1/29/2012
On DemonsA sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Epiphany, 2012
The Rev. Katherine C. Spelman
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1/22/2012
The Time is NowA sermon for the Third Sunday of Epiphany, 2012
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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1/1/2012
Holy Name, Holy Hospitality A sermon for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, January 1st 2012
The Rev. Katherine C. Spelman
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12/4/2011
Time is Up!A sermon for the second Sunday of Advent
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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12/4/2011
Punching Holes in the Darkness without Christmas CarolsA meditation for the Advent Carol Service
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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11/17/2011
Stewardship, Penn State, and the Parable of the Talents A sermon for Stewardship Sunday and the 316th Anniversary of Christ Church
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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11/6/2011
Are you in or are you out?All Saints’ Sunday, November 6, 2011--Christ Church in Philadelphia
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford, Rector
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11/4/2011
Jesus said, "Halloween Can Come Twice A Year," or something like thatA Story Told in the Children's Sabbath Service, October 30, 2011
The Rev. Timothy Safford, Rector
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9/11/2011
A Sermon on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11The Rev. Timothy B. Safford, Christ Church, Philadelphia
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10/31/2010
Zacchaeus: Just another lost and found gospel storyThe story of Zacchaeus reminds that God desires the mending of the breach and the making of the partial
whole. When we receive that gift of wholeness, of restoration and of
healing, we respond, tangibly, by restoring what we have broken.
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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10/10/2010
Where are the Other Nine?When Jesus asks, "Where are the nine?" he indicts the "found" for not realizing they are the "lost." It's a lesson about the church entrenched homophobia, too, and the progressive church's relative silence.
Timothy Safford
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10/4/2010
God the Sculptor of my SoulLet us borrow the faith we need, and lend the faith we have.
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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8/29/2010
All God's Children Gonna Eat at the Welcome Table One of these DaysOur table manners and the banquet table of the next life are to be our manners--and ethics--in this life.
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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5/9/2010
Mother's Day, Pacifism and the ResurrectionReflections on the Pacifist Past of Mother's Day
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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11/8/2009
The Widow was "All-in." Are you? The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
In Las Vegas, Darvin Moon, a 45 year-old
logger who lives two hours from here in Oakland, Maryland, is poised to win $8
million at the World Series of Poker. Just a year ago, he played his first
professional game of poker with $30. Before this week, he had never been to Las Vegas; amazingly he may take
home the ultimate poker pot in the days ahead.
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10/25/2009
Some thoughts on Benedict and BartimaeusScriptures are found here. The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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10/21/2009
Show your courage, for Christ's sakeJames and John think they have the courage to follow Jesus, but do they?
The Rev. Timothy Safford
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10/4/2009
Francis of Assisi: A life worth imitatingFrancis of Assisi may be the most admired of saints, but he may also be the least imitated. What shall we do?
A sermon by the Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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9/20/2009
Finding God on the Altars of WorldSome lessons from burnt cheese in a casserole pan.
A sermon from the Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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9/6/2009
The Gift of the Syrophonecian WomanJesus goes "down the shore," and the woman he encounters expands his mission to include you and me.
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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8/5/2009
Some Thoughts on Tradition, Transition, and the MomentA sermon on the ninth Sunday after Pentecost on Exodus 16: 2-4, 9-15, Ephesians 4:1-16, and John 6: 24-35, by Dr. Peter Kountz, Christ Church parishioner and head of school at the Charter High School for Architecture and Design.
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6/14/2009
The Power of SmallWe're to be small like David, like the Mustard Seed.
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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6/7/2009
To Be Resonate with GodA sermon in thanksgiving for John Binsfeld's 45 years of ministry as Organist and Choirmaster of Christ Church.
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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5/31/2009
A Pentecost DreamWhat seems like a nightmare on the night before Pentecost, turns out to be the dream of the church.
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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5/17/2009
Another Sermon on the Radical Inclusivity of GodA sermon for the Sixth Sunday of Easter
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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5/4/2009
Patience Isn't All It's Cracked Up to BeA sermon preached at the Equality Forum Interfaith Prayer Service
May 3, 2009
The Rev. Susan Russell, President, Integrity USA
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4/22/2009
If the Disciples had Twitter. . . .We wouldn't have a community formed in Resurrection.
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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4/14/2009
We Live in a Good Friday World, and Easter will have the Final SayThe sermon for Easter, 2009
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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4/5/2009
A Sermon for Palm Sunday, 2009The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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4/3/2009
Jump into the Fountain, Save the Life You CanA sermon for March 22, 2009.
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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3/8/2009
A Life Worth Dying ForYou and I have a life worthy dying for, because life is a gift from God.
The Rev. Timothy Safford
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2/15/2009
Alice, a Leper, and Charles DarwinTo remember a slave in the history of Christ Church is to remember the leper whom Jesus touches. And did you know that Charles Darwin was fighting slavery with his science?
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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2/8/2009
A Revolutionary HealingJesus's first recorded healing, though subtle, is expectedly revolutionary
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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1/25/2009
Another Tale of God's Abundant, Extravagant LoveThe story of Jonah.
A sermon by the Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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1/11/2009
The Holy Spirit Unfetters Us from the PastJohn the Baptist lived in the past; Jesus lived for the future.
A sermon preached by the Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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1/4/2009
Don't wrap up the wise men when you put away the Christmas creche!We should leave the wise men out all year to remind us that the journey toward Christ is relentless.
A sermon preached by the Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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12/28/2008
The gift of healing at ChristmasThe Word of God has pitched a tent in your very flesh.
A sermon preached by the Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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11/23/2008
The Sheep and the Goats sans Guilt A sermon preached for Christ the King Sunday.
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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11/9/2008
Forging a Future Worthy of Our PastA sermon for Stewardship Sunday
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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11/3/2008
Loving Neighbor and Tearing Down WallsReflecting on Robert Frost's The Mending Wall and Jesus' command, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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10/12/2008
Voting is a Religious ActTheological reflections on the upcoming election. The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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10/5/2008
Don't worry about moneyAn old card table that held the bills, and the Apostle Paul, recall the most basic truth: One's monetary worth has nothing to do with the worth imparted by God's gift of life and human dignity.
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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9/24/2008
God needs our lives, not our money.The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
Christ Church lives because 39 families dedicated
themselves in 1695 to opening up a salvation station at 2nd and Market, and in
case you haven’t noticed, the world needs just as much saving, and you
need just as much saving. We need to keep this mission going, for
Christ’s sake.
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9/21/2008
Is Life Unfair?Jesus' parable of the landowner and laborers shows that God's view of fairness is all about abundant grace. We may not like, but must get over it.
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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9/14/2008
Human Beings First, Religious People SecondReflections on the parable of the unforgiving servant through the eyes of Thomas Merton, Sea Lions, and Isaac of Nineveh
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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5/18/2008
When you hug a tree, you hug a relativeEvolutionary Theology on Trinity Sunday
The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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4/28/2008
Removing Walls and Renewing Minds: That's what Church is ForThe Rev. Timothy Safford
The Apostle Paul speaks to why Christ Church has clear, not stained, glass.
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3/23/2008
The Resurrection is PersonalThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford
The debates about the resurrection of Jesus the Christ, and what happened on that Easter morning thousands of years ago will never end. But our own stories of the resurrection about those whom we love and see no more will always live.
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3/16/2008
The most difficult lesson: Jesus didn't have to die; Jesus chose to dieA Palm Sunday sermon by the Rev. Timothy B. Safford
An Amish school girl teaches the answer to: Why did Jesus choose to die?
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2/24/2008
Drawing waterThe Rev. Timothy Safford
A sad woman meets Jesus at a well, and draws water that nurtures a new life.
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2/13/2008
Who owned Absalom Jones?The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
February 13 is the feast day of Absalom Jones, one of the nation's and our Church's heroic founding fathers. Our first black priest and founder of the first black Episcopal Church, he was born a slave, and achieved his freedom at age 38. But, from whom?
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12/25/2007
Don't we all want to be Ebenezer Scrooge?The Rev. Timothy B. Safford
A sermon for Christmas, 2007
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12/9/2007
We All Need a John the BaptistThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford
I think we all need a “John the Baptist” to call us to true repentance. I certainly had one.
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11/25/2007
The Subversive ChristianThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford
To be submissive to the Kingdom of God is to be subversive to the kingdoms of this world.
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9/30/2007
Life that Really is LifeThe Rev. Timothy Safford
A timeless lesson from scripture: The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.
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9/23/2007
Shrewd StewardshipThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford The parable of the Rich Man and the Dishonest Manager is one of Jesus’ most beguiling parables, but it teaches about good stewardship.
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9/10/2007
To Be Rich Toward GodThe Rev. Carol Anthony
Jesus takes the notion of "richness" and turns it from what we possess to the relativity of our relationship to God. What does that mean for us?
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9/2/2007
The Hospitality of ChristThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford
Scripture teaches, "Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." How does that direct us?
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8/31/2007
A Sermon on VideoThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford preaching at All Saints Church, Pasadena, August 26, 2007
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7/15/2007
The Parable of the Good SamaritanAn audio recording of the sermon by the Rev. Timothy B. Safford
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7/1/2007
Freedom is as Freedom does: A Philadelphia StoryThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford
A sermon examining the meaning of freedom through the rediscovered life of Oney Judge, one of the slaves kept by President Washington in Philadelphia.
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6/17/2007
A Sermon for June 17, 2007The Rev. K. Palmer Hartl
My faith teaches me about what I believe to be the inherent goodness in God’s creation. The inherent goodness of others.
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6/10/2007
Jesus intends to stop death itselfThe Rev. Timothy Safford In the Gospel of Luke, 7:11-17, is the story of Jesus raising the dead son of the widow of Nain. This sermon imagines the effect of such a miracle on a tax collector that Jesus had called to be a disciple. It takes the form of a letter, written back to his brother.
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5/6/2007
The Radical Hospitality of GodThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford
Will we tear down the barriers that surround our churches that keep those whom we label profane from even peeking into, or will we insulate ourselves with comfort, homogeneity and culture and just wait to see who might wander in on our terms?
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4/1/2007
Three Emails from the Prodigal SonThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford
What follows are three sermons preached in Christ Church, Philadelphia, on Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, and the Sunday after Easter. They are presented as three emails home from a child living in the city, near Christ Church. They are meant to evoke Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son, which we studied at Christ Church in the Lenten season.
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2/4/2007
In the Deep WaterThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford
So what is Jesus teaching us about our church today, and how might we resist that teaching like Simon Peter resists Jesus’ instructions?
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12/1/2006
The Second Coming and the Meaning of LifeThe Rev. Timothy Safford
What does it mean, “Christ will come again?”
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10/6/2006
The Camel and Campaign Redmore...
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7/9/2006
We Shall OvercomeThe Rev. Timothy Safford
Most Americans, of every creed and culture, and probably most of the world where there has been a struggle for equality and human rights, know, by heart, the hymn: We Shall Overcome.
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7/2/2006
This is America! Pray in any language you wish!A sermon preached by the Rev. Timothy Safford
For America to find its future we must know the entirety of our past, and that
is no small task.
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5/21/2006
Love the One You SeeThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford
To be like Christ, we are called to be a "second kind of artist."
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5/21/2006
Love the One You SeeThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford
Jesus has revealed in his life, death
and resurrection that he is the sort of artist who transforms us, full of faults and imperfections, onto a canvas of glory and life
abundant.
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4/16/2006
Easter 2006: Back to the GardenThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford
A parish bible study group shapes the Easter Sermon, with help from Joni Mitchell
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2/20/2006
Yet Another Sermon on the Radical Inclusivity of God
A sermon preached by the Rev. Timothy B. Safford
Jesus is sharing the word of freedom, release and inclusion in God’s
love and mercy while never releasing any of us from the reality that
sin imprisons us the most in cells that we construct for ourselves.
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12/24/2005
The God in Whom We BelieveThe Rev. Timothy Safford
A Christmas Sermon from 2005
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9/15/2005
After KatrinaThe Rev. Timothy Safford
Is God in the hurricane?
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9/30/2004
If we proclaim 'Christ is Risen,' why is Lazarus still laying at our gate?A sermon by the Rev. Timothy Safford
Too often, we think the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is about how the rich are cursed and the poor are blessed. That misses the point. The rich man should not make himself poor, but he should make Lazarus well.
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8/15/2004
Jesus and Family ValuesThe Rev. Timothy B. Safford
Jesus said, “Do you suppose I came to establish peace on the earth? No
indeed. I have come to bring dissension. From now on, a family of
five will be divided, three against two and two against three; father
against son and son against father, mother against daughter and
daughter against mother. . . .” Luke 12:51ff.
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7/3/2003
A Sermon for the 4th of July, 2003Preached by the Rev. Timothy Safford, RectorEach year, on or about the 4 th of July, we gather in this church, and commemorate the founding of our nation. That has been the tradition here at Christ Church since 1785 when our denomination passed a resolution, that “the Fourth of July shall be observed by this Church forever as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God for the inestimable blessings of religious and civil liberty vouchsafed to the United States of America.”
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8/15/1999
Even Jesus Needed to be Reminded to be Inclusive
A sermon preached by the Rev. Timothy Safford
In 2000, this sermon was awarded the Lawrence K. Mikkelsen Preaching Prize, for a sermon of distinction on the Gospel and Social Justice or the Gospel and Human Dignity.
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