Sermons

We invite you to enjoy these sermons of our rector, The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz and others.  Browse her latest sermons below, or look for a specific sermon by title in reverse chronological order and listed by year in the right-hand column.  Above the years is a word cloud of clickable tags for these sermons.  Also listen to her dynamic preaching about 20 minutes into our live-streamed services on our YouTube Channel.

Sing a song of love.

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Advent 4B, 24 December 2023. The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

  • 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16. I will not take my steadfast love from him.
  • Romans 16:25-27. The revelation of the mystery…is now disclosed.
  • Luke 1:26-38. But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

O God in whom is heaven, may we have the wisdom, the strength, and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth – come when it may and cost what it will.

Every once in a while, our liturgical calendar gives us the Fourth Sunday of Advent in the morning and Christmas Eve in the evening. It always seems to take us by surprise even though it’s possible to see it coming for a long time. The last time was in 2017, and the next time will be in 2028. Plan accordingly!

Over the past weeks, our scripture readings have been full of prophetic calls to vast numbers of people for large scale relational and economic repair projects, leveling the playing fields and making it easier for all people to experience the love of God. Today, in a dramatic downshift, we are invited into intensely intimate scenes between David and Nathan, between Mary and Gabriel. You can almost hear our theological engine revving as we slow down to make this big turn. For the Gospel of Luke (and the Gospel of Matthew), this passage from Samuel about David and Nathan was essential to understanding just who Jesus would be. Continue reading →

Finding Magnification of the Lord

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Advent 3B, 17 December 2023. The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

  • Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11. To give them a garland instead of ashes.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.
  • John 1:6-8, 19-28. This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

O God of hope, may we have the wisdom, the strength, and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth – come when it may and cost what it will.

So, are you ready for Christmas? It’s hard for me to think of a more annoying question at this time of year. It jangles my nerves as it conjures up conversations to have, plans to make, places to go, bulletins to prepare, and sermons to write. It also conjures up the yawning gap between how I want the world to be and how it is at this moment – wracked by war and alienation, torn apart by greed and fear, peoples estranged from one another in hopes of finding safety and security. The question conjures up in me the recognition of the emotional freight of this tricky season. It conjures up those who are broken-hearted, captive, imprisoned, those who are being crushed by debt or other kinds of devastation, those who are huddled in doorways and alleyways without adequate and dignified shelter or even access to toilets. “No!” I want to shout. “No, we are not ready.” “How could we be ready?” And our scriptures smile and say, “Well, ready or not….” Continue reading →

Represent the goodness and love of God.

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Advent 2B, 10 December 2023. The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

  • Isaiah 40:1-11. Comfort, O comfort my people says your God.
  • 2 Peter 3:8-15a. New heavens and a new earth where righteousness is at home.
  • Mark 1:1-8. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah.

O God of the prophets, may we have the wisdom, the strength, and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth – come when it may and cost what it will.

The season of Advent in the Church is meant to be more an annual pilgrimage than a shopping spree or a holiday frenzy. The observance of Advent is a spiritual, theological practice, and it’s also political, sociological, economic when we are paying attention to the scriptures. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it is also a pilgrimage in a season marked by darkness. For those of us in and around the city, true darkness is barely possible to experience, but the loss of sunlight is felt deeply, nonetheless. So many of us are unaccustomed to noticing the beauty of darkness. I have found that I need to slow down to notice the beauty of darkness, to appreciate the growth that occurs in the darkness, to identify the many blessings of darkness. It takes some slowing down and remembering that to the Divine, darkness and light are both alike. Continue reading →

If You Want to Hear the Truth

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Advent 1B, 3 December 2023. The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

  • Isaiah 64:1-9. O that you would tear open the heavens and come down….We are your people.
  • 1 Corinthians 1:1-9. So that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Mark 13:24-37. Keep awake.

O God of repentance, repair, and reconciliation, may we have the wisdom, the strength, and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth – come when it may and cost what it will.

Hello! Happy Advent! Happy Churchy New Year! I’m so glad to be back with you after four months of time away.  I’m eager to hear about how you’ve changed and grown while we’ve been apart.  I hope you’ll find a time to talk with me so we can catch up; or if you’re new to Emmanuel, so that we can get to know one another. I have stories to tell you about my adventures learning about my Maryland ancestors and my Civil Rights pilgrimage with my wife Joy across the deep South – from Louisiana to Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. I’ve been learning about and reflecting more deeply on my family’s relationship with racial oppression, my Church’s (big C) relationship with racial oppression, and my government’s relationship with racial oppression. Along the way, I’ve been building new relationships with folks who are engaging in racial reckoning by learning and practicing restorative and reparative justice in meaningful and sustainable ways. My heart is full of gratitude for Emmanuel Church’s gift to me of time away for rest and restoration, and for education and inspiration. Continue reading →

Embracing the Teachings of Jesus

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Proper 11A, 30 July 2023. The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

  • Genesis 29:15-28. When morning came, it was Leah!
  • Romans 8:26-39.  We do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
  • Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52. Have you understood all this? They answered, “Yes.”

O God of mercy, grant us the wisdom, the strength and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.

Whenever the story of Jacob’s procurement of Leah and Rachel gets told in our appointed lessons, I’m tempted to preach about the biblical model of marriage illustrated in the book of Genesis, just so we’re all clear what “Biblical marriage” is. It’s especially true this year in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in the bigoted-website case. Instead, I’m going to trust that the Spirit is interceding with sighs too deep for words. Continue reading →

Extravagantly Kind

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Proper 10A, 16 July 2023. The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

  • Genesis 25:19-34. If it is going to be this way, why do I live?
  • Romans 8:1-11. You are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you.
  • Matthew 13:1-9 [10-17] 18-23. Hear then the parable of the sower.

O God of grace, grant us the wisdom, the strength, and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.

There is an old Jewish wisdom teaching that God created humans because God loves stories. Two of our three readings this morning are stories. We have the story of Rebekah bearing twins, Esau and Jacob, and of the most expensive bowl of red-lentil soup there ever was in the history of the world. Our Gospel portion includes a memorable story, parable. I often think that the Apostle Paul’s letters might have been more comprehensible and less objectionable, if they focused more on stories than high rhetoric, elegant as it is. Continue reading →

Blessed Pauli Murray

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Feast of Pauli Murray.  9 July. 2023. The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

  • Sirach 15:1-6. They will lean on her and not fall.
  • Galatians 3:23-29. There is no longer Jew or Greek…slave or free…male and female.
  • Mark 12:1-12.  The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone [or keystone]; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing.

O God of reconciling love, grant us the wisdom, the strength and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.

Today is a long-anticipated, special day at Emmanuel Church because we are celebrating the Feast Day of The Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray with the unveiling of a statue of her, beautifully rendered by our Artist-in-Residence Ted Southwick. The statue is installed on the sanctuary pulpit, from which Dr. Murray preached. We are thrilled and honored to welcome her niece Rosita Stevens-Holsey, who will speak with us after the service. While Dr. Murray’s feast day is July 1, the day that she completed her earthly mission, today is the 112th anniversary of her baptism at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Baltimore. Just prior to being ordained, she had described herself as: woman, Christian, seminarian, poet, lawyer, person of color, and senior citizen. Last week in Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s dissenting opinion in the bigoted-website case, she recalled Murray’s pioneering work with regard to public accommodations.[1] I want to assure you that Pauli Murray is still speaking to us all. Continue reading →

Believe it or not!

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Proper 8A, 2 July 2023. The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

  • Genesis 22:1-14. The Lord will provide.
  • Romans 6:12-23. Present your members to God as instruments of righteousness.
  • Matthew 10:40-42. And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.

O God of love, grant us the wisdom, the strength, and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.

Our Gospel passage from Matthew is from the conclusion of Jesus’ instructions to his disciples, made apostles (by being sent out). It’s about welcome, about radical hospitality, that is, Biblical hospitality, Torah hospitality. Jesus’ message in Matthew is that impressive religious experiences like exorcisms and miracles are great but, “What counts [more than anything] is the cup of cold water given to a thirsty person,” especially a thirsty person who has no privilege or power to demand it. [1] Jesus was sending folks out to spread the news of God’s love and assuring them that when people welcome them, they are welcoming Jesus, which means that they are welcoming the Holy One. I would love to preach a sermon about welcome this morning. Continue reading →

Inspired, Courageous & Generous Lives

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Proper 7A, 25 June 2023. The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

  • Genesis 21:8-21. Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.
  • Romans 6:1b-11. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
  • Matthew 10:24-39. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.

O God of love, may we have the wisdom, the strength, and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth – come when it may and cost what it will.

May I just say how glad I am that we are not celebrating a baptism today? For two of the last three times I’ve preached on the lessons we just heard, we’ve had special guests in church because of baptisms. These are readings that I’d rather not have read at all in church, and especially not when we have company!

It’s hard for me to listen to this portion of Matthew without thinking, “Gosh, Jesus was so crabby! Where is our tender shepherd? Where are Jesus’ family values? Is Matthew’s Jesus calling for violence?” I think the Apostle Paul would answer, “By no means!” But what is going on here? Our Gospel reading for today is a continuation of the portion of Matthew from last week, in which Jesus summoned twelve disciples (learners or followers) and empowered them to heal diseases and sicknesses and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He sent the authorized disciples out, thereby making them apostles (which means sent out). They were to take their newly-bestowed spiritual power with them along the way, but not their stuff – no money, extra clothing, or food. Jesus assured them that their power to heal, to bring peace, was going to be enough to move people to provide hospitality; and if the people didn’t welcome them, the apostles were to continue on with their peace returned to them, their wellbeing intact. So far so good; it sounds as if everything is going to be all right.  Continue reading →

Both Host & Guest

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Proper 6A, 18 June 2023. The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

  • Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7). When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them.
  • Romans 5:1-8. Because God’s love has been poured into our hearts.
  • Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23). When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless….The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.

O God of the harvest, may we have the wisdom, the strength, and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth – come when it may and cost what it will.

It’s rare that I can resist the urge to speak about all three of our appointed scripture lessons, and today is no exception! Today we have a vivid scene from the Torah of three men who visited Abraham and Sarah and conveyed a divine message that made Sarah laugh to herself, and not quietly. Today in Paul’s writing to Jesus’ followers in Rome, we hear his confidence that suffering can produce endurance, endurance can produce character, character can produce hope, and hope does not make us ashamed, because God’s love has been poured into the hearts of Jesus’ followers through the gift of a spirit of holiness. It’s not that we don’t get disappointed. It’s that we need not be ashamed because God’s spirit is with us. It’s really not about disappointment. Paul is saying don’t be ashamed to hope when you have love in your heart. Today we have the Gospel of Matthew’s account of when twelve disciples became twelve apostles, and the traveling instructions Jesus gave to them. How can I not mention all of these lessons? I mean, really. Continue reading →