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Our Spiritual Reality: Grappling with Hell
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - August 10, 2025
If we want to really understand our spiritual reality, we have to grapple with the reality of hell. This Sunday, we will take some time with images and teachings about hell in the Old Testament, New Testament, and the teachings for the New Church. We will be looking directly at some of the most difficult and darkest aspects of human life. At the same time, we will reflect on our loving God, who shines light into even the darkest places and reaches out in love and infinite mercy to even the darkest of hearts. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (21m 46s)
Our Spiritual Reality: Grappling with Hell
Worship Service: Sermon only - August 10, 2025
If we want to really understand our spiritual reality, we have to grapple with the reality of hell. This Sunday, we will take some time with images and teachings about hell in the Old Testament, New Testament, and the teachings for the New Church. We will be looking directly at some of the most difficult and darkest aspects of human life. At the same time, we will reflect on our loving God, who shines light into even the darkest places and reaches out in love and infinite mercy to even the darkest of hearts. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (30m 53s)
Maintenance
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - August 03, 2025
Things seem to fall apart and get broken rather easily—from our aging bodies, to the buildings we live in, to the equipment we rely on each day, to our lives in general and the world at large. Just think of your current to-do list of things that you need to fix, replace, clean, or sort out. What are we meant to do in the midst of this reality? Give up on fixing anything? Let’s talk on Sunday about the importance of maintenance and how to find the humility, courage, and trust to do the work to maintain what matters. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (33m 55s)
Our Spiritual Reality: Heaven
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - July 13, 2025
A big focus of the Lord’s teaching, when He was on earth, was the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is also a big focus of what the Lord reveals in the teachings for the New Church. This Sunday, as we continue our series on understanding our spiritual reality, we will explore a few of the Lord’s teachings about heaven and reflect on the impact that our beliefs about heaven can have on our day-to-day lives. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (17m 40s)
Our Spiritual Reality: Heaven
Worship Service: Sermon only - July 13, 2025
A big focus of the Lord’s teaching, when He was on earth, was the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is also a big focus of what the Lord reveals in the teachings for the New Church. This Sunday, as we continue our series on understanding our spiritual reality, we will explore a few of the Lord’s teachings about heaven and reflect on the impact that our beliefs about heaven can have on our day-to-day lives. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (24m 19s)
Our Spiritual Reality: We Also Have Bodies
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - May 25, 2025
This Sunday we will pick up the topic of our spiritual reality again by reflecting on a curious and inescapable aspect of our spiritual reality: we also have bodies. Why did the Lord create our spirits to be embodied in these complex, frail collections of bones, muscles, and organs? And how can we better navigate our spiritual reality when we take our bodies into consideration? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (19m 47s)
Our Spiritual Reality: We Also Have Bodies
Worship Service: Sermon only - May 25, 2025
This Sunday we will pick up the topic of our spiritual reality again by reflecting on a curious and inescapable aspect of our spiritual reality: we also have bodies. Why did the Lord create our spirits to be embodied in these complex, frail collections of bones, muscles, and organs? And how can we better navigate our spiritual reality when we take our bodies into consideration? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (27m 30s)
Maintenance
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 23, 2025
Things seem to fall apart and get broken rather easily—from our aging bodies, to the buildings we live in, to the equipment we rely on each day, to our lives in general and the world at large. Just think of your current to-do list of things you need to fix, replace, clean, or sort out. What are we meant to do in the midst of this reality? Give up on fixing anything? The Lord tells us to lay up treasures in heaven, because treasures on earth are susceptible to moth, rust, and thieves (Matthew 6:19, 20), but a big part of trying to serve heavenly goals is at least attempting to do useful things for other people in this natural world, even though things fall apart. Let’s talk on Sunday about how the Lord maintains us and how we can be part of maintaining what is good with the Lord’s help. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (24m 56s)
Our Spiritual Reality: The Word And the Spiritual World
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - March 02, 2025
The only reason we know about the spiritual world is because of the Lord’s Word. This Sunday we are going to explore the relationship between the Word and the spiritual world using the parable of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (16m 05s)
Our Spiritual Reality: The Word And the Spiritual World
Worship Service: Sermon only - March 02, 2025
The only reason we know about the spiritual world is because of the Lord’s Word. This Sunday we are going to explore the relationship between the Word and the spiritual world using the parable of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (25m 57s)
Come to the Lord
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - December 29, 2024
When the Lord came into the world, many people went to some effort to come to where He was and were blessed because they did. How can we come to the Lord? And, as we begin to move beyond Christmas, how can we continue to come to the Lord in the new year? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (16m 51s)
Come to the Lord
Worship Service: Sermon only - December 29, 2024
When the Lord came into the world, many people went to some effort to come to where He was and were blessed because they did. How can we come to the Lord? And, as we begin to move beyond Christmas, how can we continue to come to the Lord in the new year? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (22m 51s)
Prepared
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - November 03, 2024
Have you ever felt well-prepared for something? It feels good to feel like we have the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual resources to handle a particular situation. Something comes up and we have what we need to respond appropriately. Great! Are you feeling prepared for the election next week and whatever happens after it? As we gather as a community to worship the Lord together (even as we will not all be voting for the same candidates), what would it look like for each of us to be better prepared by our Heavenly Father? The Lord can make a difference in our individual lives and in our community by preparing our hearts for these times of contention, stress, and fear for the future. Let’s talk about how. Choose a question or two to reflect on or discuss: 1. Describe a time when, because of the Lord and His teachings, you felt better prepared to respond to a difficult situation. 2. What would it look like for you to have more confidence in the Lord at this current time in the world? 3. What is an area where you feel least prepared? What might it look like to invite the Lord into that part of your life? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (20m 27s)
What Should We Do While We're Waiting?
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - October 06, 2024
“What Should We Do While We’re Waiting?” We can spend a lot of our time waiting for things — small things like waiting for dinner or waiting for the weekend and big things like waiting to be an adult or waiting to find someone to marry. What should we do while we’re waiting? What does the Lord say? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (13m 39s)
What Should We Do While We’re Waiting?
Worship Service: Sermon only - October 06, 2024
“What Should We Do While We’re Waiting?” We can spend a lot of our time waiting for things — small things like waiting for dinner or waiting for the weekend and big things like waiting to find someone to marry or waiting to see our loved one who has died. What should we do while we’re waiting? What does the Lord say? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (00m 00s)
Holy Supper and Redemption
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - September 22, 2024
We read that “the whole of the Lord’s redemption is present in the Holy Supper” (True Christian Religion 717). Let’s talk about what this means, especially in the context of our normal lives. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (12m 47s)
Holy Supper and Redemption
Worship Service: Sermon only - September 22, 2024
“Holy Supper and Redemption” We read that “the whole of the Lord’s redemption is present in the Holy Supper” (True Christian Religion 717). Let’s talk about what this means, especially in the context of our normal lives. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (19m 36s)
A New Name
Worship Service: Informal Family - September 08, 2024
Partially inspired by the baptism which will be happening today, we will be talking about being given a new name by the Lord. It’s useful to reflect on the ways that we think about ourselves - the names and labels that we take on. What name would the Lord like to give you and how can you work with Him to become the person He created you to be? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral Undercroft
See Event (20m 33s)
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Babylonians
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - August 25, 2024
This Sunday we will be talking about the last of our spiritual enemies, the Babylonians. This is the enemy that took Judah into captivity towards the end of the Old Testament story; this is one of the final enemies that had to be overthrown before the Holy City New Jerusalem could descend towards the end of the New Testament. What do the Babylonians represent in our lives and what do we need to do so that the Lord can save us from them? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (18m 51s)
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Babylonians”
Worship Service: Sermon only - August 25, 2024
This Sunday we will be talking about the last of our spiritual enemies, the Babylonians. This is the enemy that took Judah into captivity towards the end of the Old Testament story; this is one of the final enemies that had to be overthrown before the Holy City New Jerusalem could descend towards the end of the New Testament. What do the Babylonians represent in our lives and what do we need to do so that the Lord can save us from them? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (24m 12s)
Friday Plenary: GC Assembly 2024
Friday Plenary: Going Up the Mountain - 2024 General Church Assembly Rev. Malcolm Smith leads the plenary with three contributions from New Church members sharing their experience with faith. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Field House
See Event (01h 05m 17s)
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Assyrians
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - May 26, 2024
The Assyrians were a large and powerful nation—not just another neighboring nation to squabble with, but an international super-power. The Assyrians represent something very powerful within us: our rational mind—our ability to figure things out and think things through. Our rational mind can be a powerful enemy to our religious life that takes us into spiritual captivity or it can be a powerful ally. Let’s learn from the Lord how to have the right kind of relationship with the Assyrians. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (18m 21s)
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Assyrians
Worship Service: Sermon only - May 26, 2024
| By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (27m 18s)
Reaching Out
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - May 05, 2024
At this Community Service will be talking about having the courage to reach out—reaching out to offer help and reaching out to ask for help. Let’s talk about what stops us from reaching out and how the Lord can help us to reach out anyway. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (24m 18s)
What Kind of Savior Do You Need?
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - March 24, 2024
When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday the people cheered and cried out for Him to save them. They were hoping that a king of the natural world was riding into town to throw off their Roman oppressors. That wasn’t what the Lord was there to do but He was there to save them. If a powerful person could ride into your life and change things drastically, what would you want them to do? Maybe the Lord won’t do that, but what sort of spiritual salvation could He give you? This year we will have two identical services, both in the nave (there will be no Young Children’s or Informal Family Service in the Undercroft). There will be one talk for the whole family. At the end of the service, people will be invited to pick up palm branches on their way out of the building to then form a crowd outside and an actor playing the Lord will come past with a live donkey, while people sing and cheer. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (15m 18s)