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Know Your Spiritual Enemies: Overview
Worship Service: Sermon only - 26 Mar, 2023
The Children of Israel were attacked by many different enemies over the course of their history and those enemies represent different spiritual challenges that we have to deal with in our lives. This Sunday will be the first in a non-sequential series of sermons in which we will seek to better understand these enemies so that, with the Lord’s help, we can be better ready to meet their attacks when they come. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Although a Fool
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 5 Mar, 2023
We are all foolish in different ways. Can we learn to recognize the ways in which we might be foolish and let the Lord lead us forward, despite our foolishness? (Isaiah 35:8) Note: This recording has audio quality issues | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Foolishness
Worship Service: Sermon only - 5 Mar, 2023
The Lord’s Word has a lot to say about foolishness. We will be looking at a number of different stories and passages about foolishness and trying to learn what is foolish, from the Lord’s perspective. We will also be trying to understand how the Lord can still lead us forward, despite our foolishness. (Isaiah 35:8) | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Anticipating Easter
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 19 Feb, 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 Cathedral
"First Be Reconciled to Your Brother...."
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 29 Jan, 2023
Coming to church is about our relationship with the Lord but it is also a time to think about how our relationships with other people are going. Sometimes we will come to the uncomfortable realization that, to really be ready to worship the Lord, we need to work on being reconciled with other people first. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Worship and Reconciliation
Worship Service: Sermon only - 29 Jan, 2023
It’s easy to think of our relationship with the Lord as something distinct from our relationship with other people and so we can think of coming to church as just a time for connecting with our God. Worship, however, is also about our relationship with other people and a number of teachings from the Lord’s Word indicate that we should also use coming to church as a time to check if we are holding anything against other people and then work towards reconciliation. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
When We Don’t Understand the Word
Worship Service: Informal Family - 15 Jan, 2023
Maybe you started reading the Lord’s Word again in this new year or maybe you’ve been in the habit for years. It’s great when you feel like you’re understanding the Word and getting something out of it, but what do you do when you don’t understand the Word? Let’s talk this Sunday about how much we should expect to understand the Lord’s Word and how we can still benefit from reading the Word, even when we don’t feel like we’re understanding very much. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Heilman Hall
Why Joseph is Important
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 18 Dec, 2022
The Role of Joseph and Our Prudence
Worship Service: Sermon only - 18 Dec, 2022
Seeing Providence: Old Age
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 20 Nov, 2022
Seeing Providence: Old Age
Worship Service: Sermon only - 20 Nov, 2022
Seeing Providence: The Early Years
Worship Service: Informal Family - 6 Nov, 2022
In week 2 of our Journey program, “Seeing Providence,” we will be focusing on the early years of our lives. We will reflect on the dangers and the blessings of the early years of Moses’ life and try to see some glimpses of the Lord’s providence in the dangers and blessings of the early years of our own lives. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Heilman Hall
Rebuilding
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 23 Oct, 2022
How Do We Comfort Someone?
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 18 Sep, 2022
When someone we care about is hurting, we hurt too and we want to help them feel better. There are good ways and not so good ways that we might try to offer comfort. Let's learn from the Lord, our Comforter, how to offer comfort to people around us. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Comfort
Worship Service: Sermon only - 18 Sep, 2022
Inspired by Rev. Derek Elphick's talk last Sunday, I've been thinking about what gathering and community can do for us. One thing that came to mind was comfort and consolation. When tragedy strikes (or just when normal life is too hard), it can make all the difference in the world to have caring people reach out to us and offer us comfort. This Sunday, we will explore the theme of comfort in scripture and how we can get better at comforting one another - M. Smith | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Spying Out the Land
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 4 Sep, 2022
The Children of Israel were on the edge of the Promised Land, about to begin a new era in the history of their people. They sent spies to see what this new land was like. When the spies came back they reported that there were some very good things in the land and also some very scary things. It's a new school year and you may be just beginning something new. There will probably be some very good things and, perhaps, some very scary things. What should you do? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
When to Move Forward
Worship Service: Sermon only - 4 Sep, 2022
It's understandable that the Children of Israel doubted whether they could conquer the land of Canaan, once they'd heard the report from the spies. There were giants and fortified cities in their way. How do we know whether the obstacles in our way are something to be overcome or a sign from the Lord that we're going the wrong direction? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Daily Prayer
Worship Service: Informal Family - 21 Aug, 2022
How often do you talk to the Lord? Is it often enough? Communication is a crucial aspect of any relationship and our relationship with the Lord is no different. Let’s talk about what prayer on a day-to-day basis looks like and how we can make progress in our regular communication with the Lord. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Heilman Hall
Sharing What We've Been Given
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 7 Aug, 2022
Sharing is hard - for children and also for adults. When we can remember all that the Lord has given us, it can help us to loosen our grip on what we have and feel less threatened by what the Lord has given to other people. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Breaking Bread
Worship Service: Sermon only - 7 Aug, 2022
As preparation for taking the Lord's Holy Supper, we will be talking about the significance of breaking bread and sharing it. Particularly in Western culture, there can be a lot of emphasis on individuality and working on our individual lives but the Lord's goal for us is to be part of a larger whole in which we give and receive freely. How can we work towards that goal? | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
Come and See
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - 24 Jul, 2022
Come and See
Worship Service: Sermon only - 24 Jul, 2022
An Invitation to Keep Growing in Our Relationship with the Lord | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Bryn Athyn Cathedral
The Lord Bless You and Keep You
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 12 Jun, 2022
“The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” We use this blessing at special times—baptisms, weddings, Holy Supper. This Sunday we will go through it phrase by phrase and reflect on how we can be most receptive of the Lord’s blessings and how we can be a part of sharing His blessings with others. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA
Does it Matter if We Believe in the Lord
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 22 May, 2022
In the New Church we love the idea that people of any religion can go to heaven. But, if we don’t understand this idea fully, then it can seem like it doesn’t matter at all what you believe. And it can be hard to figure out why it matters if we believe in the Lord. Let’s talk about what it means to believe in the Lord and why our beliefs matter. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA
Approval
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - 8 May, 2022
It’s Mothers Day this Sunday and so we’re going to be reflecting on a topic that comes into all parent-child relationships—approval. We all want to be approved of. But do your parents approve of you? Do you approve of your parents? The giving or withholding of approval is a strong force in relationships; let’s talk about how the Lord would like us to navigate the interpersonal dynamics around approval. | By Rev. Malcolm G. Smith , Westville, RSA