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Finding Meaning
Worship Service: Informal Family - July 31, 2022
Finding a purpose in life is one thing: Get yourself a goal and pursue that goal. But finding meaning and feeling like what we do matters is a whole different matter. The rich man in Matthew wanted eternal life but felt he was lacking something. Join us this Sunday as we explore what the rich man was lacking, and how we can “find” meaning in EVERYTHING we do. | By Rev. Jeff Smith | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallTrusting in God
Worship Service: Informal Family - July 10, 2022
David had been anointed as the next king, but Saul was trying to kill him, and so David had to leave his wife Michal, and his best friend Jonathan, to run away and hide (1 Samuel 20). During this time David wrote many psalms about trusting in God. How can this story about David help us to trust in God as well when things aren’t going the way we want them to? | By Rev. Solomon J. Keal | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallYou are Witnesses
Worship Service: Informal Family - May 01, 2022
The Lord spoke these words to His disciples shortly before the Ascension. They had certainly witnessed many incredible things. Are we to be “witnesses” too? If so, in what ways and to whom? | By Rev. Derek P. Elphick | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallPrayer: Leaving the Lord to Decide
Worship Service: Informal Family - April 03, 2022
In the stories leading up to Easter, prayers feature often. In every case, even with the Lord Himself, they’re about getting centered and remaining open to the Lord’s leading. | By Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr. | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallGoing the Extra Mile
Worship Service: Informal Family - May 23, 2021
In Matthew 5:38-42, we hear a call to put energy into the things that matter most. We will explore together the value of working out differences, pursuing spiritual goals, and self-improvement. | By Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr. | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallChurch as Family: How We Care for Each Other
Worship Service: Informal Family - May 09, 2021
The Lord loves everyone, but shows us His love through other people (True Christianity 457). "The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:7-8) | By Rev. John L. Odhner | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallHope in the Face of Fear
Worship Service: Sermon only - May 02, 2021
There's a lot to be afraid of in the world around us, and there's a lot to be afraid of in our own inner world. How do we move forward in the face of what feels like very reasonable fear? How can we find hope at such times? | By Rev. Erik J. Buss | Bryn Athyn CathedralDefense in the Spiritual World
Worship Service: Informal Family - March 21, 2021
Evil defends itself differently from good. Learning to recognize those differences can help us when we are dealing with conflict in our lives. Choosing heavenly defense mechanisms will always promote health and life in us and in others. | By Rt. Rev. David H. Lindrooth | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallAccepting Kindness and Wise Kindness
Worship Service: Informal Family - March 07, 2021
For the final week of our “Practicing Kindness” series, we will look at the familiar story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). In this story, we see all the many kinds of kindness we’ve talked about in this series, represented in the acts of the good Samaritan. And we will also explore what it means to accept kindness from others, as the wounded man did in this story. | By Rev. Solomon J. Keal | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallChallenging Kindness
Worship Service: Informal Family - February 28, 2021
For week four of the “Practicing Kindness” series, we’ll talk about times when showing kindness can feel like a challenge. Ham pointed out Noah’s faults, but Shem and Japheth paid little attention to his faults and graciously helped their father. | By Rev. Kurt Hyland Asplundh | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallPracticing Kindness: Abundant Love
Worship Service: Informal Family - February 14, 2021
“Practicing Kindness: Abundant Love” is the subject for the second week in our series on kindness. Genuine kindness is given freely and abundantly, going beyond the minimum that is required of us. This originates in the Lord wanting to give infinitely His love and wisdom as much as we can accept. Our story is about Rebekah Drawing Water (Genesis 24). | By Rev. John L. Odhner | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallRahab's Kindness
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - February 07, 2021
For week one of our five-week series on kindness, we will look at the story of Rahab showing kindness to the Israelite spies, in Joshua chapter two. How does this story help us remember to be considerate of other people? | By Rev. Solomon J. Keal | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallPolitics and Religion
Worship Service: Children & Adult - January 17, 2021
| By Rev. Michael D. Gladish | Mitchellville, MDThe Lord's Breath
Worship Service: Informal Family - November 08, 2020
In John 20, the disciples thought the Lord was dead. But then the Lord appeared to them and said, “Peace be with you.” He then breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” What does this story teach us about how the Lord comforts us, and how we can actively trust in the Lord? Note: The copyrighted music in the background of the meditation is used with the permission of the author & copyright owner, Solomon Keal. | By Rev. Solomon J. Keal | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallRe-Seeing Challenges
Worship Service: Informal Family - October 04, 2020
Joseph was a slave and prisoner for 13 years, yet we were told that “the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.” (Genesis 39-40) We can reframe our challenges knowing that “the Lord bends everything bad into good.” (Secrets of Heaven 1079) | By Rev. John L. Odhner | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallStrengthening Ourselves in the Lord
Worship Service: Informal Family - September 13, 2020
The Word gives us examples of people facing hard times like David and his men arriving back at their town of Ziklag and finding it burned and their wives and children gone. How can we recognize the Lord's loving and wise care in the hard times we can face and how can we best respond? | By Rev. Eric H. Carswell | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallRestoring Innocence
Worship Service: Family (may include music) - June 07, 2020
In Revelation 5 the Lord is pictured as a Lamb that appeared to have been slain. It is a picture of how humanity has been continually trying to destroy innocence. This is because He is Innocence itself. In our world of racial conflict and pain, imagine how better things would be if we were all more innocent. | By Rev. Garry B. Walsh | Sarver, PASpiritual Sunlight
Worship Service: Informal Family - May 10, 2020
In Joshua chapter 10, the children of Israel and their allies were under attack from a larger enemy. In order to help them win the battle, the Lord miraculously made the sun stand still. How did this happen? And what does it symbolize in our lives? | By Rev. Solomon J. Keal | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallThe Joy of Happiness Part II: The Secret of Happiness
Worship Service: Sermon only - April 26, 2020
"The Secret to Happiness." Audio only from a video YouTube broadcast made on Sunday April 26, 2020. | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Mitchellville, MDThe Joy of Happiness Part I
Worship Service: Sermon only - April 19, 2020
"Start a Happiness Outbreak." Audio only from a video YouTube broadcast made on Sunday April 19, 2020. | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Mitchellville, MDWhat To Do In Captivity
Worship Service: Informal Family - March 29, 2020
At the end of 2nd Kings, the children of Israel and Judah were taken into captivity, away from the Promised Land. Jeremiah the prophet wrote a letter to them, comforting them, telling them the Lord would bring them back eventually, and giving them hope and advice about what to do during their captivity (see Jeremiah 29-31). This advice can be relevant for us during our current “captivity” as well. The video for this service is available at https://boxcast.tv/view/what-to-do-in-captivity-rev-solomon-keal-informal-service-z3h2bpurpenx42sc5vll Listen to a song by Chelsea Rose Odhner about "spiritual captivity": https://youtu.be/7adj6ho8Kl4 | By Rev. Solomon J. Keal | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallRemembering and Not Forgetting
Worship Service: Informal Family - March 22, 2020
The Word has many passages that talk about "remembering" or "not forgetting." In the story of Noah's Ark, "remembering" is mentioned 3 times. How are "remembering" or "not forgetting" different? How are they the same? What should we be remembering? The video version of this service is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqkrXDj7wCM | By Rev. Kurt Hyland Asplundh | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallThe Peace of the Lord
Worship Service: Informal Family - February 09, 2020
This is week two of the “Growing Through Challenges” series. This week Gideon is called to take action, and then to find even deeper trust in the Lord. We'll look at the role peace has in that process. | By Rev. Erik J. Buss | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallThe Presence of the Lord
Worship Service: Informal Family - February 02, 2020
This Sunday we begin a 4-part small-group series called “Growing Through Challenges,” about the Gideon story in the book of Judges (Judges 6:1-23). The Israelites were being oppressed by the Midianites, and Gideon was feeling discouraged and helpless. We’ll begin by asking: How do we experience the presence of the Lord, especially during challenging times? | By Rev. Solomon J. Keal | Bryn Athyn Heilman HallThe Magnificat
Worship Service: Informal Family - December 08, 2019
This Sunday we continue our series about the Christmas story, focused on “Our Part” in bringing the Lord into our world. Our story this week is about Mary's visit to Elizabeth and her prophecy in the Magnificat. “He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly.” This prophecy is about a revolution that needs to take place inside of us, a reorientation of our priorities, that we see described not only in the Gospel account, but in almost all of our Christmas stories and songs. | By Rev. Jeremy F. Simons | Bryn Athyn Heilman Hall