Bryn Athyn Church Adult Service
Weekly readings and sermons from the 11 a.m. adult service at the 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
Baptized into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit | Malcolm G. Smith
When the Lord sent out His disciples, after His resurrection, He told them to make disciples of all the nations and baptize them “into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Why? Why did He not just tell ...
Foot Washing: A Model for Spiritual Purification | Rt. Rev. David H. Lindrooth
“He who is bathed needs only to have his feet washed and is completely clean.” (John 13:10) The church exists to help people turn to the Lord and prepare for heavenly life. That preparation requires each of us to grow and change with the...
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...
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
When we think of being the Lord’s disciple, we might think of all the good parts — and there are countless good things about following the Lord. However, when we look at the experience of the Lord’s twelve disciples, we are reminded of how ofte...
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.
It is an amazing blessing to live with the clear reality of eternal life in mind. It is a further blessing to know that the Lord in His providence is preparing us, even now, for an eternal home in His kingdom. Yet often these perspectives can s...
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 ...
Seeking Truth, Discovering Falsity | Rev. Scott I. Frazier
"Jehovah will give it into the hand of the king.” (1 Kings 22:12) Enlightenment is a vital element to understanding the Word. The story of Micah’s prophecies shows us what happens when we try to understand the internal sense. How do we know we ...
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
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. All of heaven in the human form is called ...
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...
Epiphany | Rev. Stephen D. Cole
Epiphany is a feast day in the Christian calendar. It is traditionally celebrated on the 6th of January, or the first Sunday of the new year. The New Church does not adhere closely to the traditional Christian calendar, but Epiphany generally f...
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 Day Service: Responding Angelically | Rt. Rev. Peter Buss, Jr.
(Luke 1:26-27) In the story of Gabriel appearing to Zacharias and then to Mary, we find guidance as to how we can respond angelically to other people, and to the prompts we receive from the Lord. We are angels in the making. How will you choose...
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 Critical Importance of Seeing and Worshipping a Visible God” The New Church is called “the Crown of all the Churches” because it worships the visible God in whom is the invisible (TCR 787). The Lord’s birth and life on eart...
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?
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 ...
Getting Our Hearts in the Right Place | Rev. Malcolm G. Smith
It can be hard to figure out how the Lord would like us to be in different situations. Does He want us to be more gentle or more firm? Persistent or adaptable? Should we speak up when something upsets us, or quietly let it go? This Sunday, at o...