understand but wonderful to experience, as God becomes utterly available to us in the three Persons of the Trinity.
The Rev. Jacob Smith discusses the truth of the christian life, and that sometimes, it might not be about your "best life now."
The Reverend Jacob Smith points out that the place that Jesus is prepared for you is not an abstraction but is very person.
The Rev. Jim Munroe, gives a sermon in Birmingham on 5.13 at the ordination of our newest clergy member Jay Gardner.
Bishop Shin shares The Gospel at the parish wide celebration of The Feast of St. George.
The Rev. Jim Munroe explores explores Luke 24. Fears, guilts, pains and griefs can obscure any hope for peace or new life. But what about a loaf of bread?
The Rev. Ben DeHart. The highs of Holy Week and Easter Sunday have come and gone. Are you right back where you started, doubtful, afraid, and locked in on yourself?...
Join The Rev. Jacob Smith as we walk in the footsteps of Christ to the cross and beyond, and discover the depth of Christ's sacrifice and the wideness of God's mercy.
Join The Rev. Jacob Smith as we walk in the footsteps of Christ to the cross and beyond, and discover the depth of Christ's sacrifice and the wideness of God's mercy.
Join The Rev. Jacob Smith as we walk in the footsteps of Christ to the cross and beyond, and discover the depth of Christ's sacrifice and the wideness of God's mercy.
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores the pervasive mindset of "us against them" and how it plays out in the drama of Palm Sunday as well as in our own hearts.
Raising yourself from the dead has never been easier! Join pastor turned life coach Jacob Smith, and he unpacks the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead, and shares 5 easy secrets that are SURE to change your life TODAY!
The outside appearances of life can be misleading or confusing, but God's Word to us in Christ is assuring.
Sometimes we need to debate or wrestle with Christ to see the gift of salvation being offered to us and the world.
Despite all of the reasons that we are separated from God and one another, Jesus comes to us to forgive us and save us.
Sometimes, glimpses of visions for peace or love or new life tease us and then fade away. Hold can such visions find a solid home in our hearts through the work of Jesus?
The Rev. Jacob Smith explores how one man's trespasses have screwed up all of creation and how another man's work has set it all straight.
As we remember that "we are but dust, and to dust we shall return," the Rev. Jim Munroe invites us to look forward to the cross, and keep our eyes on Jesus' ultimate victory on our behalf.
The Last Sunday of Epiphany is a (perfect) bookend to the season and thrusts us forward into Lent and Holy Week. Listen to hear the good news of the Transfiguration.
In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith looks at Jesus's statement be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect and expounds on how this mandate should fling us to Christ and his cross.
Jesus is not bringing a new Law; instead, he demonstrates the all-encompassing nature of the Law and thus our need for a Savior.
In this sermon The Rev. Jacob Smith explains how a high view of the law, shapes our understanding of grace.
Can weakness and foolishness be assets in the Kingdom of God? And how does this counter-cultural Jesus turn everything upside down on the cross?
David Zahl, Founder of Mockingbird Ministries, gives some words of wisdom to the newly minted Rector of Calvary ~ St. George's Church, Jacob Smith
“What are you looking for?” These are the first words of Jesus in the Gospel of John. Jesus’ ministry in the Fourth Gospel does not begin with the silencing of a demon, as in Mark; nor with a sermon on a mountain face, as in Matthew; and not with a proclamation of the year of the Lord’s favor, as in Luke. In John, his first words appear in the form of a simple but profound question, “What are you seeking?” His question was not limited to the two disciples who went after him all those years ago. It is also addressed to you and me.
One thing that lights a fire in the heart of The Rev. Jacob Smith is people taking the sacrament of Baptism too lightly. In this sermon he explores the different between the Baptism of Jesus and our own baptisms, and the good news that comes from the fact that God first calls us.
On this eighth day of Christmas the Reverend Jacob Smith expounds on the distinction between Luck and Blessing.
In this sermon the Reverend Jacob Smith reminds the congregation that the birth of Jesus is for US!
The Rev. Ben DeHart on Matthew 1. Alan Jones, former Dean of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, once said, “We live in an age where everything is permitted and nothing is forgiven.” I think there’s a lot more truth in that little phrase than meets the eye. For you and I might be down with a whole lot more than our mothers and fathers were, but have you ever noticed that once the line has been crossed -- wherever that line might be -- there’s no coming back... In this sermon I talk about Mel Gibson, Mother Teresa, and why flipping Alan Jones phrase on it's head is the best kind of good news.
Have you ever received a Christmas card saying, “You brood of vipers - Merry Christmas, John the Baptist”? How would a card from Jesus look a little different?
The Rev. Jay Gardner. God has worked the impossible in Jesus Christ — most of all the forgiveness of sins.
The Rev. Jacob Smith, in this sermon for the first Sunday of Advent, explores the theological concepts if "The Already and The Not Yet" and what they mean for you.
In this sermon, the Rev. Jacob Smith explains the crucifixion from the perspective of Christ as our king.
In light of the election, the Reverend Jacob Smith preaches about how all things are eventually going to die and in the midst of them our need for mercy instead of justice.
How in the world is being poor in spirit a mark of Christian sainthood? The New York City Marathon offers a hint.
The Rev. Paul Zahl unpacks the power of The Reformation and it's far reaching effects in every aspect of our lives.
A week and a half from election day, a most serious time for our country, and you are about to hear a sermon on a silly children’s story. You’ve know the song, “Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up into a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see…” After that the lyrics get a little fuzzy for most of us, but, you get the idea, it’s a cute story for kids. Not one that would easily lend itself to be taken seriously by adult worried about the future of their country...