Here are links to only the most recent recordings of sermons at SsAM, one sermon from each preacher. Click here to see all the sermons of 2020 and previous years.
You can find videos of entire Sunday services on the Friends of SsAM Facebook page.
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Preachers at SsAM, the most recent sermon by each
1/12/2020 – THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY: sermon by the Rev. Emily Gibson. The early Christians were surprised to find that God gave his Spirit to everyone, not just the Jews. We see this in the Wise Men, who were neither natives nor Jewish. God is still up to something new. The Holy Spirit awaits us to follow. A new day has been prepared for us. God is present here and now. Stop! Look! Listen! We turn to God again and again. We bear witness. Let us go forth to love extravagantly and serve the Lord faithfully.
1/5/2020 – THE EPIPHANY: sermon by the Rev. David T. Andrews, Jr. We have seen His star, shining in the darkness. The old order of the universe has been disturbed. A child has been born. The wise pay homage. The powerful are threatened. Prisoners testify to the light. The faithful speak in the time of fear. Away from home, at the worst time of the year, even then the light is with us through birth and death.
12/22/2019 – THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT: sermon by the Rev. Canon Lloyd S. Casson. God is with us! The candle of peace has been lit. We have prepared a place in our hearts for the one who brings peace. The Word is with us. Like an unexpected pregnancy, our lives are changed. We listen for the speech of angels and look for a sign. We trust what we hear and see. It is going to be alright. The ancient promise is fulfilled. Our lights are shining; our hearts, open. We are loved.
11/24/2019 – SEASON OF CREATION, SEVENTH SUNDAY: sermon by Mary Parmer, Guest Preacher. Each of us has the gift of creativity, essential to every ministry. Imagination is so important as we invite others to join us, as we practice hospitality, and as we connect to one another. Imagination is essential when circumstances challenge us to recreate our shattered lives. We seek and find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Fantasy is our friend. We dream. We have a dream. We are agents of imagination.
11/10/2019 – SEASON OF CREATION, FIFTH SUNDAY: sermon by the Right Reverend Carol Gallagher, PhD, Preacher. We should strive to respect everyone. Every person is God’s creation. Even when we are disrespected, mocked, or made fun of, our response should be worthy, respectful to God, the God who made you and who made the person disrespecting you. You are not small! Let your response be big hearted! Even if it is difficult to see grace and goodness in another person, search for it. Do not let the arrogance of others make you vengeful. If they puff themselves up, do not be eager to pop their bubbles, but be eager to understand, waiting for God to give you the grace to be respectful. God is with us!
10/20/2019 – SEASON OF CREATION, SECOND SUNDAY, sermon by speaker Brighton Kaoma, Co-Founder and Partner at Agents of Change Foundation, Zambia. We share one planet. Let us wash our faces in streams of life-giving water and turn our faces to the rising sun. Our planet is here to be loved and cared for. Here is a sense of communion, of caring for the earth and all that is in it, including our neighbors. All of us, each of us, can do something, not only individually but together. It is our responsibility to act, yes, but also a deep pleasure.
10/13/2019 – SEASON OF CREATION, FIRST SUNDAY, sermon by the Rabbi Douglas Krantz. Let us not forget Jerusalem, the Sabbath, the exodus from slavery in Egypt, right from wrong, decency, informed decision making, respect for those with whom we disagree, affirmation that we are all God’s children, that we are stewards of creation, that the world is our garden, that we who are white are privileged and often blind, that automation will affect some races more than others, that we have work to do, that everyone should have equal opportunities, that we are lights in the darkness.
10/6/2019 – THE SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, sermon by the Right Reverend Kevin Brown, Bishop of the Diocese of Delaware. I was glad when they said, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” We are in this together, not to fill up the pews but because here in church we are fed. We find truth, hope, and strength. Our faith increases. A speck, a drop, a seed is all we need. Seeds of faith are what we spread. I tell you, evangelize and spread the good news. Invite the Holy Spirit in and breathe out grace. Show and tell why we are Christians, not to grow the church but to share the love of God. Use words!
7/28/2019 – THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, sermon by the Rev. Beverly Van Horne. Jesus taught us to invite people right into our lives. Jesus taught us to invite God right into our lives. God always wants us to be in relationship to our neighbors and to the Spirit, to be hospitable, to be welcoming and loving. If we love, others will see God active in our lives, in our church. Hope, pray, and act! God is shaping us into a community of grace, a community of forgiveness, a community that is socially active, God’s will done on earth as in heaven.
7/21/2019 – THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, sermon by the Rev. Canon Martha Kirkpatrick. Let us not be envious of others. If we are called to be hospitable, let us not envy those called to other roles, perhaps who sit meditating while we work making things ready. Let us catch ourselves in the act of envy before it sours our hospitality. Let us listen and watch ourselves to find how God is working in our lives, and in the lives of all those around us. Let us engage our imaginations. What might God be doing? What is Jesus saying to us? Let us be transformed, both as individuals and as a community.
7/7/2019 – THE FORTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, sermon by the Rev. Edward E. Godden. We, the baptized, are missionaries. At our best, we take the kingdom of God, so near to us, to others, to offer a cure to the world’s ills, relying not on ourselves but on the Spirit. God’s Spirit leads us to every town and place, to every race and nation. We, God’s children, go together, encouraging one another, motivated by love. At our best, by grace, we have it abundantly, love for God and for our neighbor. Where love is, there is God.
11/11/2018 VETERANS DAY: The 5th Sunday in the Season of Creation, sermon by Rupindar Grewal of the Sikh Community in Wilmington, Delaware. This, the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, is a good day to talk about peace and the end of war. Sikhs believe in soldier saints, those who fight for the right reasons, not for personal glory or vengeance. Inside each of us is also a war where we battle desire and fear, wanting to be free of their control.
10/28/2018 THE 3rd SUNDAY IN THE SEASON OF CREATION sermon by guest speaker, Erika Gutierrez, Network Delaware. People come to the U.S. for many reasons. Who will we welcome? If we are silent, we are part of the problem. Now is the time to make things right. Make peace with your own judging of others. See each person’s special gifts. Breathe and think joy. Have faith in one another, because we are all loved by God.
10/21/2018 THE 2nd SUNDAY IN THE SEASON OF CREATION sermon by guest speaker, Faizal Chaudhury, Islamic Society of Delaware. Let us leave the earth a better place than we found it. The earth is to be shared with all living creatures. We humans are trustees. Let us be faithful to God and to those who come after us. All we own is really God’s. We are accountable for what is placed in our care. Treat animals with respect and dignity. Plant a tree so that it may offer shade for decades.
08/12/2018 The 12th SUNDAY OF PENTECOST sermon by the Rev. Paul W. Gennett, Jr. Are you hungry still? Gather with others. Do your part. Share with one another. Gather around the table. Are you hungry still? Recognize Jesus in the Eucharist. Recognize Christ in one another. Surpass your differences with others. Remember you are made in the likeness of God. Are you hungry still? Welcome the stranger.
07/29/2018 The 10th SUNDAY OF PENTECOST sermon by Maryann Younger, Preacher. There is no end to things that need to be done but it is better to sit still and seek God. Contemplation, prayer, and praise do not get things done. Quiet time does not make our TO DO lists shorter, but we need first of all to be full of the Spirit of God. Doing things often gets in the way of being with God. The task-oriented life can be inhospitable to God. Take time to seek God. Learn to wait upon the Lord!
06/24/2018 The 5th SUNDAY OF PENTECOST sermon by the Rev. Anna Waid. Be reassured! Yes, storms rage, chaos surrounds us and clouds our thinking. Focus on God, not the storm. Focus on your salvation, not the chaos. Look, search, seek for God’s victory. Open the doors and let in God’s triumphant Spirit. Join hands with the faithful. Reach out to those reaching out to you, even God.
05/06/2018 THE 7TH SUNDAY OF EASTER sermon by the Rev. Barbara Melosh. Everyone remembers Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, but who remembers Mathias, the apostle who took his place? We, as sinners, can identify with Judas because we, too, betray Jesus in many small ways, and perhaps some large ways, if we are honest. Let us be faithful by the grace of the Holy Spirit even if that means, like Mathias, we are forgotten by history.
03/18/2018 THE 5th SUNDAY IN LENT sermon by The Right Rev. Kevin S. Brown, Bishop of Delaware. We want to see Jesus, to see for ourselves, to be convinced and not left in doubt. Love is simple but it is not easy. Love transforms the world every day. We are keepers of an idea worth dying for, worth living for. Proclaim it by word and example!
11/5/2017 SEASON OF CREATION sermon by guest preacher, Kim Eppehimer, Executive Director of Friendship House. We at Friendship House live out the parable of the Good Samaratan every day, offering care and hospitality to the homeless and the transient. We are the saints of God ministering to the saints of God, all of us holy ones, all of us giving and receiving. It is a blessing to give, and a blessing to receive. You have more to give than you can know, and more to receive.
10/22/2017 Season of Creation sermon by guest preacher, Dr. Mildred McClain. We are warriors. We are at war. The enemies of the earth have forgotten their roots. When we get tired, we are tempted to surrender, but be steadfast! Stand! Trust in God! God is with us through the trials of fire. Humble yourself before God that God may exult you! Resist evil! Remain steadfast in the faith! Let God use you!
08/20/2017 sermon by the Rev. Ray Michener. Lord, Lord, have mercy! We cry out to Jesus, the Son of David. We cry out even if we deserve nothing but scorn. We cry out because we are desperate for God’s generosity and abundance, for the crumbs from God’s banquet table. Instead, a seat is prepared for us, and new garments. We are treated like family.
04/02/2017 sermon by guest preacher Kaamilah Diabate, MLK Jr. Communication Contest winner in 2016. Insights into what it means to be young and black some 50 years after Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Ms. Diabate is a high-school junior.
02/19/2017 sermons by MLK Jr. communication contest winners, guest preachers Tyrek Traylor and Nana Ohemaa Asante. The second annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Communication Contest for New Castle County, Delaware was conducted on January 15, 2017. The competition is designed to challenge high school students to develop and communicate their ideas using poetry, speech, and/or rap, reflecting on Dr. King’s legacy while sharing their proposed action for change within the Wilmington community.
10/23/2016 sermon by Sister Rosie Castelli. It is easy to lose sight of our common humanity, that even the worst of us are like the best of us, and all of us are loved by God. Call that the Great Reversal of Values, that all are loved, not just the best. VIDEO: Click here to see a video of Rosie’s sermon on YouTube.
9/10/2016 homily given by the Very Rev. Don Brown at the choral evensong celebrating the 25th anniversary of the ordination of the Rev. David T. Andrews, Jr. “God calls us to be fellow workers with Him.”
06/05/2016 sermon by the Right Rev. Wayne P. Wright, Jr. D.D. Bishop of Delaware. Just as parents hold on to their child’s hand as it learns to walk, so God holds onto our hands as we learn to walk in the paths created for us to walk in. God walks with us.
02/21/2016 sermon by Dr. Greg Garrett, Preacher. God became human. If we are in Christ, nothing human can be alien to us. We need not fear or distrust, nor uncritically accept superficial detail as reality. We can be open and inquiring. We can discover and unveil. We can accept difference, even celebrate it. We can do the right thing.
Click here to listen to all of the recordings of 2019 and many from earlier years.
Click here to see our sermon archives.
