Worship
Sermons
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We are pleased to offer recordings of sermons preached at St Francis. To listen to a sermon, click on the date it was preached. Occasionally a sermon manuscript will be posted in Portable Document Format [PDF]. Mary's prerogative was to bear Christ, so 'Tis preachers' to convey him, for they do As angels out of clouds, from pulpits speak; If then the'astronomers, whereas they spy, A new-found star, their optics magnify, How brave are those, who with their engine, can Bring man to heaven, and heaven again to man? —John Donne, To Mr. Tilman after He Had Taken Orders
Joshua, Joseph, and Jesus When All Our Sins Are Taken Away "Thy Throne Shall Never Pass Away" November 20, 2011 Christ the King The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Kind of Person God Can Use: Deborah Judges 4 November 13, 2011 22nd Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. We Are Surrounded By A Great Cloud of Witnesses November 6, 2011 The Feast of All Saints The Rev. William Munro Shand, III To Please God Render to God the Things That are God's October 16, 2011 18th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The City, and the City of God Isaiah 25:1–9 October 9, 2011 17th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. October 2, 2011 Our Patronal Feast The Rev. William Munro Shand, III September 18, 2011 14th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Of Whom Then Shall We Be Afraid? September 11, 2011 13th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Moses and the Burning Bush Exodus 3:1–15 August 28, 2011 11th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Because God Loved Us First August 14, 2011 9th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Joseph: "God Meant It for Good" Genesis 37:1-28 August 7, 2011 8th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Jacob's Story and Our Story Genesis 32 July 31, 2011 7th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III And There I Buried Leah Genesis 29 July 24, 2011 6th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Jacob's Dream Genesis 28:10-22 July 17, 2011 5th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Jacob, Esau and A Mess of Pottage Genesis 25:19-34 July 10, 2011 4th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Under God July 3, 2011 3rd Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Binding of Isaac Genesis 22:1–14 June 26, 2011 2nd Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Church's One Foundation Matthew 28:16-20 June 19, 2011 1st Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III June 12, 2011 The Feast of Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Difference the Ascension Makes Acts 1:6–14 June 5, 2011 7th Sunday of Easter The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Getting to Know God Acts 17:21-31 May 29, 2011 6th Sunday of Easter The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Life in Christ Together May 15, 2011 4th Sunday of Easter The Rev. Josiah Rengers The Road to Emmaus May 8, 2011 3rd Sunday of Easter The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Easter Reality Hosanna in the Highest April 17, 2011 Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Keep Your Eyes on Him The Woman at the Well Rock of Ages [PDF] March 27, 2011 3rd Sunday in Lent The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. God's Anger is Our Comfort March 20, 2011 2nd Sunday in Lent The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Lent's Knowledge The Earth Is the Lord's March 13, 2011 1st Sunday in Lent The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Faithless Fears and Worldly Anxieties Paul Sends His Love For Us and For Our Salvation Let Your Light Shine Before Men This Is Not the Yale Club January 30, 2011 4/Epiphany The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. To Proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ January 23, 2011 3/Epiphany The Rev. William Munro Shand, III We Have Found the Messiah January 16, 2011 2/Epiphany The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Baptism of Our Lord January 9, 2011 1st Sunday after Epiphany The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Door to Eden Is Open January 2, 2011 2nd Sunday after Christmas The Rev. William Munro Shand, III When Your Heart Shakes Within December 24, 2010 Christmas Eve The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. And Is It True? December 24, 2010 Christmas Eve The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Saint Joseph December 19, 2010 4th Sunday of Advent The Rev. William Munro Shand, III In the Bleak Midwinter December 12, 2010 3rd Sunday of Advent The Rev. Josiah Rengers, Deacon Who May Abide? December 5, 2010 2nd Sunday of Advent The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The End Is at Hand: Have Someone for Dinner Neither Run Into Any Kind of Danger November 21, 2010 26th Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Chariots of Fire November 7, 2010 [PDF] The Feast of All Saints The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Come to Me. I Want to Be With You. October 31, 2010 23rd Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Be Like Danny DeVito October 31, 2010 [PDF] A Stewardship Sermon The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Offering Your Weakness to God October 24, 2010 22nd Sunday after Pentecost Mr. Josiah Rengers, Seminarian We Have Only to Persevere to Conquer October 17, 2010 21st Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Your Faith Has Made You Well October 10, 2010 20th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Jeremiah Buys A Field Christ Came to Save Sinners September 12, 2010 16th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Onesimus My Own Heart September 5, 2010 15th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Hospitality to Strangers August 29, 2010 14th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Blood of Abel August 22, 2010 13th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Your Clothes August 1, 2010 10th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Saint James the Apostle July 25, 2010 The 9th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III In Christ Dwells the Fullness of God July 18, 2010 The 8th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Good Samaritan At the Baptism of Carter Lee Jillings June 27, 2010 The 5th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Joseph and His Brothers June 13, 2010 The 3rd Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Compassion of Jesus June 6, 2010 The 2nd Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Moses and the Shelter of the Most High May 30, 2010 Trinity Sunday The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Spirit of Moses and The Spirit of Pentecost May 23, 2010 Pentecost Sunday The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Amazing Grace [music] Student Ministries Chorus Youth Sunday Girl Learns Obedience May 23, 2010 Pentecost Sunday/Youth Sunday Molly Kiniry When Things Don't Turn Out as Planned May 16, 2010 The Sunday after Ascension Day The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled May 9, 2010 The 6th Sunday of Easter The Rev. William Munro Shand, III A Life in Trees Salvation Belongs to Our God April 25, 2010 The 4th Sunday of Easter The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Easter In Ordinary April 18, 2010 [PDF] The 3rd Sunday of Easter The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. My Lord and My God April 11, 2010 The 2nd Sunday of Easter Mr. Josiah Rengers, Seminarian This is True April 4, 2010 The Feast of the Resurrection The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Good Friday ] Meditations on the Cross
April 2, 2010 Based on John 19: 1 – 37 The Rev. William Munro Shand, III April 2, 2010 Based on Philippians 3: 7 – 11 Mr. David Hirsch, Director of Student Ministries April 2, 2010 Based on John 18: 1 – 11 Mr. Josiah Rengers, Seminarian April 2, 2010 [PDF] Based on John 13: 31 - 33 The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. April 2, 2010 Based on Lamentations 1: 8 – 12 The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Ms. Julie Keim and Mr. Gary Davison While We Were Yet Sinners March 21, 2010 The 5th Sunday in Lent The Rev. William Munro Shand, III There Was a Man Who Had Two Sons March 14, 2010 The 4th Sunday in Lent The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Curiosity Killed the Cat March 7, 2010 [PDF] The 3rd Sunday in Lent The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Glory of God's Mercy February 28, 2010 [PDF] The 2nd Sunday in Lent The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Jesus Who Doesn't Disappear February 14, 2010 [PDF] Last Sunday after Epiphany The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Jesus Picks a Fight January 31, 2010 [PDF] at the 8 o'clock service The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. A Prayer That Changed My Life January 24, 2010 The 3rd Sunday after Epiphany The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Jesus' First Miracle Mary Kept These Things January 3, 2010 The 2nd Sunday after Christmas The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Tent Nobody Understands This At All December 24, 2009 [PDF] Christmas Eve at the 5:30 The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. You Brood of Vipers December 13, 2009 3rd Sunday of Advent The Rev. William Munro Shand, III How Will You Prepare? December 6, 2009 2nd Sunday of Advent Mr. Josiah Rengers, Seminarian The Time Is Now November 29, 2009 1st Sunday of Advent The Rev. William Munro Shand, III His Life for Yours November 22, 2009 Christ the King The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Take the Hill for God November 15, 2009 24th Sunday after Pentecost Dr. Russell White, Chief of Surgery, Tenwek Hospital, Bomet, Kenya. Based on 1 Samuel 14: 1 – 14. Let's Put Our Cards on the Table November 8, 2009 Stewardship Sunday The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Lights of the World in Their Several Generations November 1, 2009 The Feast of All Saints The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Empty Space October 25, 2009 [PDF] 21st Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Her Fortress Is a Faithful Heart October 24, 2009 At the Burial Office for Pam Ramsey The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Giving Thanks to God for Saint Luke October 18, 2009 The Feast of Luke the Evangelist The Rev. William Munro Shand, III I Want The Christ! October 11, 2009 19th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. On Our Patronal Feast October 4, 2009 The Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Lock Turned from the Inside September 27, 2009 17th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Reading Aloud Our Prayers September 20, 2009 16th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Telling Strange Stories Over and Over Again September 13, 2009 15th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III A Lamp Unto My Feet August 23, 2009 12th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Life of David: Absalom August 9, 2009 10th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Life of David: Uriah, Nathan, and Contrition August 2, 2009 9th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Life of David: Bathsheba July 26, 2009 8th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Life of David: Nathan, and the House of God July 19, 2009 7th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Life of David: Dancing Before the Ark July 12, 2009 6th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Life of David: Goliath and The Place of a Skull June 21, 2009 3rd Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. What We Pray For When We Pray For The Church June 14, 2009 2nd Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Ladders to the Moon St. Andrew's Episcopal School Baccalaureate Sermon The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Resting Easy in His Control Gillian Ellsworth I Know What I Believe . . . And I Know That It is True Blake Grady Do Not Be Afraid The Rev. William Munro Shand, III God Wants More for You Than You Want for Yourself The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Let Us Love One Another The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Lord is My Shepherd The Rev. William Munro Shand, III A Room Furnished with Grief The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. What Do We Know About the Resurrection The Rev. William Munro Shand, III One Easter Is Not Like Every Other April 12, 2009 The Feast of the Resurrection The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Good Friday — Meditations on the Cross April 10, 2009 The Binding of the Beloved Son The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. April 10, 2009 The Transformation of History The Rev. William Munro Shand, III April 10, 2009 The Necessity of Love The Rev. William Munro Shand, III April 10, 2009 The Redemption of Suffering The Rev. William Munro Shand, III He Will Ride in Piers' Doublet April 5, 2009 Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Lift Up Your Heart The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Let His Glory Be Thy Theme The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Mystery of the Cross: The Providence of God The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Glory of God: Always to Have Mercy The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Why Must Holy Places Be Dark Places? The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Don't Tell a Soul The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Thy Mystery of the Cross: Suffering Transformed The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Malice toward None, Charity for All The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Moses, Religious Naïveté, and Jesus Christ The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Hearts Inclined to Faithfulness The Rev. William Munro Shand, III How to Pray for the President The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Wonderfully Created, Yet More Wonderfully Restored The Rev. William Munro Shand, III We've Been Given Light By Which to See The Rev. William Munro Shand, III And Lay It Lowly at His Blessed Feet December 24, 2008 Christmas Eve, 10:00 o'clock The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. How Much God Loves Us December 24, 2008 Christmas Eve, 5:30 o'clock The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Be It Done Unto Me According To Thy Word December 21, 2008 Advent IV The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Father Running Down the Street December 14, 2008 Advent III The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. In the Wilderness, Prepare the Way December 7, 2008 Advent II The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Encourage One Another The Rev. William Munro Shand, III How Deep the Father's Love For Us The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. As For Me and My House The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. God Never Gives Up On Us November 2, 2008 The Solemnity of All Saints The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Janani Luwum and James Hannington November 2, 2008 The Solemnity of All Saints The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Stewardship of Saint Francis The Rev. William Munro Shand, III To Glorify God, and To Enjoy Him Forever The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Feast of Saint Francis (file to be loaded) October 5, 2008 The Solemnity of Saint Francis The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Children Eat Sour Grapes The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Shape of Our Story The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Feast of the Holy Cross The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Putting On Christ—and My Fair Lady The Rev. William Munro Shand, III That We Would Become 'Losers' Mr. David Hirsch, Director of Student Ministries I Will Build My Church The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Patience of Faith The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Elijah and Two Last Words The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. More Than Conquerors Through Him The Rev. William Munro Shand, III What Jacob Could Only Dream The Rev. William Munro Shand, III More Love Than You Knew Was There The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Way You Come to a Dance The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Saints Peter & Paul And a Communion Worth Having The Rev. William Munro Shand, III About My Sister Vicki The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Cost of Peace The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Abraham: The Father of All Believers The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Girl Finds God June 1, 2008 Youth Sunday Ms. Elizabeth Axelson, Duke University, '12 The Power of History The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Filled with the Holy Spirit The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Welcome to the Family The Rev. William Munro Shand, III That We May Also Thither Ascend The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Difference The Resurrection Makes The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. That Where I Am, You May Be Also The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Do Not Let Your Heart Be Troubled The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Jesus the Good Shepherd The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Down the Road from Emmaus The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Of Faith and Fiction The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Easter, and Not Too Early The Rev. William Munro Shand, III Good Friday, The Seven Words from the Cros March 21 2008 Father, forgive them . . . The Rev. William Munro Shand, III March 21, 2008 Today . . . with me in paradise. The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. March 21, 2008 Woman, behold your son. The Rev. William Munro Shand, III March 21, 2008 Why have you forsaken me? The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. March 21, 2008 I thirst. The Rev. William Munro Shand, III March 21, 2008 Into your hands The Rev. William Munro Shand, III March 21, 2008 It is finished. The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. Ms. Julie Keim, soprano, Saint Francis Choir Jesus Loved Them to the End March 20, 2008 Maundy Thursday The Rev. William Munro Shand, III The Passion of Our Lord March 16, 2008 Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. That Our Hearts May Surely There Be Fixed The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. That's How I See Things The Rev. William Munro Shand, III What God Loves In The Incompetent You Never Can Tell The Rev. William Munro Shand, III God is Building a House For You February 10, 2008 The First Sunday in Lent The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. The Kind of Person God Can Use: Moses What Is In Your Hand? First Sentences and Jesus Christ Whose Voice Are You Listening To? Who Is This Jesus? The Word Made Flesh Eve, Mary, and The Obstetrics of Redemption In the Still of the Night The Kind of Person God Can Use: Saint Joseph Speaking Truth About Power More and More, Less and Less Our Sacred Past and Our Sacred Future Where Everything Ends Christ the King The Leaves are Rustling Job, Prayer, and Complaining to God The Encouragement of the Saints Whose Service is Perfect Freedom The Blessing of Struggling With God The God of Unfavorable Circumstances Zeal For Your House Has Consumed Me How Do I Love Thee? Two Prophets and Three Important Things In Sure and Certain Hope That Light Might Dawn Upon Them September 9, 2007 Two Roads August 26, 2007 Lose Not the Things Eternal The Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene Children Go Away Real Life Missionaries Bringing Joy to the Most High Pray Hard, Play Hard Pentecost, Baptism, and Lives Laid Down Paul, Barnabas and Encouraging One Another Prometheus, Faust, And the Slain Lamb Where Do You Look for Jesus Now? Good Friday, The Seven Words from the Cross April 6, 2007 Woman, behold thy son. April 6, 2007 I thirst. April 6, 2007 It is finished. Is This the Kind of God You Believe In? |
   | Click the image below for an interactive map of the Saint Francis campus.  Need more help? Contact the church office at (301)365-2055. For the sake, as he sees it, of the ones he preaches to, the preacher is apt to preach the Gospel with the high magic taken out, the deep mystery reduced to a manageable size. 'Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.' 'Truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Remove hence to yonder place,' and it will be moved and nothing will be impossible to you' (Matt. 17: 20). 'Come, O blessed of my Father, and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world' (Matt. 35:24). 'He who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live' (John 11:25). The wild and joyful promise of the Gospel is reduced to promises more easily kept. The peace that passeth all understanding is reduced to peace that anybody can understand. The faith that can move mountains and raise the dead becomes faith that can help make life bearable until death ends it. Eternal life becomes a metaphor for the way the good a man does lives after him. 'Blessed is he who takes no offense at me' (Matt. 11:6), Jesus says, and the preacher is apt to seek to remove the offense by removing from the Gospel all that he believes we find offensive. The joke of it is that often it is the preacher who as steward of the wildest mystery of them all is the one who hangs back, prudent, cautious, hopelessly mature and wise to the last when no less than Saint Paul tells him to be a fool for Christ's sake, no less than Christ tells him to be a child for his own and the kingdom's sake. . . . Let the preacher tell the truth." Frederick Buechner,
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