Sermons by Washington National Cathedral

September 5, 2021: Sermon by the Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope

“There's no finite limit, truly, to Jesus’ compassion and grace. Neither should there be on ours.”

In Sunday’s gospel reading, we get a glimpse of Jesus’s not-so-pretty humanness when he insults a woman who asked for healing. This story may be difficult to hear, but Canon Jan Cope tells us that this interaction helped to broaden the scope of Jesus’s ministry.

August 29, 2021: Sermon by the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde

“Even a fleeting moment of grace can carry us a long way, giving us enough, just enough, to keep going.”

 

Yesterday, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde asked us a series of questions, inviting us to look back on the events of our lives to discover the surprising presence of God at pivotal moments and in everyday life.

August 22, 2021: Sermon by the Rev. Patrick Keyser

Why do we go to church?

 

This was the question posed by the Rev. Patrick Keyser on Sunday. Though answers may vary, Patrick is sure of one thing – worship changes us. The change might be so minute that we may not instantly notice it, but there is a change brought about by coming face-to-face with the very presence of God.

August 15, 2021: Sermon by the Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin, Sr.

“Life is worth living just because He lives.”

What does it mean to have a life that is alive? Canon Leonard Hamlin examined this question during his sermon yesterday.

August 8, 2021: Sermon by the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith

Who else is guilty of late-night snacking? ✋

 

Dean Randy Hollerith preached yesterday about satisfying a deeper hunger and filling the emptiness inside of us with God’s love.

August 1, 2021: Sermon by the Rev. Canon Dana Colley Corsello

Feeling hangry? Canon Dana Corsello says it may be time to probe the hunger beneath your hunger.

"The short answer is that Jesus, and Jesus alone, is all the sustenance we will ever need. If we trust that Jesus is our bread, he can fill our empty wells, he can heal whatever is broken, and he can find whatever is missing."

July 25, 2021: Sermon by the Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope

"Whatever we have, given in love, will be blessed by God and more than meet the moment and satisfy the needs of all. That's the way it works. That's what Jesus taught us about how to use the power that each one of us have: that nothing is too little when we give it away out of love and faithfulness."

Cathedral Provost Jan Naylor Cope looks at Jesus' lessons on power, and faithfulness, in the age-old story of the five loaves and two fish.

July 18, 2021: Sermon by the Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin, Sr.

“We must remember, it does not begin with others, it begins with me.”

Canon Leonard L. Hamlin, Sr. preached a powerful sermon on Sunday, encouraging us to build a strong community by reflecting the values we seek in a community.

July 11, 2021: Sermon by the Rev. Patrick Keyser

“Incidents of senseless violence often leave us feeling completely helpless and unsure what we can do. We can, in turn, all too easily, lean into that attitude of helplessness and thus absolve ourselves of any responsibility. The story of John's beheading might not offer us a word that touches and warms the heart, but it does offer us a call to action.”

 

In a world filled with violence, we are called to be peacemakers. The Rev. Patrick Keyser preached yesterday, on the 26th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre.

July 4, 2021: Sermon by the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith

475 days.

That’s how long it’s been since the Cathedral has been able to welcome worshippers in-person. On Sunday, Dean Randy Hollerith reflected on what we’ve learned in those 475 days and the work we need to do in order to move forward.