Sunday Sermons

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, December 14th, the Third Sunday in Advent. In this sermon, Seminarian Daniel Bentley reflects on the significance of ‘Joyful Sunday’ during the penitential season of Advent. Bentley delves into the scriptural narrative, focusing on John the Baptist’s question about Jesus’ true identity. He explores themes of do...

Rev. Amanda Akes-Cardwell shares a poignant reflection on her faith journey. Through a significant moment when her son Sammy questions the crucifixion of Jesus, Rev. Amanda draws parallels to the current struggles faced by her community, emphasizing the importance of holding fast to the confession of hope. She explores the deep Christian belief in God’s faithfulness, encouraging her congregants to...

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, December 7th, on the Second Sunday in Advent, during the 8:00 am service. In this sermon, Rev. Jim Quigley delves into the unique nature of the Advent season, emphasizing its invitation to wonder and awe. Through reflections and anecdotes, Rev. Quigley encourages the congregation to engage with the world and th...

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, November 30th, the First Sunday in Advent. In this sermon, Rev. Jordan Rippy reflects on the unpredictability of the future through the lens of Wendell Berry’s essay ‘Leaving the Future Behind’ and the Gospel of Matthew’s ‘Little Apocalypse.’ Rev. Rippy discusses the importance of embracing uncertainty and bein...

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, 11/23, Christ the King Sunday. In this sermon, Rev. Kristen Hawley reflects on the significance of Christ the King Sunday and Thanksgiving, highlighting the importance of gratitude, humility, and community. Through the story of her shared birthday experience with her brother and historical insights, Hawley unde...

Rev. Jim Quigley delivers a poignant sermon at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. on November 16th, the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost. Amidst reflections on Christian eschatology and its complexities, he shares a personal story about his father’s bravery during World War II and contrasts it with a moment of panic. Through these anecdotes, Rev. Quigley examines the importance of...

This sermon, delivered by Rev. Kristen Hawley at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, November 9th (the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost), explores the importance and symbolism of signs in our lives. It discusses how we all carry signs that convey who we are, pointing out that Jesus was challenged by the Sadducees in the gospel regarding resurrection and authority. Rev....

This is a recording from the All Souls Requiem Service preached at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, November 2nd. Rev. Kristen Hawley delivered a sermon reflecting on the significance of All Souls Day, a time dedicated to commemorating all the departed. She speaks about the interconnectedness of life and death and emphasizes that no one is lost in the economy of God. Rev. Hawley encourages...

This sermon, delivered by Rev. Jordan Rippy at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, October 26th, the nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, reflects on the significance of the Nobel Prize and its winners as a testament to human perseverance, ingenuity, and the importance of community. Through anecdotes, such as Fred Ramsdale’s unexpected Nobel Prize in Medicine and Wangari Maathai’s influential en...

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, October 19th, 2023, the nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost. In this sermon, seminarian Daniel Bentley reflects on the life of Mother Theresa, focusing on her internal spiritual struggles and comparing them to the biblical story of Jacob wrestling with God. Bentley emphasizes that struggles and doubts are a natur...

This is a recording from the sermon preached by Rev. Jordan Rippy at St. David’s Episcopal Church during a 5 pm Celtic Service on Sunday, October 12, the eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost. In this sermon, Rev. Jordan delves into the difficult topics of death, dying, and the grief that accompanies them. She references the biblical story of Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones, highlighting the themes...

In this sermon delivered by the Rev. Kristen Hawley at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC on Sunday, 10/12, the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, the biblical story of the healing of the ten lepers is explored. Traditionally, the focus is on the one leper who returned to thank Jesus, highlighting the importance of gratitude. Rev. Kristen delves deeper by examining the personalities an...

This sermon was preached by Rev. Jim Quigley at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, October 5th, during the seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost. Rev. Jim reflects on spiritual journeys as described by St. Theresa of Avila, drawing parallels between her teachings and the challenges faced by Jesus’ disciples. He elaborates on the idea of purification, illumination, and union in the spiritual doma...

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...