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Worship

Sermons

We are pleased to offer recordings of sermons preached at St Francis. To listen to a sermon, click on the date it was preached. Occasionally a sermon manuscript will be posted in Portable Document Format [PDF].

Mary's prerogative was to bear Christ, so                         'Tis preachers' to convey him, for they do                       As angels out of clouds, from pulpits speak;                     If then the'astronomers, whereas they spy,                     A new-found star, their optics magnify,                           How brave are those, who with their engine, can             Bring man to heaven, and heaven again to man?

  —John Donne, To Mr. Tilman after He Had Taken Orders

Curiosity Killed the Cat
March 7, 2010 [PDF] The 3rd Sunday in Lent
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Glory of God's Mercy 
February 28, 2010 [PDF] The 2nd Sunday in Lent
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Depending On God: The Devil & Deuteronomy
February 21, 2010 The 1st Sunday in Lent
Mr. Josiah Rengers, Seminarian

The Jesus Who Doesn't Disappear
February 14, 2010 [PDF] Last Sunday after Epiphany
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

[To be posted]
January 31, 2010 The 4th Sunday after Epiphany
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Jesus Picks a Fight
January 31, 2010 [PDF] at the 8 o'clock service
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

A Prayer That Changed My Life
January 24, 2010 The 3rd Sunday after Epiphany
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Jesus' First Miracle
January 17, 2010 [PDF] 2nd Sunday after Epiphany
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Sent to Samaria
January 10, 2010 The 1st Sunday after Epiphany
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Mary Kept These Things
January 3, 2010 The 2nd Sunday after Christmas
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Tent
December 27, 2009 [PDF] 1st Sunday after Christmas
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Word Became Flesh
December 24, 2009 Christmas Eve at the 10:00
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Nobody Understands This At All
December 24, 2009 [PDF] Christmas Eve at the 5:30
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

You Brood of Vipers
December 13, 2009 3rd Sunday of Advent
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

How Will You Prepare?
December 6, 2009 2nd Sunday of Advent
Mr. Josiah Rengers, Seminarian

The Time Is Now
November 29, 2009 1st Sunday of Advent
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

His Life for Yours
November 22, 2009 Christ the King
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Take the Hill for God
November 15, 2009 24th Sunday after Pentecost
Dr. Russell White, Chief of Surgery, Tenwek Hospital, Bomet, Kenya. Based on 1 Samuel 14: 1 – 14.

Let's Put Our Cards on the Table
November 8, 2009 Stewardship Sunday
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Lights of the World in Their Several Generations
November 1, 2009 The Feast of All Saints
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Jesus's Greatest Miracle
November 1, 2009 The Feast of All Saints [8 am]
Mr. Josiah Rengers, Seminarian

The Empty Space
October 25, 2009 21st Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Her Fortress Is a Faithful Heart
October 24, 2009 At the Burial Office for Pam Ramsey
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Giving Thanks to God for Saint Luke
October 18, 2009 The Feast of Luke the Evangelist
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

I Want The Christ!
October 11, 2009 19th Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

On Our Patronal Feast
October 4, 2009 The Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Lock Turned from the Inside
September 27, 2009 17th Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Reading Aloud Our Prayers
September 20, 2009 16th Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Telling Strange Stories Over and Over Again
September 13, 2009 15th Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

A Lamp Unto My Feet
August 23, 2009 12th Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Life of David: Absalom
August 9, 2009 10th Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Life of David: Uriah, Nathan, and Contrition
August 2, 2009 9th Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Life of David: Bathsheba
July 26, 2009 8th Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Life of David: Nathan, and the House of God
July 19, 2009 7th Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Life of David: Dancing Before the Ark
July 12, 2009 6th Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Life of David: Goliath and The Place of a Skull
June 21, 2009 3rd Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

What We Pray For When We Pray For The Church
June 14, 2009 2nd Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Ladders to the Moon
St. Andrew's Episcopal School Baccalaureate Sermon
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Resting Easy in His Control
Gillian Ellsworth

I Know What I Believe . . . And I Know That It is True
Blake Grady

Do Not Be Afraid
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

God Wants More for You Than You Want for Yourself
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Let Us Love One Another 
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Lord is My Shepherd 
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

A Room Furnished with Grief
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

What Do We Know About the Resurrection
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

One Easter Is Not Like Every Other
April 12, 2009 The Feast of the Resurrection
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Good Friday — Meditations on the Cross
  April 10, 2009 The Binding of the Beloved Son
  The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

  April 10, 2009 The Transformation of History
  The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

  April 10, 2009 The Necessity of Love
  The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

  April 10, 2009 The Redemption of Suffering
  The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

He Will Ride in Piers' Doublet
April 5, 2009 Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Lift Up Your Heart
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Let His Glory Be Thy Theme
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Mystery of the Cross: The Providence of God
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.
    Shanker Singham, Lector

The Glory of God: Always to Have Mercy
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Why Must Holy Places Be Dark Places?
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Don't Tell a Soul
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Thy Mystery of the Cross: Suffering Transformed
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Malice toward None, Charity for All
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Moses, Religious Naïveté, and Jesus Christ
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Hearts Inclined to Faithfulness
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

How to Pray for the President
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Wonderfully Created, Yet More Wonderfully Restored
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

We've Been Given Light By Which to See
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

And Lay It Lowly at His Blessed Feet
December 24, 2008 Christmas Eve, 10:00 o'clock
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

How Much God Loves Us
December 24, 2008 Christmas Eve, 5:30 o'clock
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Be It Done Unto Me According To Thy Word
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.
    Shanker Singham, Lector

The Father Running Down the Street
December 14, 2008 Advent III
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

In the Wilderness, Prepare the Way
December 7, 2008 Advent II
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Encourage One Another
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

How Deep the Father's Love For Us
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

As For Me and My House
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

God Never Gives Up On Us
November 2, 2008 The Solemnity of All Saints
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Janani Luwum and James Hannington
November 2, 2008 The Solemnity of All Saints
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Stewardship of Saint Francis
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

To Glorify God, and To Enjoy Him Forever
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Feast of Saint Francis (file to be loaded)
October 5, 2008 The Solemnity of Saint Francis
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Children Eat Sour Grapes
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Shape of Our Story
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Feast of the Holy Cross
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Putting On Christ—and My Fair Lady
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

That We Would Become 'Losers'
Mr. David Hirsch, Director of Student Ministries

I Will Build My Church
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Patience of Faith
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Elijah and Two Last Words
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

More Than Conquerors Through Him
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

What Jacob Could Only Dream
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

More Love Than You Knew Was There
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Way You Come to a Dance
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Saints Peter & Paul And a Communion Worth Having
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

About My Sister Vicki
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Cost of Peace
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Abraham: The Father of All Believers
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Desiring God
June 1, 2008 Youth Sunday
Ms. Callen Brenner, Parsons School of Design, '12

Girl Finds God
June 1, 2008 Youth Sunday
Ms. Elizabeth Axelson, Duke University, '12

The Power of History
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Filled with the Holy Spirit
May 11, 2008 Pentecost Sunday [at the 11:15]
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Welcome to the Family
May 11, 2008 Pentecost Sunday [at the 9 o'clock]
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

That We May Also Thither Ascend
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Difference The Resurrection Makes
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

That Where I Am, You May be Also
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Do Not Let Your Heart Be Troubled
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

How Dear to Me Is Your Dwelling
At the Burial Office for John Mengers
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Jesus the Good Shepherd
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Down the Road from Emmaus
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Of Faith and Fiction
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Easter, and Not Too Early
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Good Friday, The Seven Words from the Cross
  March 21, 2008 Introductory address
  The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

  March 21 2008  Father, forgive them . . .
  The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

  March 21, 2008 Today . . . with me in paradise.
  The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

  March 21, 2008 Woman, behold your son.
  The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

  March 21, 2008 Why have you forsaken me?
  The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

  March 21, 2008 I thirst.              
  The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

  March 21, 2008 Into your hands
  The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

  March 21, 2008 It is finished.
  The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

  Ms. Julie Keim, soprano, Saint Francis Choir

Jesus Loved Them to the End
March 20, 2008 Maundy Thursday
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Passion of Our Lord
March 16, 2008 Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

That Our Hearts May Surely There Be Fixed
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

That's How I See Things
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

What God Loves in the Incompetent
February 24, 2008 
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

You Never Can Tell
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

He is Building a House For You
February 10, 2008 The First Sunday in Lent
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Kind of Person God Can Use: Moses
February 3, 2008 The Last Sunday of Epiphany
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

What Is In Your Hand?
January 27, 2008
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

First Sentences and Jesus Christ
January 20, 2008 
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Whose Voice Are You Listening To?
January 13, 2008 
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Who Is This Jesus?
January 6, 2008 The Feast of the Holy Epiphany
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Word Made Flesh
December 30, 2007 
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Eve, Mary, and The Obstetrics of Redemption
December 25, 2007 Christmas Day
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

In the Still of the Night
December 24, 2007 The Feast of the Holy Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Kind of Person God Can Use: Saint Joseph
December 23, 2007 The Fourth Sunday of Advent
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Speaking Truth About Power
December 16, 2007 The Third Sunday of Advent
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

More and More, Less and Less
December 9, 2007 The Second Sunday of Advent
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Our Sacred Past and Our Sacred Future
December 2, 2007 The First Sunday of Advent
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Where Everything Ends Christ the King
November 25, 2007
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Leaves are Rustling
November 18, 2007
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Job, Prayer, and Complaining to God
November 11, 2007
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The Encouragement of the Saints
November 4, 2007 The Feast of All Saints
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Whose Service is Perfect Freedom
October 28, 2007
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Blessing of Struggling With God
October 21, 2007
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

The God of Unfavorable Circumstances
October 14, 2007
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Zeal For Your House Has Consumed Me
October 7, 2007
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

How Do I Love Thee?
September 30, 2007
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Two Prophets and Three Important Things
September 23, 2007
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

In Sure and Certain Hope
September 16, 2007
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

That Light Might Dawn Upon Them                     September 9, 2007
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Decision We Ask Students to Make                   September 2, 2007
Mr. David Hirsch, Director of Student Ministries             

Two Roads                                                            August 26, 2007
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Today Is Mine
August 19, 2007
The Rev. Andrew J. Tibus

Abraham, Sarah, and A Safe Place to Be
August 12, 2007
The Rev., Dr. Ruth Correll

The Parable of the Rich Fool
August 5, 2007
The Rev. Andrew J. Tibus

Lose Not the Things Eternal
July 29, 2007
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
July 22, 2007
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Children Go Away
July 15, 2007
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr. 

Real Life Missionaries
July 8, 2007
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

That Our Longing May Be As Theirs
July 1, 2007
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Elijah and the God of Compassion
June 10, 2007
The Rev., Dr. Ruth Correll

Bringing Joy to the Most High
June 8, 2007
Baccalaureate, St. Andrew's Episcopal School
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Finding Christ and a Home at St. Francis
June 3, 2007 [Youth Sunday]
Ms. Alexandra Heywood, St. Andrew's '07, Dartmouth '11

Pray Hard, Play Hard
June 3, 2007 [Youth Sunday]
Mr. Gabriel Ellsworth, St. Andrew's '07, Yale '11

Pentecost, Baptism, and Lives Laid Down
May 27, 2007 The Feast of Pentecost
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The Ministry We Share in Jesus Christ
May 20, 2007
The Right Rev. John Bryson Chane, Bishop of Washington 

God Works His Purposes Out
May 13, 2007
The Rev. Brian E. Smith

Paul, Barnabas and Encouraging One Another
May 6, 2007
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Belonging Before Believing
April 29, 2007
The Rev. James Almasi

Prometheus, Faust, And the Slain Lamb
April 22, 2007
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Disbelieving, And Keeping Contact with Believers
April 15, 2007
The Rev., Dr. Ruth Correll

Where Do You Look for Jesus Now?
April 8, 2007 The Resurrection of Our Lord
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Good Friday, The Seven Words from the Cross

  April 6, 2007 Father, forgive them . . .                                            The Rev., Dr. Ruth Correll

  April 6, 2007 Today . . . with me in paradise.
  The Rev. James Almasi

  April 6, 2007 Woman, behold thy son.
  The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

  April 6, 2007 My God, why hast thou forsaken me?
  The Rev. Brian E. Smith

  April 6, 2007 Into thy hands, I commend my spirit.
  The Rev. Andrew J. Tibus

  April 6, 2007 I thirst.
  The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

  April 6, 2007 It is finished.
  The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

Is This the Kind of God You Believe In?
April 1, 2007 Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.

Remembering God in Maryland History
March 25, 2007 [Maryland Day]
The Rev. William Munro Shand, III

The God of The Lost and Found
March 18, 2007
The Rev. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr.



































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For the sake, as he sees it, of the ones he preaches to, the preacher is apt to preach the Gospel with the high magic taken out, the deep mystery reduced to a manageable size. 

'Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.' 'Truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Remove hence to yonder place,' and it will be moved and nothing will be impossible to you' (Matt. 17: 20). 'Come, O blessed of my Father, and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world' (Matt. 35:24). 'He who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live' (John 11:25). 

The wild and joyful promise of the Gospel is reduced to promises more easily kept. The peace that passeth all understanding is reduced to peace that anybody can understand. The faith that can move mountains and raise the dead becomes faith that can help make life bearable until death ends it. Eternal life becomes a metaphor for the way the good a man does lives after him. 'Blessed is he who takes no offense at me' (Matt. 11:6), Jesus says, and the preacher is apt to seek to remove the offense by removing from the Gospel all that he believes we find offensive.

The joke of it is that often it is the preacher who as steward of the wildest mystery of them all is the one who hangs back, prudent, cautious, hopelessly mature and wise to the last when no less than Saint Paul tells him to be a fool for Christ's sake, no less than Christ tells him to be a child for his own and the kingdom's sake. . . . Let the preacher tell the truth."

Frederick Buechner, 
 Telling the Truth:
 The Gospel as Tragedy,
 Comedy & Fairy Tale
,  
      Harper & Row, 1977