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In the Beginning
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 28, 2025
| By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 06s)
The Two Christmas Stories, Part 2, Luke
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 25, 2025
There is not just one “Christmas Story:” Matthew recounts Joseph’s dilemma, the arrival of the wise men, and the threat of Herod, while Luke recounts the annunciation to Mary, the infant Jesus being placed in a manger, and the shepherds coming to see Him. Keeping these stories separate in our minds helps us understand the spiritual significance of each one: Matthew has a lot to say about how we receive the Lord in our minds through truth, faith, and understanding. Luke on the other hand tells us more about how we receive the Lord in our hearts, in goodness, charity, and our will. On Christmas Day we will explore how Luke can help us be more accepting, trusting, and loving in how we receive the Lord. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (25m 42s)
Choose Joy
Worship Service: Children & Adult - December 24, 2025
One of the main themes both from the text of the Christmas story and in the music and the culture derived from it is Joy. The message of the angels to all to whom they appeared mentions joy or great joy. The reactions of those to the news of the Lord's coming was one that included joy. We also see in the promises made through the prophets foretelling of the coming Messiah that there would be joy at His coming. How can we choose joy? | By Rev. David C. Roth | Boulder, CO
See Event (24m 23s)
The Two Christmas Stories
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 21, 2025
We often talk about "The Christmas Story" as if it were one contained story. But really there are two: one in the Gospel of Matthew, the other in the Gospel of Luke. In the first, the danger of Herod looms large, Joseph has to work hard to keep the family safe, and wise men from the East bring gifts. In the second, Mary is central, there is no room for them in the inn, and shepherds come to adore the little infant. These two different versions tell us a lot about the two distinct ways we receive the Lord into our own lives. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (28m 39s)
Angels: Messengers From The Lord
Worship Service: Sermon only - December 14, 2025
God came on earth at what was said to be the darkest time in our human history. His coming as the promised Messiah was pronounced and ushered in by angelic messengers. This Sunday we will talk about the presence of angels: their role in the Lord's Advent and how they guide and support us today, as well as how we too are angels in training and what part we can play in bringing peace on earth. | By Rev. David C. Roth | Boulder, CO
See Event (42m 58s)
Turning Good Will Into Good Actions
Worship Service: Sermon only - December 07, 2025
As Christmas approaches—a season when both the world’s brokenness and our hopes for something better come into sharper focus—we are reminded that the world at the time of the Lord’s birth was teetering on the edge of spiritual extinction, shrouded in darkness and unable to break free from the grip of evil. The Lord’s coming was not merely a historical event but a Divine intervention that restored freedom, brought light into the world, and gave humanity the renewed possibility to know truth, do good, and awaken to the promise of “peace on earth, good will toward all.” Yet the real transformation the Lord desires is not seasonal or external, but deeply internal and enduring. Just as Mary embodied true innocence and willingness by saying, “Let it be to me according to your word,” we, too, are called to prepare a way for love and charity to be born in our own lives and shared with others all year long. | By Rev. David C. Roth | Boulder, CO
See Event (38m 14s)
Praising God in the Highest
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - December 07, 2025
Christmas is a time of joy and happiness, or at least we try to make it so. Singing Christmas songs can be one of those fun ways to celebrate. But what makes the season truly joyful is when we look to the Lord and live His teaching. When we do those two things then the fun of all the other aspects can be deepened and enriched spiritually. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (11m 20s)
Hope For The Hopeless
Worship Service: Sermon only - November 30, 2025
This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent, a season of expectation and renewal. Our service, “Hope For The Hopeless,” will explore the inspiring story of Zacharias and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-25)—a couple who's dreams seemed beyond hope, yet still received a miraculous blessing from the Lord. We’ll reflect on how the Lord brings new life and possibility, even when all seems lost, and how living from spiritual hope can transform our everyday actions and relationships. | By Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss, Sr. | Boulder, CO
See Event (00m 00s)
Countless Blessings
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 22, 2024
The Lord’s birth in a lowly manger in the crowded town of Bethlehem was set in motion by a census ordered by Caesar Augustus. Everyone was required to return to their home town to be registered, which meant that Joseph had to return to Bethlehem with Mary. This census, a fairly innocuous historical event, carries a deeper spiritual meaning: it represents the human tendency to put our worth in material things, to count them up and compare our worldly success with that of other people. This mindset crowds out the Lord, and ironically, it is only when we let go of our own success and ascribe all things to Him that we can receive the true success and happiness that we want. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (21m 18s)
Trampling the Serpent
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 15, 2024
There are prophecies of the Lord’s coming scattered throughout the Old Testament. Many of these are well known: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…” for example. But the first prophecy of the Lord’s coming is much more obscure and less well known. It is spoken by Jehovah to the serpent in the Garden of Eden: I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall trample your head, And you shall batter His heel. Not your usual Christmas cheer perhaps, but this prophecy describes the purpose of the Lord’s coming: to confront the selfishness that rises like a serpent within each of us and trample it down until we can be saved from it. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (18m 16s)
Good News to All People
Worship Service: Informal Family - December 08, 2024
To kick off our Carol Sing we will begin with a worship service in the church for the whole family. The news of Christmas was not just for a few people, but for all people, no matter who or where or when. Although “all people” covers a lot of diversity, we are all united when we come to the Lord together. We get a taste of this when we sing joyfully about the Lord together: all our individual voices are joined into one voice, united in our common love for the Lord. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (17m 48s)
The Word Became Flesh
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 01, 2024
In two of the Gospels the Christmas story is told in the familiar way: Jesus was born to a virgin, Mary, born in Bethlehem, and visited by Shepherds and Wise Men. Yet the Gospel of John tells the same story in a far more enigmatic way: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." (John 1:1, 14) What was this “Word”? And what does it mean for it to have become “Flesh?” These details tells us something important about the Lord’s coming into the World, and even about how we still relate to Him today. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (31m 49s)
Are You the One?
Worship Service: Sermon only - November 24, 2024
“Are You the One?” John the Baptist tells us that regardless of our efforts we will always have times of doubt, and wonder why things didn’t go our way. The beautiful thing is, when we follow the Lord, things do go His way! (John 1:6-8, 19-36; Matthew 11:1-10; True Christianity 510:2, 688). | By Rev. Grant R. Schnarr | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (26m 26s)
The Path of Peace
Worship Service: Sermon only - December 25, 2023
Luke 2:13-14 - And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (32m 05s)
Standing in the Presence of God
Worship Service: Sermon only - December 25, 2023
The angel Gabriel standing in the presence of God symbolizes his desire to do the Lord’s will. Our invitation is to do the same. | By Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr. | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (19m 41s)
Traveling
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - December 24, 2023
Mary and Joseph, the Shepherds, the Wise Men, almost everyone involved in the events leading up to the birth of Christ needed to travel in order to celebrate that happy event. We too are invited to “travel” in order to celebrate the Lord’s birth in our hearts and minds. | By Rev. Derek P. Elphick | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (17m 35s)
Learning in the Christmas Story
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - December 17, 2023
In the gospel of Matthew, the Lord teaches us about the importance of learning and using our minds as we work toward becoming angels in heaven, and He does this through characters like Joseph and the wisemen. | By Rev. Jeffrey Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (15m 05s)
The Wisdom of Matthew’s Nativity
Worship Service: Sermon only - December 17, 2023
"The Wisdom of Matthew’s Nativity" - Rev. Jeffrey O. Smith For anything we do, it is important to have an idea of how to do it before we just jump right in. This importance of knowledge is the reason the Christmas story in Matthew features certain people like Joseph, the wisemen, and even Herod. Join us this Sunday as we look at some of the details of the Matthew nativity, and how they can help us actually live a more fulfilling life. | By Rev. Jeffrey Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (17m 59s)
Glorifying and Praising God
Worship Service: Informal Family - December 10, 2023
When the shepherds had seen the new-born Jesus they did not keep it to themselves. The went back to their flocks “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20). When we glorify and praise the Lord, not just with our words but our actions as well, we invite His continuing presence into our lives going forward. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (07m 17s)
The Little Things
Worship Service: Sermon only - December 03, 2023
“The Little Things” In Micah’s prophesy, Bethlehem is identified as the birthplace of the Messiah. The emphasis placed on this town is its smallness, its seeming insignificance, and yet out of Bethlehem will “come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel” (5:2). This description of the Lord’s birthplace contains deep spiritual significance and foretells a spiritual virtue we all need which, in the eyes of the world, seems insignificant and unremarkable but which, in reality, is “the little thing” that counts the most. | By Rev. Derek P. Elphick | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (20m 48s)
We Have Come to Worship
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 03, 2023
Worship is not something we think of as difficult. Yet there is a lot more to worship than meets the eye. The deeper meaning of worship shows up in the story of the wise men. These men did not simply worship the Lord from where they were. They got up and traveled to find the Lord and give him unique gifts. Likewise, if we want to truly worship the Lord, we have to seek Him out, and offer Him gifts of love, faith, usefulness. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (19m 43s)
The Greatest Gift
Worship Service: Sermon only - December 25, 2022
| By Rt. Rev. David H. Lindrooth | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (29m 17s)
Keeping Watch
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - December 24, 2022
| By Rev. Derek P. Elphick | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (14m 06s)