St. Mark's New Canaan

The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost.  Are our phones shaping us more than we realize? This week, The Rev. John Kennedy compares the story of a woman bent over for 18 years in Luke’s Gospel with our 18-year love affair with smartphones. Learn how to reclaim attention, practice intentional discipleship, and consider “digital Sabbaths” so you can feed on Christ, not on endless scrolling.

Jesus said he came not to bring peace, but division. What could he mean? Discover how real peace sometimes requires conflict with the world’s false peace. The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost.  Fear is everywhere—our newsfeeds, our relationships, our inner thoughts. Yet Scripture tells us again and again: Do not be afraid. In this sermon, discover how faith—real, substantial, lived faith—can set you free.

The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost.  What does it mean to follow Jesus while living in comfort in a world of staggering need? From $1 vitamins to $100 sight restorations, Fr. Peter Walsh challenges us to see how small actions can have an eternal impact. This is a message that will provoke, inspire, and perhaps unsettle—in the best way. You can view the letter sent to Fr. Peter at https://www.stmark...

The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost.  Is prayer supposed to feel this hard? Fr. Peter Walsh explores why many of us struggle to pray—and what Jesus really teaches us through the Lord’s Prayer. With help from golf pro wisdom and St. Paul, he offers a surprising invitation: prayer is not something you start, it’s something you join.

The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost.  What do neuroscience, baseball, and your morning to-do list have to do with following Jesus? Everything! Join Fr. Peter Walsh as he breaks open Luke’s story of Mary and Martha—and reveals why true discipleship isn’t about choosing between action or contemplation but embracing both.

The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost.  In a world that often draws lines between "us" and "them," what does it mean to become the Good Samaritan? Fr. John Kennedy explores Jesus’ radical call to love across boundaries—racial, political, religious—and what it means to be baptized into the heart of Christ. Whether you’ve heard the parable of the Good Samaritan a dozen times or are he...

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost.  In a world obsessed with speed and shortcuts, what does it really mean to follow Christ with patience, intention, and depth? Explore St. Paul’s paradox: salvation is a free gift of grace—yet we still reap what we sow. What’s the difference between cheap grace and the slow, transformative work of God?

As Americans prepare to celebrate freedom, St. Paul’s words hit differently: “For freedom Christ has set us free.” But what kind of freedom is that, exactly? Is it just doing whatever we want? Or is it something deeper, more life-giving—and maybe even more demanding? The Rev. John Kennedy explores the surprising paradox at the heart of Christian freedom: a freedom that isn’t about self-indulgence...

The Second Sunday after Pentecost. Is it really possible to belong just as you are? Explores Paul's radical message: you don’t have to earn your place—you already belong. In a world that pressures us to fit in, succeed, and prove ourselves, the gospel proclaims a freeing truth: accept that you are accepted.

This Trinity Sunday, The Rev. Elizabeth Garnsey takes us beyond doctrine into the mystery of divine love in motion. Explore how the Holy Trinity is not a puzzle to be solved—but a relationship to be lived. As she prepares for sabbatical after seven transformative years, Rev. Elizabeth invites us to find wonder, confront violence with love, and rediscover what it means to be the place where God hap...

The Feast of Pentecost. Bishop Jeff Mello delivers a sermon that speaks directly to our fear, our doubt, and our deepest longings for purpose. He reminds us that the Spirit comes not as a reward, but as an intervention—to break us free from fear and send us into the world with boldness and love. Whether you're seeking hope, courage, or just trying to find your place in the Church, this messag...

The Seventh Sunday of Easter (Youth Sunday).  Henry Hladick reflects on 14 years at St. Mark’s—and how the church became his anchor during the most painful moment of his life. It’s a message about friendship, faith, and what it truly means to show up for one another.

The Seventh Sunday of Easter (Youth Sunday).  Eddie Harrison takes the pulpit to reflect on a lifetime at St. Mark’s—and what it truly means to belong. From the joyful chaos of the Blessing of the Animals to handing out ride tickets at May Fair, Eddie shares how small moments helped him understand the heart of real community.

The Sixth Sunday of Easter. The Rev. John Kennedy takes us deep into a curious Easter gospel that feels more like Lent than Resurrection Sunday. Why does Jesus ask a man if he wants to be healed—and why doesn't the man seem to answer? What happens when healing comes, but gratitude and transformation don’t follow? With wit, wisdom, and a touch of holy disruption, Fr. John explores what it mean...

The Fifth Sunday of Easter.  How do we find our place in a world that feels both chaotic and beautiful? In this stirring reflection, Rev. Elizabeth invites us to consider the practice of praise—not as a shallow response to life’s highs, but as a radical, grounding act in the midst of mystery, loss, and renewal. Drawing wisdom from Psalm 148, she explores how creation itself models a way of living...

In this deeply moving and delightfully humorous Mother's Day sermon, explore the profound interconnectedness of humanity through the lens of maternal love, shared memory, and sacred community. Drawing on everything from personal stories and ancient scripture to Strawberry Shortcake and $30 Mayfair chairs, Fr. Peter Walsh reflects on the power of belonging, the joy of giving, and the divine ca...

The Fifth Sunday in Lent.  What happens when love goes beyond boundaries—beyond reason—and becomes scandalously beautiful? In this powerful and provocative reflection, we explore a moment of biblical PDA—a public display of devotion so intimate, so sensory, and so wild in love that it leaves the room breathless. Join Fr. Peter Walsh in unpacking Mary's radical act of love, the sensuality of s...

Maundy Thursday.  What could Saint Peter and Friedrich Nietzsche possibly have in common? In this powerful and thought-provoking Maundy Thursday sermon, The Rev. John Kennedy explores the deep scandal and radical love at the heart of Jesus’ shocking act of foot washing—and why it offended both Peter and Nietzsche in their own ways. With insight, wit, and piercing clarity, this message invites us t...

On Good Friday, we’re confronted with a question that echoes through time: Which kingdom do we serve—the kingdom of domination or the kingdom of self-giving love? In this powerful and moving sermon, The Rev. Elizabeth Garnsey draws us into the cosmic clash between Caesar and Christ, between force and truth, between the love of power and the power of love. As we stand at the foot of the cross, we a...

The Great Vigil of Easter.  If you've ever wrestled with doubt, darkness, or the limits of human possibility, this sermon will speak to you. Because sometimes, only the impossible will do. The Rev. John Kennedy takes us from the darkness of the cosmos to the impossible hope of the Resurrection with a cosmic, cultural, and deeply personal exploration of despair, death—and the miracle that chan...

Easter Day.  Explore how the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ shattered every human expectation — and how Jesus continues to pull us out of the boxes that confine us today. Full of energy, hope, and real-life connection, this sermon invites you to experience the risen Christ in a radically new way.

The Second Sunday of Easter.  The Rev. Elizabeth Garnsey explores the story of Thomas not as a tale of doubt, but of longing, honesty, and transformation. See how Jesus meets each of us in our rawest places — not with judgment, but with peace, forgiveness, and love. Watch to discover how the resurrection isn't just a past event, but an ongoing invitation to new life.

The Third Sunday of Easter.  In this powerful and heartfelt sermon, The Rev. John Kennedy reflects on the gospel that shaped his own priesthood and was chosen for Pope Francis’ funeral. Drawing moving parallels between the lives of Simon Peter and Pope Francis, he explores the true heart of discipleship: a deep love for Jesus, compassion for the marginalized, and the courage to give all for the sa...

The Fourth Sunday in Lent. Discover the heart of God’s extravagant love. Through Jesus' greatest parable, we explore a love that is reckless, lavish, and transformative—a love that welcomes us home, no matter where we’ve been. Are we the wayward younger son or the resentful elder brother? Or is this story really about the boundless grace of God?