Wrestling with the Binding of Isaac

Wrestling with the Binding of Isaac

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, June 28th, on the Fifth Sunday in Pentecost. In this sermon, Rev. Kristen Hawley invites the congregation to name where the story of Abraham and Isaac meets them emotionally, emphasizing that discomfort, anger, or confusion are all valid responses to this “dangerous text.” She notes the story’s foundational role across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and argues against airbrushing or cutting out troubling scripture, urging parishioners instead to say “Hineni” (“Here I am”) and wrestle with it. Using two Rembrandt depictions made 20 years apart, she shows how interpretation changes over a lifetime and encourages theological reflection through art and reading—highlighting The Action Bible as a tool that helps people locate themselves in God’s larger story.00:00 Welcome and Setup00:13 Where You Are in Story02:40 Why This Text Matters04:42 Dangerous Text Trigger Warning07:51 Rembrandt as Guide09:03 Two Paintings Two Readings13:09 Wrestling Not Instructions14:33 Summer Reading Reflection16:02 Action Bible Story19:28 Personal Shifts Over Time21:14 Closing Invitation to Wrestle This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stdavidsepiscopaldc.substack.com [https://stdavidsepiscopaldc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Seen by God: Hagar, Ishmael, and the Call to Imagine Others

This is a recording from the sermon preached at St. David's Episcopal Church on Sunday, June 21st, on the Fourth Sunday in Pentecost. Rev. Jordan Rippy begins by acknowledging Father’s Day as both joyful and difficult, then turns to the challenging Genesis story of Hagar and Ishmael, emphasizing how Abraham and Sarah use, discard, and endanger them. Rev. Rippy asks why this “side story” remains in Scripture and draws on a Reform Jewish insight: that God sees and cares for the foreigner, stranger, and outsider, and calls God’s people to do likewise. The sermon argues that Christianity is not merely self-improvement but should change how the congregation lives, urging parishioners to enlarge their imaginations—like reading fiction as a “mental flight simulator”—to grow empathy and reflect God’s love in their choices.00:00 Father’s Day Welcome00:37 Hagar’s Harsh Story01:47 Genesis Context Recap03:27 Surrogacy and Jealousy04:32 Cast Out in Desert05:25 Why This Story Matters06:10 God Sees the Outsider07:08 Faith Changes Behavior07:54 Imagining Other Lives09:53 Hagar Remembered10:14 Closing Amen This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stdavidsepiscopaldc.substack.com [https://stdavidsepiscopaldc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Called and Sent: “Here I Am, Send Me”

Rev. Daniel Bentley preaches his final Sunday at St. David’s Episcopal Church, thanking parishioners and expressing love while reflecting on the biblical pattern of God calling people and sending them, from Abram, Moses, and Isaiah’s “Hineni” (“Here I am”) to Mary and Jesus sending the disciples early in his ministry because “the harvest is plentiful.” He argues that calling and sending is the rhythm of Christian life and even reflects God’s own movement in the Trinity and in the Father sending the Son and the Spirit. He shares how he was called from a parish in New York to Virginia Seminary and then to St. David’s, and hopes to carry what he learned of welcome and beloved community to the wider church. He notes worship gathers, feeds, and deliberately sends congregants into the world to love and serve, discerning where God is sending them through prayer, need, and joy.00:00 Final Sunday Thanks00:24 Called and Sent Theme01:37 Isaiah Here I Am02:54 Jesus Sends Disciples04:14 Trinity in Motion05:04 Personal Call Story06:50 Worship Then Mission08:07 Where Are We Sent09:01 Hineni Send Me This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stdavidsepiscopaldc.substack.com [https://stdavidsepiscopaldc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Circle of Mercy

This is a recording from the Children’s Sermon preached by Rev. Kristen Hawley at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, June 7th, on the Third Sunday in Pentecost, the First Sunday and last of the program year. Rev. Hawley teaches the congregation about God’s mercy, describing it as God’s help that enables people not only to think about what is right but to do what is right. Reflecting on the Gospel story of Jesus calling Matthew the tax collector to share a meal, she emphasizes that Jesus chooses to include someone widely disliked, not to condemn him but to show kindness that can change a heart. Using a ribbon “circle of mercy” and a pretend picnic, she demonstrates how exclusion and “earning” belonging are unmerciful, and she encourages parishioners to leave space to welcome others rather than exclude them.00:00 Welcome and Setup00:10 What Mercy Means02:06 Matthew the Tax Collector03:46 Why Jesus Invites Outsiders04:46 Ribbon Circle Activity06:00 Who Gets In07:49 Opening the Circle09:28 Mercy for Everyone11:27 Build Your Own Circle12:18 Wrap Up and Creed This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stdavidsepiscopaldc.substack.com [https://stdavidsepiscopaldc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Trinity as a Key Change & Finding the Current of God

Rev. Kristen Hawley preaches for Trinity Sunday at St. David’s Episcopal Church, noting the Church’s long, often confusing attempts to explain the Trinity (including the Athanasian Creed) and emphasizing that people come to understanding in different ways. She connects the Trinity to delight, inspiration, and praise, referencing a staff Easter project in which each person wrote about what helps them notice and engage God (from biscuits and words to trains, shoes, gardening, dance, and music). Describing the Trinity as a never-ending relational “dance” and current, she urges congregants to find their way into it through what moves them. She offers the musical key change as an image of Trinity and creation, using Beyoncé’s “Love on Top” and the repetitive, building pattern of Genesis—God said, saw, created, blessed, and it was good—as examples of “home” and surprise. She encourages parishioners to listen for life’s key changes that draw them into deeper connectivity and remind them “it is good.”00:22 Trinity Sunday Explained00:58 Athanasius Creed Deep Dive01:58 Is Trinitarian Language Helpful01:18 Different Paths to Truth03:10 Praise and What Moves Us03:20 Easter Staff Reflections04:01 Delightful Examples and Takeaway05:00 Entering the Trinity Current05:44 Delight as Spiritual Compass00:05 Trinity as Key Change06:30 How Key Changes Work07:29 Beyoncé Demo Love on Top09:35 Genesis as Refrain and Shift11:18 Finding Your Holy Spirit Stride12:43 Music Memories and Everyday Modulations14:26 Listen for the Key Change This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stdavidsepiscopaldc.substack.com [https://stdavidsepiscopaldc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]