St. Anne's Episcopal Church

Unless the People Speak

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2026 14:32

Resentment can become a heavy burden. Forgiveness can set us free. In this week's sermon, The Rev. M. Dion Thompson explores Jesus' teaching on forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-35 and reminds us of God's boundless mercy toward us. He challenges listeners to consider how forgiveness can transform hearts and restore broken relationships. But the sermon doesn't stop there. Fr. Dion uncovers a powerful insight from the parable: the role of those who witness injustice. Their voices matter. Unless the people speak, injustice often goes unchallenged. This message offers both comfort and challenge as we consider what mercy, forgiveness, and faithful witness look like in our own lives today. Listen now and reflect on this question: “Should you not have mercy for my children as I've shown mercy to you?”

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What We Need Is Here: Ritual, Community, and the Table of God

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2026 15:42

Before God explained freedom to Israel, God gave them a meal. In this sermon, we explore how rituals shape us long before we understand where they are leading. Drawing on the Passover, the Eucharist, and surprising insights from the movie "Tony" and music producer Rick Rubin, we discover how faith is formed through practice, community, and Christ's invitation to the table. Whatever your doubts or questions, what we need is here.

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On Fire, Yet Not Consumed

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 15:54

The image of the burning bush has captivated believers for centuries. In this sermon, The Rev. Alice Grant considers God's revelation to Moses, the connection between the burning bush and Mary bearing Christ, and the mystery of God's light dwelling within fragile human lives. Even in seasons of darkness, God hears the cries of God's people and chooses to shine through us, illuminating the world with mercy, hope, and grace.

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Who Do You Say That I Am?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2026 14:54

Jesus' question to his disciples remains one of the most important questions of faith: "Who do you say that I am?" In Fr. Dion's sermon, he explores how that question shaped the early Church, why it still matters today, and how our understanding of Christ informs the way we live, serve, and love. As God reveals Christ to each of us, we are invited to respond with the gifts we've been given for the sake of God's world.

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Lord, Help Me: The Prayer That Changes Everything

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2026 19:42

"Lord, help me." These simple words form the heart of the Canaanite mother's prayer and echo the deepest cries of every human heart. In his sermon, The Rev. M. Dion Thompson, Senior Associate at St. Anne's, explores persistent prayer, humble faith, and the mercy of Christ that meets us in our moments of greatest need. Through this Gospel story, we learn that no one is beyond the reach of God's compassion and that great mercy still meets great faith today.

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Jealousy, Favoritism, and the Mercy That Sets Us Free

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2026 17:26

In this Sunday sermon, Rev. Alice Grant reflects on the destructive power of jealousy through a childhood story, the account of Joseph and his brothers, and the ways comparison can rob us of joy. Exploring the themes of envy or jealousy, favoritism, sibling rivalry, grief and mercy, she reminds us that God works through imperfect people and offers each of us the assurance that we are enough and deeply loved. The sermon concludes with an invitation to examine our own habits of favoritism and shake them off by embracing the generous, impartial love of God in our families, friendships, and communities.

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Holding on Through the Night

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2026 13:00

Life often feels more like a wrestling match than a journey. We wrestle with our past, our fears, ourselves, and even with God. Yet Scripture reminds us that God meets us in the struggle. The promise is not an unwounded life or a future free from uncertainty. In Sunday's sermon, we encounter Jacob wrestling at the river, Paul wrestling with sorrow and mystery, the disciples wrestling with scarcity, and even Odysseus wrestling with regret and failure. Through each story, we discover a common truth: faith does not mean we stop wrestling. Faith means that, in the darkness, we learn whom we are holding. As Jacob crosses the river limping yet blessed, we are reminded that God meets us in our struggles, transforms us through grace, and never leaves us to walk alone. "We are not named for mastering God, but for clinging to God through the night."

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The Moral Scaffolding of Grace - Feast of St. Anne and St. Joachim | St. Anne's Episcopal Church

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2026 13:43

What does it mean to inherit a faith we did not create? On the Feast of St. Anne and St. Joachim, we reflect on the hidden work of formation that makes faith possible. Drawing on Abraham Lincoln's vision of inheritance, the tradition surrounding Mary's parents, and God's covenant with Abraham, this sermon explores the "moral scaffolding" that supports generations of faith. Just as scaffolding enables a building to rise, countless acts of faithfulness- teaching children to pray, welcoming strangers, caring for the poor, and preserving the witness of the Church- create the conditions in which people can hear God's call and respond with courage. As St. Anne's celebrates another year of parish life, we consider the gifts we have received, the responsibilities we bear, and the question that every generation must answer: What are you building today that will help someone else say “yes” to God tomorrow? May we become a household where faith is formed, hope is sustained, and generations yet unborn discover the freedom to say, "Let it be with me according to your word." Continue the conversation beyond Sunday. Listen to the sermon during the week and reflect on how God is inviting you to grow in faith, hope, and love.

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