Loved First: The Freedom of Grace

Loved First: The Freedom of Grace

This episode explores the truth that God’s love is given before we perform, not earned by our actions. Drawing on scripture and research, the speaker shows how Jesus’ death and the Holy Spirit’s outpouring grant us peace, courage, and hope even amid suffering. Listeners are invited to stop striving for acceptance, receive grace freely, and live renewed lives that pursue justice and compassion from a place of belonging. We’re glad you’re here. This homily was offered in the presence of the congregation. If this reflection offered a moment of peace or perspective, we’d be grateful if you’d share, follow or leave a review. Your support helps others find 60 Church Street — and perhaps discover their own quiet moment of grace. Contributing to this episode:  Reverend Dr. R. Scott White, Reverend Amy Peterson, Dr. Kevin Seal, Nanette Popa and Karen Marie Frederiksen. https://www.trinityasheville.org

Faith, Care, and Change: Imagining What Doesn't Yet Exist

Rev. Amy Peterson tells the story of Basil of Caesarea, a 4th-century bishop whose Christian theology of care led to the first hospital — a place where the sick, poor, and travelers could receive treatment and shelter. The sermon connects that history to modern acts of Christian imagination and justice (integration, women’s leadership, marriage equality) and calls listeners to envision and create compassionate institutions today.  We’re glad you’re here. This homily was offered in the presence of the congregation. If this reflection offered a moment of peace or perspective, we’d be grateful if you’d share, follow or leave a review. Your support helps others find 60 Church Street — and perhaps discover their own quiet moment of grace. Contributing to this episode:  Reverend Amy Peterson, Dr. Kevin Seal and Karen Marie Frederiksen. The Reverend Amy Peterson – Associate Rector Amy Peterson joined the staff at Trinity Church in July of 2022 after completing her Mdiv at Duke Divinity School and serving as a deacon at Saint Joseph’s in Durham. Amy grew up in Arkansas and Texas, and studied English (BA Texas A&M), Intercultural Studies (MA Wheaton), and Creative Writing (MFA Seattle Pacific University). Before her call to the priesthood, Amy worked in cross-cultural academics and student development, teaching for two years in Southeast Asia before returning stateside to teach in California, Arkansas, Washington, and Indiana. Most recently, she taught creative writing, intercultural communication, and interdisciplinary honors courses at a Christian college in the midwest. Amy is also a writer; her work explores the intersections of faith, language, and culture. Her most recent book, Where Goodness Still Grows, invites conversation about Christian virtue and public life. https://www.trinityasheville.

The Divine Dance: Trinity as Love and Relationship

This episode reflects on Trinity Sunday, using the experience of human love to explain how Christians know God not by proof but by relationship. It explores how God is revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — three persons in one divine communion — and how that mystery shows God’s presence in creation and human relationships. The homily emphasizes that believers are created for relationship, highlights baptism as a welcome into God’s household, and invites listeners to see the Trinity as a generous, living fellowship of love that spills into the world.

From Mall Genealogy to Emmaus: Finding Meaning in Communion

This homily reflects on how the stories we tell and the meals we share reveal God’s presence, centering on the Emmaus account where the disciples recognize Jesus when he blesses, breaks, and gives the bread. It invites listeners to trust that Christ meets us on the road, helps complete our incomplete stories, and calls everyone into a universal lineage of faith through communion. We’re glad you’re here. This homily was offered in the presence of the congregation. If this reflection offered a moment of peace or perspective, If this reflection offered a moment of peace or perspective, we’d be grateful if you’d share, follow or leave a review. Your support helps others find 60 Church Street — and perhaps discover their own quiet moment of grace. Contributing to this episode:  Reverend Mike Reardon, Reverend Amy Peterson, Dr. Kevin Seal, and Karen Marie Frederiksen. https://www.trinityasheville.org [https://www.trinityasheville.org/] The Rev. Mike Reardon Assistant  Rector & Vicar of the Church of the Advocate. Mike Reardon joined the staff at Trinity Church in January of 2024. Born and raised in eastern Connecticut, Mike earned a BA in Philosophy from the University of Connecticut before attending Berkeley Divinity School at Yale for his Master of Divinity. Mike previously served at Grace in Asheville, Haywood Street Congregation in Asheville, and as a seminarian at St. Paul’s in Willimantic, Connecticut. He was ordained to the priesthood on the Feast of Julia Chester Emery, January 9, 2020. In addition to his role at Trinity Church, Mike also serves as vicar at Church of the Advocate. In each of these pastoral contexts, Mike is committed to cultivating a spirit of gentleness and an abiding sense of the blessedness we share with all God’s creatures. Mike is a passionate cyclist, competing in bikepacking and gravel races. He loves to make homemade pizza, read, tend to his garden, and watch his beloved UConn Huskies play basketball.

Easter Sunday - When Hope Shakes the World

This episode reflects on the Easter story: the grieving women at the empty tomb, the angel’s words "Do not be afraid," and how the resurrection overturns worldly assumptions about death and power. It contrasts human reassurances with the radical invitation to trust that God makes the impossible possible. Through trembling ground and astonished joy, the homily encourages listeners to move from fear into faithful action—living out love and justice with the assurance that God is doing a new thing and Christ is risen. We’re glad you’re here. This homily was offered in the presence of the congregation. If this reflection offered a moment of peace or perspective, we’d be grateful if you’d share, follow or leave a review. Your support helps others find 60 Church Street — and perhaps discover their own quiet moment of grace. Contributing to this episode:  Reverend Dr. R. Scott White, Reverend Amy Peterson, Dr. Kevin Seal, Nanette Popa and Karen Marie Frederiksen. https://www.trinityasheville.org