The Sermons at St. Paul's
by St. Paul's Episcopal, Winston-Salem
Join a growing online and in-person community as we explore what it means to fully love our neighbors in our modern world, free from judgment and full of gratitude. St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, NC is a fully inclusive community of people with diverse beliefs and life experiences who are focused on what connects us, not what divides us. Sermons are uploaded every Monday.
Episodes
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Show Up, Pay Attention: Glimpses of the Kingdom
Preacher: The Rev. Lucy Strandlund Date: November 8, 2026 What if being ready for God’s kingdom isn’t about following a checklist, but learning to notice and join in the love already at work around us? The Rev. Lucy Strandlund reflects on everyday attentiveness, faithful presence, and the joy of...
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Look Again: Love God, Love Your Neighbor
Preacher: The Rev. Nancy Vaders Date: October 25, 2026 Occasion: 11:15 AM Holy Eucharist on The Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost Through stories of art and the people who care for it, Rev. Nancy Vaders reflects on Jesus’ greatest commandments—and invites us to see familiar truths with new…
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Seeing Beyond the Red Flags
In this sermon, The Rev. Erika Takacs reflects on Jesus’ response to the trap about taxes and invites us to see God’s presence in every part of life—from everyday routines to the hardest conversations.
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What We Do to the Kingdom
Why does Matthew’s wedding-banquet parable turn so violent—and what does its surprising grammar have to do with it? The Rev. Dixon Kinser reflects on how people can distort God’s vision when they try to impose it through force or political power, and how the kingdom becomes visible in communities...
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Blessed Are Those Who Care
The Rev. Lucy Strandlund connects Jesus’ parable of the vineyard with Isaiah’s call for justice, inviting us to consider how everyday acts of care for our neighbors, our communities, and creation help us experience a more beautiful world.
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If You Really Love Me, Give Me a Sign
Wrestling with God's silence? The Rev. Erika Takacs preaches on Jonah, anger, and mercy, and asks: Is your anger fueling love and justice, or burning you up inside? Listen now.
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The Courage to Turn Around
What if strength isn’t pretending we always know where we’re going, but having the courage to admit when we’re wrong? The Rev. Nick VanHorn reflects on Jesus’ parable of the two sons—and how repentance means more than saying the right thing.
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The Freedom of Forgiveness
In this sermon from September 13 at the 11:15 AM service, The Rev. Dixon Kinser explores what forgiveness is—and what it is not. Forgiveness is not condoning, forgetting, or eliminating consequences, and it doesn’t require reconciliation or an apology. Drawing on Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving...
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Learning to Love the Ones Who Hurt Us
At the 10 AM service on August 30, 2026, the Rev. Dixon Kinser takes a hard look at our instinct for payback and the quiet pleasure we feel when others suffer. Drawing on Romans 12 and the image of “heaping burning coals” on our enemies’ heads, he shows how blessing those who persecute us is not...
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Imaginary Jesuses and the Real Christ
We live in a world full of “imaginary Jesuses” — polite Jesus, Sunday-only Jesus, nationalist Jesus, feel-good meme Jesus. Many are “pretty good,” but none are the real thing. In this sermon, we explore how easy it is to shrink Jesus down to our preferences, and why the real Jesus is far more...
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Passing the Peace: Becoming a House of Prayer for All People
What do viral “Pope hats” at a Chicago White Sox game have to do with Isaiah’s vision of a house of prayer for all people—and with the way you pass the peace on Sunday? In this sermon, The Rev. Dixon Kinser invites us to rethink a familiar ritual and asks: who would be hardest for you to offer...
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Trusting Jesus in Life’s Storms
Preached on August 9, 2026 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the Rev. Nick VanHorn reflects on Peter stepping out of the boat and what it means for us to follow Jesus beyond our comfort zones. Drawing on everyday moments—from dropping a child off at college to stalled church vans and “chaotic...
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What It Really Means to Be Blessed
In this sermon preached by Rev. Lucy Strandlund on August 2 at the 10:00 AM service, we explore what “blessing” truly means beyond social media hashtags and polite phrases like “bless you.” Drawing from Genesis, the feeding of the five thousand, and insights from theologian Andrew Davison, Lucy...
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When Weeds Don’t Win: Kudzu, Fear, and the Indefatigable Kingdom of God
In this sermon preached on July 19, 2026, the Rev. Erika Takacs weaves together a vivid image of Southern kudzu with Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the tares. Walking through a greenway overrun by “the vine that ate the South,” she names the fears we carry when weeds—whether bigotry, prejudice,...
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The Parable of the Sower: Why Real Change Takes Time
In this sermon from July 12, 2026, The Rev. Dixon Kinser at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Winston-Salem, NC, explores Jesus’ Parable of the Sower and what it reveals about how God’s kingdom actually works.
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Seeing the World as a Miracle
In this sermon, the Rev. Lucy Strandlund reflects on our culture of constant critique—from social media to celebrity culture—through examples like Amy Poehler, Billie Eilish, and poet Andrea Gibson. Drawing on Jesus’ words in the Gospels, she invites us to move from jaded detachment to…
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Proclaim, Persist, Discern
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Kelly Brown Douglas Occasion: 150th Anniversary of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Date: June 28, 2026 Location: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina In this powerful anniversary sermon, The Rev. Canon Kelly Brown Douglas invites St. Paul’s—and all who...
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Be a Sparrow
Sermon by The Rev. Nancy Vaders · June 21, 2026 In this sermon on Matthew 10, Rev. Nancy Vaders begins with her own “bird nerd” fascination and focuses on the humble house sparrow mentioned by Jesus
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This Invasive Hope
In a world that often calls us “weeds,” the Rev. Erika Takacs looks to the humble dandelion and to Scripture to proclaim an “invasive hope” that refuses to die. Drawing on Paul’s words that “suffering produces endurance… and hope does not disappoint,” she invites us to see that our hardest…
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It’s Okay to Cry
Listen now to this sermon preached by The Rev. Dixon Kinser at St. Paul's Winston-Salem at the 10 AM service on June 7, 2026. Drawing on the story of the bleeding woman and Jesus’ healing touch, this sermon explores how our culture resists public grief—and why God meets us precisely in those...
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Trinity, Memory, and Mission
Listen to The Rev. Nick VanHorn preach on May 31, 2026. On Trinity Sunday, we reflected on how God’s story shapes our own—through resurrection and doubt, memory and hope—and how ordinary people are sent to carry an extraordinary story into an “ordinary” world hungry for good news.
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Breathe In Peace, Breathe Out Hope
Listen to The Rev. Lucy Strandlund preach on May 24, 2026, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Drawing on scripture and the feast of Pentecost, this sermon reflects on the miracle of breath in our bodies and the breath of God in our lives, sending us out from the safety of the church into a fearful...
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We Are Family: Bishop Michael Curry at St. Paul’s 150th Anniversary
Preached on May 17, 2026, for St. Paul’s 150th Anniversary, this sermon by Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry weaves Scripture, storytelling, and joyful exhortation around a simple truth: we are God’s family. Bishop Curry invites the church to live God’s dream by treating every person as kin and...
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Do Not Fear What They Fear
A sermon preached by The Rev. Erika Takacs at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, May 10, 2026, reflecting on 1 Peter’s seemingly reassuring question, “Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?” Rev. Takacs explores how this “failed” rhetorical question exposes the real suffering…
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Abundant Life and the Trail Markers of Faith
Recorded on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Winston-Salem, NC, this sermon by The Rev. Lucy Strandlund reflects on Jesus’ words, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life,” and what they mean for us today.
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The Rev. Jane Patterson, PhD
The Rev. Jane Patterson, PhD preaches on April 26, 2027.
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The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson
This Sunday, April 19, 2026, St. Paul's welcomes The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson. The Bishop joined us for confirmations.
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God Has Already Acted: An Easter Sermon
On Easter Day 2026, The Rev. Dixon Kinser proclaims that God has already acted in the resurrection of Jesus and that changes everything. Moving from Mary’s grief at the empty tomb to the hope of a world being made new, this sermon invites us to trust that renewal doesn’t rest solely on our…
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Cloaks at His Feet
Palm Sunday is not just about palms: it’s about cloaks, clothing, and the God who claims everything we are. In this sermon, The Very Rev. Andrew McGowan, PhD traces the journey from cloaks thrown before Jesus in triumph, to his stripping in humiliation, to the white robes of baptism that signify...
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Radical Empathy and the God Who Weeps
Preached at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, March 22, 2016, this sermon by the Rev. Nancy Vaders weaves together a hospice chaplain’s story, the fierce compassion of nurses, and the raising of Lazarus in the Gospel of John.
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We Were Blind, But Now We See
The Rev. Erika Takacs preaches on John 9 and the man born blind, asking who in the story can truly see. She names the many forms of spiritual blindness—fear, judgment, exclusion—and proclaims that our blindness is exactly where God’s grace goes to work. Not through our effort or theological...
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Come and See: The Woman at the Well Revisited
In this sermon on the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), we look beyond the usual assumptions about her “shameful past” and discover a rich, nuanced conversation between Jesus and a thoughtful, influential woman. Exploring wells as biblical meeting places, Jesus’ first “I am” statement, and…
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Watchful Preparation
In this sermon, Rev. Nick VanHorn weaves together the chaos of a family holiday, the timeless lessons of scripture, and cultural traditions to urge us toward spiritual readiness. This sermon was preached on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at 11:15 AM at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem…
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Faith, Politics, & the Kingdom Within
In this sermon, Tim King explores the Feast of Christ the King by tackling the divisions of our world and our lives, from politics to personal relationships. Through the metaphor of “defying gravity,” he invites us to look beyond the pull of anger and division, urging us to find hope, unity, and...
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Our Place in God’s Vast Creation
In this thought-provoking sermon, The Rev. Nancy Vaders weaves together the story of Galileo, the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, and the iconic 'Pale Blue Dot' image from Voyager One. Through these powerful examples, she challenges us to embrace an enduring, dynamic faith—one that looks...
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Resurrection and Knowing
In this powerful sermon, Rev. Lucy Strandlund explores the profound mystery of resurrection through the lens of human uncertainty. Drawing from a biblical passage about the Sadducees' challenge to Jesus, she reflects on the limits of human knowledge and the deeper truths of faith. Preached on...
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One Water, One Body: A Baptismal Reflection
In this powerful All Saints' Day sermon, The Rev. Erika Takacs explores the profound unity of human experience through the lens of water, from scientific molecular connections to spiritual baptismal transformations. She weaves together fascinating insights about water molecules, historical...
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When We Wrestle With Doubt
This sermon explores the biblical story of Jacob, highlighting his complex character as a trickster who maintains a persistent and intimate relationship with God. The Rev. Lucy Strandlund uses Jacob's narrative to illustrate that faith is not about perfection, but about ongoing dialogue…
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Faith Beyond Cure: Finding Healing in Gratitude
In this sermon, the Rev. Nick VanHorn explores the difference between being "cured" and being "well," challenging the notion of God as a transactional vending machine. Drawing from the Gospel story of the ten lepers and personal experiences, he reveals how gratitude and faith can bring healing…
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The Extraordinary Power of Ordinary Faith
Rev. Erika Takacs weaves together the story of two Jewish cousins creating a comic book superhero during World War II with biblical teachings about faith, hope, and the power of seeing the world as it could be. The sermon encourages listeners to embrace their ordinariness and use even a tiny…
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Redemption's Tapestry: Healing Beyond Brokenness
In this powerful sermon, Rev. Nancy Vaders weaves together stories of transformation - from a prison quilting program to the biblical healing of the Gerasene demoniac, exploring how healing can disrupt our most deeply held narratives and reveal the possibility of new identities. A message of…
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The Power of Small Good Things: Embracing Imperfection in God's Kingdom
In this thought-provoking sermon, Rev. Erika Takacs unpacks one of Jesus' most challenging parables, exploring how God values our imperfect attempts at doing good. Discover a message of hope that celebrates small acts of compassion, courage, and mercy, revealing how even our flawed efforts can...
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Living from Abundance
In this sermon, The Rev. Lucy Strandlund invites us to shift our perspective from scarcity to abundance, drawing on the story of Mary of Bethany and Judas Iscariot. With warmth and insight, she weaves together Scripture, personal stories, and a call to see God’s grace as overflowing in our lives....
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Liturgy and Community
The Rev. Dixon Kinser preaches on the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost on September 7, 2025.
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My Kind of People
In this sermon, the Rev. Dixon Kinser explores Jesus' radical approach to hospitality and inclusivity, challenging listeners to move beyond cultural and religious purity codes. Using a Gospel passage about a dinner party, Dixon unpacks how Jesus consistently broke social boundaries by embracing...
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Here Am I: Prophetic Voices and Inner Transformation
In this sermon, Rev. Erika Takacs explores the complexity of the Book of Isaiah, using the iconic stained glass window as a starting point to challenge listeners to examine their own community's shortcomings and respond to Jesus' call to work towards justice, compassion, and liberation. This…
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Hunger That Unites: Finding Common Ground in Our Differences
The Rev. Lucy Strandlund preaches on the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, NC on Sunday, August 17, 2025. Despite our diverse backgrounds and perspectives, we can be united by a shared spiritual hunger for community, justice, and God's transformative love.
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Exploring Faith: A Personal Journey
The Rev. Nick VanHorn preaches on the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, NC on August 10, 2025.
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Embracing Life's Choices: Wisdom and Generosity
The Rev. Dixon Kinser preaches on the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, NC, on August 3, 2025. Join Dixon as he explores the temporary nature of life and the goal of understanding this to find purpose.
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The Power of Prayer: Lessons from a Hospital Chaplain
The Rev. Nancy Vaders preaches at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, NC on July 27, 2025 for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost.
About this show
Join a growing online and in-person community as we explore what it means to fully love our neighbors in our modern world, free from judgment and full of gratitude. St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, NC is a fully inclusive community of people with diverse beliefs and life experiences who are focused on what connects us, not what divides us. Sermons are uploaded every Monday.
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St. Paul's Episcopal, Winston-Salem
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