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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)
Why Joseph is Important
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - December 18, 2022
| By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (14m 41s)
The Role of Joseph and Our Prudence
Worship Service: Sermon only - December 18, 2022
| By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (21m 51s)
I and My Father are One
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 04, 2022
At Christmas we love to celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus who was born into this world! However, do we really know who this infant being was? Was He the Son of God or the Father? Was He the Son of Mary? Was He God Almighty? Was He Jehovah? Was He the Creator? Was He the Redeemer? We will take a look at who this little infant Saviour really was who came and dwelt among us here on earth. | By Rt. Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs | Westville, RSA
See Event (17m 40s)
Mary Pondered
Worship Service: Sermon only - December 26, 2021
| By Rev. Stephen D. Cole | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (21m 23s)
No Room for Them in the Inn
Worship Service: Informal Family - December 26, 2021
There will be a worship service on this day, even though it’s just the day after Christmas. It will be a simple family service, offered in-person and online. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (07m 57s)
You Shall Call His Name Jesus
Worship Service: Informal Family - December 25, 2021
What's in a name? When a child is born there are a nearly infinite number of possibilities for what they could be called. Yet as they grow and develop their name reflects more and more of their personality, until you cannot hear the name without thinking of the person. The name summarizes who they are. In the case of the Lord, Joseph was told quite directly that the child's name must be "Jesus;" and he was told this because Jesus, meaning "Jehovah Saves," perfectly summed up the nature or character of the Lord. This Christmas we will look at what this and other names tell us about who He was born to be. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (12m 48s)
Led by the Holy Spirit
Worship Service: Sermon only - December 25, 2021
| By Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr. | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (26m 05s)
The Infant Lord
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - December 24, 2021
| By Rev. Derek P. Elphick | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (13m 00s)
Light and Life
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - December 19, 2021
Jesus’ birth is described as the light shining in the darkness. One of the purposes for which Jesus came was to shine the light of truth into the world. But this truth was not just cold, hard, knowledge. It was truth that could show and lead to real love and goodness. In Him was life, and that life is the light of men. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (18m 41s)
Lessons and Carols
Worship Service: Informal Family - December 19, 2021
This Sunday morning service featured a five-piece brass band playing Christmas carols, interspersed with Christmas readings. For copyright reasons, the music has been removed, leaving the Christmas readings read by lay readers and Rev. Solomon Keal. As always, discussion follows the service. | By Rev. Solomon J. Keal | Bryn Athyn Heilman Hall
See Event (20m 49s)