Sermons by Washington National Cathedral

October 17, 2021: Sermon by the Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope

"How do we get back to remembering that that’s who Jesus called us to be?"

The answer to this question Canon Jan Naylor Cope asked us yesterday may not be simple, but it is clear. In order to be the person Jesus calls us to be, we need to serve others.

October 10, 2021: Sermon by the Rev. Canon Kelly Brown Douglas

“The fact of the matter is what was normal before the pandemic is not really something that we should be clamoring to return to.”

For followers of Christ, a normal life is not something we should strive for. Canon Theologian Kelly Brown Douglas preached on Sunday, encouraging us to dismantle systems of injustice and work to bring the kingdom of God down to earth.

October 3, 2021: Sermon by the Rev. Canon Dana Colley Corsello

“The purpose of all human interaction, all human communion, is spiritual.”

We often stray from God’s dream of relationships being based on mutual respect and equality. Humans can be selfish and sinful, but Canon Vicar Dana Corsello makes it clear that we are also capable of infinite love. 

September 26, 2021: Sermon by the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith

“As this Cathedral celebrates its 114th birthday, what is it being called to do? What are we being called to do?”

Birthdays are often a time for reflection, and the Cathedral’s birthday is no exception. Dean Randy Hollerith contemplates our mission, all we have to celebrate, and where we are headed as we remembered the anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone.

September 19, 2021: Sermon by the Rev. Canon Rosemarie Logan Duncan

“Jesus points us to a way of love that requires the living of life as a servant.”

How often on our faith journey do we distracted, discouraged, or fearful? Canon Rose Duncan reminds us that these journeys are never simple paths and there are always going to be challenges, but we must move beyond that fear in the service of building God’s kingdom. 

September 12, 2021: Sermon by the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith

“Yes, we are a people divided to a degree we have not seen in a long, long time, but it need not be so. We have witnessed a better way. We have seen what we can do when we stand together.”

As we reflect on what we have learned in the twenty years since the 9/11 attacks, Dean Randy Hollerith reminded us on Sunday that we are strongest when we put love into action.

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.