Psalm 33:12-22, I Timothy 2:1-4 ​As I began preparing this sermon I realized something—I love America! It has been my joy throughout my life to live in 13 different states! From the mountains of Idaho, to the beaches of California, the pine barrens of Arkansas, the hills of Kentucky, and this great city of New York (amongst other places), every single place, no matter how rural, how urban, or suburban, has been a fantastic place to live! This is a beautiful country. But that'

Isaiah 6:1-10, John 17:1-11 ​Over 10 years ago, an eleven-year-old yodeled in a Walmart. A month later, Mason Ramsey had a record deal with Atlantic and is now worth over one million dollars. A Scottish church volunteer sang the most beautiful rendition of I Dreamed a Dream, and in 2009 Susan Boyle became a global phenomenon, now worth over $40 million. An Austrian skydiver decided to take the sport to the next level, and rather than diving from the sky, he leapt from space a

Shared during Sunday Worship on June 14, 2026. God of peace and purpose, guard those in the midst of war, especially civilians, as we continue to pray and work for peace in the Middle East, hope in Haiti, and healing in the Congo from Ebola. Be with all countries in conflict and we pray that You will bring to fruition the plan of peace for Iran. Bestow Your proverb like wisdom on all leaders with the burden of authority. Give them eyes of justice, hearts of compassion, and a

Psalms 51:14-17, Romans 3:21-24 ​Planned obsolescence—a wonderful phrase that encapsulates our extreme frustration with technology. One of my great joys twenty years ago was unboxing my very first iPhone. Suddenly, I had this device that could give me directions, pay my bills, text my friends, surf the internet, go shopping at virtually any store, and, by the way, I could even make phone calls with it! But there was something strange about this phone and all the ones that fol

Matthew 28:16-20, Psalm 8:1-9 The CEO and president of the board of directors issued a set of simple instructions. They reflected the mission of this organization, and it became the most effective, powerful initiative ever launched in the history of humanity. It makes Apple look like a flash in the pan and Tesla look like a brief experiment. If indeed the church were a business, it would be the most successful one ever! Jesus’ instructions were simple and clear in Matthew’s g

Shared during Sunday Worship on May 17, 2026. When the apostle Paul tells us the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us, we admit, dear Lord, this is hard for us to imagine. When we see war and violence devastating the people of this earth, we ache with the same anguish we know our dear Lord Jesus does. So, we ask Your Spirit’s power to bring that endless peace promised so long ago to the peoples of Sudan,

Exodus 3:7-10, Galatians 5:1, 13-14 "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?" — Micah 6:8b "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." — Galatians 5:1 In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul proclaims the gift of freedom that comes through Jesus Christ—a freedom hard won and not to be taken lightly. And throu

John 15:9-11, Matthew 28:1-8 "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?" - Micah 6:8b “ So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and be glad. ” - Ecclesiastes 8:15 Despite dealing with a tremendous number of weighty topics—such as sin, war, greed, and more—the Bible surprisingly has a great deal to say about a life of happiness. There a

Exodus 6:5-7, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8b ​ “There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free, if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending… we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us! Gentlemen may cry, ‘Peace! Peace!’ but

Genesis 2:4b-9; Psalm 139:13-18 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8b Almost 4000 years ago, an ancient creation myth known as the Epic of Enuma Elish from ancient Babylon tells us the story of a cosmic battle between Marduk, Tiamat,and Kingu. Marduk is the victor, and out of Tiamat’s carcass he fashions the heavens and the Earth, and from Kingu’s blood humans spring forth to serve as slaves o

Deuteronomy 1:9-17, I Peter 2:9-10 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8b The biblical notion of “we the people” began as Israel was journeying through the wilderness, making their way to the Promised Land. Moses was wary of bearing the burden of the people all by himself, so through God’s command and Moses’ instruction each tribe selected leaders from amongst them. This was on the governance sid

Shared during Sunday Worship on March 8, 2026. God of all creation, your word declares how good and pleasant it is when kindred dwell together in unity. We feel the power of this truth every Sunday morning when we gather to sing hymns of praise, to bow our heads as one in prayer to you. May you give us keen eyes to see the holy in others and offer a word of thanksgiving to bridge the gap of separation. We now give thanks for the unity we know with one another. Though we

The kind of unity that Scripture has just described to us is not an anything-goes, throw-up-your hands sort of tolerance. It’s not the sort of equivocation that pretends evil doesn’t exist – Paul is very clear on this – nor is it the sort of nihilism that claims truth can’t be known and personal opinion is all that matters. As our readings today tell us, unity requires justice, and it requires us not to match evil with evil. In a moment, the choir will sing Chichester

Genesis 1:26-28, Romans 8:18-21 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8b We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. (Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776) It was about a year ago that I set out the list of

Deuteronomy 5:6-21 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8b Just as the Constitution of this United States established our country under the rule of law, so did the 10 Commandments establish the descendants of Abraham as the nation of Israel. Before Abraham’s descendants moved to Egypt because of a famine, they were a small tribe of people. So, the only laws they knew were the ones the Pharaoh for

Reading of Rev. John Rodger’s Sermon from December 11, 1783 (edited for length) A Sermon preached in New York, December 11, 1783 Appointed by Congress as a Day of Public Thanksgiving throughout the United States By John Rodgers, D.D. Founding Pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York New York: Printed by Samuel Loudon “ The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. ” The subject of this divine poem, from which I have taken my text, not o

Shared during Sunday Worship on January 25, 2025. Gracious and loving God, we come before you, trusting you to open our hearts and prepare our lives to receive Christ anew. Prepare us to recognize your presence among us. Teach us patience when waiting is difficult, courage when hope feels fragile, and faithfulness in all the ways you call us to serve. Help us set aside the distractions and fears that keep us from trusting your promises, and draw us deeper into your peace.

Shared during Sunday Worship on January 25, 2025. Holy Creator, whose warmth sustains us through the deepest cold: we thank You and praise You for the gifts of creation, redemption, and daily provision. We acknowledge Your presence here and everywhere—Your constant generosity, Your enduring love, and Your sovereignty over the source and purpose of all things. We rejoice in the joy found in Your presence, for it is a joy that becomes our strength. We are grateful for the lig

Isaiah 6:1-8 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. Psalm 8:3-5 “ If we really understood the Mass, we would die of joy. ” — St. John Vianney (the Curé of Ars) “ And though all that remains of the Temple is one wall, still to stand and pray

Psalm 8:1-9 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honour. Psalm 8:3-5 “What are human beings?” A deceptively powerful question from Psalm 8. The answer, of course, depends upon who you ask. Ask a biologist: Humans are classified under the gen