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Friday Plenary: GC Assembly 2024
Presentation - 28 Jun, 2024
Friday Plenary: Going Up the Mountain - 2024 General Church Assembly Rev. Malcolm Smith leads the plenary with three contributions from New Church members sharing their experience with faith. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Field House
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Assyrians
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 26 May, 2024
The Assyrians were a large and powerful nation—not just another neighboring nation to squabble with, but an international super-power. The Assyrians represent something very powerful within us: our rational mind—our ability to figure things out and think things through. Our rational mind can be a powerful enemy to our religious life that takes us into spiritual captivity or it can be a powerful ally. Let’s learn from the Lord how to have the right kind of relationship with the Assyrians. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Assyrians
Worship Service: Sermon only - 26 May, 2024
Reaching Out
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 5 May, 2024
At this Community Service will be talking about having the courage to reach out—reaching out to offer help and reaching out to ask for help. Let’s talk about what stops us from reaching out and how the Lord can help us to reach out anyway. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
What Kind of Savior Do You Need?
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 24 Mar, 2024
When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday the people cheered and cried out for Him to save them. They were hoping that a king of the natural world was riding into town to throw off their Roman oppressors. That wasn’t what the Lord was there to do but He was there to save them. If a powerful person could ride into your life and change things drastically, what would you want them to do? Maybe the Lord won’t do that, but what sort of spiritual salvation could He give you? This year we will have two identical services, both in the nave (there will be no Young Children’s or Informal Family Service in the Undercroft). There will be one talk for the whole family. At the end of the service, people will be invited to pick up palm branches on their way out of the building to then form a crowd outside and an actor playing the Lord will come past with a live donkey, while people sing and cheer. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Syrians
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 18 Feb, 2024
At times the Syrians were a persistent and deadly enemy of the children of Israel but, more than once, the children of Israel were instructed to care for the Syrians instead of destroying them. Why was this and what can we learn from this about how the Lord wants us to live? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Syrians
Worship Service: Sermon only - 18 Feb, 2024
At times the Syrians were a persistent and deadly enemy of the children of Israel but, more than once, the children of Israel were instructed to care for the Syrians instead of destroying them. Why was this and what can we learn from this about how the Lord wants us to live? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Philistines
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 28 Jan, 2024
There are many stories in the Old Testament about the Philistines. They were the main enemy of the children of Israel in the time of heroes like Samson, Saul, and David. They were a powerful and persistent enemy, and yet they could be defeated. What do the Philistines represent within us and what can the Lord’s Word teach us about how to fight against them? Find out this Sunday in the next sermon in our series about knowing your spiritual enemies. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Philistines
Worship Service: Sermon only - 28 Jan, 2024
There are many stories in the Old Testament about the Philistines. They were the main enemy of the children of Israel in the time of heroes like Samson, Saul, and David. They were a powerful and persistent enemy and yet they could be defeated. What do the Philistines represent within us and what can the Lord’s Word teach us about how to fight against them? Find out this Sunday in the next sermon in our series about knowing your spiritual enemies. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
The Lord's Presence in Times of Transition
Worship Service: Informal Family - 7 Jan, 2024
The story of Jacob’s dream seemed like a good story to focus on for our first Informal Family Service in the Cathedral Undercroft. At that point in the story, Jacob is in a time of transition, in an unfamiliar place, and yet — even there — the Lord was in that place. Can we learn to become aware of the Lord’s presence, even in times of transition and uncertainty? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral Undercroft
The Perspective of Simeon and Anna
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 31 Dec, 2023
As we reflect back this year and look ahead to next year, let’s try to look at things from the perspective of two wise old people who trusted in the Lord: Simeon and Anna. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
The Perspective of Simeon and Anna
Worship Service: Sermon only - 31 Dec, 2023
As we reflect back this year and look ahead to next year, let’s try to look at things from the perspective of two wise old people who trusted in the Lord: Simeon and Anna. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Amorites
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 19 Nov, 2023
This year we’ve been working our way through a series of sermons on ancient enemies in the stories of the Word and their spiritual significance in our lives today. The Amorites will be our focus this Sunday. This enemy shows up in a number of different stories but particularly in the stories of the conquest of the land. We will be exploring the spiritual implications of the idea that our spiritual lives (represented by the Children of Israel) must find their home in areas previously governed by selfishness and worldliness (represented by the Amorites). | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Amorites
Worship Service: Sermon only - 19 Nov, 2023
This year we’ve been working our way through a series of sermons on ancient enemies in the stories of the Word and their spiritual significance in our lives today. The Amorites will be our focus this Sunday. This enemy shows up in a number of different stories but particularly in the stories of the conquest of the land. We will be exploring the spiritual implications of the idea that our spiritual lives (represented by the Children of Israel) must find their home in areas previously governed by selfishness and worldliness (represented by the Amorites). | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
The Word of God
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 29 Oct, 2023
Community Service. We will be reminding ourselves of how powerful the Word of God is and how lucky we are to have it in our lives and community. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Truth for the Sake of Truth and Good for the Sake of Good
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 24 Sep, 2023
This Sunday we will be offering Holy Supper (with alternatives) during the Family Service. Read the full description of how the service will go at brynathynchurch.org/holy-supper. The readings and short talk will be about a phrase that comes up repeatedly in the teachings of the New Church: loving truth for the sake of truth and good for the sake of good. As we think about taking the bread and wine from the Lord, we will try to be ready to gratefully receive what the Lord has to offer. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Truth for the Sake of Truth and Good for the Sake of Good
Worship Service: Sermon only - 24 Sep, 2023
This Sunday we will be offering Holy Supper (with alternatives) during the Adult Service. The readings and short sermon will be about a phrase that comes up repeatedly in the teachings of the New Church: loving truth for the sake of truth and good for the sake of good. As we think about taking the bread and wine from the Lord, we will try to be ready to gratefully receive what the Lord has to offer. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
What Life After Death Can Teach Us About Life Right Now
Worship Service: Informal Family - 3 Sep, 2023
There are a lot of things to think about, care about, and stress about in this world. When someone dies it reminds us of how short life in this world can be and it can shift our perspective on what matters. We are blessed with many teachings about what life after death will be like; what can we learn from those teachings about what matters in our lives right now? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Heilman Hall
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 6 Aug, 2023
A number of the enemies that the children of Israel encountered on their way to the promised land were their cousins, other descendants from the same family tree. And so, the children of Israel were forbidden to destroy these enemies or to take their land. And yet they were also forbidden to intermarry with them. This Sunday, as we learn more about the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites, we will be trying to learn how to have the right kind of boundaries and relationships in our lives. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites
Worship Service: Sermon only - 6 Aug, 2023
A number of the enemies that the children of Israel encountered on their way to the promised land were their cousins, other descendants from the same family tree. And so, the children of Israel were forbidden to destroy these enemies or to take their land. And yet they were also forbidden to intermarry with them. This Sunday, as we learn more about the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites, we will be trying to learn how to have the right kind of boundaries and relationships in our lives. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Amalekites
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 2 Jul, 2023
We’re getting back to our ongoing series on knowing our spiritual enemies by considering the Amalekites. The Amalekites were a nasty enemy—one that would attack the children of Israel when they were at their weakest—and so, multiple times, the children of Israel were commanded to utterly destroy the Amalekites. We will look at a few different battles with the Amalekites to try to understand how to guard ourselves against this enemy and to appreciate just how much the Lord has done and continues to do to protect us. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Know Your Spiritual Enemies: The Amalekites
Worship Service: Sermon only - 2 Jul, 2023
We’re getting back to our ongoing series on knowing our spiritual enemies by considering the Amalekites. The Amalekites were a nasty enemy—one that would attack the children of Israel when they were at their weakest—and so, multiple times, the children of Israel were commanded to utterly destroy the Amalekites. We will look at a few different battles with the Amalekites to try to understand how to guard ourselves against this enemy and to appreciate just how much the Lord has done and continues to do to protect us. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Two Gateways to Eternal Life
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 4 Jun, 2023
The teachings of the New Church call baptism and Holy Supper two gateways to eternal life. Last Sunday we got to witness a baptism; this Sunday we get to have Holy Supper. This may be the first time a number of children will be witnessing Holy Supper and so the short family talk for this service will be a basic overview of the use and purpose of Holy Supper. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
The Lord Wants to Have Supper with You
Worship Service: Sermon only - 4 Jun, 2023
When considering whether to take Holy Supper, we are often focused on whether we feel worthy to take it. This Sunday the short sermon will focus on what the Lord would like. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Gathered, One by One
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 21 May, 2023
At our first Community Worship Service in September of last year we talked about gathering. This Sunday, at our last Community Worship Service of this school/fiscal year, we will again be talking about gathering—this time with a focus on the individual work that we need to do in order to be gathered by the Lord and the role we can play in helping the Lord to gather other people, one by one. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral