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
47 episodes
Finding Reason to Hope in the Lord’s Creation | Rev. Malcolm G. Smith
When Abram was feeling despair that he would never have a child, Jehovah comforted him by taking him outside, telling him to look at the stars, and promising him he would have as many children as the stars in the heavens. When we feel despair, ...
“I Was Blind, Now I See...” | Rev. Derek P. Elphick
(John 9:25) Like the man born blind in this account, we are “blind” from birth. We can certainly see the world around us, but we need knowledge from the Lord to interpret what it is we’re looking at otherwise we remain “blind” to the true signi...
Use and The Lord’s Purpose | Rev. Pearse M. Frazier
In what is commonly called the Sermon on the Plain, we hear an example of what the Lord taught as He traveled from town to town during His three years of preaching. Near the end, in what we might call the crescendo of the sermon, He te...
In the World, Not of the World | Rev. Jeffrey O. Smith
We are told that Obadiah “feared the Lord greatly” (1 Kings 18:3), and yet he managed the house and palace of Ahab, who was the worst king up until that point. For our part, how can we continue working with the Lord when our efforts seem fruitl...
250 Years of Freedom | Rev. Jeremy F. Simons
On June 19th we celebrated the freedom given to us by the victory of the Lord on the white horse over the forces of evil 256 years ago. On July 4th this year, we will be celebrating 250 years of freedom in our country since we declared our inde...
Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament | Rev. Malcolm G. Smith
After His resurrection, on the road to Emmaus, the Lord showed two of His disciples that the whole Old Testament was about Him. “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning H...
Why Do We Celebrate June 19th? | Rev. Steven P. Gunther
Every year we have a big celebration of “New Church Day” on June 19, but why is that day so special? We may have heard that it is the church’s birthday, but what does that mean and what can it inspire us to do in our lives?Readings:
“Your Servant Will Go” | Rt. Rev. Peter Buss, Jr.
(1 Samuel 17:33) We focus this week on two major battles where heroes step forward to fight. These are David who willingly took on Goliath, and Michael who fought against the dragon. There can be great strength and blessing in our efforts to li...
Peace | Rt. Rev. Peter Buss, Sr.
We often say that we have peace, but it is a worldly kind, which passes away. Rest from war, from aggravations, going on a holiday with no domestic or business worries to affect us - sure, these things are peaceful. But the Peace the Lord offer...
“I Have Set Before You an Open Door” | Rev. Derek P. Elphick
(Revelation 3:8). At this time of year, many of us are involved in school graduation ceremonies and the celebrations that accompany them. The concept of “graduation” carries the idea of moving from one mindset or phase of life to another. The S...
Take Up Your Bed | Rev. Jeffrey O. Smith
The Lord told a paralyzed man to take up his bed and go to his house. With this command, the Lord is also telling us to not let our outward circumstances and habits get in the way of our relationship with Him. What aspects of your life are gett...
Divine Providence and Our Choices | Rev. Malcolm G. Smith
As we go through life, there are countless things that do not go the way we want them to—at the humdrum level of daily life and at the global level. How should we interpret and respond to these things? Should we be fatalistic and assume that ou...
“Rejoice With Me…” | Rev. Derek P. Elphick
(Luke 15:6). No matter how far we may wander from the beaten track, no matter how bad things may get, no matter how much we may struggle or get frustrated or disappointed, discovering what’s been “lost" in our lives is not simply the "way out” ...
The Ninth and Tenth Commandments: “You shall not covet” | Rev. Jeffrey O. Smith
This Sunday we will talk about the commandment to not covet because coveting gets in the way of our ability to love the Lord and our neighbor.Readings: Genesis 3...
A Young Prophet | Rev. Jeffrey O. Smith
The Lord called Jeremiah to be a great prophet when he was still young. Even when a child is still young, the Lord is preparing him or her for their life to eternity. Parents also have a special role to help prepare their children for life, and...
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. ...