We are delighted to welcome Admir Shaqiri to The Brick Church as our new Facilities Manager. Admir brings decades of experience overseeing complex facilities and leading maintenance and housekeeping teams, and we are grateful for the expertise and dedication he brings to this role. Please join us in welcoming Admir to our church community. Admir has over 20 years of extensive facilities and maintenance experience, predominantly in the hospital sector, where adhering to protocols is paramount. Admir is skilled in improving operational efficiency, exhibits strong leadership skills and has an acute attention to detail. Admir spent the past 6 years as the Facilities Manager at Surgicare of Brooklyn where he has been responsible for logging detailed and thorough records of all maintenance performed, works closely with equipment engineers and technicians and supervises all housekeeping staff. Prior to Surgicare, Admir spent 5 years working as the Building Superintendent for Peter J. Striano Catholic Charities supervising an extensive staff of custodial and maintenance staff and coordinated with external vendors & contractors for major renovations and specialized repairs. Before this, Admir was Assistant Director of Facilities at the New York Center For Specialty Surgery for almost 10 years. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tirana in Tirana, AL. Admir lives in Brooklyn with his wife and 4 children.

We are delighted to welcome Lawrence Feltz to The Brick Church as our new Executive Director of Administration and Finance. Lawrence brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit finance, operations, and human resources, and we are grateful for the leadership and expertise he will bring to this important role. Please join us in welcoming Lawrence to our church community. Lawrence brings more than a decade of finance, operations, and human resources leadership across the nonprofit and education sectors. He most recently served as Chief Financial and Operating Officer at The Children's Academy, a private K–12 school in Manhattan, and has held finance and operations roles spanning education, live events, and the arts. A dual graduate of Rutgers University, Lawrence holds an MBA and a Master of Accountancy and is a CPA candidate, along with SHRM-SCP and PMP credentials. He lives in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, and is an active member of New York Road Runners.

Join us for Reformation Sunday and celebrate Kirkin’ O’ the Tartan at Brick Church on October 18, 2026! New participants can order and pay for a banner, pole, and stand via credit card. Place orders by July 24 to be ready for the event. The set costs $170 and can be reused for future Kirkin' O' the Tartans. To view the swatches for your Tartan, email sales@greatscotintl.com and reference Brick Church. You can also reach The Scottish Weaver at (704) 535-8955 (ask for Peter) to help you research your family tartan or assist with finding a universal one. The more people we have participating, the better! FOR RETURNING PARTICIPANTS Past participants of Brick Church’s Kirkin’ O' the Tartan do not need to repurchase. Sophie Carnegie will contact you about participating again. Please return your Tartan to the church if it's not stored onsite. VOLUNTEERING For questions, to volunteer, or participate, contact the Brick Church Committee for Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans by emailing info@brickchurch.org by August 22, 2026. FAQs You might ask, what is Kirkin’? 'Kirk' is Scottish for church. Kirkin' means 'churching' or the presentation of tartans in church. You might also ask what is Tartan? It is a colorful fabric representing different Scottish families. A Tartan is a fabric woven in a specific design to represent a group with a mission we revere. 'Kirkin' O' The Tartan" is the presentation of those tartans at church for blessing. Why are we planning this on Reformation Sunday? So we can remember and celebrate our Presbyterian heritage and the reformed churches worldwide. Do you have to be Scottish to participate? Absolutely not! Anyone and everyone is invited to participate in this joyful celebration of our Presbyterian heritage. There are many tartans that are universal and not specific to any one family or Scotland. Check this list for different options. Tradition matters as it provides a link to our important past. We have much for which we can be grateful from Martin Luther, John Knox and John Calvin and the foundation they laid down for us in our reformed faith. At our Kirkin’ service, we will celebrate our Presbyterian denomination and remember ancient times, as well as past and present kith and kin, while asking God’s help and blessings in the future through special music and a procession of bagpipes and tartans. As Scotland is the birthplace of the Presbyterian Church, we host a special Scottish celebration that welcomes everyone to take part. Banners are brought into the sanctuary by church members and led by Scottish bagpipes. Even if you do not have Scottish family roots, as members of the Brick Church, you can celebrate our shared heritage. Click below for more information on understanding the Kirkin'.

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's not why I love America; we all have issues with Washington. But for Presbyterians the core identity is not found in the place of power. For example, the essence of our denomination is not the General Assembly, but it is the people. I love America because I love Americans! The people I've encountered have their unique cultures, eccentricities, and faults but also have this joyous, faithful, peaceful, hopeful, respectful, compassionate, loving,and generous spirit everywhere I have been. Certainly our country has its faults and not minor ones. And God takes these very seriously. Jesus' death on the cross shows us how far God will go to restore justice and harmony. But today that's not what I'm going to focus on. Because I believe it is through focusing on what is good and uplifting that more goodness comes—that can push out our flaws. I want to highlight two founding principles of this country: America as the land of opportunity and the true gift of freedom of religion. America as a land of welcome and opportunity for people from around the world. The US Congress declared December 11, 1783, A Public Day of Thanksgiving for Independence. Brick’s founding pastor, John Rogers, delivered a sermon entitled “Divine Goodness Displayed.” In his sermon Rogers spoke directly to his gospel hope for our country as a place of welcome and refuge. What great things has the God of Providence done for our race! By the revolution we celebrate today, he has provided an asylum for the oppressed in all the nations of the earth, whatever the nature of the oppression. The gathering of people from around the world is the theme of Pentecost. At that moment when the church was born, God had brought people from many different nations into that room and they experienced a miracle! With tongues of flame suddenly people of different cultures and nations and historic enmities all felt the power of the Holy Spirit in their midst. God had shattered those barriers. Over the past few years our country has struggled mightily with this identity. But that is not the only story. Perhaps you saw the following headline: “World Cup visitors aren't holding back their reactions to American culture and Wow!” I clicked on it expecting to be saddened by what I read but it was the exact opposite! "I'm not trying to be offensive at all — so far, every American I’ve met has been incredibly friendly — but man…you guys are loud." "Very diverse (at least in California) and no one treats you as a 'foreigner' if you are not white. You really don’t feel like an outsider as a person of color, which is really nice. As a foreigner, I truly don’t think I’ve ever felt so accepted anywhere else I’ve been so far. This has been such a wholesome experience." (And then one that was just so true!) "Nobody warned me that American portion sizes are actually a threat to your health. I ordered a medium coffee and received what my country would classify as a bucket." It’s been called a great international sleepover with small towns across the country thrilled to welcome Algerians, Scots, Iraqis, and more. There’s been an exchange of culture and a joyous connection between people. International fans have been posting emotional videos about their renewed faith in the American dream. This is what we want and hope to be as a country. And it is one of the most powerful ways I have experienced the presence of God. Meeting people with radically different backgrounds and cultures but all of them amazing. It was the people of Magnolia that taught me that hospitality wasn’t just putting a plate of food out and saying hello; it was a way of helping people encounter the love of God. A wonderful member of the church known as Mama Sue showed me the way. She took me to visit a blind elderly man, Chapman, who had no family or friends. I expected my job was to listen and console him, to offer a pastoral presence. But the refrain that kept coming out of his mouth was “God is so good, God is so good.” And he believed this because of the goodness of the people in that town. But of course, the town was not perfect. In 1994, Magnolia, Arkansas, like many southern towns, feared those affected with AIDS. They had been pushed out of their own churches and had no spiritual support when they needed it the most. But a member of First Presbyterian Magnolia came to the session and asked us to become a church, the only church in town, that would agree to host a RAIN team, Regional AIDS Interfaith Network. And for the next several years we supported those with AIDS, with Mama Sue, with love, with home-cooked meals, with parties at the church, with car rides to the doctor, and help with the byzantine process of navigating the medical bureaucracy. In Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 2004 a church member was watching the news; there was a severe ethnic war devastating the hill people in Thailand known as the Hmong people. This church member contacted their state representatives, and before you knew it the church and the town were resettling a family that had fled. They had four children and only the youngest boy at five years old spoke any English. They helped the parents find jobs; first it was sweeping and cleaning motels and other places. Over the course of many bumps, including a fire that burned down their house, through the town and the parents' perseverance all four children received an excellent education and are now living successful lives as doctors, teachers, and more. Twenty years later that five-year-old boy came to the church and thanked the entire congregation at a service of worship. Those folks completely changed their lives. So though as a country we seem to struggle with how to welcome people from around the world, in every state I lived I have known people devoted to doing exactly that—all to share the love of God. Freedom of Religion The freedom of religion, another foundational principle of this country, has made this an amazing place to live. Listen again to our founding pastor’s sermon from 250 years ago: The rights of conscience—both in faith and worship—are secured to every denomination of Christians. No denomination can oppress another. All stand on the same common level in religious privileges. Nor is this confined to Christians: the Jews also have the liberty of worshiping God in the way they think most acceptable to him. No man is excluded from the rights of citizenship on account of his religious profession—nor ought he to be. In every state I have lived in, I have been enriched by the diverse religious experiences. It has expanded my vision of God. In Pentecost-like fashion despite these differences I have seen people in this country come together across faith differences to make a great difference. In Buffalo it happened at 9/11. The first few days after that terrible day the faith community gathered for a service of prayer — Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and more. They came together to weep as one, to share their stories and to show their love of this country. And when we recited the 23rd Psalm together suddenly those words, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,” took on a power I had never known before. We feared less because we mourned together and prayed as one people of God. But it wasn't only a prayer gathering; the border shut down like a hammer and people who had made their way to Buffalo from all over the world were trying to get into Canada but could not cross; winter in Buffalo was not far off. And so the people of that church went to their homes not to grab their leftover blankets and pillows but brought wonderful furniture and we made a home for 30 refugees. We got them library cards, enrolled the children in school, and we shared fellowship and faith together, despite the religious difference. Here at Brick Church I see it at the Brick Church School. Beginning with its mission: We commit to creating a welcoming and joyful environment for children and adults of all backgrounds in our diverse and inclusive community, where the dignity and value of each person is recognized and celebrated. The school welcomes people of many faiths but all the children come together every Thursday in chapel. I focus on God’s love for all people. I met one Hindu father on the street who told me my son’s favorite time every week is chapel! And I said it’s mine too! As I reflect on God’s great gift of life and my experiences I see the truth of Genesis, which to me is the very core of our country. Genesis tells us that everyone is created in the image of God. And our Declaration of Independence stated it in this way: All are created equal. These truths are at the center of who we are as a people but they do come with responsibility. Listen once more to John Rogers: God has put within our reach all the blessings of civil and religious liberty. Perhaps no nation has ever had so fair an opportunity to become the happiest people on earth. Yet misery as well as happiness lies before us, unless the present state of things is wisely improved. The incredible principles of this country are unmatched on the planet. They are what we aspire to: equality and opportunity​ for all, freedom of religion, the rule of law, and so many more. We have the principles and so we fervently pray God gives us the strength to live into them. As in the words of the wonderful hymn, America the Beautiful, May God thy gold refine, till all success be nobleness, and every gain divine. Finally, as Presbyterians we believe it is not simply the responsibility of the government to deliver them but the call from God to each of us to make this a land of hope, freedom, and abundance for all! America, happy 250th birthday! Amen.

Let Us Pray Our dear heavenly Father, thank you for giving us ears to hear your Holy Word. We pray for the illumination of the Holy Spirit to make these ancient words of Scripture relevant and near to each of us this day. Shine your light in our hearts so we may share it with others. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen. From the Gospel of Matthew 15: 10-20 Things That Defile 10 Then Jesus called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” 12 Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” 13 Jesus answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.[e] And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16 Then Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and then goes out of the body? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. 19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.” This week's passage is different from the parables we have explored in previous weeks. It is much shorter and does not tell a story, yet it is just as important because of the powerful message and the behavior Jesus is cautioning against. Today's passage from Matthew's Gospel specifically exposes acts of religious self-righteousness versus the true inward condition of a person's heart. It asks an important question: How is God honored—or not honored—by our actions? On another level, I think this passage speaks to all of us. It challenges us to consider how we present ourselves to others and whether we have the courage to be vulnerable enough to admit that we don't always feel or act the way we appear on the outside. We don't always have it all together—and that's okay. Jesus knows who we truly are inside. We can never hide our hearts from Him. During Jesus's time, the religious leaders fasted openly, prayed long prayers in public, and made a grand display of giving alms to the poor. In many ways, that resembles the image-conscious world we live in today, where outward appearances and visible acts of devotion can easily become more important than genuine faith. Outward rituals and religious practices can certainly help prepare our hearts to worship God, but they are not enough by themselves. We still need inward devotion to God and love for others. Rituals alone do not make us holy. There were many traditions during Jesus's day concerning ritual washing, including washing one's hands before eating or performing certain religious acts. The religious leaders questioned Jesus because His disciples did not follow the tradition of the elders by participating in ritual cleansing before they ate. To them, this was considered sinful. They had elevated ceremonial handwashing to the level of God's commandments. In this passage, Jesus addresses the very heart of the problem. The crowds had just witnessed His stern rebuke of the religious leaders, exposing not only their lack of inward devotion to God but also their failure to truly obey God's commandments. No amount of handwashing can change our character. God looks at our hearts. Jesus explains that the human heart is the ultimate source of defilement. His message to both the crowd and His disciples is that they should be far more concerned about their inward condition than about the supposed defilement that came from eating with unclean hands or eating foods considered unclean. God knows what is in our hearts, and that is what He sees when He looks at us. Not our appearance. Not our leadership skills. Not our power. Not our wealth. Not our authority. Not our cleanliness. Not even our rituals of worship. None of these things are inherently bad. But above all else, God wants our hearts. By the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, our hearts can be transformed into the kind of hearts God desires—hearts that love Him and love others. As the Apostle Paul writes in his Second Letter to the Corinthians: "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" That is the Good News we cling to as disciples of Jesus. God accomplishes His purposes by changing us from the inside out. So yes, wash your hands before you eat—that's simply good hygiene. But when Jesus cleanses our hearts, then our hands are truly clean, and we become people whom God can use for His great purpose in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let Us Pray Our dear heavenly Father, thank you for giving us ears to hear your Holy Word. We pray for the illumination of the Holy Spirit to make these ancient words of Scripture relevant and near to each of us this day. Shine your light in our hearts so we may share it with others. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen. From the Gospel of Luke 16:19-31 The Rich Man and Lazarus 19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.[a] The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.[b] 24 He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus in like manner evil things, but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27 He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30 He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” Isn’t it interesting that so many of Jesus’s parables have to do with how we treat other people? Today, our parable once again explores the theme of caring for our neighbor, but with a different twist at the end. First, this is not a story about the afterlife in the sense that if we do the right things, we earn our salvation and a place in heaven, while those who sin are punished eternally. Nor is this story teaching that wealth is inherently bad or that poverty is inherently good. The amount of wealth we possess is not a reflection of our character. In his First Letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul writes: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains." The distinction here is not about having money itself, but about the love of money—how we view our relationship to wealth and how we choose to use it. In Judaism at that time, many would likely have concluded that Lazarus's miserable condition was the result of God's punishment for sin, while the rich man's wealth was evidence of God's blessing. Riches were often believed to be a reward for obedience, while suffering was viewed as punishment for sin. Yet in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, we hear God's command: "Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, 'Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.'" The rich man did not open his hand to the needy. At the same time, we are not given any indication that Lazarus was particularly pious. The contrast in the parable is not based on one man's goodness and the other's wickedness. When Lazarus and the rich man both die, Lazarus finds himself with Father Abraham, perhaps even enjoying the abundant banquet he never experienced during his earthly life. Meanwhile, the rich man appeals to Abraham for mercy. Yet even then, there is no repentance for the way he treated Lazarus during his lifetime. After Abraham explains the great chasm fixed between them, what does the rich man ask? He asks that Lazarus be sent to warn his five brothers so that they will not suffer the same fate. Abraham's response foreshadows Jesus's own resurrection. Even after Christ overcomes death itself, there will still be many who refuse to believe or accept Him. Living faithfully within our covenant relationship with God calls us to "love God and love our neighbor as ourselves." Through the love and grace of Christ, shown to all who receive Him and seek His forgiveness, our hearts are transformed so that we can extend that same love, compassion, and grace to others. And the good news is this: It is never too late. Day by day, as we journey in faith, God continues shaping us into the people He has called us to be.

Let Us Pray Our dear heavenly Father, thank you for giving us ears to hear your Holy Word. We pray for the illumination of the Holy Spirit to make these ancient words of Scripture relevant and near to each of us this day. Shine your light in our hearts so we may share it with others. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen. From the Gospel of Luke 10:25-37 The Parable of the Good Samaritan 25 An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.[a] “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And Jesus said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” 29 But wanting to vindicate himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and took off, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, treating them with oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” One of the central themes of Luke's Gospel is that God's hospitality is extended to all people. But how would Jesus's original audience have heard this parable? The message about being charitable and helping others was not new to Jesus's contemporaries. The Jews were commanded in the Law to care for the widow and the orphan, so the command to "love your neighbor," which the expert in the law quotes at the beginning of the passage, was already well known. The expert in the law sets out to test Jesus by asking how to inherit eternal life. His view seems to be that eternal life is something to be earned—another action to check off a spiritual to-do list. He is looking for justification because he believes he has already been doing what he should. Then he asks the question, "Who is my neighbor?" Perhaps this is another way of asking, Who do I not have to love? Or, Whom can I exclude? In New Testament times, Jews and Samaritans were enemies. They wanted nothing to do with one another and often went out of their way to avoid traveling through each other's territories. It is therefore highly unexpected that the Samaritan would be the one to stop and care for the wounded man lying on the side of the road. So let's consider the priest and the Levite. What is happening here? Traditional interpretations suggest they may have feared becoming ceremonially unclean by approaching or touching what they assumed could be a dead body. Yet Jewish Law also commanded God's people to love both neighbor and stranger, and the dead were to be treated with the utmost respect. Perhaps the priest and the Levite were simply afraid that the same thing might happen to them if they stopped. Traveling by foot along isolated roads could be dangerous. We don't know their motives with certainty, but we do know that they passed by. Now we come to the Samaritan. This parable is about extending love and dignity to our neighbor, no matter who that person is. It reminds us that our care for others is an extension of our acceptance of the extravagant grace God has first extended to us. What if we see the Samaritan as a picture of Jesus—the One who turned expectations upside down by associating with those on the fringes of society, extending healing to the marginalized, and dining with sinners? The Outsider who humbled Himself to stop and minister to the wounded traveler lying in the ditch after everyone else had passed him by. Not only did He stop, but He bandaged the traveler's wounds, took him to an inn, and authorized the innkeeper to charge His account for anything the wounded man needed. Extravagant generosity. Undeserved grace. Can we allow ourselves to be loved by a God who offers us an abundance of all that we need, if only we are willing to receive what He is giving? The divine is manifested through action. Jesus tells the expert in the law, "Go and do likewise." We cannot truly love others until God reveals to us, through Jesus Christ, how He first loved us. Only then can we reach out and care for our neighbors as God calls us to love.

Let Us Pray Our dear heavenly Father, thank you for giving us ears to hear your Holy Word. We pray for the illumination of the Holy Spirit to make these ancient words of Scripture relevant and near to each of us this day. Shine your light in our hearts so we may share it with others. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen. Let’s talk about parables for a moment. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a parable as “a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.” Jesus is well known for using parables when he taught, and in some cases, his explanations of those parables have also been recorded in the Gospels. But not all of Jesus’s parables include recorded explanations. This leaves every generation, in every time and place, with the opportunity to read them anew and interpret them as open narratives. Although they were written in a specific historical time, place, and context, they continue to invite us to engage with them from our own context today. Jesus’s parables can be mysterious and, at times, difficult. They challenge us to look into hidden aspects of our hearts that we may not have considered before, or they reveal truths we may have known all along but have been hesitant to acknowledge. Rabbi and New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine puts it this way: “If we hear a parable and think, I really like that, or worse, fail to take any challenge, we are not listening well enough.” From the Gospel of Matthew 20:1-16 – The Laborers in the Vineyard “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” It was not uncommon during Jesus’s time for landowners to go out into the marketplace and hire laborers for the day. The traditional interpretation of this parable is that the early morning workers—who later become the grumblers—represent the Pharisees and religious leaders of the day. The later hires represent the outsiders: the Gentiles, the poor, and the marginalized, who are also welcomed by the landowner, who represents God. This parable is not about labor-management relations or the story of a wealthy landowner exploiting poor workers. Instead, perhaps we should see it as a picture of what God would have us do—not to earn salvation, but to understand the nature of His grace. Our parable tells us about a landowner in search of laborers to harvest his vineyard. There is no evidence that the landowner is taking advantage of the different shifts of workers. He is simply employing people who are willing to work. Why does he keep going back to the marketplace? Is he unaware of how many workers he needs? Is he hiring people who are less efficient? Or does he have another agenda? Notice that no qualitative distinction is made between the workers. It is not that the later hires are less capable; they simply have not yet been hired. Perhaps we can even see this as a model of the early church, where all shared together and no one lacked anything. So, let's look at this parable on a deeper level. What exactly is Jesus trying to teach us? The landowner represents God and serves as a model for the followers of Jesus. God's amazing grace cannot be earned—no matter how long or how hard we work, how many good deeds we have done, how "inside" the tent we are, how successful we become, or how righteous we appear. As God's stewards here on earth, everything we have has been given to us by God's grace. As laborers in God's vineyard, we cannot judge whom God will call into His kingdom. And this kingdom is not only an eternal destination—it exists here and now. God's kingdom values are meant to shape our present earthly lives. This parable illustrates what kingdom economics can look like: caring for those in need, ensuring that everyone has enough to thrive, and living in a community of faith where every person is treated with dignity. This kingdom envisions a place where, by God's grace, everyone is welcome—whether they were hired at dawn or just one hour before sunset.

New Member Class Series #1 Sunday, September 27, 2026 | Class #1 | 9:30 - 10:30 AM Sunday, October 4, 2026 | Class #2 + Tour | 9:30 - 10:30 AM Sunday, October 18, 2026 | Class #3 + Introduction | 9:30 - 12:30 PM New Member Class Series #2 Sunday, February 7, 2027 | Class #1 | 9:30 - 10:30 AM Sunday, February 21, 2027 | Class #2 + Tour | 9:30 - 10:30 AM Sunday, February 28, 2027 | Class #3 + Introduction | 9:30 - 12:30 PM New Member Class Series #3 Sunday, April 25, 2027 | Class #1 | 9:30 - 10:30 AM Sunday, May 2, 2027 | Class #2 + Tour | 9:30 - 10:30 AM Sunday, May 16, 2027 | Class #3 + Introduction | 9:30 - 12:30 PM ​ Reach out to Meagan Hooper (mhooper@brickchurch.org) with any questions!

We are delighted to welcome our new Wilson Family Sacred Music Intern, Nicolas Kilhoffer! Born in 2002 in Saverne, eastern France, Nicolas Kilhoffer began studying piano at the age of seven before teaching himself the organ and serving as a church organist from the age of ten. He later studied organ performance and improvisation in Strasbourg with Daniel Maurer and Johann Vexo, who remains his principal teacher, and continued his training in Paris with Christophe Mantoux. He has also participated in masterclasses with Philippe Lefebvre, Vincent Dubois, Thierry Escaich, and Thomas Ospital. ​ Nicolas regularly performs in recitals in France and abroad, with appearances in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Greece, Italy, Kenya, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Recent engagements have included performances at Grace Church in New York, Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria (British Columbia), Saint Paul’s Anglican Church in Athens, and All Saints’ Cathedral in Nairobi. He also regularly performs with the Trio du Levant, an ensemble for oboe, violin, and organ, touring throughout France, Belgium, Spain, and the United Kingdom. ​ Beginning in Fall 2026, he will pursue a Master of Music degree at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, studying with James O’Donnell, Organist Emeritus of Westminster Abbey, London. Learn more at www.nicolaskilhoffer.com

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 at 128,000 feet. At that moment, Felix Baumgartner became a legend—the first person to break the sound barrier simply by falling. Millions of people post hundreds of millions of videos doing fantastically crazy stunts in the hope of gaining viral fame, to feel that moment of glory from adoring crowds. But long before the internet, a man had a chance to perform a spectacular act that would have become the most viral stunt in history. The stunt was simple: climb atop the Temple, leap off, and the crowd’s shock would turn to awe when, out of thin air, angels would catch him, leading the people to bow down and worship him. But Jesus spurned this temptation to viral fame because he knew this was not the type of renown God had for him. He was on the path to glory—but not the human version. In the eleventh chapter of John, Jesus recounts the prophet Isaiah’s frustration with the people. He refers to a time in Israel immediately following Uzziah’s successful reign as king. During his reign there was political stability, virtually zero unemployment, and prosperity across the land. Upon his death, a power vacuum led the nation into a spiral. Inequality, unemployment, and poverty exploded, while spiritual corruption was rife throughout the land. Most tragically, this greatly weakened the nation, leaving them vulnerable to the Assyrian Empire’s evil intentions, which eventually utterly destroyed the kingdom. Isaiah called them to turn back to God and to justice. Tragically, they refused to listen. And this is the critical part: not because they didn’t believe, but because they were afraid—afraid that if they followed Isaiah they would be expelled from acceptable society. They would not risk their financial and social positions to do the right thing. Jesus observed, “They loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.” Fast forward to the Last Supper and our passage this morning, when Jesus reveals the center of his character: “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you.” The shock of this remarkable point of view has been dimmed by familiarity. To see why, we must understand the Old Testament view of crucifixion. Deuteronomy 21:22–23a says: “When someone is convicted of a crime punishable by death and is executed and you hang him on a tree... [he] is under God’s curse.” This is as bad as it gets. Cursed by God. This was people’s view in Jesus’ time. Internet fame is understandable; it’s nice to be adored. It makes us feel important and special. In contrast, Jesus refers to this public revilement—not as personal shame, even knowing the people would see him as cursed by God—but as his glory. And it turns out, eventually, he was right. And though he knew that he would be rejected by people, he did not judge them for it. Though it frustrated him, he sympathized with human weakness. Back in chapter 11 he said as much: “I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world but to save the world.” And this is why we glorify him. He was willing to experience the exact opposite of viral fame out of love for us. And remember, he had that opportunity to jump off the Temple and have angels catch him. People would have believed who he was without having to go through all ofthese awful things. But that was a trap—fame and glory for the wrong reasons. Unlike the people in Isaiah’s time, because Jesus loved God’s glory more than human glory, he now has both. As in Isaiah’s time, as in our time, as in all times in human history, we prefer fame over glory. Fame is the quick-hitting rush of adoration. In and of itself, fame is not bad, but we know that we are called to something more. Thankfully, we are not all meant to climb up on a cross, but we do share the charge from Jesus to seek God’s glory. Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918) offered us a simple and profound illustration: I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. Her poem points not only to the beauty of poetry, not only to the wonder of a tree, but to the God who makes it all possible. And this is the point of Jesus’ mission. This is why he did everything. We think eternal life is heaven, but that’s a place. In verse three of our passage Jesus tells us, “This is eternal life, that they may know you.” To understand the true nature of glory is to understand God; to know more God—not just more about God, but more God. And in that moment we also know more about the glory of our own selves. I’m going to retell the story of Lynne Cox, who showed us courage, sacrifice, and a willingness to chase the wonders of creation. Every time I recount the story, I am left saying to myself, “God is so good.” This version is adapted from NPR’s This American Life. When Lynne Cox was 17 years old, she had already broken several world records for long-distance swimming. She had crossed the English Channel twice and was always training. One morning, she was swimming in the ocean off Seal Beach, California, before the sun was up. She loved swimming at this hour when no one and nothing was out there—just her, the darkness, and the water. But on this day, suddenly she sensed something beneath her. As she said: “I felt the water hollowing out around me and felt like something really big was swimming below. And so in my mind, I'm thinking, oh my gosh, is it a seal? And I'm like, no, it's too big for a seal. I was like, okay, is it a dolphin? No, it's not a dolphin. And then I thought, oh my God, could it be a shark?” She started swimming closer to shore, and this giant something continued to swim underneath her. “But there was an old man named Steve who worked in the bait shop on the pier, and he sort of watched over me and watched what was going on with the water. And I could see him standing under a light on the pier, waving toward me to come, to swim out to him. And at first I thought, ‘There's no way.’ And he yelled at me and said, ‘Lynne, come here. There's a baby whale swimming with you.’” In the midst of her shock, she was ready to go ashore. Lynne Cox explains: “But Steve told me that the baby whale would follow me and possibly run aground. And the weight of his lungs on the beach would kill him. But he also thought that maybe the baby whale would just swim off and be totally lost. So his idea was that you just need to stay with the baby whale.” In the thrill and privilege of the moment came a sense of responsibility for that whale. For the next five hours, Lynne Cox swam with the whale trying to find the baby’s mother. Truly risking her life, she swam farther from shore; and if she became too tired, she might not make it home. But she had been bonded to this whale’s fate with the belief and hope that only a seventeen-year-old can have. And fishermen were directing her, helping her find the mother. But the whale helped her too. Sensing she was not as strong, the whale swam right in front of her so that she was pulled forward in its wake. Finally, now at almost the seventh hour, they found the mother. “She came right next to me. And you know, when a mother whale comes next to you, it's like a bus pulling up beside you. And I backed away some because I was afraid. I mean, the animal's 40 feet long, 45 feet long. And to be in the water with something so huge is frightening. “So I saw them together, and it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life, to see the mother and baby reunited. “I thought, ‘I'm going to touch her, too. I'm just going to do it, because I feel like a part of this whole thing.’ And I touched her, and I could feel that she felt my hand on her. And it was amazing, because she was so big. And how does that whale express happiness? But I felt that she was happy. “And then a few minutes later, they swam off.” Jesus set the standard. He showed us the power of glory over fame, and Lynne Cox showed us how, as mortals, we can follow. She took a risk. It wasn’t about a viral stunt. It all began on a morning swim in the darkness when she was alone. She kept swimming. She kept listening to the people around her and to her care for that whale. Through her courage, she showed us how we can focus on doing for others—even a whale—and so, in no small way, she showed us the power of the glory of God. Amen.

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 will after the manner of our Lord, especially our mayor, the governor, and the president. Hear us, Lord, as we pray for healing of this world and of this land. [[Silence] Lord, Your word tells us to weep with those who weep but also to rejoice with those who rejoice. We give thanks when rain breaks a long drought or when after 53 years game five brings the NBA championship back to New York! We celebrate those things that join us together as a city – the beauty of Central Park, the magnificence of the Brooklyn Bridge, the gardens of Brooklyn and the Bronx, the best bagels, pastrami, and pizza on the planet and the unparalleled arts through symphony and ballet, choirs and concerts, museums, theater and theatrics. You have made this city a cornucopia of all the best humanity has to offer in talent and the breadth of human culture. Lead us to live a life of thanksgiving, providing the privilege of access to these wonders to more and more people but most of all may we be grateful for the grace given by Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of Your spirit that binds us as one people. Hear us now, O God, as in silence we give You thanks for all that brings us joy. We give You thanks that You hear us, and we trust that You answer us. Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are Yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen.