Bryn Athyn Church Family Service
Weekly readings and sermons from the 9:30 family service at Bryn Athyn Church in Bryn Athyn, PA, a congregation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. Readings are drawn from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Heavenly Doctrine for the New Church contained in the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg.
Episodes
32 episodes
Don’t Drink from a Filthy Cup | Rt. Rev. David H. Lindrooth
The Lord said hypocrites were people who cleanse the outside of their cups but not the inside. The cups look beautiful but are filthy and poison anyone who drinks from them. This teaching reminds us that we need to pay attention to our thoughts...
The Eighth Commandment: “You Shall Not Bear False Witness” | Rev. Steven P. Gunther
We all know that we shouldn’t lie about other people or spread rumors about them, but sometimes we can bear false witness against our neighbors even if we never say anything out loud about them. When Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin for t...
Recognizing the Lord Our God | Rev. Malcolm G. Smith
How do we recognize the Lord, and how do we recognize Him for who He truly is — our God and Savior who rose from the dead? In the gospels we see that some people recognize the Lord and some do not; and we see that some take longer than others t...
Spiritual Momentum | Rev. Derek P. Elphick
By riding into Jerusalem as King, the Lord set in motion a series of events that became unstoppable. The Pharisees grew worried and tried to shut down the festivities, but it was too late. The momentum for truth and love had grown so strong, no...
The Experience of Being a Disciple | Rev. Malcolm G. Smith
There are lots of good things about following the Lord, but there are hard things too. The Lord’s disciples were often confused and scared; they were often rebuked and challenged by the Lord; and they often didn’t understand what was going on o...
The Seventh Commandment: “You Shall Not Steal” | Rev. Coleman S. Glenn
(Exodus 20:15). In the literal sense, this commandment forbids taking what doesn’t belong to us. In the spiritual sense, it forbids taking away truth from someone. In the highest sense, it forbids taking credit for something that belongs to the...
A Place Prepared for You | Rt. Rev. Peter Buss, Jr.
Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions…” (John 14:2). He was talking about heaven, and a place that He is preparing for each of us there. What can it mean that the Lord has in mind an eternal home specifically for you, and how can ...
Hell Has No Power! | Rt. Rev. Bradley D. Heinrichs
Often, when we hear stories from the Word about the powerful enemies that conquered the Children of Israel and then we read in the Heavenly Doctrine about the hatred of the devils in hell, we can think that our enemies and hell are formidable f...
The Extra Mile | Rev. Derek P. Elphick
The phrase “going the extra mile” has become a part of everyday language but there’s a fascinating context for the two miles spoken of in Matthew 6:41 - the first is done under compulsion, the second (or “extra”) is our choice. Let’s gather as ...
Agreeing with the Word | Rev. Scott I. Frazier
"Jehovah will give it into the hand of the king.” (1 Kings 22:12) Does the Word agree with us, or do we agree with the Word? The Lord asks us to learn and live truths we understand, but maybe that doesn’t mean to learn and live truths we like. ...
The Sixth Commandment: “You shall not commit adultery” | Rev. Derek P. Elphick
(Exodus 20:14) This commandment challenges us to explore the promptings of our heart (ego) which can be at odds with the watchful eye of our understanding (better self). Just as we strive to live in a world free of pollution and contamination, ...
Our Spiritual Reality: The Grand Man | Rev. Malcolm G. Smith
Did you know that the teachings for the New Church reveal that everything in our spiritual reality and our natural reality is in the human form — from a friend group, to a nation, to a planet, to the entirety of heaven? Heaven in the human form...
The Fifth Commandment: “You shall not murder” | Rev. Jeffrey O. Smith
Most of us probably don’t struggle too much with the commandment not to murder, but we may find it much more relatable when Jesus extends the commandment to include anger and belittling others. Join us this Sunday to dive deeper into the ins an...
Holy Supper and Heaven | Rev. Malcolm G. Smith
Part of understanding the importance and value of holy supper is understanding its connection to heaven. Jesus said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever…." (John 6:51). And in t...
How Did the Wise Men Know? | Rev. Stephen D. Cole
Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds all knew about the Lord's birth and its significance because they were informed directly and specifically by angelic messengers. But how did the Wise Men know to come? They reported that they had "seen His star i...
The Prophecy of Zacharias | Rev. Malcolm G. Smith
When Zacharias’ mouth was opened after being mute, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and he prophesied. We will go through the words he said, as a way of reflecting on what the Lord accomplished when He came. We will also reflect on what each ...
Christmas Eve Service: To Proclaim and Ponder the Good News | Rev. Coleman S. Glenn
After the shepherds had visited the newborn Jesus, “they made widely known the saying which was spoken to them concerning this little Child.” Mary, meanwhile, “kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:17-19). At Christmas,...
Magnify the Lord | Rev. Derek P. Elphick
Choices are like a magnifying glass - we magnify the thoughts and feelings that capture our attention at any given point in time which means we can “magnify” negative thoughts and feelings just as easily as positive ones. But something miraculo...
The Visible God | Rt. Rev. David H. Lindrooth
“The Lord’s Birth: His Introduction to Us, Allowing Us to Get to Know the God of the Universe” The Lord’s birth on earth allows us to see things we could never see or understand on our own. Unless He lived on Earth, we could not know how...
The Fourth Commandment: “Honor Your Father and Your Mother” | Rev. Coleman S. Glenn
(Exodus 20:12) Our heavenly Father is perfect, but this commandment calls us not just to honor Him but also to honor our literal parents and other imperfect human beings who make up His church. How do we keep this commandment in every sense?
Thanksgiving Service - Where Does It Come From? | Rev. Steven P. Gunther
A lot of work and preparation goes into our Thanksgiving celebrations, but even before we do any of our work there are countless others whom we will probably never meet who have made it all possible. Similarly, the Lord is the source of all goo...
Live Your Faith | Rev. Jeffrey O. Smith
Our church has beautiful teachings that people of any faith can go to heaven. Does this mean it doesn’t matter what we believe? The simple answer is “of course it matters.” This Sunday we will learn about how important it is. Readin...
Keeping the Jar Full | Rev. Steven P. Gunther
We all go through seasons of life where we search for meaning and guidance. We can picture the kind of life we want, but we aren’t sure how to get there. When Elijah is sent to visit a widow in 1 Kings 17, he asks her for something that she isn...
The Third Commandment: “Remember the Sabbath Day, To Keep It Holy” | Rev. Derek P. Elphick
(Exodus 20:8) The Hebrew word for “Sabbath” means rest. Physical and mental “rest” is relatively easy to obtain but a holy day of rest requires a different mindset and a different skill set. This commandment draws our attention to the fact that...
Building on a Sound Foundation | Rt. Rev. Brad Heinrichs
How we develop our minds on a firm foundation of knowledge and truth is a subject that has been of keen interest to those interested in New Church education over the years. Two stories that deal with this are building our house upon a rock and ...