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The Wasteful Son and His Responsible Brother
Worship Service: Informal Family - October 15, 2023
The Lord told a parable about a wasteful son who was forgiven and his responsible brother who resented that forgiveness (Luke 15). At different times, we play the part of each brother. What does this parable have to say to us no matter which part of this story we are in? | By Rev. Coleman S. Glenn | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallAn Expanding View of Forgiveness
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 08, 2023
How far does forgiveness extend? At what point do we withhold forgiveness? The Lord pushes us to expand our forgiveness to include even those we think are least deserving. We see this expansive forgiveness in the tale of the prophet Jonah: the contrast between his resentment and God’s forgiveness teaches us a lesson in just how far God wants us to take forgiveness. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSAAnticipating Easter
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - February 19, 2023
(Community Service) Certain traditions are already part of the cycle of our year — we remember to be grateful around Thanksgiving in November, we have a variety of different things we do leading up to Christmas, we have a pageant and picnic for New Church Day in June. But what about February and March? Easter arrives sometime in March or April (depending on the year) but we don’t tend to anticipate and prepare for it in nearly the same way. Let’s talk about how the time leading up to Easter could become an equally powerful and significant part of the cycle of our year. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Bryn Athyn CathedralPrepare the Way of the Lord
Worship Service: Sermon only - November 27, 2022
Christmas season where we celebrate the birth of the Lord is rapidly approaching and it is useful to us to think about all the things we need to do in order to prepare for His Advent. One key item on each of our checklists should be to REPENT! We will discuss the important role John the Baptist played in preparing people for the Lord’s coming. | By Rt. Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs | Westville, RSADon't Hold a Grudge
Worship Service: Informal Family - July 17, 2022
Jonah was sent to offer a second chance to people who, in his opinion, didn’t deserve one. How can we overcome grudges to serve even people we don’t get along with? | By Rev. Coleman S. Glenn | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallActions Speak Louder Than Words
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - February 27, 2022
This week’s sermon is about one of the most fundamental topics from the Teachings of the New Church. This week we will explore the role that repentance plays in our lives. Specifically, we will be exploring the necessity of making changes in our actions and not just our words. Repentance is literally the difference between spiritual life and spiritual death. | By Rev. Calvin Heinrichs | Westville, RSAFinding What is Good in Us
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - August 30, 2020
We might compare the various parts of our lives to different colored gumballs in a jar. Some colors represent positive things from the Lord. Others represent problems. We need the Lord's help to grow the number of good ones while weeding out the ones that need to go. | By Rev. Garry B. Walsh | Sarver, PAJonah - Part 3
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - August 09, 2020
The final section of the Jonah story focuses on his hatred of the people of Nineveh. The question here is, why would we hate people when the Lord encourages us to feel joy when another person feels joy. Or, put differently, to look for reasons why we should love others rather than despise them. | By Rev. Garry B. Walsh | Sarver, PAJonah - Part 2
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - August 02, 2020
Jonah after being rescued from the sea by the sea creature that the Lord prepared, went to Nineveh as commanded. The people of Nineveh heeded the warning and showed their remorse. This is a message about how we all should be listening to both the Lord and the people in our life who help us to see that something about our life is harmful and needs to change. | By Rev. Garry B. Walsh | Sarver, PAJonah - Part 1
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - July 26, 2020
The Jonah story describes a human situation in which false assumptions and prejudices almost cost Jonah and the other people on the ship with him their lives. Being rescued by the Lord in the belly of a sea creature gave him the chance to truly reflect on his life and on the Lord's mercy. | By Rev. Garry B. Walsh | Sarver, PAProtecting each Child
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - May 31, 2020
We can be assured that no matter what is happening in and around us, we are under the Lord's protection. | By Rev. Garry B. Walsh | Pittsburgh, PAVessels for the Future
Worship Service: Sermon only - May 24, 2020
We are taught that we should work to develop the vessels of love and wisdom within us so that we use those vessels to keep growing ever more wise and charitable toward others in the life to come. | By Rev. Garry B. Walsh | Pittsburgh, PAForgiveness
Worship Service: Sermon only - May 17, 2020
The message here is about our need to both forgive and be forgiven. The closer we move to the Lord and the more we allow Him to forgive us, the more we automatically forgive others. | By Rev. Garry B. Walsh | Pittsburgh, PAForgiveness and Reconciliation III: Asking for Forgiveness
Worship Service: Sermon only - January 26, 2020
Lessons, sermon and prayer. | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Mitchellville, MDGod Has Made Me Forget
Worship Service: Sermon only - January 19, 2020
Remembering and forgetting. | By Rev. Erik J. Buss | Bryn Athyn CathedralForgiveness and Reconciliation II: The Steps of Forgiveness
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - January 19, 2020
The Steps of Forgiveness | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Mitchellville, MDForgiveness and Reconciliation I: Let Go
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - January 12, 2020
| By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Mitchellville, MDLabouring from the Lord
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - November 03, 2019
Why do we work on our spiritual lives? Why do we work to be more kind, more thoughtful, more generous? Is it for ourselves, other people, or the Lord? This week we will be looking at how our motivations effect our happiness, moving us toward jealousy and anger or toward joy and contentedness. How do we get from being reward focused to truly labouring from the Lord? | By Rev. Richard M. Glenn | Westville, RSA"Unless the Lord Builds the House...."
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 20, 2019
It's very easy to buy into the idea that if we just work hard enough we can make sure that things work out the way we want them to. But then sometimes the things that we put hours and hours of effort and energy into building still fall to pieces. And then it feels like it's not worth working on anything. But the Lord can help us to find a healthier motivation to keep on working hard, while also leaving the outcomes to Him. This sermon is based on a chapel talk by Thane Glenn. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSAEmbracing Weakness
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - October 06, 2019
If someone called you weak, you would take it as an insult. But what about when the Lord calls you weak? Because He most certainly does: compared to Him, we are utterly powerless. And yet far from being insulted, if we embrace our own weakness, we can let down the burdens of perfection and self-reliance, and receive from the Lord a greater power than we could ever muster on our own. We may be utterly helpless, but the greatest force in the universe is on our side. | By Rev. Joel C Glenn | Westville, RSALife is Hard, Part 2, What Do We Do?
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 29, 2019
A few weeks ago we talked about how to cope with how hard life in this world is. This Sunday we're going to focus on the question of what to do about it. What actions should we take in response to hard and terrible things that happen? It's easy to feel quite powerless in the face of tragedies or huge problems. Can we make a difference? What do we do if our best efforts seem to accomplish nothing? Life is hard; what do we do? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith | Westville, RSAWhen Moses is Gone Too Long
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - September 22, 2019
Imagine that you are in this beautiful world, but there is a canvas sheet a few feet above your head. You can go on living, but a lot is lost. This describes a condition with good people who are trying to go to heaven. But there is a danger. The story of the golden calf the people made when Moses was up on the mountain for too long tells of a danger of earthly life and how we combat it. | By Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss, Sr. | Westville, RSAShame and Humility
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - July 28, 2019
| By Rev. Brian D. Smith | Mitchellville, MDSeven Spiritual Practices
Worship Service: Sermon only - July 14, 2019
The need for piety to fully achieve a life of charity. | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Mitchellville, MDReason He Came, Part 1 - To Teach and Heal
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - March 17, 2019
The Lord came to preach and heal. These actions represent the spiritual help the Lord can offer us to teach us a new way of thinking and to heal us from spiritual challenges which are pain, limitations, and misdirected desires of our heart and mind. | By Rev. Derrick Lumsden | Sarver, PA