Sermons by Washington National Cathedral

March 26, 2023: The Rev. Canon Dana Corsello

“Everyone deserves to be defined by love. Nothing more, nothing less. We may dwell among the dry bones now, but we serve a God who calls us to life. Our journey is not to the grave, but through it. “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” 

The Rev. Canon Dana Corsello preaches about the transformation that occurs when one gives their life to Christ, and about what the terms, “death,” and “life,” can mean. Living a life through Christ can be fulfilling, rewarding, and full of love when we change our perspective to align with God's.

March 19, 2023 Sunday Sermon: The Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope

“Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, said this: ‘God will take your experiences, mistakes, and false starts and transform you, so Christ transfiguring love can show through.’ We are not all called to be David, but make no mistake, we are called.” 

The Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope encourages us to learn from past experiences, to listen to our callings, and to allow ourselves to be transformed by love. We are encouraged to see and take various opportunities knowing that they even if they fail, they will lead us where we need to go.  

March 12, 2023 Sunday Sermon: The Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin Sr.

“‘Come see a man.’ There’s something good about that in my soul. ‘Come see a man.’ Most of us can talk about look at what I’ve got, look at what I’ve achieved, look at what is going on in the world. But I came by to tell you on today and in the midst of lent; we ought to have a witness that says, ‘Come see a man.’”  

 

The Rev. Canon Leonard Hamlin Sr. Preaches in gratitude for being known and seen by God, and by those who bear witness. Drawing inspiration from the phrase, “Come see a man,” we are urged to see things for ourselves and to know that God is at work, and to know that he knows us, as well.  

March 5, 2023 Sunday Sermon: The Very Rev. Randy Marshall Hollerith

"Jesus wants [Nicodemus] to know that salvation isn't about following the rules, it's about letting God be in charge of your life, giving your life to God, letting go of that illusion that you're in control. What Nicodemus doesn’t understand is that salvation is a gift from God given to us through faith, and all one needs to do when receiving a gift is say thank you. What he doesn’t understand is that being born from above means dying to self and finding a new life in God.” 

 

The Very Rev. Randy Marshall Hollerith uses the stories of Abraham and Nicodemus to illustrate the ways in which we grapple with faith. After wrestling with the ideas of need, longing, and mystery, he teaches us a few “tricks” to coming to terms with and strengthening one’s faith.  

February 26, 2023 Sunday Sermon: The Rev. Canon Rosemarie Logan Duncan

“No, it’s not our will power, but God’s power. It’s not our resolve, but God’s spirit....The key to dealing with temptation is not found within is. The key to overcoming temptation is found within God.” 

The Rev. Canon Rosemarie Logan Duncan retells the story of Jesus’ time in the wilderness, and how he resisted temptation. She parallels the wilderness of temptation with modern problems and injustices, but reminds us of the good news: God went into the wilderness then, and he goes with us now. The wilderness is not devoid of Jesus, and entering it becomes bearable knowing that God is on the other side of our temptations and trials.  

February 22, 2023 Ash Wednesday Sermon: The Rev. Canon Dana Corsello

“If the cross teaches us anything, it teaches us the God’s precious children still bleed, still ache, still die...But our faith tells us we are children of a God who accompanies us in our suffering, not a God who guarantees a lifetime of immunity. Why is this good news? It is good news because we are also children of a God who resurrects. There is no suffering we will ever endure that God will not redeem. The season of lent reminds us that we are East of Eden but short of Zion.” 

The Rev. Canon Dana Colley Corsello preaches on the season of lent and the unique relationships between sin and forgiveness, between life and death. The season of lent is not about penance, but about rebirth and starting again.  

February 19, 2023 HBCU Sunday Sermon: Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail

“On the mountaintops, God’s glory is revealed again by the transfiguration of Jesus. Before his disciples, Jesus was changed. He shone like the sun, he was beautiful, some may say his melanin was poppin’. Transfiguration means a complete change of form or an appearance into a more beautiful spiritual state. When I read the passage, I thought, 'this is what we do at HBCU’s.' We, by our faith, and strength, and hope, participate with God in the transfiguration of each of our students, and in the process we are changed.” 

Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail preaches on the relevance, roles, and future of HBCU’s. She draws upon biblical ideas and lessons to illustrate how HBCU’s give hope, and how they do the work that needs to be done as examples of God’s work.  

February 12, 2023 Sunday Sermon: The Very Rev. Randy Marshall Hollerith

“This means that the only way for us to change our hearts is to die to self. The only way to save our lives is to lose them in Christ. The only way to choose life as Moses commands us today in Deuteronomy is to give our lives away. The Christian faith is not making God apart of our life, but about making our lives apart of God.” 

The Very Rev. Randy Marshall Hollerith introduces to the idea of being a “Christian under construction,” or a “work in progress.” He asks us to admit that we are a sinner, because admittance is the first part of moving forward and building a relationship with Christ. It allows us to turn our lives over to God, to receive his grace, to be saved.  

February 5, 2023: The Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin Sr. Sunday sermon

“Jesus speaks to those who are gathered and tells them that they, and us who are here today, are not defined by our circumstances. We are not limited by our demographics. We’re not limited by the lines that we draw, the streets that we claim, the land that we try to possess. Let me say even more that we are not confined and defined because of race and ethnicities. We are more than that. We are children of the most high God and to put it plainly, he says “you are salt, and you are light.’”  

The Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin Sr. preaches about who we are and what roles we have. He reminds us that we are more than our society has taught us to be, and that God clearly identifies us as his children, and address our call as love and justice.  

January 29, 2023 Sunday Sermon: The Very Rev. Randy Marshall Hollerith

“In short, shadow work is the work necessary for completing a purchase, that has been left to the consumer. So, what are we to do? Simply put, we are supposed to do God’s shadow work. That’s the work nobody gets paid for and few notice, but the work that makes a world of meaning of value, a world of peace and purpose, a world of love and hope and faith. In short, the work that builds the kingdom of God.”  

The Very Rev. Randy Hollerith provides us with numerous examples of individuals who were seen as foolish as they worked to build the kingdom of heaven. We reconcile with the idea that all of God’s choices, teachings, and values are viewed as foolish because they are at odds with those of the present world, while also finding comfort in our ability to serve God and evoke change through doing the Lord’s "shadow work."