the Rev. Michael Lemaire

the Rev. Rachel Dykzeul

the Rev. Emily Boring

The sermon humorously critiques transactional views of religion by reflecting on a postcard naming the church a “top-rated customer satisfaction” site. It uses this to explore deeper meanings of prayer, particularly the Lord’s Prayer. Rather than a vending machine model of request and response, prayer is portrayed as grounded in need, vulnerability, and relationship with God. Jesus’s prayer emphasizes sustenance, forgiveness, and trust. The preacher acknowledges unanswered prayers and suffering, pushing back against empty “thoughts and prayers,” and instead encourages shameless, persistent trust in God amid life’s uncertainties.

the Rev. Phil Brochard

This sermon challenges misreadings of the Mary and Martha story, rejecting the idea that contemplation and action are opposed or that one must be an archetype. It focuses instead on how Martha’s distraction—rooted in anxiety—distorts her hospitality, while Mary models the spiritual discipline of presence and unmixed attention. The preacher connects this to contemporary societal and personal distractions, urging the congregation to choose one relationship or action to remain present to this week, trusting that Christ is there.

the Rev. Rachel Dykzeul

The sermon revisits the parable of the Good Samaritan, emphasizing its radical message in historical context: Jesus uses a despised outsider—the Samaritan—as the model of neighborly love. By helping a wounded man, the Samaritan upends religious and cultural norms. The preacher connects this message to modern examples of division—Palestinians and Israelis, immigrants and citizens, Democrats and Republicans—asking us to confront who we consider “the other.” The sermon concludes with the call to recognize those we most fear or despise as our neighbors and to act with divine compassion beyond boundaries.

the Rev. Phil Brochard

This sermon tells the story of a parishioner who, inspired by a conference on immigration, joined a 1,300-mile pilgrimage to ICE detention centers. She and other pilgrims traveled vulnerably, relying on church communities for food and shelter, embodying Jesus’ call to be sent without protection. The sermon links this vulnerability to Jesus' own journey to Jerusalem and shows how mutual hospitality and dependence are central to revealing God's Realm. Rather than leading through force, Jesus—and his followers—witness to love, transformation, and grace through radical humility.

The Rev. Rachel Dykzeul

This sermon celebrates Pride and God's inclusive love, emphasizing how transformative relationships—like mentorship and discipleship—can change our lives. Drawing on personal experience and scripture, it illustrates how spiritual transformation often happens gently over time through meaningful community. The call is to consciously respond to the Spirit’s invitation to be transformed, bearing the fruits of love, peace, and joy. Transformation isn't instant—it grows like fruit when we open ourselves to God's work.

The Rev. Dr. Paula Nesbitt

The sermon reflects on evangelism through personal stories, highlighting its value when rooted in compassion and dignity. While acknowledging harmful uses of evangelism, the speaker reclaims it as a spiritual practice grounded in listening, healing, and inclusive love. From handing out pamphlets in Honolulu to standing against hate with rainbow banners, the message urges us to live our faith boldly and lovingly, embodying the good news of Christ.

The Rev. Michael Lemaire

Rather than explain the Trinity, the sermon invites us to live it. Using the Christian liturgical calendar as a spiritual map, the preacher explores how the death-and-resurrection pattern—the Paschal Mystery—shapes our lives. Personal suffering mirrors Good Friday, and unexpected renewal echoes Easter. The Ascension calls us to let go; Pentecost empowers us to move forward. In a changing world and through personal grief, this cycle continues. A reflection on the resilient life of Kay Dreher illustrates how enduring hope can emerge from pain. The Trinity, then, is not a puzzle to solve but a sacred rhythm we inhabit.

The Rev. Phil Brochard

The sermon reflects on spiritual experience, psychedelics, and discernment. Inspired by a study where clergy took psilocybin and had mystical encounters, it compares these to the Pentecost event and modern healing stories like Marsha Linehan's. It urges openness to divine encounter, with true spiritual experiences recognized by the healing, connection, and transformation they bring—not just for oneself, but for others.

The Rev. Emily Boring

The sermon reflects on Jesus's prayer in John 17, emphasizing that divine unity and love are gifts to be received, not achieved. Using a personal story about learning to stop striving in prayer, the preacher draws parallels to how Jesus desires his followers to dwell in divine love. Unity flows not from doctrine or effort, but from the experience of agape love, which transforms and unites. The message concludes with a call to trust in being held by God's love and to let that love overflow in community.

The Rev. Joseph Delgado

The sermon reflects on legacy through the speaker’s experience as a healthcare chaplain and a moving personal story about caring for their dying mother. Her parting blessing—full of love and responsibility—became a legacy of service that still shapes their family. This personal legacy mirrors Jesus’s farewell discourse in John, where he promises peace and the guidance of the Spirit. Christians are reminded that they are beloved children of God, called to live out that love through service. Our faith, like Christ’s legacy, is known by love.

The Rev. Phil Brochard

The sermon tells the story of Kelsey Buyers, whose encounter with literature and longing for spiritual connection led her back to church and eventually to baptism. Her story mirrors the Acts narrative of Peter's vision and the inclusion of Gentiles, showing how the Holy Spirit often disrupts established boundaries. The preacher urges openness to God's new work and warns against mistaking traditionalism for faithful tradition.

The Rev. Harlowe Zefting

The sermon weaves together Mother’s Day, Good Shepherd Sunday, and three lectionary texts to explore belonging and community boundaries. It highlights Tabitha’s central role in Acts, the inclusive vision in Revelation, and the tension of exclusion in John’s gospel. The preacher reflects on historical Christian othering, especially of Jews, and instead urges that community boundaries serve to guide love and responsibility, not exclusion. Belonging means care, not gatekeeping.

The Rev. Emily Boring

The preacher recalls a formative summer spent aboard a marine research vessel, where awe at the vastness and mystery of the ocean inspired a peaceful acceptance of their own smallness and mortality. This experience parallels the final scene in John’s gospel, where the resurrected Jesus meets the disciples by the sea, helps them catch a miraculous number of fish, and shows that divine presence is often found in everyday moments. The sermon emphasizes recognizing Christ not only through miracles or scripture, but in the abundance, diversity, and interconnectedness of all creation.

The Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers

The sermon draws on the image of a lagoon and ocean from a vacation in the Cook Islands to illustrate the contrast between safety and the unknown. It recounts the disciples’ fear after Jesus’s death, their transformation through the risen Christ’s appearance, and their eventual bold witness in Acts. These events parallel the journey of faith: from shelter to courage, from doubt to belief, and from comfort to calling. The sermon honors Emily Hansen Curran for her decade of ministry at All Souls and blesses her as she ventures out to found St. Lucy’s Church, urging all to embrace the Spirit’s call beyond safe harbors.

The Rev. Phil Brochard

The Rev. Emily Boring

The Rev. Dr. Mark Richardson

Emily Hansen Curran