Calvary Presbyterian Church San Francisco

The stories of our ancestors in faith in scripture remind us that God's call on our lives does not guarantee an easy path. This week, we'll consider the story of Joseph, who faced great challenges and trials, and who also saved his people. Where is God in our lives? Can we see God when things are bad as easily as we can when they are good? The scripture reading was from Genesis 39. This se...

Occasionally, our paths are clear and direct. Most often, though, my path has been circuitous, with fits and starts. It's easy to get bogged down and discouraged when the path is not straight and clear. We'll hear of Abram's journey by stages, and consider where God is in the midst of our own journeys.  This sermon was delivered by Rev. Marcella A. Glass on Sunday, September 20, 2026....

Our story from Genesis is an ancient story, seeking to make sense of human evil and divine presence in the midst of us. Out of the destruction of the flood, God offers a rainbow as a promise, as a reminder of the covenant. What does it mean to be people in covenant relation with God? With each other? This sermon was delivered by Rev. Marcella Glass on Sunday, September 13, 2026. The scripture read...

When bread is shared, this drab world regains its color. Little by little. This week we sit with the desert's own wisdom and ask what it means to rebuild steadily rather than wait to be rescued. And we will share Christ's bread and cup. The sermon was delivered by Rev. Victor Floyd on Sunday, September 6, 2026. The scripture reading was from Isaiah 58:9b–12.

The hymn "How Great Thou Art" is well known and sung in many churches and in many languages. While the story of the hymn itself is interesting enough, how the hymn has helped faith get passed down from one generation to the next is also fascinating! This sermon was delivered by Rev. Joann H. Lee on Sunday, August 30, 2026. The scripture reading was from Psalm 8.

It may be aged and worn, but the old hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" has a story to tell! More than a sweet Sunday School song, this chestnut is planted in biblical narratives and calls us into an intimate theology of abiding love. Rev. Victor Floyd delivered this sermon on Sunday, August 23, 2026. The scripture reading was from John 15:10–17.

Kathleen Norris writes, “There is a powerful moment in any religious conversion… in which a person realizes that… it is nothing you have done, but it is all of one event, God’s being there, and being of help.” The author of the hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” concludes that God’s grace calls for “songs of loudest praise.” How do you respond to God’s grace? Guest preacher Rev. Dr. Joanne...

The hymns we sing in church have a theological and often biblical basis. “Holy, Holy, Holy,” one of the most familiar hymns to Presbyterians, takes language from Revelation. Revelation can be a confusing, difficult book, but the writer was responding to the crisis faced by first century Christians: Do we worship God, or the emperor? In 2026, we still have to choose. This sermon was delivered by gu...

What if the glory we're waiting for is already shining through us? Presbyterian trailblazer, Janie Spahr, preaches on Job's cosmos and Mark's mountain — where Transfiguration means seeing what was always true: dazzling glory, holy mountains, and the light hidden in ordinary flesh. Holy Communion. This sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 2, 2026 by guest preacher Rev. Dr. Janie Spahr...

Why do so many of us feel so much pressure to compete, judge, produce, win? The Parable of the Prodigal Son is about two sons. One son learns the hard way that he doesn’t have to earn his father’s love. The other son doesn’t get it. With which son do you identify? The sermon was delivered by guest preacher Rev. Dr. Joanne Whitt. The scripture reading was from Luke 15:11–32.

God does not create for the sake of creating. Rather, God creates in order to enjoy, relate, connect, and abide in love with all that is created. Sabbath allows us to enjoy and rest in that love. This sermon was delivered on July 19, 20206 by Rev. Joann H. Lee. The scripture readings were from Genesis 2:1–3, John 15:9–15.

“Observe the Sabbath day, and keep it holy,” says Deuteronomy's version of the Ten Commandments. Does that sound like one more religious rule that’s too hard, or at least, too inconvenient, to take seriously? Or might an intentional break from our hectic lives be a path to freedom? This sermon was delivered by Rev. Dr. Joanne Whitt on Sunday, July 12, 2026. The scripture readings were from Deu...

The "morning after" our country’s 250th, we turn to a similar would-be dynasty with its own ancient treasury scandal, arbitrary system of discrimination, and freewheeling corruption. As in Queen Esther's time, we live somewhere between our nation's promises and betrayals. And yet miracles still find us! It's as if, all along, they were waiting "for such a time as this.&q...

If you’ve ever thought, “I’ve never heard God’s voice. I couldn't possibly be part of God’s plan or called by God,” the story of Esther is for you! Esther felt the same way. And believe it or not, like Esther, we are called to a particular service, for particular people, in particular times. What do the times call us to do today? Rev. Joann H. Lee delivered this sermon on Sunday, June 28, 2026...

Before Pastor Marci leaves for Sabbatical, she'll share a vision the Session is dreaming for the church, and how we can use this sabbatical time to live into our vision. In our story from Paul's letter to the Romans, we're reminded that we're called to particular service when we follow Jesus. How can we be faithful to who God is calling us to be today? And in our story from Jeremia...

Today we hear the ending of the story of Ruth, and while it is a happy ending, of sorts, Ruth is still “acquired” in a transaction by Boaz at the city gates. As honorably as Boaz behaves in this story, he still buys her as property. At the end of the story, Boaz is still Boaz and Ruth is still a Moabite woman—being acquired at the city gates and praised for her fertility.  What is a faithful respo...

Who is the hero in a story of two women on the margin, looking to survive, praying for a break? What does the story of Ruth and Naomi teach us about the way we care for each other, about the way we structure our society? Where is grace to be gleaned in a story of famine? Rev. Marci A. Glass delivered this sermon on Sunday, June 7, 2026. The scripture reading was from Ruth 2:1–23.

We begin a four-week series on the book of Ruth. In this first chapter we hear about how famine causes Naomi and her family to migrate to the land of Moab. There, they meet Ruth, who will forever change their lives as well as the very lineage of Christ. This story of personal loss and loyalty shows us how to welcome the stranger and care for the marginalized. Ruth is one of two books in the Bible...

God listens to our prayers. Our words? Not so much. God knows what's in our hearts, despite the words we choose. What if we, like the Holy Spirit, were to listen to what's underneath the noise? Perhaps then we could discover true common ground. The sermon was delivered by Rev. Victor A. Floyd on Sunday, May 24, 2026. The scripture reading was from Philippians 4:4–7.

Our passage from the Letter to the Philippians contains what is called the Christ Hymn. Perhaps they used it in worship. It is very poetic language about who Jesus was. Jesus is described in this hymn as someone who 'emptied himself'. We're told in this passage to 'let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus', which means we need to consider what it means to empty ours...

The apostle Paul experienced hardships for his preaching. He was imprisoned, kicked out of towns, and suffered harm. He was willing to talk about his struggles, but he never stopped there. It can be easy to see our struggles as the conclusion of a story. It can be more challenging to see them as a part of a bigger story. In Paul's letter to the Philippians, Paul reminds us to look for the bigg...

In a city crowded with idols and an altar dedicated to an unknown god, the Apostle Paul discovered that humanity's deepest restlessness is itself a longing for the One in whom we live, move, and have our being. As we dwell in the sacred space between the resurrection we have celebrated and the Pentecost fire we have yet to receive, this sermon invites us to trust that the God who raised Jesus...

When the earthquake opens every door and every chain falls loose, Paul and Silas don’t run. That inexplicable refusal — we are all here — is what converts a jailer, and what might yet convert us. The sermon was delivered by Rev. Victor A. Floyd on Sunday, April 26, 2026. The scripture reading was from Acts 16:16–34.

Paul’s conversion is one of the most dramatic stories in scripture. But if you had told 20 year old Paul that 2000 years later we would know him as the most prolific writer about Jesus, he would not have believed it. What a second act! Do we give people space to live their second acts? Or do we decide that what we already know of them is all we need to know? The sermon was delivered on Sunday, Apr...

On this Confirmation Sunday, we read about Thomas, the disciple who doubted and would not believe until he saw Jesus with his own eyes. He is usually viewed negatively, but certainity is the very opposite of faith. Without our doubts, how can we profess to have faith? Join us this Sunday and bring your faith and your doubts! This sermon was delivered by Rev. Joann Lee on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Th...