The Sunday Sermon with J. Wesley Holcomb

In this sermon, we are invited into the quiet urgency of choosing the one thing necessary. Drawing from Luke 10:38–42, the story of Mary and Martha, this message explores the tension between holy activity and holy attention. Through reflections on Amos, Psalm 15, and Colossians 1, and with wisdom from the Desert Fathers, the sermon gently warns of the danger of missing Christ’s presence, even in t...

This sermon on Luke 10:1–11, 16–20, explores the missional call of Jesus to a life that is bold, vulnerable, and grounded in peace. Drawing from both Scripture and the words of civil rights leader Vernon Jordan, he reflects on the cosmic consequences of faithful discipleship and the power of God's people to cast down the forces of evil through love, justice, and embodied witness. This sermon remin...

This sermon invites us into the long, faithful work of following Christ after the fire of Pentecost and the mystery of Trinity Sunday. Preaching from Luke 8:26–39, it explores Jesus’ encounter with the Gerasene demoniac as a revelation of how the Triune God crosses boundaries to restore, heal, and send. With pastoral clarity and prophetic urgency, the sermon calls the Church to become a community...

This sermon explores the living mystery of the Trinity through Jesus’ promise that the Spirit will guide the Church into all truth. It proclaims that the unity of God is not abstract but incarnate, not distant but drawing near. In a world fractured by division, this sermon invites the faithful to be shaped by the Spirit who declares the oneness of God and forms the Church to live that unity in gra...

Preached at The Episcopal Church of the Atonement, Washington, DC Occasion: Laetare Sunday – Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year C (March 30, 2025) Text: Luke 15:11–32 This sermon invites us to pause in the wilderness and sit with the often-overlooked pain of the elder son. On Laetare Sunday, a moment of rejoicing in the midst of Lent, we hear not only the story of the prodigal's return, but also the ache...

This is The Sunday Sermon, a podcast rooted in Holy Scripture and formed by the Church’s sacramental life and the broad tapestry of its diverse preaching traditions.   A portion of “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” performed by The Festival Choir and Hosanna Chorus. Used with appreciation. Full recording available at soundcloud.com/thefestivalchoirandhosannachorus.