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Changing Our Spiritual Landscape
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - May 11, 2025
You can tell a lot about someone by the things and people they surround themselves with. On the one hand, this is because where we choose to put time and effort is a reflection of what we value. On the other hand, it is also because we are shaped by our environments: we become like what we are surrounded by. This statement is true spiritually. If we surround ourselves with heavenly influences, we will become heavenly. If we surround ourselves with hellish influences, we will become hellish. Where and how we spend our time is not just a matter of personal preference. It is a matter of choosing who we will become. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (20m 44s)
Making Faith Our Own
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - May 04, 2025
When you were born you knew nothing about the world and how it worked; nor did you know anything about the Lord or spiritual life. These were things that had to be taught to you, from a young age, both through education and through the examples set by the people around you. As you matured your faith became your own. No longer did you have to rely on others: you could enter into an adult relationship with the Lord and an adult understanding of spiritual life. Yet as simple as that sounds, we can all stand to reflect on how much of our faith is really our own, and how much work still needs to be done to move past what we were taught and live our faith for ourselves. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (20m 14s)
Go, Make Disciples of All Nations
Worship Service: Sermon only - April 27, 2025
After His resurrection, the Lord told His disciples, “Go, make disciples of all nations!” (Matthew 28:20). It is in the nature of love to share what one has with others (Divine Love and Wisdom 47), so when we receive the Lord’s love in our hearts, we also receive a burning desire to share that love with others. | By Rev. John L. Odhner | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (25m 55s)
Finding the Risen Lord
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - April 20, 2025
Easter is of course about the Lord's Resurrection after His Crucifixion. But just because the Lord rose and lived again does not mean that we ourselves feel His living presence within ourselves. There is a process of being led to Him; it is a process that involves both the head and the heart, a process that involves grief and joy, faith and doubt. This Easter Sunday we will explore what the Gospel of John has to tell us about finding the Risen Lord in our own lives. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (30m 57s)
The View From the Cross
Worship Service: Children & Adult - April 16, 2025
We mostly think of the view that we have of the Lord. When we think of the crucifixion, perhaps we picture the Lord on the cross. But what was (and is) the Lord’s point of view? In His moment of suffering and death what did He observe, and in observing, what was His response? For an ordinary person they may have felt despair or anger; yet the Lord, even then, continued to look out with mercy and love, even on His enemies. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
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The Coming Kingdom
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - April 13, 2025
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey the onlookers took it to be an ancient symbol of kingship. And indeed, it was. Yet their expectations of that coming kingdom were far removed from the kingdom that Jesus sought to establish. Jesus knew that the people expected an immediate overthrow of oppression and the onset of an earthly kingdom with Jesus as their benevolent ruler. The kingdom Jesus actually established was one of hard work and repentance, in other words, a spiritual kingdom. This Sunday we will look at how our own expectations are contrary to what the Lord actually intends for us. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (30m 40s)
The Face and Clothing of Love
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 30, 2025
Marriage is an important part of love for many people. And yet the Word has very little to say about it directly! Part of the reason is that people have so many warped ideas of what marriage is or ought to be. When the Word was written, a true explanation would have been rejected. But in the Teachings of the New Church we find that clearer explanation, and at heart, marriage is about friendship. Through cultivating a genuine friendship, a married couple can establish trust, mutual support, and true marriage love. | By Rt. Rev. Brian W. Keith | Westville, RSA
See Event (23m 48s)
Heavenly Imbalance
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 23, 2025
“Everything in moderation” seems like a sound rule for life. After all, anything, even something good, can become harmful when taken to an extreme. Yet this common-sense truth finds surprisingly little support in the Lord’s Word. As just one example, Jesus says, “no one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). There is no moderation or balancer here: rather pick a side and wholeheartedly follow it! This Sunday we will look at how a blind devotion to moderation can be harmful and why thinking in terms of prioritisation is a more heavenly outlook. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (22m 13s)
Pearls of Wisdom
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 16, 2025
What would you be willing to give up in order to get the Lord's truth? Sometimes it seems like we don't have to give up anything: all we need to do is learn a little! But to really take in the truth and have it become part of our lives, we need to be willing to let go of other wants, points of view, and habits that get in the way. We have to be like the merchant in the Lord's parable who was willing to sell all that he had in order to acquire the pearl of great price. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 56s)
Half Measures
Worship Service: Children & Adult - March 09, 2025
When Saul was commanded to destroy all the Amalekites and all their possessions, he only half obeyed: he destroyed all the worthless possessions, but kept the precious things, and spared the king. Yet he still claimed that he had obeyed the Lord. How often do we only follow the Lord halfway, but claim that we have done everything He asks? And how do we come to a place of wholeheartedly separating ourselves even from the evils that we really love and are attached to? | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (19m 17s)
Worship the Lord
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - March 09, 2025
1st Lesson: Daniel 6:1-23 2nd Lesson: AC 1618 Talk: “Daniel Worships the Lord” (Text: Dan. 6:10) | By Rev. Lawson M. Smith | Kempton, PA
See Event (25m 34s)
Being Forgiven - Sorry Doesn't Cut It
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 02, 2025
We have all needed to be forgiven at one time or another. It's tempting at these times to think a simple "I'm sorry" will suffice. But when it comes to forgiveness "sorry" just doesn't cut it. Although when we say sorry it may be heartfelt it does nothing to change us or our situation. It is when we recognize our fault and make an effort to change that we can receive real forgiveness. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (18m 15s)
Entering the Kingdom of Heaven as a Little Child
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 02, 2025
1st Lesson: Mark 10:16-19 Talk: “Let the Little Children Come to Me” 2nd Lesson: Heaven and Hell 280 3rd Lesson: Arcana Coelestia 2568 (portions) Sermon: “ Entering the Kingdom of Heaven as a Little Child” | By Rev. Brett D. Buick | Kempton, PA
See Event (29m 39s)
Leesa Violet Cooper
1st Lesson: Psalm 121, John 11:25-26 2nd Lesson: NJHD 225; CL 216, 321.7 Address: “In My Father's House are Many Dwellings” | By Rev. Brett D. Buick | Kempton, PA
See Event (27m 29s)
The Lord Came to Seek and Save the Lost
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - February 23, 2025
1st Lesson: Luke 19:1-10 2nd Lesson: Arcana Caelestia 9206 Talk: “Seek and Save the Lost” | By Rev. Derrick Lumsden | Kempton, PA
See Event (18m 19s)
at the passing of Rev. Christopher Smith
Worship Service: Sermon only - February 22, 2025
1st Lesson: Psalm 23 2nd Lesson: John 14:1-4, 6 3rd Lesson: True Christian Religion 301-304 (parts) Talk: “An Address at the Resurrection of Rev. Christopher Ronald Jack Smith” | By Rev. Lawson M. Smith | Kempton, PA
See Event (19m 02s)
Back to Basics: Part 3 How Does the Bible Work?
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - February 16, 2025
The Bible, the very Word of God, is our link to the Lord and His Teachings. And yet, it is not always obvious how it works. What are we to make of the confusing parts? Or the contradictions? Why is God so obtuse in revealing Himself to us? A large part of the answer to these questions can be found through understanding the spiritual sense that lies beneath the surface of every verse of the Word. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (38m 15s)
Cities of Refuge
Worship Service: Sermon only - February 16, 2025
1st Lesson: Joshua 20 2nd Lesson: Arcana Coelestia 9011 (portions) Sermon: “Cities of Refuge” | By Rev. Brett D. Buick | Kempton, PA
See Event (20m 59s)
Back to Basics: Part 2, What is Salvation?
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - February 09, 2025
Salvation is at the heart and soul of Christ’s message. But what actually is it? Salvation is meaningless if we do not understand what we are being saved from and how we can achieve that salvation. The New Church teaches that all of us have an inclination towards evil that would destroy us if we weren’t protected by the Lord; and that to be truly and fully saved, we need to look to the Lord, reject evil, and live a good life, based on His teachings. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (24m 05s)
Dan: Strength in Affirming the Word
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - February 09, 2025
1st Lesson: Judges 15:1-8 2nd Lesson: Divine Providence 310, 311 (parts) Talk: “Dan: Strength in Affirming the Word” (Text: Judges 15:1-8) | By Rev. Lawson M. Smith | Kempton, PA
See Event (19m 50s)
Back to Basics Part 1 Who is God
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - February 02, 2025
The most important question that almost any religion tries to answer is, “Who is God?” In our day to day lives we may find other questions more pressing, such as “how do I keep my temper when my three-year-old scrawled crayon all over the wall AGAIN?” But how we see God actually filters into how we see all those basic day-to-day questions of life. So who is God, and how can we come to know Him better? That’s what we’ll explore this Sunday. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (34m 25s)
Galilee of the Nations
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - February 02, 2025
1st Lesson: Mathew 4:13-16, 23-25 Talk: “A Light in the Darkness” 2nd Lesson: Isaiah 9:1-2 3rd Lesson: Apocalypse Explained 447:5 Sermon: “Galilee of the Nations” | By Rev. Brett D. Buick | Kempton, PA
See Event (37m 39s)
Belonging to the Lord
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - January 26, 2025
What is the Lord’s? In a broad sense all things are the Lord’s: He created and sustains everything in the universe. Yet we also feel as if we are our own masters. There is an innate sense that what goes on in our minds and hearts is ours and ours alone. Yet even here all that is good and true belongs to the Lord. Miraculously, when we acknowledge that truth and live it, we can actually feel more, not less, ourselves. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 59s)
Inheritance of Joseph And Benjamin
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - January 26, 2025
1st Lesson: John 15:1-16 2nd Lesson: Divine Providence 203 Talk: “The Inheritance of Joseph and Benjamin” | By Rev. Derrick Lumsden | Kempton, PA
See Event (18m 35s)
Come and See
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - January 26, 2025
We’re not very good predictors of the future and yet this doesn’t stop us from trying. Our predictions about the future tend to limit God’s capabilities which means we tend to anticipate “sameness” in our relationships and work, and in our sense of purpose and direction. We see this mindset in the brand-new disciple, Nathaniel, who, being invited by fellow disciple Philip to come see Jesus of Nazareth says, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” to which Philip replies, “Come and see” (John 1:46). Nathaniel did “come and see” and his life unfolded in a way he could never have predicted. | By Rev. Derek P. Elphick | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (31m 34s)