"The Holy Spirit - For The Common Good" - Deacon Cindy Miller

"The Holy Spirit - For The Common Good" - Deacon Cindy Miller

A sound like wind. Tongues like fire. And a question that has shaped the Church for two thousand years: what is all of this for? On Pentecost Sunday, Deacon Cindy Miller turns to Acts 2 and to Paul's answer in 1 Corinthians 12 to explain that the manifestations of the Spirit are given, he writes, for the common good. Not for spiritual elites. Not gifts to collect. This is power lent for the sake of others. Cindy traces the line from Mount Sinai to Pentecost with fire from heaven confirming first the Law, then the indwelling Spirit, no longer in a single place but on many. She offers a clear test for discernment (anything the Spirit says to you will be consistent with Scripture, period). And she closes with a story from her years as a hospital chaplain about a nudge, a stranger, and a conversation neither of them had planned. A sermon for anyone who has wondered whether the Holy Spirit is a doctrine to recite or a presence to recognize. Holy Trinity Silicon Valley. Palo Alto, California. Anglican · ACNA · C4SO.

"Let's Go" - David McGaw

The Ascension arrives quietly. No trumpets, no fiery chariots, just a cloud, a question, and a commission. In this sermon on Acts 1, David McGaw sits with the disciples' last conversation with Jesus: Is it now? Are you finally bringing the kingdom back? The answer comes not as correction but as handoff. The kingdom is coming, but it's coming through you. Plural. All of you. Together. Drawing on N.T. Wright, the Apostle Peter, and a famously misattributed line from St. Francis of Assisi, David reframes witness as something more honest than a street-corner pitch and more costly than a Christian T-shirt. It is the overflow of a life abiding in Christ. It's your particular life, with all its credibility and all its scars that is offered as testimony to the rightful King of the world. For anyone wondering what the Ascension has to do with Monday morning in Silicon Valley: this is the bridge. A sermon from Holy Trinity Silicon Valley. Palo Alto, California. Anglican · ACNA · C4SO.

"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