Advanced search
Search results clear search
“I Saw Heaven Opened...”
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - June 16, 2024
“I Saw Heaven Opened...” (Rev. 19:11). The strange and mysterious symbols in the book of Revelation depict the birth, struggle and growth of the New Church on earth. The joyful refrain, “I saw heaven opened,” ushers in the wonderful news that the Word, the Sacred Scriptures, can now be seen in heaven’s light in a way like never before. This is cause for celebration. | By Rev. Derek P. Elphick | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (17m 55s)
The Lord's Love
Worship Service: Informal Family - June 16, 2024
Today's service features marionettes portraying Revelation’s love story between the Lord and His people | By Rev. John L. Odhner | Bryn Athyn Cathedral Undercroft
See Event (25m 17s)
The Second Coming - In With the New
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - June 16, 2024
Last week we explored how the Last Judgment is not a future event that will sweep away all the evil of the world and bring an end to all our issues, but rather a spiritual event that took place hundreds of years ago, paving the way for us to freely deal with our issues. That was not the only thing that happened though: at the same time the Lord made His Second Coming, His long-awaited return to Earth. He made His advent not by appearing in person however, but through a series of books that we know today as the Heavenly Doctrines, or the Teachings of the New Church. This Sunday we’ll talk about how the Lord comes to each one of us through these new ideas. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (35m 32s)
The Cherubim around the Throne
Worship Service: Informal Family - June 09, 2024
In Revelation 1 John sees the Lord with seven lampstands on the Isle of Patmos. In chapter 4 he enters heaven and sees Him on a throne surrounded by many more things, including four cherubim in the forms of a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle. The roles that these cherubim play in the ongoing story in Revelation are the same roles that they play in the lives of every one of us. | By Rev. Jeremy F. Simons | Bryn Athyn Cathedral Undercroft
See Event (36m 13s)
The Seven Churches
Worship Service: Informal Family - June 02, 2024
John sees the Lord surrounded by seven lampstands, and the story tells us that these are the seven churches. These “churches” are us, and the people around us, that the Lord invites to His New Church. | By Rev. Jeffrey Smith | Bryn Athyn Cathedral Undercroft
See Event (29m 35s)
"I have seen, I have heard, I have felt."
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - June 18, 2023
"I have seen, I have heard, I have felt." (Arcana Coelestia 68). Imagine watching a movie at the theater without the soundtrack or listening to the soundtrack without the picture. Or imagine smelling bread fresh out of the oven but being denied a slice of it. Only when all our senses are engaged do we experience the fullness and richness of life. The same was true for Emanuel Swedenborg in his role as a revelator. The Lord could have simply told Swedenborg what to write down about heaven and hell but instead Swedenborg was fully immersed in the spiritual world where he saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched incredible things. The same is true of our spiritual lives - all our senses need to be engaged if we are to properly discern between good and evil. | By Rev. Derek P. Elphick | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (14m 43s)
"I have seen, I have heard, I have felt." (AC 68)
Worship Service: Sermon only - June 18, 2023
On the day before our celebration of New Church Day, we will take a moment to marvel at the nature of the Lord’s new revelation, given through His servant, Emanuel Swedenborg. The Lord could have simply dictated to Swedenborg all the necessary facts and information of this new revelation but instead Swedenborg spent decades living and breathing the sights and sounds and smells of the spiritual realm. Why was this necessary? Do we need a similar “immersion” in spiritual delights in order to properly discern between good and evil? | By Rev. Derek P. Elphick | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (25m 26s)
Twelve Gates to the City
Worship Service: Informal Family - June 18, 2023
On the Holy City New Jerusalem there are twelve gates facing four different directions (Revelation 21:12-13). Twelve different ways into the City. What does this mean about entering the New Church? What does this mean about our own spiritual lives? | By Rev. Solomon J. Keal | Bryn Athyn Heilman Hall
See Event (25m 27s)
Birthing A Good Idea
Worship Service: Informal Family - June 11, 2023
The vision of the pregnant woman clothed with the sun who gives birth to her son (Revelation 12), tells the story of our thinking up and then using an idea. The process includes the delight of owning the idea while not taking credit for the love that gives it spirit. | By Rev. J. Clark Jr. Echols | Bryn Athyn Heilman Hall
See Event (28m 50s)
The Angel with the Little Book
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - June 11, 2023
Revelation chapter 10 tells a story that is at the heart of what New Church day is all about. | By Rev. Jeremy F. Simons | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (16m 49s)
The Seven Thunders
Worship Service: Sermon only - June 11, 2023
The seven thunders that are heard in Revelation chapter 10 are speaking a message that will literally change the world. But that message is sealed up and John is told not to write it down. The reason for this has to do with what is just about to happen in the book. | By Rev. Jeremy F. Simons | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (28m 00s)
Think Again
Worship Service: Sermon only - June 19, 2022
| By Rev. Derek P. Elphick | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (26m 36s)
The Seventh Seal
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - June 12, 2022
Revelation 8:1. There are a number of familiar images with the opening of the seven seals - the four horsemen, the souls under the altar, an earthquake, but the seventh reveals "silence in heaven for about half an hour." What is the meaning of this? Does silence serve a purpose? When is it important to be quiet? | By Rev. Derek P. Elphick | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (18m 14s)
Silence in Heaven
Worship Service: Sermon only - June 12, 2022
Rev. 8:1. There are lots of reasons why we become silent - when we see or hear something astonishing, or deeply moving, or awkward and embarrassing. We also seek out silence as a way to collect our thoughts, to stop and think. The opening of the seventh seal, followed by silence in heaven, represents how the Lord helps us see things in ourselves we didn't (or couldn't) see before. We'll discover that the silence of heaven is as important to us as the air we breathe. | By Rev. Derek P. Elphick | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (28m 56s)
Two Wings of a Great Eagle
Worship Service: Informal Family - June 12, 2022
In Revelation 12 it is said that the woman clothed with the sun was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time. What does this mean? | By Rev. Jeremy F. Simons | Bryn Athyn Heilman Hall
See Event (20m 54s)
The Four Horseman
Worship Service: Informal Family - June 05, 2022
In the book of Revelation, the four horsemen represent a useful reminder of the different ways that we often end up understanding the Word. What can we do to avoid ways of thinking which are like the red, black, and pale horses? How can we strive for ways of thinking which are like the white horse? | By Rev. Solomon J. Keal | Bryn Athyn Heilman Hall
See Event (29m 11s)
The New Church: A Bride and a City
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - June 05, 2022
June is the month in which we celebrate the New Church. If we look to the Lord’s Word there are two particular images of what the New Church is, or is supposed to be, like: one image is a woman, clothed with the sun, the other, a holy city shining with gold. Each image speaks to the characteristics that make the New Church what it is. This Sunday we will look deeper to understand how these two pictures help us better understand both the Love and the Wisdom that should be present in everything that the Church is and does. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (18m 22s)
The Lord God Jesus Christ Reigns
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - June 20, 2021
The Lord tells us that the birth of the New Church involved one simple message: The Lord is in charge. We will explore what this means as we celebrate the 251st anniversary of the birth of the New Church. | By Rev. Erik J. Buss | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (12m 51s)
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
Worship Service: Sermon only - June 20, 2021
Every New Church Day we celebrate the Lord's sending out His disciples to preach the gospel that the Lord God Jesus Christ Reigns (TCR 791). We can sometimes skip over the second part of their announcement: "Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." We will look at how we can engage in this second part of the message announcing the birth of the New Church. | By Rev. Erik J. Buss | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (25m 48s)
What is the New Church - Part 3 - Picturing the New Church
Worship Service: Informal Family - June 20, 2021
Every June, as New Church day approaches, we turn our attention to the book of Revelation. Revelation presents fantastic imagery of plagues and warfare, of dragons and angel armies, of a colossal city and a lake of fire. What it does not appear to do is lay out nicely and clearly what the New Church will be. Why did the Lord choose imagery over rational explanation to paint a picture for us of the New Church? This Sunday’s talk for the whole family will dive into what we can learn of the New Church through understanding John’s visions. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (10m 08s)
Church as the Bride of the Lord
Worship Service: Informal Family - June 20, 2021
Part of the message proclaimed on “New Church Day” 1770 is, “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (True Christianity 791). The Lord’s marriage with people takes place when we allow Him to work in us and through us as if we were doing it on our own. | By Rev. John L. Odhner | Bryn Athyn Heilman Hall
See Event (21m 51s)
The Four Living Creatures
Worship Service: Informal Family - June 13, 2021
This is part 2 of our three-part series leading up to New Church Day on June 19th. Last week we discussed why it is important to know that God is a Person. This week we focus on the four living creatures who surround Him on His throne and the important role they play in facilitating our connection with Him. | By Rev. Jeremy F. Simons | Bryn Athyn Heilman Hall
See Event (26m 50s)
The Tree of Life in the Holy City New Jerusalem
Worship Service: Ordination & Sermon - June 13, 2021
Ordination of Candidate Justin Schorran into the first degree by Bishop Peter M. Buss, Jr. Why is it that we find "hard" truths in the Word? Is it the Lord who makes them that way? Is it us? This week, as we reflect on the birth of the New Church, we will consider the underlying force within His threefold Word that makes it so essential for us to follow. | By Rev. Justin Schorran | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (32m 19s)
What is the New Church - Part 2 - Being Different
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - June 13, 2021
In talking about what the New Church is we could focus on how the New Church is different from other churches but this Sunday I’m more interested in talking about how we hold those differences. Are we meant to be trying to be different? Do we feel embarrassed to be different or maybe superior? Let’s work to have the Lord guide our thinking about being different. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSA
See Event (14m 58s)
What is the New Church? Part 1
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - June 06, 2021
Every year on 19 June we celebrate “New Church Day.” We treat this day as the birthday of our church. But what is it that we actually are celebrating? What is the New Church? How does the New Church fit into the broader world of religions and faith? How widely does it extend? How does it differ from any other faith? This June we will spend time looking at exactly what the New Church is, and especially how it fits into the world around us. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSA
See Event (21m 21s)