Holy Trinity Silicon Valley - Homilies & Sermons

"Come, Abide in Me!"- Rev. John Gorin

What does it actually mean to "abide" in Christ, and why does Jesus repeat the word eight times in just four verses? In this teaching on John 15, we sit with one of the most contemplated passages in all of Scripture, the vine and the branches. Drawing on voices from Augustine to Luther to Calvin, the sermon unpacks what Jesus meant when he called himself the true vine and invited his followers to make their home in him. The conversation moves through four honest questions. What is this passage really saying? Why is abiding necessary rather than optional? Why do so many of us find it genuinely difficult? And how might we actually move further into life with Christ this week? Along the way you'll hear reflections on the missional and personal fruit that grows from staying connected to Jesus, the adventure of bold prayer (yes, "ask whatever you wish" really does mean what you think it might), and the quiet promise of Isaiah 30:15, that in rest and repentance is our salvation, and in quietness and trust is our strength. Whether you're navigating a season of transition, carrying weight you were never meant to solve on your own, or simply drawn to a faith that feels both ancient and alive, this is a teaching worth your time. Learn more about our community in Palo Alto, and find service times, events, and resources, at https://www.holytrinitysv.org [https://www.holytrinitysv.org].

A Dangerous Declaration: I Follow Christ- Rev John gorin

Samuel Adams was called "the grand incendiary". He was man whose words were so dangerous the British sent soldiers to silence him. In a culture that prefers spiritual language tame and private, the simple sentence "I follow Christ" remains one of the most subversive things a person can say. A meditation on identity, pressure, and the long arc of faithful witness, from 1 Peter 2. When pressure rises, we default. To deceit when the truth is costly. To hypocrisy when belonging is on the line. To envy when someone else's story looks lighter than ours. The Apostle Peter knew all three from the inside. He had denied, dissembled, and compared, which is precisely why his letter to the scattered church reads less like a lecture and more like a field manual written by someone who has been there. This week's teaching walks through 1 Peter 2 and the three identities Peter places in the hands of every believer: a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Not future titles. Present ones. The teaching closes with one of the New Testament's most quietly radical promises; that those who accuse us now may, on the last day, glorify God because of the witness they once resisted. Holy Trinity is a liturgical Anglican parish (ACNA / C4SO) in Palo Alto, gathering professionals, academics, students, and creatives around historic Christian worship, the sacraments, and the arts. Rooted in tradition. Relevant to today. Learn more and plan a visit at https://www.holytrinitysv.org

Good Shepherd Sunday - Rev. John Gorin

In the heart of Silicon Valley, it is easy to believe that if we just had a little more data, we could finally solve our problems and ease our anxieties. We crave knowledge, stress over building massive data centers, and hire consultants and coaches to ensure we are on the right path. But what if the guidance we truly need is not found in acquiring more information, but in choosing who we follow? In this episode for Good Shepherd Sunday, Rector John Gorin of Holy Trinity Silicon Valley explores what it means to follow Jesus as our shepherd. Drawing from John's Gospel and Psalm 23, Rector Gorin reminds us that while information is necessary for daily life, our ultimate comfort, provision, and soul's refreshment come directly from the Lord. To find out more about Holy Trinity Silicon Valley: https://www.holytrinitysv.org [https://www.holytrinitysv.org] Find on Socials at: @HolyTrinitySV

"And You Will Be My Witnesses" - Rev. John Gorin

Two disciples walk the road to Emmaus, grief-heavy and uncertain. A stranger joins them. It is only when bread is broken at supper that they realize who has been beside them the whole way. In this sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter, Rector John Gorin traces a thread that runs through Scripture, the modern courtroom, and the ordinary rhythms of our lives: the weight of witness. Drawing on the eyewitness accounts that ground the resurrection, the ethical tension at the heart of the film Juror #2, and Peter's letter to a scattered early church, Fr. John moves past familiar identity labels to ask a sharper question — beyond calling ourselves Christians, what would it mean to actually live as witnesses of the risen Lord? The sermon unfolds in three movements: 1. We are called to be witnesses. Not as firsthand observers of an empty tomb, but as those whose lives quietly testify to Christ's presence — sometimes in answered prayers, more often in the steady trust carried through difficult seasons. 2. Witness reorders a life. As it did for the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, and as Fr. John reflects from his own eighteen-year path through Silicon Valley tech into seminary and into ministry. 3. We grow as witnesses through holiness and love. The rhythms Peter names — alert minds, reverent fear, deep love from the heart — are how the Church becomes credible in any age. Recorded live at Holy Trinity Silicon Valley, an Anglican parish (ACNA / Diocese of C4SO) in Palo Alto, where ancient liturgy meets the questions of our moment.

"2nd Sunday of Eastertide" - Deacon Cindy Miller

Deacon Cindy Miller preaches on why the risen Christ's first words to his frightened disciples were "Peace be with you," and why he had to say them more than once. Drawing from John 20, Acts 2, and 1 Peter 1, she traces a thread from that locked upper room through Peter's bold Pentecost sermon to his letter written thirty years later, showing how even those closest to the events needed constant reminding of what they had witnessed. Cindy shares a moving encounter with a Liberian man at the hospital whose faith was forged through fourteen years of civil war, and reflects on how Scripture, prayer, worship, Eucharist, and Christian community keep the truth of the resurrection in front of us when the world tries to pull it away. Holy Trinity Silicon Valley is an Anglican church in Palo Alto, CA, and a member of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO). Learn more at holytrinitysv.org