Calvary Presbyterian Church San Francisco

What makes for a trustworthy prophet? Let’s learn a spiritually sound way to vet our current-day prophets. We need clarity—and hope—for these troubled times. And, friends, there is hope! The sermon was delivered by Rev. Victor A. Floyd on February

The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on February 9, 2025. The scripture reading was from Luke 7:1-17 .

Rest and sabbath are necessary. As such, work was prohibited on the sabbath in observance of God's example in creation and commandment in Exodus. But when do our rules hinder rather than promote healing, wholeness, and shalom in our lives? Are Sabbath Day sins allowable in certain circumstances? The sermon was delivered on February 2, 2025 by Rev. Joann H. Lee. The scripture reading was from L...

In today's Gospel lesson, we'll hear the story of the disciples becoming disciples –the moment they followed Jesus. Do you have a moment when you followed Jesus? Or did it happen over time? Are you still figuring out what it means to follow Jesus? Come and see what God is calling us to today.  The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on January 26, 2025. The scripture reading was fr...

Jesus preached a message that still changes the world. Dr. King received it and heeded it—God's undying promise of release, recovery and repair. The sermon was delivered on Sunday, January 19, 2025 by Rev. Victor Floyd. The scripture reading was from Luke 4:14-30.

When John shows up in the wilderness, baptizing the crowds and preaching a message of repentance, all of the people asked him, 'what then should we do?' 2,000 years later, we are asking the same question. How do we live faithful lives in a complicated world? How can we follow Jesus, together? The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on Sunday, January 12, 2025. The scripture reading was fro...

When it is dark outside, your eyes adjust to the dark and shadows, even if you can't see quite as well as you would by day. But if someone shines a bright light at you when you're used to the dark, it takes a while to adjust to the light. What was it like for people to adjust to the light of the world after growing accustomed to the shadows? Join us as we celebrate Epiphany, which is the day the c...

The sermon was delivered by Rev. Victor Floyd on December 29, 2024. The scripture reading was from Matthew 2:13-23.

God promises to bring comfort to God's people. But the descriptions of valleys being lifted up and mountains brought low, sound uncomfortable to anyone who has survived a remodeling project. We'll look for the comfort in what God wants us to build.  The sermon was delivered on December 22, 2024 by Rev. Marci A. Glass. The scripture reading was from Isiah 40.

Our theme for this Advent season is “Longing for Light.” We long for light because we are weary and tired of the long nights and brutally short days. So how does a weary world rejoice? Can we experience joy in the midst of all that is happening in the world and in our lives? The poet Toi Derricotte writes, “Joy is an act of resistance.” So joy is not frivolous; it is necessary. Let us find joy tog...

In our culture, the 'good guy' rides the white horse, not the dark horse. We often equate darkness with evil or sin, and we see it play out in devastating ways when white skinned people are praised and dark skinned people are feared. And while there is lots of scriptural imagery about the power and goodness of light, there are also references to the gifts of darkness. While we long for light, let...

Our Advent theme is "Longing for light". The days are shorter, so we do miss actual sunlight at this time of the year. But the world seems darker, in metaphorical ways, too. The first Sunday of Advent we light a candle of peace, and we consider our call to be messengers of peace to a world that traffics in discord. The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on December 1, 2024. The scripture...

The sermon was delivered by Rev. Victor Floyd on November 24, 2024. The scripture reading was from Isiah chapter 6.

A sermon delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on November 18. The scripture reading was from Isiah 43: 14- 21. The profit Isaiah tells his people that God is about to do a new thing. He asks if they can perceive it. But his people are in exile in a foreign country and the 'new' things they've experienced have been terrible. When God promises a new thing, it is good news, and it is not something we cou...

A sermon delivered by Rev. Joann H. Lee on November 10, 2024. The scripture reading was from Jonah 1:1-17; 3:1-10 [4:1-11]. The story of Jonah is one of a God who will not let us go, even when we're on the run. This whale of a tale is one of a God whose mercies and grace abound even to people whom others hate and cannot forgive.

A sermon delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on November 3, 2024. The scripture reading was from 1 Kings 17:1-24. In the story of Elijah, he delivers a word from the Lord that is not good news. The punishment for the evil of King Ahab is that a drought will come upon the land. Where do we think God is when we hear news of droughts, famines, earthquakes and other disasters? We understand how the weath...

A sermon delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on Sunday, October 27, 2024. The scripture reading was from 1 Kings 5:1-5; 8:27-30, 41-43. As we read the story of Solomon building a house for God, let's think about what we're building in our world, in our families, and in our community.

Does God anoint the unjust to rule over us? Many Christians currently say so. After all, God chose King David, and he was far from virtuous. But God's covenant transcends David. God's covenant promises us a society of dignity, freedom, and community.  The sermon was delivered by Rev. Victor Floyd on October 20, 2024. Preceding the sermon, Reverend Victor played Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" on the...

Today we hear a story of a woman whose faith in God is so complete that she hands her only child, the one she prayed so desperately for, over to the Temple, as an offering. She's all in. What would it take for us to have that much faith in God, that we could be 'all in', give up our illusions of control and entrust things to God? The sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on October 13, 2024....

When the Israelites are waiting in the wilderness for Moses to come back down from Mt Sinai, they get restless and anxious. They take matters into their own hands and fashion their own golden god by melting down their earrings and their grandmother's candlesticks.  Why are we like that? What makes us forget who we are the minute we get anxious and worried? How can we build up our resilience to pro...

The story of the Passover and subsequent Exodus is THE defining story of the Israelites. When God liberates the Hebrew people from slavery and bondage in Egypt, God proclaims a preferential option for the poor and oppressed. Liberation is the promise of Passover, and God's work in the world. Let us join God in that work! The sermon was delivered by Rev. Joann H. Lee on September 29, 2024. The scri...

The story of Joseph and his brothers includes generational trauma, dysfunction, and the grace of God. How do we tell our own family stories? Can we claim the good, bad, and ugly of what happens and see a path through it toward God? This sermon was delivered by Rev. Marci A. Glass on September 22, 2024. The scripture reading was from Genesis 37:3-8, 17b-22, 26-34; 50:15-21.

A sermon by guest preacher Rev. Bruce A. Barkhauer delivered on September 15, 2024. The scripture reading was from Luke 21:5-28.

In the second creation story in Genesis 2, God creates one human. And then God creates birds, mammals, reptiles, and all other kinds of animal life because 'it is not good for the human to be alone'. The final (should we say pinnacle?) of creation is woman, meant so humans will be helpers for each other. What does it mean to be created as helpers? Join us as we kick off our program year! T...

Augustine of Hippo declared, “The one who sings prays twice.” This end-of-the-summer worship service celebrates the Spirit’s movement onstage—God alive and still speaking to us through plays and musicals. The scripture readings were from Ecclesiastes 4:7–12, 1 John 3:11-18, and 1 Corinthians 4:9-13.