St. Thomas Episcopal Church Sermons

Saint Francis was many things—a lover of animals, a poet of creation, a radical peacemaker. But what if we saw him first as a healer?
This week, The Rev. Liz Costello shared stories of Francis that remind us how to sit with others in their pain, recognize their dignity, and seek healing—even when agreement is impossible.
“May we be like Francis, who when he approached people, sought to honor their dignity and offer comfort when health wasn’t possible.”
#SaintFrancis #FeastofStFrancis #EpiscopalChurch #Healing #FaithInAction #BeingWith #StThomasMedina #BlessingOfTheAnimals #ArchbishopSarahMullally #FranciscanSpirituality #PeaceAndHealing #ChurchLife

I’m delighted to share the second stained glass window design: Miriam. You can view it digitally by clicking here. 
I’m especially excited to share this podcast about Miriam because our guest is arguably one of the most influential Hebrew Bible scholars of our time—and a dear friend—Dr. Ellen Davis. 
Dr. Davis is known for her expertise in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament theology, agrarian studies, and the intersection of holy scriptures and art. She has written extensively on biblical interpretation, including influential works such as Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture, Getting Involved with God: Rediscovering the Old Testament, and Wondrous Depth: Preaching the Old Testament, and countless commentaries. Her forthcoming book, Light Within Light: Psalms and the Arts of Insight (with Rabbi Shai Held and artist Makoto Fujimura), blends biblical translation, visual art, and theological reflection. Her deep interest in art inspired by biblical stories made her especially delighted to reflect on our stained-glass window of Miriam.
As Dr. Davis shares in the podcast, Miriam’s story is a pivotal moment in the Jewish Bible. After the Israelites cross the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army is defeated, Miriam leads the women in song, taking up a tambourine as they proclaim: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea” (Exodus 15:21). This is the first recorded instance of a woman leading worship in Scripture, marking her role as both prophet and leader.
Her song is more than a celebration—it’s an acknowledgment of God’s deliverance and a way of guiding the people to remember this act of salvation. Through her leadership, Miriam models communal worship and theological reflection, showing how music and ritual can anchor a community’s understanding of God’s power and faithfulness. And even as a child, Miriam demonstrated remarkable courage: she saved her baby brother, Moses, placing him in a basket and following him until he reached Pharaoh’s household, where he was adopted and cared for.
While Miriam, Aaron, and Moses did not always see eye to eye, her successes and struggles in leadership offer timeless lessons for church leaders today. Listen to Dr. Davis reflect further on this story in part two of our Stained Glass Window podcast on biblical women.
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The podcast music is provided by Paul Meier and is based on the hymn tune, Mayfair, by Frances McCollin, which is associated with the hymn, “Rejoice for women brave” by Lisa Neufeld Thomas. 
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The people of St. Thomas have noticed something important: women from the Bible were underrepresented in the stained glass windows of our nave. At the same time, we had eight empty window spaces—waiting to be filled. With the vestry’s support and Mother Jane Maynard’s blessing, a group of parishioners gathered to discern which women’s stories should be honored. Thanks to the dedication of a small lay committee and staff, the creativity of stained glass designer William Frank, and the craftsmanship of artisan Blake LaRue, the vision is now taking shape. This fall, we will host weekly Bible studies and a podcast on each story, as we prepare for the joyful installation during the week of December 8, 2025.

I’m delighted to introduce the first of eight podcasts that explore the biblical stories behind the stained-glass windows. Each episode will feature a guest who will help unpack the stories. Our podcast on Sarah and Hagar features Rabbi Daniel Weiner, Senior Rabbi of Temple De Hirsch Sinai.
I invited Rabbi Weiner intentionally, because this story is, first and foremost, a Jewish story—a story that Christians have inherited from the Hebrew Bible. As Rabbi Weiner explains, Sarah and Abraham’s story is central to Jewish identity. God’s promise to Abraham is fulfilled through Sarah’s son, Isaac, making her a matriarch of Judaism. Hagar and Ishmael are part of that story too. Christians trace the covenantal line through Abraham and Isaac, fulfilled in Christ, which means Sarah is a matriarch for us as well.
Hagar’s story is a powerful story of resilience. She is the first person in the holy scriptures to name God. Cast out and alone in the wilderness, Hagar calls God El Roi—“the One who sees me.” God stays faithful to her, making sure she and her son survive.
For Muslims, Hagar is also a matriarch, since Ishmael is considered an ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad. During the hajj pilgrimage, Muslims visit the place where they believe that God caused water to spring from a rock to save Hagar—the Zamzam Well.
This story, with its joys and struggles, connects Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as these three Abrahamic faiths trace their beginnings back to Abraham and Sarah.  
While the story contains tension and division, it also speaks of hope and God’s faithfulness. In our window, we chose to depict Isaac and Ishmael looking back at one another—a quiet gesture of reconciliation, reminding us of an ongoing longing for peace and reconciliation.
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The podcast music is provided by Paul Meier and is based on the hymn tune, Mayfair, by Frances McCollin, which is associated with the hymn, “Rejoice for women brave” by Lisa Neufeld Thomas. 
_____________________________________________
The people of St. Thomas have noticed something important: women from the Bible were underrepresented in the stained glass windows of our nave. At the same time, we had eight empty window spaces—waiting to be filled. With the vestry’s support and Mother Jane Maynard’s blessing, a group of parishioners gathered to discern which women’s stories should be honored. Thanks to the dedication of a small lay committee and staff, the creativity of stained glass designer William Frank, and the craftsmanship of artisan Blake LaRue, the vision is now taking shape. This fall, we will host weekly Bible studies and a podcast on each story, as we prepare for the joyful installation during the week of December 8, 2025.

This sermon from guest preacher Marc Rieke invites us to rediscover stewardship as a spiritual practice rooted in joy. Reflecting on 2 Corinthians, Marc shares Paul’s encouragement to the church in Corinth: to let generosity be an authentic expression of love. With humor, storytelling, and deep gratitude for St. Thomas’s ministry, Marc reminds us that giving is not transactional—it is an act of trust and delight in God’s abundance.

What we leave behind is not measured in wealth or accomplishments but in the gift of presence. In this sermon, Mother Liz Costello invites us into the 2025–26 parish theme of Being With—with God, with one another, with creation, and with our truest selves. Drawing on Amos, First Timothy, and the Gospel, she reminds us that true riches are found not in mammon but in the treasure of being with.
#StThomasMedina #BeingWith #Episcopal #FaithJourney #TrueRiches #Presence #Amos #1Timothy #Luke #CommunityOfFaith #EpiscopalChurch

This week, the Rev. Liz Costello reflected on Jesus’s parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, reminding us that God never gives up on us. Even in times of national division and personal disorientation, God searches us out, calls us home, and restores us to dignity and love. In a culture often marked by contempt, Christians are called to live as people who have been found—extending mercy, seeking Christ in every person, and welcoming all God’s children home.
#StThomasMedina #Episcopal #LostAndFound #Luke15 #FaithJourney #CommunityOfFaith #BaptismalVows #GodsLove #EpiscopalChurch

In this sermon, the Rev. Edmund Harris explores Jesus’ stark words in Luke about the cost of discipleship. With honesty and hope, he reminds us that following Jesus isn’t about perfection but about daily recommitment—a way of life rooted in justice, compassion, and love. Drawing on Deuteronomy’s invitation to “choose life,” we are called to reorder our lives and begin again, together, in Christ.
#StThomasMedina #Episcopal #WayOfLove #LukeGospel #ChooseLife #Discipleship #AlwaysWeBeginAgain

This week’s sermon explores Jesus’s radical vision of hospitality, not as charity or obligation, but as a reordering of power. Drawing from Father Edmund's experience with Church Beyond the Walls in Providence, Rhode Island and the words of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel, we consider what it means to welcome those who cannot repay us, and to recognize Christ’s presence in every person.

On Sunday, Father Edmund reflected on Jesus’s healing of a woman on the Sabbath (Luke 13) and the prophet Isaiah’s call to justice. Far from dismissing the law, Jesus fulfills it by embodying compassion and love in flesh and blood. Sabbath is not opposed to justice; both are central to our faith. Drawing on the witness of Pauli Murray—lawyer, priest, and prophet—Father Edmund reminded us that faithfulness means practicing rest and justice, week by week, together as the church.
#StThomasMedina #Episcopal #SabbathRest #JusticeAndMercy #LoveAndLaw #PauliMurray #FaithInPractice #EpiscopalChurch #LivingTheGospel

In this week’s sermon, the Rev. Liz Costello reflects on Jesus’s fiery words in Luke’s Gospel—“I came to bring fire to the earth”—and what it means to follow Christ when the world feels like it’s burning. Drawing on the “great cloud of witnesses” from Hebrews, and the example of modern martyrs like Pastor Wang Zhiming of China, Mother Liz reminds us that God’s kingdom often stands in contrast to the powers of this world. Through perseverance, love, and courage, we are called to bear witness to Christ’s kingdom—even when it brings division, tension, or sacrifice.
#StThomasMedina #Sermon #Faith #Luke12 #BearWitness #WayOfLove #Courage #Perseverance #GreatCloudOfWitnesses #ChurchCommunity