Sermons from St. John’s Episcopal Church

On the Trinity. Fr. Louis Harris. May 31, 2026.

From the propers [https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/ATrinity_RCL.html] this week, Father Harris acknowledges the discomfort and confusion that often surround Trinity Sunday and its seemingly abstract, "out-there" doctrine. Rather than attempting a complex philosophical defense, he reframes church doctrine not as cold, rigid laws meant to dominate us or be weaponized against others, but as living wisdom meant to be inwardly digested, wrestled with, and infused into our hearts. Ultimately, the Trinity serves as a beautiful, dynamic image of the entire cosmos: a movement of love flowing out from the Father and returning through the Son. We are invited to step into the middle of this cosmic journey, moving past blind conformity so that we might be truly formed by this mystery and actively participate in God's love.

Pentecost. Fr. David Houk. May 24, 2026.

Acts 2:1-21 [https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/APentDay_RCL.html#ot1]. Pentecost is God’s plan coming together, which means people coming together.

The Cosmic Prayer. Fr. Louis Harris. May 18, 2026.

From the propers [https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Easter/AEaster7_RCL.html] this week, Father Harris unpacks John 17 where Jesus, facing the looming, ugly inevitability of the cross, turns his eyes to heaven and prays for his disciples. Father Harris explores the cosmic principle of "glory," illustrating how we are created not to glorify ourselves, but to reflect God's goodness, truth, and beauty in our everyday lives. Rather than giving in to the modern anxieties of scarcity and isolation, we are challenged to move past fear and embrace our highest calling: finishing the work God has given us by building a society of friendship, self-offering, and true Christian unity.

The Holy Spirit and you. Fr. David Houk. May 10, 2026.

John 14:15-21 [https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Easter/AEaster6_RCL.html#gsp1]. The Holy Spirit is not a mystery to be understood but a gift to be received.

Troubled. Fr. Louis Harris. May 3, 2026.

From the propers [https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Easter/AEaster5_RCL.html]this week, Father Harris discusses the reality of living in a world that gives us every reason to be troubled. He reminds us that when Jesus commanded his disciples to "let not your hearts be troubled," he wasn't speaking from a place of naivety, but from the shadow of the Cross, offering a way through the darkness rather than an escape from it. By examining our tendencies to avert our gaze from the suffering of our neighbors or the critiques of our loved ones, we are invited to trade the paralysis of anxiety for a deep, intuitive trust in the trustworthiness of God.