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Sermons 2016
12/24/2016 Christmas Eve sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. What does it mean to celebrate Christmas? Listen to what Saint Luke says, what astronaut Edgar Mitchell says, what theologian Karl Rahner says as we distinguish between calendar time (chronos) and God’s time (kairos).
12/18/2016 Forth Sunday of Advent, sermon by the Rev. Emily Gibson. Fiction is taking the place of truth, more it seems everyday. Why are we so susceptible to lies? One reason is because we want our beliefs confirmed more than we want to discover the truth. In a dream, Joseph was told the truth about his pregnant fiancée, Mary. He had thought the worst. He learned to think the best.
12/11/2016 Third Sunday of Advent, sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Today, Rejoice Sunday, we express our joy even as we confess our sins, for Advent is a season of mixed emotions: hope and despair, gladness and grief, confidence and uncertainty. God is the constant, the One who is faithful.
12/04/2016 Second Sunday of Advent, sermon by the Rev. Canon Lloyd Casson. Today we reflect on the meaning of baptism. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Turn around! Remember your joy! Reach out for all that is promised you! Reconcile with your enemies! Praise God!
11/27/2016, First Sunday of Advent, sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. God, give us grace to cast away all the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, now in this time of mortal life.
11/20/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews and the Rev. Canon Lloyd Casson. Sometimes the world has to fall apart before we see what is worth seeking. We break bread for a broken world. See how the Word dwells among us still!
11/13/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Many of us feel fear, sadness, even despair following the results of last Tuesday’s presidential election. Let us not let our politics separate us from others. All of us love our country. Let us love one another.
11/06/2016 sermon by the Rev. Emily Gibson. Just outside our senses, the unseen and untouched is near. It is both scary and thrilling. We do not fear if we are in Christ. We are assured that neither evil nor death is victorious.
10/30/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews, the Rev. Canon Lloyd Casson, and members of the congregation. Jesus wants to come into our hearts, yearns for our hospitality and welcome. Even if our houses are not places of peace, invite peace in. Click here to see a photo of the service, when Gloria Hampton spoke at 18:30 into this recording.
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.
10/16/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Will the Son of Man find faith on the earth? Let us dance with God, letting God lead. Let us study scripture regularly, picking out a sentence or even a word and reflecting on it, then praying on it to make it part of our life, then resting quietly in God’s assurance. Let us move out into the world. Let us engage others.
SEASON OF CREATION: 10/09/2016 sermon by the Rev. Canon. Lloyd S. Casson. This season celebrating creation is not a distraction from our real concerns. Celebration is fundamental. Love formed us in the time before time. The universe exploded from a single seed. God’s love abides in everything, even us. Hallelujah!
10/02/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. When the disciples of Jesus asked for more faith, Jesus replied that faith no bigger than a mustard seed will move mountains. Seeds have been planted here at our church. Care for the sprouts! Care for the budding plants. Care for the mature plants!
09/25/2016 sermon celebrating our church’s 20th year by the Rev. Canon Lloyd S. Casson. Take hold of the life that really is life. You and all of creation are meant to be in harmony, here, now. You and God are meant to be in love, here, now. New occasions teach new duties, and the love of God endures.
09/18/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. In a difficult-to-interpret parable (Luke 16:1-13), Jesus talks about a crooked man who, to benefit himself, partially forgives the debts owed his master. The debtors are very grateful. Compare this to Jesus, who forgives all the debts owed his Father. We the fully-forgiven debtors should be ever grateful and live accordingly, forgiving others fully, not partially.
09/11/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews, who remembers 9/11 as a day that ended in prayer. Tragedy must not be an end to celebration and laughter. There is always reason to celebrate, always reason to welcome the facts and the future, and to laugh at ourselves and at those who would subdue us.
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.”
09/04/2016 sermon by the Rev. Ray Michener. Let us not be dishonest: faith has a cost. That cost may be light or heavy, even crushing, but accepting God’s love does not make everything rosy and perfect, not while we live in this world. Don’t take my word for it.
08/28/2016 sermon by the Rev. Ray Michener. Look to be filled with love so that you will take chances, be open to others, remember those in prison, be happy with what you have got, and honor those who have led you to God. Accept God’s invitation. Come to the head of the table.
08/21/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. We are called to pray and we are called to act. Are you not God’s children? Be not crippled by fear, doubt, or anxiety. Yes, terrible things are possible, but wonderful things are possible, too. What will God give you next? Face it eagerly, upright!
08/14/2016 sermon by the Rev. Ray Michener. Some Bible passages are bothersome, even upsetting, but that is a good thing. Yes, Jesus was crucified. Yes, Christians have been and will be tortured and killed. Yes, we may suffer, we will suffer, even though God calls us children and friends.
08/07/2016 sermon by the Rev. Ray Michener. God has a wonderful sense of humor, is singularly complex, wants to argue with us, wants us to seek justice, wants us to fear not, wants us to to look for the Kingdom on earth as in heaven, wants us to be Jesus people, eager and ready.
07/31/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. What does it mean to be rich towards God? We are no longer unhappy about what we do not have, nor are we smugly complacent with what we do have. Or, to put it positively, we delight in what we have and eagerly look forward to what God will give us next.
07/24/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. The world is changing fast. We cannot meet that challenge alone. We are not alone. God is with us. Through prayer, eucharist, and personal devotions, we are equipped to serve God and one another.
07/17/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Look, there is a place for you to sit and listen for the word of God. When there is so much to be done, that’s when you need to stop, pray, seek and find.
07/10/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Unlike the others who passed by, the Good Samaritan is still remembered as the one whose heart was moved by the stranger’s misfortune. In the parable, he is the one who, at no small cost, helps another. Having told this parable, Jesus tells his listener, “Go and do likewise.”
07/03/2016 sermon by the Rev. Canon Lloyd S Casson. Our times call for prayer. Everyone struggles, fears, and seeks relief. Heal us, Lord! Not just our bodies and ourpride but also our false humility that makes us think we cannot walk in the direction the Holy Spirit points us.
06/26/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. We look forward in hope. Even though we may eventually have to let go and give it our lives, that time is not now. Now is a time to let go of the past and our fears, a time to live our lives in the fullness God offers us, in love and abundance.
6/19/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. This past week, once again, we were filled with grief and anger that a deranged gunman can so easily execute scores of people. This time it was Orlando, Florida. We had to do something, so we had a vigil last Wednesday evening. We must do something more! Let us encourage reflection. Let us say again that we are not called on to be just like one another but to be one in Christ even though there are profound differences. We are called to love others, not change them. We are called to pray for our enemies.
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.
5/29/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Once we have some years behind us, we become nostalgic for the ways things used to be. Even we Christians shudder at some changes, fearing the essence of our faith is being lost. Then again, some faithful once had slaves and some were slaves. Who regrets the progress we have made toward truer love and respect for one another? We are moving. The Church is moving. God’s love shines forth, constant and pure. New occasions teach new duties, new times call forth new deeds.
5/22/2016 Trinity Sunday sermon by the Rev. Canon Lloyd S. Casson. What is the nature of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? Our challenge, one challenge among many, is to accept mystery, that there are some things we don’t know and some things we cannot know. We need not be upset or angry. Instead, we can experience a holy fear of God’s mystery. We can be in awe. We can celebrate and be thankful!
05/15/2016 Feast of Pentecost sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. We need not be children of fear, though our fears be many. Our lives, our family, our jobs, our country, our church — the health and welfare of any of them is not guaranteed. We do not, and should not, have faith in them, but in God; otherwise, we cannot be free. And we cannot have faith without inviting God into our lives. Name your fear. Offer it to God.
05/08/2016 sermon by the Rev. Emily Gibson. I love Facebook but it is no place to create meaningful relationships. That has to be done face-to-face, in person, hand in hand. In today’s readings, Jesus blesses his disciples. He sends them out into the world to share God’s love. We who call ourselves Christians are asked to do the same, to be in community with one another, to give and receive blessings. If you are with others, put your cellphone away.
05/01/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. If you have to fix the problems of everyone around you, soon you will have to push people away or go crazy. Instead, learn to welcome others into your life without trying to fix them or their problems. Stand with them, literally and in prayer. Invite into your life and theirs the redeeming love of the Holy Spirit to help us live, to help us accept and more forward. Let the church be a welcoming place, a safe place, a comforting place, a place of nurture and resolve.
4/24/2016 sermon by the Rev. Canon Lloyd S. Casson. The Book of Revelation tells of a New Jerusalem, a new era, a time to come when there will be no more suffering, when we will all drink from springs of living water. Do you feel the rage in the world? Terrorists bomb our airports and subways while we drop bombs on Isis from the sky. That won’t change things. Bombastic speeches from politicians won’t change things. What changes things is people looking inside and finding God’s peace. Be yourself changed. Pray, and after praying, go out into the world, be part of the world, bringing peace with you, saying peace, giving peace.
4/17/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Psalm 23 is often said at funerals, whenever chaos disturbs us, times when we need to be reassured that the Good Shepherd seeks and finds the lost sheep. Look at the last 90 years, the tumult we have seen, the challenges to our faith. What’s next? Whatever comes, the children of God will still recognize God’s voice and call out in prayer, “Here I am!” The lost will be found, even though surrounded by chaos.
04/10/2016 sermon by the Rev. Emily Gibson. Let us be extravagant in our love, generosity, and forgiveness, just as God loves us, is generous to us, and forgives us. Welcome God’s abundance! This abundance is not meant for us alone, for each of us is only one of many, for each of us is given so much more than can kept.
4/3/2016 sermon by the Rev. Canon Lloyd S. Casson. Hallelujah! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! At first, Jesus’s disciples were devastated that His ministry came to such a brutal end. They cowered in fear. They fled. They ran away. Then they learned that Jesus had risen from the dead. Then they saw Him themselves. Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe; who open their hearts and are no longer afraid; who are full of love and go forth into the world.
03/27/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Do not look for the living among the dead. Death does not define our lives, even though it shakes us, threatening to make us lose our balance. That’s when we grab tighter to God’s promise of love and resurrection, allowing us to rejoice even in the face of adversity. Christ has risen and so shall we, not just after death, but after every shock that knocks us down. In the darkness, look for light. In the silence, sing your hymn.
03/20/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Even today, innocent people are put to death. Even today, innocent people are criticized because of how they look, where they are from, the language they speak, the color of their skin. Even today, people argue about who is the greatest, who is most powerful, who can accomplish the most. Jesus teaches us to pray and to forgive, to suffer what must be suffered, trusting in God.
03/13/2016 sermon by the Rev. Emily Gibson. Paul and Martha both were workers, as we should be. But we should also be like Martha’s sister, Mary, resting at Jesus’s feet, seeking God’s word for our lives. A contrived life is not for us. We were made for better things: lives of love and purpose, of quiet gratitude and noisy service, all declaring God’s praise.
03/06/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Anyone in Christ becomes new. Being human, we are formed by our culture, the culture of our family, our city, our country, our church. Yet we are called to be formed by the love of God, by the Holy Spirit, to change culture when it tells us to be selfish, wasteful, unforgiving, racist, or prideful. Pray for those who have abandoned God and welcome them when they return. Let us return ourselves when we go astray and have faith we are loved by God even when we are not given the fatted calf.
02/28/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Watch out! Don’t fall! Instead, find the way in Christ. Then you can love, practice patience, pray, see, hear, touch, play, and dance like anyone given a second chance, like anyone redeemed by God who moves forward in faith sharing the good news with those around you, following where God leads, your eyes fixed on the prize.
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.
02/14/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Jesus went alone into the wilderness to pray. There he was tempted to forsake God. Temptation leads us away from The Way. Temptation can find us any place, any time, but often it finds us when we are isolated and away from others, in our own personal wilderness. Stay in community! Reach out to others! If you want to be alone to figure things out, go on a silent retreat with others doing the same.
02/07/2016 sermon by the Rev. Emily Gibson. Mountain-top experiences cannot be sustained but we can renew them. Here in the everyday, in the mundane, in the 9-to-5, we can pray in a disciplined way and make a practice of quiet reflection. We can. You can!
01/31/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. The Church of Christ is a body of many parts dependent on one another, a body that works only because the parts love one another, forgives one another, celebrates one another, defers to one another, and recognizes their dependence on one another.
01/24/2016 NO SERMON, LOTS OF SNOW!
01/17/2016 sermon by the Rev. Canon Lloyd S. Casson. Two preachers we admire, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Rt. Rev. Quintin E. Primo, Jr., believed in the power of God’s love, that it could transform the world. We, too, are servants of Love. If these two black men can shine with God’s joyous forgiveness, determination, patience, courage, and truth, so can we. But first we must love, even our enemies.
01/10/2016 Epiphany Sunday sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. Let us seek God in the every day business of our lives. Let us see revelation in the ordinary. Though our lives may be ordinary, let us see how it is that we are precious in God’s sight. Today, this week, this year, let us pay attention to the ways God loves and blesses us.
01/03/2016 sermon by the Rev. David Andrews. If you are a member of SsAM, my New Year’s challenge is for you to tell others about our church’s twenty years, how we got here and where we are going. I challenge you to share with others your experience of God’s incarnation, how God dwells among us, how Jesus calls us to listen and learn, to go forth and serve.
