Calvary Presbyterian Church San Francisco

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...

Mary went to the tomb on Easter morning while it was still dark. She encountered the living Christ not after day had dawned, not when things were looking hopeful, but while it was still dark. What might the Easter story have to say to our world today? Where is resurrection in our midst? The sermon was delivered on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026 by Rev. Marci A. Glass. The scripture reading was from...

The sermon was delivered by Rev. Joann H. Lee on Good Friday, April 3, 2026. The scripture readings were from Isaiah 53:1–5, 53:6–9 , and John 19:23–42.

What we get before Palm Sunday in John’s gospel is the story of people who are ALL IN, saying enough is enough if a culture of violence wants to keep people in their graves. Enough is enough if generosity and abundance are scorned. Enough is enough if talking about new life is threatening to people in power . They lead us to the parade with the reminder to give it all away for love. The sermon was...

In this passage from John's gospel, we're reminded that while the occupying Roman government murdered Jesus, they did so with the encouragement of Jesus' own people. What does this story have to say for how we live together, how we acknowledge our mistakes, and how we are called to be faithful today? Rev. Marci Glass delivered the sermon was on Sunday, March 22, 2026. The scripture rea...

After Pilate examines Jesus, he finds no fault in him. And yet, he offers the crowd a choice any way: release Jesus or Barabbas? The crowd chooses Barabbas, a convicted criminal over Jesus. How do we continue to choose Barabbas over Jesus still today? Come worship with us as we try to make good choices that reflect Christ's love and peace.  Rev. Joann Lee delivered this sermon on Sunday, March...

In today's reading, Peter denies Jesus three times. Peter isn’t any worse than any other sheep in God’s flock. Here, at least, he’s also not better. We are people, like Peter, who deny.We deny our connectedness. We divide into “us and them”.We seek easy answers to complicated questions. Denial is not the end of Peter's story. It doesn't have to be the end of ours either. Whatever answ...

On the night we expect bread and cup, John’s gospel gives us a towel and a basin. Jesus kneels, turning ritual into relationship and power into vulnerable love. Communion is not words at a table, but embodied connection that changes and binds us together—when we dare to be present.  Rev. Victor Floyd delivered this sermon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. The scripture reading was from John 13:1–17.

The rhythm of living, dying, and rising is the story of our faith, and the rhythm of our lives. We worship a man who rose from the dead. After he had lived. And after he died. As we enter the season of Lent, we'll focus on the story of Lazarus, and see how living, dying, and rising affected him and his community. The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci Glass on Sunday, February 22, 2026. The script...

In John's Gospel, the signs Jesus performs are supposed to point people to see who Jesus is, to connect them to God. But in the sign of the blind man receiving his sight, it doesn't seem to work. When Jesus' signs don't match what we know to be true in the world, do we dismiss them, explain them away? The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci Glass on Sunday, February 15, 2026. The sc...

“In the ways that are exemplified by Calvary, I think San Francisco has changed for the better. Because Calvary and a lot of people in San Francisco and causes rooted in San Francisco are for justice and equality.” Fran Moreland Johns' life is continually colored by a passionate energy for involvement and action. Born in Brazil to Methodist missionaries, her progressive activism and dynamic wr...

Many of us feel things are falling apart-either in our personal, professional, or public life. How can suffering invite us toward deeper freedom, integrity, and trust in God? How can our helplessness transform us into the people God has created us to be? The sermon was delivered by guest preacher Rev. Mark Yaconelli on Sunday, February 8, 2026. The scripture reading was from John 4:46–54.

We live in a world full of shallow wells, creating a thirsty, isolated world. There’s a lot of anxiety in the world, in the church, because we turn to those shallow wells and are never satisfied. Jesus offers the Woman at the Well living water. What would it take for us to leave our water jars by our wells so we can have our thirst slaked and our souls renewed with living water? The sermon was del...