60 Church Street

This episode explores the truth that God’s love is given before we perform, not earned by our actions. Drawing on scripture and research, the speaker shows how Jesus’ death and the Holy Spirit’s outpouring grant us peace, courage, and hope even amid suffering. Listeners are invited to stop striving for acceptance, receive grace freely, and live renewed lives that pursue justice and compassion from...

Rev. Amy Peterson tells the story of Basil of Caesarea, a 4th-century bishop whose Christian theology of care led to the first hospital — a place where the sick, poor, and travelers could receive treatment and shelter. The sermon connects that history to modern acts of Christian imagination and justice (integration, women’s leadership, marriage equality) and calls listeners to envision and create...

This episode reflects on Trinity Sunday, using the experience of human love to explain how Christians know God not by proof but by relationship. It explores how God is revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — three persons in one divine communion — and how that mystery shows God’s presence in creation and human relationships. The homily emphasizes that believers are created for relationship, hig...

This homily reflects on how the stories we tell and the meals we share reveal God’s presence, centering on the Emmaus account where the disciples recognize Jesus when he blesses, breaks, and gives the bread. It invites listeners to trust that Christ meets us on the road, helps complete our incomplete stories, and calls everyone into a universal lineage of faith through communion. We’re glad you’re...

This episode reflects on the Easter story: the grieving women at the empty tomb, the angel’s words "Do not be afraid," and how the resurrection overturns worldly assumptions about death and power. It contrasts human reassurances with the radical invitation to trust that God makes the impossible possible. Through trembling ground and astonished joy, the homily encourages listeners to move from fear...

This episode features a Palm Sunday homily inviting listeners to participate in Holy Week, explaining the procession into Jerusalem, the contrast between Jesus’ humility and Roman power, and the significance of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. Through biblical reflection and personal stories, the speaker encourages the congregation to remember Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and to j...

Reverend Amy Peterson reflects on Psalm 23 alongside Isaiah 25, imagining what it means that God "prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." She explores images of enemies bound, excluded, and—in a hopeful turn—invited to the banquet, using these poetic visions to consider reconciliation, safety, and divine care. Reverend Peterson stresses this is descriptive, not prescriptive, a...

Rev. Mike Reardon reflects on Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, highlighting her isolation, his unexpected humility, and the life-changing offer of "living water." The sermon traces how this encounter reveals human powerlessness and God's sustaining grace. Framed for Lent, the message invites listeners to receive the gift of grace they did not earn, to recognize their need,...

Rev. Amy Peterson explores John’s encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus, reframing “being born again” as a tender rebirth from God’s womb with the Spirit as midwife. The sermon invites listeners to rest in God’s nurturing care and to be transformed into a whole new life rather than relying on mere self-improvement. We’re glad you’re here. This homily was offered in the presence of the congregation...

In the wilderness temptation, Jesus refuses quick fixes: bread to satisfy appetite, power to secure control, and spectacle to prove faith. This sermon explores how Lent asks us to practice honest 'no's to make room for God's sustaining grace, showing that faithful refusals can shape us as deeply as our affirmations. We’re glad you’re here. This homily was offered in the presence of the congregatio...

As Epiphany ends and Lent begins, this homily reflects on God’s proclamation of Jesus as the beloved Son and the urgent command to “listen to him.” Using the image of a lamp in a dark room, it calls us to name the darkness, attend to the light Jesus brings, and discern true teaching from false by how it echoes the prophets and Christ. Practical and pastoral, the message urges daily practices—praye...

On the fourth Sunday of Advent and the winter solstice, Rev. Amy Peterson reflects on the psalmic plea "Show us the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved." She explores how, like plants toward the sun and babies learning to smile, humanity turns toward Gods light in the midst of global darkness and suffering. The sermon traces Jesus as the true light who reveals our true nature, holding...

This episode connects recent floods and droughts to the realities of climate change and global injustice, urging listeners to recognize the human and ecological cost of our choices. Through reflections on John the Baptist’s call to "repent" and biblical visions of a flourishing creation, the homily offers both sobering diagnosis and hopeful encouragement to change our habits, defend the needy, and...

Nearly a thousand years ago Princess Elizabeth left palace life to care for the poor—selling jewels, opening granaries, founding a hospital, and living as a Franciscan lay associate after her husband’s death. Her life of service overturned royal privilege and modeled sacrificial love. Her story is remembered on Christ the King Sunday, a feast created in 1925 as a reminder that God’s kingdom revers...

In this episode Rev. Dr. R. Scott White reflects on Luke's gospel about the temple to remind listeners that beautiful buildings and programs cannot save us — only God's grace can. He gives thanks for 13 years of ministry at Trinity, honors the long legacy of saints and the congregation’s generosity, and emphasizes the church’s mission to welcome, serve, and bear witness to God’s love. Looking ahea...

Rev. Dr. Ian Markham reflects on All Saints Day, connecting the lections from Ephesians and Luke to how the church and the Eucharist shape us into saints. The sermon highlights the gift of life, the importance of community, and how small acts of love and gratitude allow God to transform ordinary moments into holiness. We’re glad you’re here. This homily was offered in the presence of the congregat...

Rev. Dr. R. Scott White reflects on the preciousness of faith and the grace of God, drawing on a pilgrimage to Iona, Paul’s final letter to Timothy, and a J.R.R. Tolkien anecdote to show how the gospel compels and transforms lives. We’re glad you’re here. This homily was offered in the presence of the congregation. If this reflection offered a moment of peace or perspective, we’d be grateful if yo...

This episode explores how memory shapes faith — recalling God’s saving acts from the Exodus to Christ’s resurrection and how scripture repeatedly calls God’s people to remember. Remembering is more than recollection: in worship and sacraments like Passover and the Eucharist the past is made present. Paul’s charge to Timothy — "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead" — urges a simple, life-giv...

On the one year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, this episode reflects on the sudden return of darkness and vulnerability. Using Psalm 91 as its guide, the homily explores historical practices—lamps, amulets, and the monastic Compline—that communities used to find shelter and reassurance. Reverend Amy Peterson invites listeners to remember human frailty, the presence of unseen forces, and the comf...

This episode explores Luke 14, where Jesus upends social etiquette at a Sabbath meal and teaches a countercultural ethic of hospitality and humility. Through the parable about seating and reflections on the Eucharist, the homily invites listeners to come to God’s table as they are—empty-handed but fully beloved—embracing inclusion and grace.   This homily was offered in the presence of the congreg...

Rev. Dr. R. Scott White reflects on Jeremiah’s call: that God knows and loves each person before birth, calls us to share the good news in our unique gifts, and gives us the power to build up and plant God’s kingdom. As a new year of formation begins, this homily invites the congregation to respond to God’s unchanging call by loving, serving, and growing faith within the community and beyond. This...

Rev. Dr. R. Scott White reflects on the tension between seeking stability in the church and following Jesus who sometimes brings division and disruption. Drawing on Luke’s gospel and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, he explores how the gospel calls believers to challenge systems that oppress the children of God. This episode of 60 Church Street (Trinity Episcopal Church, Ashev...

This episode presents a homily on Jesus’ parable of the rich farmer whose hoarded harvest leads to a stark reminder that wealth cannot save us and can become dangerous when it replaces trust in God. The preacher explores stewardship, urging faithful use of resources for the kingdom, offers real examples of generosity at Trinity Church, and invites listeners to reflect on how their possessions can...

When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, he gives them the Lord's Prayer word for word. This episode explores how Jesus’ instructions shape a communal, disciplined, and heartfelt conversation with God. Key themes include the prayer’s petitions—God’s holiness and reign, daily dependence, forgiveness, and deliverance from evil—and the idea that prayer is a taught habit that forms our hear...

In this episode of 60 Church Street, we explore the essence of what it means to be a neighbor, drawing inspiration from the life and teachings of Fred Rogers. The Rev. Robert Zito reflects on the parable of the Good Samaritan, highlighting the complexities and emotional investments required to truly embrace our neighbors. This thought-provoking sermon takes us through an interfaith wedding experie...