Sunday Sermons

In his senior sermon delivered on September 29, 2025 at Virginia Theological Seminary, St. David’s seminarian Daniel Bentley explores the concept of Bethel, the dwelling place of God. He begins by discussing the elusive nature of angels, who appear during crises and in sacred spaces where heaven and earth intersect. Referencing Jacob’s dream of angels at Bethel, he connects this imagery to Jesus,...

This sermon from Sunday, 9/28, the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, preached by Rev. Kristen Hawley at St. David’s Episcopal Church, draws on the Gospel of Luke and its distinctive narratives. Rev. Hawley begins with a playful nod to George Thoroughgood and Bo Didley before delving into the rich context of Luke’s writing. She highlights key parables and stories unique to Luke, emphasizing the mes...

This sermon, delivered by Rev. Jordan Rippy at St. David's Episcopal Church on September 22nd, delves into one of Jesus' most challenging parables—the Parable of the Unjust Steward. Rev. Jordan explores the complexities and interpretations of the parable, highlighting the steward's shrewdness and the surprising praise he receives. The sermon emphasizes themes of wealth, stewardship, and spiritual...

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, September 14th, the fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost. In this sermon, Rev. Kristen Hawley reflects on the well-known parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. She provides a unique perspective by emphasizing the absolute need for a search party and the importance of realizing that everyone is lost and in n...

This sermon was preached by Rev. Jim Quigley at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, September 7th, the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Rev. Quigley shares his personal journey from owning a metal fabrication business to answering his call to the priesthood. He reflects on the difficult yet rewarding path of discipleship, interpreting Jesus' challenging teachings in the Gospel of Luke. By sh...

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, August 31st, the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost. Seminarian Daniel Bentley shares a personal testimony of his journey as an immigrant, highlighting the principles of hospitality and mutual love as reflected in the teachings of Jesus and various biblical texts. Bentley reflects on his citizenship ceremony experi...

In the sermon preached on Sunday, August 24th, the eleventh Sunday after Pentecost at St. David's, the Rev. Jordan Rippy engages the congregation with interactive Bible trivia before exploring the significance of the Sabbath. Drawing on scripture from Genesis and Isaiah, Jordan discusses the Sabbath as a holy day of rest, its observation by modern Jews, and its importance for Christians. The sermo...

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, 8/17, the tenth Sunday after Pentecost. In this heartfelt sermon, Rev. Kristen Hawley reflects on her return to the congregation after a three-month sabbatical. She uses compelling analogies and storytelling to explore themes of faith, perseverance, and the supportive power of the 'great cloud of witnesses.' Dr...

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, August 10th, on the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost. In this heartfelt sermon, the Rev. Jim Quigley shares his personal struggles with nervousness and reflects on a significant moment from his time in seminary. He connects this with the Scripture from Luke and the Abrahamic narrative in Genesis, emphasizing the im...

This sermon, delivered by Rev. John McDuffie on Sunday, August 3rd, the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost at St. David's Episcopal Church, addresses themes of mortality and the true value of material possessions. Drawing from the day's Scripture readings, including Ecclesiastes, Psalm 49, and the parable of the rich fool from the Gospel, Rev. McDuffie encourages the congregation to reflect on life's d...

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, July 20th, on the Sixth Sunday After Pentecost. In his message, Rev. Jim Quigley discusses the biblical stories of Abraham at the Oaks of Mara and Jesus visiting Martha and Mary. He explores the themes of hospitality toward God and the balance between active and contemplative spirituality, emphasizing that both...

This sermon by Rev. John McDuffie, delivered on the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, July 13th, delves into the timeless Parable of the Good Samaritan. Rev. McDuffie examines the well-known story and its traditional moral lessons of compassion and helping others. He connects the parable to contemporary issues such as societal and racial tensions, using exampl...

This sermon by Grace Kreher, delivered on Sunday, 7/6, the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, at St. David's Episcopal Church, delves into historical and Biblical narratives to explore the concept of boundaries. Kreher recounts Martin Luther's defiant stand at the Diet of Worms and connects it to Jesus's instructions to his disciples about shaking the dust off their feet when their message is not rece...

This sermon explores the challenging call to follow Jesus unwaveringly, drawing on biblical passages and the notion of addiction as a metaphor for spiritual commitment. The speaker references Vernon Johnson's book 'I'll Quit Tomorrow' to highlight the importance of making a decisive and unconditional commitment to the values of Christianity. The discussion emphasizes the difficulty of embodying th...

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, June 22nd, the Second Sunday after Pentecost. In her sermon, Jordan reflects on a personal experience related to a tragic shooting at St. Stephens and explores profound theological questions about the nature of miracles, the existence of evil, and the presence of God. Drawing from a Gospel reading about Jesus'...

On Trinity Sunday, June 15th, at St. David's Episcopal Church, Rev. John McDuffy delivered a sermon reflecting on the Feast of the Holy Trinity. He acknowledged the complexity and mystery of the Trinity, choosing not to explain the doctrine but instead emphasizing God's relationship with creation. He recounted an anecdote from his seminary days about the Reverend Dr. Charles Price and shared insig...

This recording is from the sermon preached by Rev. Jim Quigley at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, June 8th, Pentecost Sunday. In his message, Rev. Quigley dives deep into the essence of Pentecost, emphasizing the importance of the Holy Spirit and the significance of speaking the Gospel in a language that others can understand. By offering definitions and contextualizing Pentecost within th...

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, May 25th, on the Sixth Sunday in Easter. In this sermon, Rev. Jim Quigley reflects on the journey of faith through the lens of John Stott's spiritual transformation, inspired by Eric Nash's teachings. He connects this reflection to the baptism of Charlotte May Johnson, encouraging the congregation to recommit t...

This is a sermon preached by the Rev. Jordan Rippy on Sunday, 5/18, the Fifth Sunday in Easter, at St. David's Episcopal Church. In it, Rev. Jordan explores the Book of Revelation, emphasizing its vivid imagery and symbols and debunking common myths. She clarifies that Revelation was a message for ancient Christian communities, encouraging worship, witness, waiting, and hope. The sermon reflects o...

This is a recording from the sermon preached by Rev. Kristen Hawley at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, May 11th, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also Mother's Day. Rev. Hawley uses Mother's Day as a backdrop to discuss what mothers truly want and contrasts the societal misconceptions with the concept of 'being with' rather than 'doing for.' She delves into Psalm 23, emphasizing the importance...

This is a recording of the Children's Sermon delivered by seminarian Daniel Bentley on Sunday, May 4th, 2025, the third Sunday of Easter. In this sermon, Bentley engages the young members of the congregation in understanding the significance of Easter and Jesus' resurrection. Through interactive storytelling and dialogue, he explains that Jesus rising from the dead in a physical body emphasizes th...

This is a recording of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kristen Hawley at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, April 27th, the Second Sunday of Easter. Rev. Hawley underscores the ongoing celebration of Easter, emphasizing the importance of maintaining joy and the discipline of feasting throughout the 50-day season. She critiques the church's label of 'Low Sunday' and discusses the tendency to focu...

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, April 20th, 2025, on Easter Sunday. In this sermon, Rev. Kristen Hawley recalls the Gospel story of the women discovering the empty tomb and encountering angels in dazzling clothes. Amidst themes of grief and joy, Rev. Hawley underscores the unexpected nature of Easter, emphasizing that it defies cynicism and g...

This sermon from Saturday, April 19th, during the Easter Vigil, is delivered by Rev. Jordan Rippy. Rev. Rippy takes congregants on a liturgical journey from the solemn moments of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday to the celebratory joy of the Resurrection. Highlighting the transformation of sorrow into hope, Rev. Rippy recounts the experiences of Mary, Joanna, and other women at the empty tomb, emph...

On Good Friday, April 18th, Rev. Jim Quigley delivers a poignant sermon on the works of RS Thomas, an Anglican priest and poet whose writings frequently explore the presence of God through His perceived absence. Quigley delves into Thomas' concept of 'via negativa,' where God's presence is felt in His absence, and how this challenges and enriches the spiritual journey. Drawing parallels with the c...