Sermons from St. John’s Episcopal Church

Who you really are (Fr. David Houk)

January 5, 2025. Luke 2:41-52. Just like Jesus, we need to grow into our true identity.

Christmas and the Darkness. Fr Louis Harris. December 29, 2024.

In this week’s propers, we heard the profound truth that “The Word became Flesh,” calling us to embrace the light in a world nearly overshadowed by darkness. Fr. Harris reminds us of our sacred calling to become children of God and reflections of His truth and love in the world. As our attention to the Christmas season fades, we are invited to carry the light into our homes, work, and relationships, bearing the hope and responsibility of living as the Body of Christ in the world.

Little Christmas. Fr. David Houk. Christmas Eve: December 24, 2024

Luke 2:1-20. Luke’s account of Jesus’s birth invites us to have a merry, little Christmas.

Good news for losers. Fr. David Houk. Advent 3: December 15, 2024

Luke 3:7-18. John the Baptist talks about a Great Reversal that is coming with the long-awaited Messiah. Luke says this is Good News.
 

Making Spiritual Eggnog. Fr Louis Harris. December 8, 2024

The propers for this week invite us to reflect on the season of Advent as a time of preparation for the profound reality of God’s arrival in our lives. Amid the noise and distractions of the holiday season, we are reminded of John the Baptist’s call to a baptism of repentance—a purposeful turning toward God, aligning our lives with His will and purposes. This preparation is not about guilt or anxiety but a quiet awareness of our need for God’s grace, helping us to hear His voice in the moments of life and respond with faith. As we anticipate Christmas, Fr Harris invites us to ready our hearts, not just for festivities, but for the transformative presence of God among us

Not the end of the world. Fr. David Houk. Advent 1: December 1, 2024

Jesus’s words in Luke 21:25-36 sound like the end of the world. What if they’re actually about a better world being born?

Growing up. Fr. Casey Shobe. November 17, 2024.

Fr. Casey Shobe, Rector of Church of the Transfiguration, is our guest preacher on Celebration Sunday.

All Saints Die. Fr Louis Harris. November 3, 2024.

In the propers for this week, we confront the nature of holiness and the reality of the Saints, especially amid our struggles with virtue and a broken world. The story of Lazarus invites us to face our doubts about hope and death. Jesus' distinct weeping points beyond despair, revealing that death is not an end but part of God’s plan of restoration.
As we observe All Saints' Day, surrounded by the signs of death in autumn, the Church urges us to see the Saints as present and active in our lives. They teach us that suffering can be transformed into joy and death into life. This reminder calls us to believe that holiness is possible and to join the communion of those who live in hope and faith.

Who are you in the story? Fr. David Houk. October 27, 2024.

Mark 10:46-52  Fr. Houk considers the characters in the story of the healing of blind Bartimaeus.

Overqualified. Fr. David Houk. October 13, 2024

Mark 10:17-31. Jesus’s exchange with the Rich Young Ruler shows us that number one impediment to discipleship is pride.