Bryn Athyn Church Family Service

Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds all knew about the Lord's birth and its significance because they were informed directly and specifically by angelic messengers. But how did the Wise Men know to come? They reported that they had "seen His star in the East." But how did they know that it was "His" star? How did they know what it meant?  Readings: Matthew 2:1-6 ; Arcana Coele...

When Zacharias’ mouth was opened after being mute, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and he prophesied. We will go through the words he said, as a way of reflecting on what the Lord accomplished when He came. We will also reflect on what each of us might say if we were filled with the Holy Spirit. Readings: Exodus 4:10-12 , Luke 1:63-79 , True Christian Religion 154 Minister: Rev. Malcolm G. Smit...

After the shepherds had visited the newborn Jesus, “they made widely known the saying which was spoken to them concerning this little Child.” Mary, meanwhile, “kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:17-19). At Christmas, we have the opportunity to both joyfully proclaim the Lord’s birth and quietly reflect on what His birth means for our lives and for the world. Readings: P...

Choices are like a magnifying glass - we magnify the thoughts and feelings that capture our attention at any given point in time which means we can “magnify” negative thoughts and feelings just as easily as positive ones. But something miraculous happens when we, like Mary, in the face of our worries and concerns, consciously and deliberately magnify the Lord. We start to see and feel things we ne...

“The Lord’s Birth: His Introduction to Us, Allowing Us to Get to Know the God of the Universe” The Lord’s birth on earth allows us to see things we could never see or understand on our own. Unless He lived on Earth, we could not know how He loves us. Without the stories of the New Testament, we would not know how to serve Him and prepare for heavenly life. Readings: Isaiah 9:3-7 , John 15: 1-10 ,...

(Exodus 20:12) Our heavenly Father is perfect, but this commandment calls us not just to honor Him but also to honor our literal parents and other imperfect human beings who make up His church. How do we keep this commandment in every sense? Readings: 1 Samuel 24 , Luke 2:41-52 , True Christian Religion 305 -307 (portions) Minister: Rev. Coleman S. Glenn Delivered November 30th, 2025 at the Bryn A...

A lot of work and preparation goes into our Thanksgiving celebrations, but even before we do any of our work there are countless others whom we will probably never meet who have made it all possible. Similarly, the Lord is the source of all goodness that we experience in our lives, but we don't necessarily see it. How can we give thanks to the Lord or these people who work "invisibly&quo...

Our church has beautiful teachings that people of any faith can go to heaven. Does this mean it doesn’t matter what we believe? The simple answer is “of course it matters.” This Sunday we will learn about how important it is.  Readings: 1 Samuel 10 , 13 ; Divine Providence 330 ;  True Christianity 107 , 142 Minister: Rev. Jeffrey O. Smith Delivered November 23rd, 2025 at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral i...

We all go through seasons of life where we search for meaning and guidance. We can picture the kind of life we want, but we aren’t sure how to get there. When Elijah is sent to visit a widow in 1 Kings 17, he asks her for something that she isn’t sure she can give. In their interaction, we find the answer to what we can do when we aren’t sure what path we should take.  Readings: 1 Kings 17:8-16 ,...

(Exodus 20:8) The Hebrew word for “Sabbath” means rest. Physical and mental “rest” is relatively easy to obtain but a holy day of rest requires a different mindset and a different skill set. This commandment draws our attention to the fact that the quality of our Sabbath Day is directly proportional to how things go during the "six days of labor" leading up to it, and how we view the cha...

How we develop our minds on a firm foundation of knowledge and truth is a subject that has been of keen interest to those interested in New Church education over the years. Two stories that deal with this are building our house upon a rock and the children of Israel leaving Egypt and taking their gold, silver, and garments with them. Come and see if it is really safe to borrow from the Egyptians a...

It can be hard to figure out how the Lord would like us to be in different situations. Does He want us to be more gentle or more firm? Persistent or adaptable? Should we speak up when something upsets us, or quietly let it go? This Sunday, at our Community Worship Service, we’ll explore questions like these through what the Word teaches about the “heart”—how it can be hardened or strengthened, how...

For all the technological, material advances we’ve made as a society in the last 20 years or so, people report feeling lonelier and unhappier than ever before. The ground has shifted so much, people don’t know what’s real (sacred) anymore. The two great liberators of Israel, Moses and Joshua, couldn’t hear (or understand) the Lord’s message to them until it was pointed out that they were standing...

(1 Samuel 3:10) Samuel’s words remind us that the Lord wishes us to hear many things from Him about how to live our lives. One place He speaks to us is in His Word, for we learn that “the Word's Divine truth is the voice of Jehovah” ( Apocalypse Revealed 218). How else does the Lord call to us, and how can we get better at paying attention?  Readings: 1 Samuel (1 S) 3:1-10 , Revelation (Rev)...

What does it really mean to “take the Lord’s name in vain?” For many of us, this commandment may feel like an easy check mark, but if we look below the surface, we will find that there is much more than meets the eye. In one interaction in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that not everyone who says to Him “Lord, Lord” shall enter the kingdom of heaven. What do His words teach us about the power o...

The Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. As He sat at the table with the twelve disciples at the Last Supper, we can picture the Lord looking each disciple in the eye, one by one, helping them see things they couldn’t have seen on their own. What did He see? How does it help us knowing that the Lord knows us better than we know ourselves? Readings: Matthew (Matt) 10 :27-31; New Jerusalem &...

In the Gospels, sometimes the Lord heals someone in an amazing way but then tells them not to tell anyone. Other times, He specifically instructs them to go and tell others what has happened. This Sunday, we will explore why the Lord might have done this, and what it means for us—when we should keep quiet and when we should spread the good news. Readings: Lamentations (Lam) 3 , Mark 5 , Divine Pro...

“You shall have no other gods before my face.” (Exodus 20:3) This is the first of the Ten Commandments and all the commandments that come after it relate back to it. What and who do we bow down to and serve instead of the Lord our God? How can we learn to identify those gods and reject them and instead love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength? Readings : Exodus...