Bryn Athyn Church Adult Service

The Lord has been feeding His people on the natural level and the spiritual level for all of human history. We will be reflecting on a few stories from the Word about the Lord feeding people as part of the preparation for taking Holy Supper. Readings: John 6, Arcana Coelestia 1480 Minister: Rev. Malcolm G. Smith Delivered September 13th, 2026 at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral in Bryn Athyn, PA. The Bryn Athyn Church is a congregation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, located in Bry...

Elijah asked the children of Israel why did they limp between two opinions? They went back and forth between worshiping the Lord and worshiping Baal. Elijah was out to prove that there was and is only one God, the Lord. He challenged them to a showdown to prove it. Like Israel, we too can find ourselves limping back and forth between following the Lord’s will or following our own tendencies toward evil. That’s not going to get us to heaven. Like Elijah, we must make a stand, follow the Lord. ...

In Haggai 1, the Lord asks the children of Israel why they are busy building their own houses while His temple lies in ruins. Is it possible for us to “build our houses”—to seek success, comfort, and prosperity—without neglecting the Lord and His call to love and serve others? Readings: Haggai 1:1-11, Luke 19:1-10, True Christian Religion 422 Minister: Rev. Steven P. Gunther Delivered August 30th, 2026 at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral in Bryn Athyn, PA. The Bryn Athyn Church is a congregati...

Isaac sent his son Esau to hunt deer for him because he loved venison. But Jacob deceived Isaac, substituted a kid goat from the flock, and stole Esau’s blessing. This describes something that is central to our spiritual lives. We may long to be like a deer, but being a part of the flock is the better choice. Readings: Genesis 27:1-13; Arcana Coelestia 3313, 6413 Minister: Rev. Jeremy F. Simons Delivered August 23rd, 2026 at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral in Bryn Athyn, PA. The Bryn Athyn Ch...

We tend to think of self-reliance as a virtue, but Psalm 127 highlights the limits of self-reliance: “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” For anything to have lasting value, we have to let the Lord work in it. At the same time, the Psalm implies that if the Lord does build the house, the laborers will also work, and their work will not be in vain. How do we both acknowledge the Lord’s help and act as if from our own power? Readings: Daniel 4:20-33, Luke 5:1-11,...